INGRID REJECTS SCHOOL CRUISE TO AFRICA

The "sexy" Hughes Aufray in S.L.C.

M O N D A Y,  2 4  A P R I L

Looked at the leaflet on the Commonwealth Institute cruise. Ghastly - we're in dormitories of 20. Lucy's trying very hard to persuade me to go; Anya and Tig can't. Wish the whole thing had never been thought of.

Liz and Sandra looked at Anya's S.L.C. They like the look of Hughes Aufray but Sandra said he looks "sexy"! Honestly. Had our feet inspected in Gym and got my lessons fixed - tennis on Day 2, badminton on Day 3. I'm not going to swim, unless its absolutely boiling. Did Caesar. Still didn't finish it. 

At dinner Pa settled me for once and for all on the Africa thing - I am not going. He's given me so many reasons for not going I don't feel in doubt anymore and the main one is boredom: 24 hours stuck on a boat. 

“All there is to do is swim (urgh), play deck games, read and lie in the sun.”

If ONLY it wasn't round the west coast of Africa. I'm going to suggest to Lucy we go on a cruise with the British Council. Bound to be better than with the Commonwealth Institute.  

Had my French radio on and and suddenly I heard a news flash - the Russian space man who went up yesterday is dead. His parachute didn't open within seconds of landing and he fell four miles "comme une pierre." AWFUL. I whizzed downstairs to tell Mummy. (I was rather pleased with myself that I'd understood.)

“The world’s first space mission victim”

Vladimir Komarov was the first known victim of a space flight. It is now known that 203 design faults were reported by engineers before the flight, but were overruled by pressure for a feat in space to mark the 67th anniversary of Lenin's birthday on 22 April.

The Russians dominated the space race until July 1969 when the Americans put Neil Armstrong on the moon.