1968: ROLY ON THE ISLE OF WIGHT

Monday, 3 June

Suddenly Pa sighted Roly’s boat in the creek so we drew up alongside and had a chat! Had drinks inside the cabin as it started to pour. Sue P’s sister Maddie was with them, she’s about 27 and terribly sweet but not married. Pa thinks it’s an awful shame. Had some fights with Richard with guns, fists and cushions, and he showed us how to work their walkie-talkie! I wish I had a little brother! Roly’s also got a radio transmitter and you can ring up anybody on shore - it’s fantastic.

It was pelting down when we went ashore for dinner. I wore pink top and wine-red trousers, and kept pretty dry under my white anorak. Fantastic meal; one good waiter. Roly and Maddie were late. They said last night they ran out of petrol as they were approaching Poole; in fact, they were right off the Needles! If it wasn’t for the tide going the right way they would have been driven onto the rocks.

Roly bought Erika six 17th-century silver spoons for their wedding anniversary, which cost £1,000. I can hardly believe it!!! I must say, I’d rather silver spoons to a car.

2020: Uncle Roly was the daredevil of the family, the second youngest of my father’s three brothers. They shared a passion for sailing they inherited from my grandpa, with Roly being the most adventurous. I preferred sunbathing to sailing, but looked forward to sailing weekends. With no snazzies (‘sexy bad boys’) on the radar at home, I could spot them on the Solent. Sometimes I’d see them through binoculars. More rarely, and scarily, I’d see them close up. No words were ever exchanged.

Tuesday, 4 June

Beautiful sail home but I’m afraid I didn’t notice much of it; I sunbathed most of the way.

As soon as we got home we went down the garden to see the pool. The terrace is going to be at the end with a precipice-type bank but if they cut the slope it should be fine.

I listened to the BBC Networks Service in German and they discussed germ warfare. It’s horrifying - who could work in a research place like that? Once you start creating diseases for the purpose of killing, you’re not far off from pure decadence.

Rather pleased how brown I am.

Wednesday, 5 June

At school we heard Robert Kennedy’s been shot. Every half hour there were news flashes and all of us grouped around the TV. Honestly, the USA is the most sick society - that couldn’t happen in England. Debbie raves over the Kennedys because they’re for peace in Viet-Nam.

Anya feels sorry for Martha. She’s got deadly parents and no brothers or sisters, and she’s trying to get Sandra to go on holiday with her.

R.I. was good. She said when Luke speaks in the Bible about eternal life he doesn’t mean ‘life after death’. She said she’d personally find life unbearable if there wasn’t life after death, and that the difference between a Christian and a non-Christian is that a Christian has hope for the world. But why would a god be more likely to save the world? I’d say the chances were 50:50!

Thursday, 6 June

Bobby Kennedy has died, suddenly it seems much sadder. It must be such a setback for the Negroes, he was one of their greatest hopes.

There’s no one interesting to talk to at dinner break. I went to the powder-room and Sally P was in there. She said she thinks Sue Padgett is fantastically attractive. She is, but she wears a lot of make-up.

I’m sick of crummy old sanitary towels. I must buy some Tampax. Tons of people at school use it.

Listened to German radio from 9 to 10. Not very good - they only played English records.

Friday, 7 June

Gomshall Mill, with 17th-century machinery

Anya told me about this BBC programme on germ warfare. Every country has a laboratory working on it, and just one drop of it kills ten people. So what happens if there’s an accidental leak? I do not understand the mentality of these people. There’s an island where they’ve tried it out; all the animals died, and no one can visit for 100 years. We live in the most monstrous world.

Went down to town to look for a present for Lucy’s mother. She never got anything - she couldn’t make up her mind!

Ma fetched us and we went to Gomshall near Dorking. Had tea the The Mill, one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. The river runs right through it, and the tea room has pale wood rafters. We had the most staggering tea: cakes, malt bread and scones and cream.

We watched the last one of ‘Angel Pavement’. Turgis, who is marvellous, tried to gas himself but couldn’t afford it (!!!). The Dersinghams’ firm went bankrupt but Mrs Dersingham said it would probably do them good, and Turgis felt proud of having led a “double life”! It is just a beautiful ending.

Saturday, 8 June

Stayed in bed ages. Day-dreamed about a boy.

Worked all day on the terrace but didn’t get anything done. It makes me so dull and bad-tempered.

Sozzy, Jane and Granny and Grandpa came for tea. Some others came to play tennis. We had a staggering tea: sandwiches, elephants’ ears and three cakes including chocolate shortbread. We showed our slides in the evening so I couldn’t listen to any German. I’m no good to anybody.

Day in, day out I do nothing. I learn about literature and how to speak French and German, and I form opinions about people and things. But I wish there was someone who needed me and appreciated me, and who gave me some point in living.

Sunday, 9 June

Make a timetable for today but I didn’t keep to it as I knew I wouldn’t. I hoped to finish the French Grammar by 2 o’clock but didn’t till 4. Wore my Swedish dress I got three years ago but it looks dreadful - only 3” above my knee. I’ve never seen anything so frumpish in my life. Staggering how skirts go up all the time.

Ernie & Son stayed for tea. Staggering weather. We talked about the Stones but it annoys me the way everybody calls them degenerate, including Pa. Ernie quote: “What puts you off is all the long hair and the funny clothes.” I don’t see there’s anything so very degenerate in hating war and loving music.

Dad played tennis with me but honestly, I’d rather not play tennis at all than play once a month. My serves were non-existent. Because I’m so bad I get dreadfully depressed. I’ll have to just force myself to play every day.

We saw a very clever sketch programme by Eleanor Bron and John Fortune, all about man/woman relationships. It was terribly funny, and they wrote it themselves. Then saw ‘Call My Bluff’. They have these strange words and you have to guess the meanings. There are two panels - one of men with Kenneth Horne, and one of girls with Drucilla Beyfus. It was awfully good.

Uncle Roly, 20, in his first boat ‘Chuckle’ - Pathe News, 1955