October Diaries

1st October 1973	Now this is how to start your University life! Surveying again in the Lake District in the daytime - we got on like a rocket and had taken all the theodolite readings and done all the levelling by the night. Went down to the pub in the evening and studied the senior members of M.U.G.S. very closely so we could learn all the songs they were singing! After the pub we all went back to Newlands for a party and within 15 minutes there were about a hundred first year geography students all dancing. There was technically supposed to be no alcohol on the premises but we danced non stop until about 2.30. All the boys in the dormitory lay awake talking for ages, mainly about all the first year girls of course!
2nd October 1975	Went to UMIST and played table football. Met Heather and went back for coffee to Heather and Jenny's place. Mike Osbourne, who is sponsored by the Midlands Electricity Board, volunteered to fix their extension cable for them. When he started jumping about with the screwdriver in his hand we thought he was faking an electric shock, but when he started turning blue we realised the silly bugger had left the other end plugged in! We took him to hospital but he was OK.
3rd October 1977	Morris and Bert started work today although neither of them liked it very much and advised me to stay on the dole! It was Bert's birthday and he was supposed to be coming to Millers to celebrate but of course he changed his mind as usual. Went along there anyway with Morris, Dennis and Deke. We couldn't afford much to drink though - in fact I am absolutely broke now. My cousins Louis, Ramon and Gerard were there as well as all the usual girls - denim, buck teeth etc!
4th October 1971	Ellen isn't talking to me. Bert still fancies Jackie but shes going out with someone else. Bert, Strach and Chris came round at night and we hung about on Westdale Lane. I had a ride on Chris's Honda 90
5th October 1973	A quiet day. Got up about about 10.00 and went down to the Union building to join the NUS and see about my grant but it still hasn't come in yet. Met Martin and we went back up to the geography department. I was supposed to meet G at 11.30 but he didn't arrive so I had a chat to Alison who I think I've fallen in love with! Me and Martin went back to the union and had some sandwiches in the bar then went to talk to Chris and Ed and the other climber in the small bar. Then I eventually found Gordon and went to the library. After that it was back to check on my grant but guess what - it still hasnt come
6th October 1972	Went to Goose Fair with Wiff and met up with the rest of our gang. I think this was the year when we all communicated by calling each other Bruce, after the Monty Python sketch! We met 42 people from our school at the fair!
7th October 1972	Went to the autumn fair at school and scrounged a blazer from the second year girls! Went to Bert's party at night - it seems as if the pairings were me and Jane, Angie and Dio, Bert and Gwynneth, Hodgie and Bert's sister and Pete and her friend!
8th October 1971	Went to Goose Fair in a big group of 22 of us. Went on the rides with Ellen, Diane, Angie, Anne and Hilary
9th October 1976	Met Jude in town and then went down to the railway station to pick up Mary. We then went to visit Morris in Debenhams and went shopping for shoes. I bought the Rod Stewart Story. We went back to our house for dinner and Jude and I cooked for everyone. <p> In the afternoon we went off to Goose Fair but it was raining so it was a bit dismal and muddy. We tried to win assorted Paddington bears and pub mirrors but didn't have much luck! We went in to the Wall of Death and the White Mice then the dodgems and the paratrooper. Jude and Mary came back for tea then we had to rush to get dressed up ready to go out, and dropped Mary back at the station. <p> We went up to pick Ed up from West Bridgford and then to the Salutation. Johnno was already there and Morris and Bert came later. We went to Scamps about 10.30 and had sausage and chips and actually danced all night! We left about 1 and took Ed and Jude home. It was a beautiful moonlit night at Newstead Abbey.
10th October 1973	Lectures all morning and we even went to one we didn't have to, by mistake! In the afternoon I left my folder in Tony's locker and we met in the bar, before getting on to 2 double decker buses with all the rest of the M.U.G.S. to go to Blackpool. We stopped at the services and nearly got left behind then as soon as we arrived in Blackpool Ed, Gordon and me had something to eat and headed for the funfair. We went on the log chute and G got wet through before we set off for the pub. I had 5 pints and 3 rum and blacks which guaranteed a good time. I spent most of the evening talking to Alison and went for a walk with her up to the fair, amusements and beach. Unfortunately she told us she is engaged to a boy at home...and just as I was falling in love! The bus back was excellent with singing all the way until we arrived back at 1.30
11th October 1975	Went to see Fairport Convention at UMIST and they were absolutely brilliant. Bumped into Anna - Fairport reminded us both of Mart as he was the one who used to listen to them. Sandy Denny sang Who Knows Where the Time goes as an encore and Anna and I both had tears rolling down our cheeks by the end. Went for a chinese afterwards.
12th October 1974	Saturday night and the UMIST disco but it was a bit of a disaster! Angie came for tea and we went down to the disco. However Barbara was there as well, which caused a bit of a problem so I guess I am not seeing her anymore! Went to John Fields party afterwards with Angie and came back about 3.00 am. Angie stayed over. And Manchester United beat Notts County 1-0!
13th October 1973	Had a letter from Gabbie. Went into Manchester with G and bought all the useful things that students need - saucepans and books! Met Tim and his friend at the Union, had something to eat and then went to the Stretford End to see Man United v Derby. It was an excellent game and United were on top all the way through but they lost 1-0. <p> At night we went down to the union to see Tir Na Nog but they didn't turn up and we had Brett Marvin and the Thunderbolts instead.
14th October 1972	Went to Liverpool to see King Lear. The Fool and the bit where Gloucester's eyes were put out were excellent! Tats fell out with Coral. We got back at about 2.45 am.
15th October 1971	School in the daytime. It was Friday so we all went down to Fiona's house at night. Rang Ellen up from Fiona's
16th October 1974	Blackpool on the MUGS trip again although it wasn't as good as last year. The singing on the bus was good though, and the funfair was excellent. We went on the dodgems, shooting, octopus, big dipper, roller coaster, log chute etc - that must have blown a good deal of my grant! Tried to go for a drink in the Manchester but they wouldn't let us in. Fez got left behind at the services near Bolton on the way back and had to get home under his own steam with the help of a borrowed bike and some bottles of milk from peoples doorsteps!
17th October 1975	MUGS disco complete with hundreds of beautiful women and subsidised drinks! Danced with Pam, Chris, Viv etc then Megan. We went to a party at flat 12 afterwards and then down to the Conti club, and back to the party again!
18th October 1974	Tats came up to stay with me in Manchester. I met him at the station and his train was a bit late. We went off down to the Free Trade Hall but missed a bit of the support band. Wishbone Ash were excellent but they didn't play Jailbait! They did play nearly all of Argus and Lorrie from Home was playing guitar with them. We went down to the Plaza afterwards and attacked a buryani but only Ed could beat it!
19th October 1971	Sponsor sheets arrived for the sponsored walk so we have been out collecting names all lunchtime. All of them are female needless to say. Ellen is first on the last - went to Calverton at night on Pete's bike to see her.
20th October 1976	Went round to see G in the afternoon and had chips for tea then set of for the match with G, Mickey, Mike Evans and Tony. We managed to get in even though the attendance at Old Trafford was 59,021! The Italians were pretty dirty though and doing a lot of diving. United beat Juventus 1-0. Went to the postgraduate club for a drink after the game and watched the football again on the telly!
21st October 1972	Watched the First 15 against Bridgford in the morning - they won 92-0. The second 15 went one better and won 102-0. Went over to Jane's at night.
22nd October 1972	Tats came up with a letter he had received from Alison. By coincidence Penny rang me up. Alison and Penny were the girls we had met on the geography field course in the Lake District.
23rd October 1971	Went to the Notts County match and saw them beat Oldham 2-0. Me, Stach and Chris hung around our house at night and then went down to Marts. The others had gone to Steve's party.
24th October 1974	Spent the day falling out with Bert, Trev and Will! Sat in our porch at night with Diane and Mop, then went up to Grat's.
25th October 1971	Friends came round and we played records. Ann and Ellen are away on a hockey tour. We went down to Marts at night and played bridge.

26th October 1974	Had to get up very early, especially for a Saturday, and go on a soils field trip to Delamere Forest. At night we went to UMIST to see Isotope but they were far too jazzy for me.
27th October 1971	Hung around on Priory field in the afternoon. Went to Anne's party at night and talked to Ann for a long time. Bert was drunk and Stach was in a bad mood all night!
28th October 1975	MUGS cheese and wine party with plenty of wine and not so much cheese! Went back to the Abbey and Viv's for coffee. Christine came and we all came down to our flat. Viv and Christine stayed the night.
29th October 1971	Got up at 5.15 to go to London. Saw Soho, Carnaby Street, Kings Rd, Football Hall of Fame, Post Office Tower, Trafalgar Square and the Houses of Parliament. Bought my first ever Rod Stewart album from Virgin records on Oxford Street - and bent it in the tube doors so it still has the scratch. It was Every Picture Tells a Story of course. Got home about 11.15.
30th October 1971	Stayed in bed late and played Every Picture Tells a Story all morning. Gillian and Sue phoned up 5 times. Went over to Johns at night.
31st October 1975	Stayed in bed late then went to the Firs for some rocket fuel - very cheap Carlsberg special which they sold on draught. After that we went to Tintersfield for a very good party. Anna and Paul were there. Anna was drunk and I was sick!