I watched the Gulls with interest today before breakfast. They launch themselves into the wind after running quickly along the sand just like aeroplanes.

   After breakfast we went to the Central Beach again but as it rained this afternoon we had to find shelter on the Promenade. I did a little sketching.

   This evening the rain had not stopped so we went to the Savoy Cinema, Cleveleys, where we saw Caged Fury [about a killer on the loose in a circus] and Big Town After Dark [in which daring reporters investigate the underworld].

   A cold wind blew all day, but the sea was not rough.

   On buying the Birmingham Gazette this morning I found that Ginger won her first race, from trap 4, at Hall Green yesterday [Bank Holiday] afternoon.

   This morning we decided to walk towards the Tower and back again.

   After dinner we stayed in Cleveleys. I went into the sea, which was quite rough.

   After being dull this morning we had a very good afternoon. The wind had dropped considerably.

   This evening we went to the Louis Tussaud exhibition of waxworks. [Some of them were gruesome.]

   We walked around the shops in the centre this morning, and this afternoon I went into the sea at Cleveleys. There was a cold wind blowing & the sea was rough. There were some bright periods.

   After tea we decided to go to the Tower where there were several amusements including a Menagerie. The Tower Ballroom is really superb. Reginald Dixon was playing on the Wonder Wurlitzer. And how he can play!

   All of today we spent in Cleveleys on the beach. There were quite a lot of people there and it was warm even if the sea was rough.

   This evening we all went to the Cleveleys Pleasure Beach which is not quite so good as that in South Blackpool. Mam and Dad went on the Little Dipper and Clarice and Julia on the Helter Skelter.

   We have really excellent lodgings. We have Breakfast at 9.0 (Cereals & something cooked), Dinner at 1.0 (three courses), Tea at 5.30 with a fancy cake each, and Supper at 10.0. The bed which I am sharing with Grandad is very clean and comfortable.

   We spent this morning on the beach in Cleveleys again but this afternoon we went to Fleetwood on the tram. At Fleetwood there is a harbour where ships travel between [there and] Douglas in the Isle of Man.

   After tea we had to pack the trunk, so we spent the remaining time walking on the promenade until after sunset.

   I have found out that Blackpool Tower was built in 1891 and opened on Whit-Monday 1894. It is the highest building in Britain (518 feet) and from it one can see places 50 miles distant.

   It hardly seems like a week since we were getting on the train to Blackpool. How time flies! [I took some photographs of all of us guests, then] after saying Goodbye to first one then another we left the “Roy” at 10.0am and caught the 11.20 train home again.

   It was about 4 o’clock when we got back to Birmingham. There were no less than nine newspapers [six Birmingham Mails, the Sunday Mercury, The People, and the Sunday Graphic] behind the front door and several letters.

   After tea Mam and Dad went to the pictures [for her birthday], so I spent the evening writing up my diary for the past week.

   Ginger was 5th again tonight in 31.13 seconds.

   This morning I fetched my Boy’s Own Paper. This month’s copy is a special issue in honour of B.O.P.’s seventieth birthday. [The first issue was on Saturday 18th January 1979 and cost 1d. It was started by the Religious Tract Society as both a weekly and monthly publication, and had 250,000 readers within five years. It became a monthly from 1913, in which year George Andrew Hutchinson, its first editor, died. (Dr. James Macauley was its nominal first editor). It has featured stories by R.M. Ballantyne, G.A. Henty, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Jules Verne, and more recently Gunby Hadath. Jack Cox is the present editor. B.O.P. is going to continue five more years.]

   While at Dorling’s I paid three weeks’ paper money, 4/9d. During the morning] I also marked off my engine numbers which I collected going to and from Blackpool [underlining them in the “ref”, the Ian Allan ABC of British Railways Locomotives, Part 3, London Midland Region]. Out of 206 seen, 44 were “cops”  69.9%.

   It has rained continually since 12.30. I spent the afternoon either reading or listening to the wireless.

   This evening Granma and Grandad came.

   There was a gale last night and when I got up this morning two of the rose trees were lying across the lawn. It presented an excellent opportunity to cut the hedge, which I did during the morning. I fixed the one tree up [Dad the other]. I also played Cricket.

   I spent the afternoon reading or playing outside.

   After tea I again played Cricket with Clarice and Julia, and I also cut the front lawn.

   The weather has not been at all bad today. It has not been cold either.

   I went up town this morning with Mam and Julia. It rained a bit.

   After dinner I stayed in.

   This evening I went to the field with Brian [Holliday], Clive and Wilf [Rogers], and attempted to wipe out a few thousand wasps which have a nest in a hole. We hurled housebricks and anything we could get hold of. We must have killed several. Clarice and Julia had some bad stings off them. I also got a couple. We also played Cricket for a while. I got four wickets and caught two.

   Bob came home today.

   I had to wait in until nearly eleven o’clock for the trunk to arrive. Afterwards I went on to the field. I got a wasp sting that has made my hand swell up. Julie, who got a sting just under her eye yesterday, has a large lump there now.

   This afternoon I trimmed the bushes in the front garden.

   This evening I listened to “Stand Easy” and now I’m listening to “Holiday Night” from Blackpool.

   I got my hair cut this morning, and I also read this week’s Rover.

   Mrs. Ashmore came this afternoon.

   Tonight in the street, I scored 31 and 36 runs playing Cricket.

   My hand is now twice its normal size and it is rather difficult to write.

   Mam had to got to [the Midland Nerve] Hospital as usual today, so I took Clarice, Julia and Pamela to the Museum and Art Gallery. We also went to Pets’ Corner in Lewis’s, and to Grey’s as well.

   We got home at a quarter to three and after we had had dinner played outside. Later on I went down the village on the Bike.

   After tea I went out to play until 7.30pm. In the past five days I have scored 174 runs in the street at an average of 34.80. My average in proper cricket is:

7 ins,, 2 n.o., 30 runs, 6.00 av., my scores being 1 not out, 0, 3, 21, 5 not out, 0, 0.

   Mam and Dad are at the cinema. They have gone to the Warwick to see Frank Randle, Tessie O’Shea and Josef Locke in the comedy Somewhere in Politics (A), and International Circus Review.

   It has been quite an unusual day today. Before breakfast Dad and I cycled to Hall Green and saw Ginger. It was the first time I had seen Ginger since May 2nd.

   After breakfast I went with Dad to Great Barr and brought home with us a Greyhound puppy, a Bitch called “Tess”. She is ten weeks old, born on June 3rd. She was very timid at first and curled up in a corner.

   This afternoon. I went to the practice match at St. Andrews. The Reserve Team won by 5 goals to 2.

   At tea-time Tess was a bit more settled down and ate ravenously. She walked round the garden but cried when she was put in the shed, so we kept her in the house for a bit.

   Tess cried quite a lot during last night but she is settling down alright now. Before breakfast we put a lead on her and took her for a walk (to the corner).

   After breakfast I went to Grandad’s on the bicycle.

   I spent most of the afternoon in the garden. It was very warm.

   At seven o’clock I went to the park and played Cricket. I scored 9, 4, 0, 15, 5, bringing my season’s total to 63 runs in ten innings. My average is 6.30. I also bowled and took two wickets (?) — [we have no proper stumps] — for 17 runs.

   Tess was asleep when I came home, but not for long.

   [Sweets have gone back on the ration today.]

   This morning I took Clarice, Julia and Pamela blackberrying along the [Grand Union] canal towards Solihull. We walked into Sheldon. It was very hot again but we got plenty of blackberries. All together we walked up to ten miles.

   This afternoon. I stayed in except for going down the village on Bob’s bicycle and taking Tess for a walk.

   Tonight I played Cricket with Clarice and Julia in the street.

   I did not do much this morning but I did help Mam to tidy the front room. I also washed up.

   This afternoon we all went to town. We saw a television test in Lewis’s.

   I went to the Football Exhibition in the Co-op. (High Street). There were photographs, cartoons and Cups. Of particular interest was the football with which Aston Villa beat Everton 3–2 in the 1896–7 Cup Final at the Crystal Palace.

   There was also the Sports Argus that was blue. This was when West Bromwich Albion beat Birmingham City 2–1, in the 1931 F.A. Cup Final at Wembley.

   I got the new ABC of British Railways Locomotives (Part 4, Eastern & North Eastern Region) today. The only time I have ever seen L.N.E.R. locomotives was when we went to Lowestoft in 1946 and 1947.

   After tea I played out. I am listening to “Ray’s a Laugh”.

   Tess is a little rascal!!! She either howls, eats, sleeps or pulls things to pieces. So far she has howled every night. Last night I was up between three and half past nursing Tess to sleep. She is quite Gingerish. When she is in the house she sleeps on the settee and on being taken off sleeps in the armchair. She eats coal and soil and even pulls my hair or bites my fingers.

   Nothing much happened today. I took Tess on to the field this morning and after dinner I cut part of the back lawn.

   After tea I played out until 8.0pm.

   I slept on this morning and got up at about 9.30. I played in the house most of the morning. We played “Hide and Seek”.

   After dinner I went down the village on Bob’s bicycle and then stayed in for the rest of the afternoon until four o’clock when I went out to play.

   This evening I played Cricket in the park with the boys. I played for just over an hour and I came home at 8.45pm and had a bath. Then I came down for supper and listened to “The Piddingtons”, a 30 minute programme of telepathy.

   Mam took Clarice and Julia to the doctor’s this morning and then on to town. [Dr. Gough’s surgery is at 633 Shirley Road, on the corner of Lakey Lane from where we catch the 32 ’bus. It is part of the Gospel Lane loop. The 31A and 32 ’buses from town follow the same route to the College Arms, then the 31A “Acocks Green and Olton” goes up Shaftmoor Lane and Olton Boulevard East to the terminus at Gospel Lane, while the 32 “Lakey Lane” continues along Stratford Road and School Road to the terminus. There the 31A becomes a 32, and the 32 a 31A, and they complete the Loop by driving back into town the way the other ’bus has just come. The ’bus depot is at the top of Westley Road, very close to Fox Hollies Road and Olton Boulevard East.]

   I washed the crocks up and tidied up. Then I broke up some bread for Tess and took the Brownhound out for an hour and a half. First I took her all round the square [from Circular Road, into Starcross Road and Hyron Hall Road to Olton Boulevard East, then down the village — see map]. She got quite tired in the end and went straight to sleep when we got home. She slept on the deckchair [in the garden] until the laundryman came at 2 o’clock. Mam came home ten minutes later. I had already had my dinner.

   I didn’t do much this afternoon.I washed up.

   Mam and Dad are at the pictures. Robert Newton and Kay Walsh are in Oliver Twist (A) at the Warwick; Johnny Weissmuller in Tarzan and the Mermaids, and Call of the Wild are on at the Olton.

   I didn’t do a great deal this morning but I polished all the shoes.

   After dinner at 1.45pm I cycled down to Grandad’s and then went with him to St Andrews where Birmingham lost 3–0 to Chelsea. Scorers were Williams 2, and Bentley (via Duckhouse, Blues’ new captain). Blues had a new style programme. It had twelve pages including an action photo.

   Chelsea had on view Mitchell and Hughes, both formerly Blues players. [Frank Mitchell — who also used to play cricket for Warwickshire — was transferred last January. Billy Hughes, a Welsh International, was transferred to Luton Town in July 1947, then to Chelsea eight months later].

   B’ham City:— Merrick; Trigg, Green; Dorman, Duckhouse, Harris; Stewart, Brennan, Dailey, Capel, McKee. I stayed to get 4 autographs [Bob Brennan, Jim Dailey, Reg Eddowes and Arthur Atkins].

   Grandad came for tea.

   I got up at about nine o’clock this morning and after breakfast played out.

   Just before dinner I started to write a book which I am calling Smugglers’ Bay. I spent the rest of the day mainly doing this. By 8.30 tonight I had finished Chapter I “Arrival at Shipington” and I have almost finished Chapter II “The Adventure Begins”. Goodness knows how many pages I shall have to write; so far I have completed ten and a half.

   It has again been warm.

   Tess is as daft as ever.

   After breakfast this morning I went down the village twice and then I cut all the back hedge on Prentice’s side, apart from a small piece behind one of the rose trees which I was unable to reach.

   After dinner I went down the village again and for a ride to Tyseley. When I got home I took my railway books [the Ian Allan four-part ABC of British Railways Locomotives] out of the combined volume I made on February 20th and put them back in their covers.

   After tea I went to the Library and then played cricket until 8.30pm.

   After I had been down the village today Mam painted the kitchen while I scraped the window-ledge.

   We had dinner at 3.45pm.

   For the rest of the time I played Cricket and went down the village to do some shopping for Mam. When I got home I saw a Helicopter flying low over the house. I saw a Helicopter for the first time yesterday when I was going to Tyseley.

   This evening I played in the street at Rounders, Bowling and Football until 8.45. It has again been warm but rather cloudy.

   Mam was painting the kitchen when we got up this morning so we had no breakfast but had dinner at 12.15. Then I went down the village for Mam.

   My ABC of B.R. Locos (Western Region) arrived this morning. [The 49XX, 59XX and 59XX Halls which were converted to oil-burning and renumbered 3900–3904 and 3950–3955 have now resumed their old numbers as they are going back to coal. No. 9091 Thames has been scrapped, so there are only 10 Dukes left now, and only 24 Bulldogs compared with 34 in last year’s ref. Two Saints have gone, reducing their number to 39. But 10 new Castles are being built, Nos. 7028–7037, and 10 new Manors, 7820–7829, which I look forward to seeing: there is space to write their names in when these are announced.]

   After dinner I played football with Brian [Holliday], Clive and Wilf [Rogers] for an hour.

   At 4.45 I cycled to see B’ham beat W.B.A. by 2–0. Brian Holliday came with me. Dailey scored both goals and also two disallowed goals. B’ham City:— Merrick; McDonnell, Green; Boyd, Duckhouse, Ferris; Stewart, Brennan, Dailey, Capel, Berry.

   It was a very good game.

   It was colder when I got up this morning. At a quarter to eleven I went on to the Stratford Road to get some meat for Tess and I went straight on to town. I was back home at 1.15pm. Mam was painting the bathroom.

   After dinner I went down the village and then played football with the boys. After that I again went down the village on Bob’s bike.

   After tea I played out for a short time, then I came in to listen to “Twenty Questions” and “The Piddingtons”.

   Mam finished painting the bathroom this morning. We did not have any dinner and we went up town at half past one. We walked all around town until 4.45pm.

   This evening Mam and Dad have gone to the cinema, as has Bob. [They have gone to the Warwick to see Sid Field and Margaret Lockwood in Cardboard Cavalier (U).]

   It rained last night a bit. Yesterday it was announced that Birmingham had only enough water for seventy days.

   As soon as I got up today I helped Dad to put up the border in the bathroom and the kitchen. Then after breakfast I went down the village twice to do some shopping for Mam. Then I cycled to Grandad’s to get some flowers. [He has a lovely garden and greenhouse.]

   I got home at one o’clock just in time for dinner. Then I stayed in until 3.30 when Freda came. It was the first time she had visited us since my birthday party on July 27th 1947. [Freda L. Jones was lodging with us during the war and afterwards. She lives at 41 Kent Street, Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent.] Freda brought me a super Jig-Saw Puzzle of Christopher Columbus.

   I spent most of the evening doing my Jig-Saw. I completed it at ten o’clock.

   I slept in the bedchair last night [as Freda was sleeping in my bed in the little front room where she used to sleep when she lived with us].

   I didn’t go out much this morning, and after dinner I listened to the Radio and did a jig-saw puzzle until tea.

   Freda, who was catching the 6.35 train from New Street back home, left at 5.45pm. Mam, Dad and Bob went to see her on the train.

   Meanwhile I left Tess in the house asleep while I played football with the boys. We had sides. My side lost 17–8. I got seven of our eight goals.

   Mam, Dad and Bob got back at 7.45 and I came in at 8.15.

   I am listening to “Sunday Half Hour”. It is nearly 9.0.

   After breakfast today I washed up then went out to play and down the village to carry Mam’s bag back.

   This afternoon. I stayed in. A friend of Mam’s came.

   After tea this evening I went to the Library with Bob.

   When I got up this morning I went straight down the village to get the Wizard and the Adventure. I also did some shopping. Tess came with me.

   We only had a snack for dinner and then we went straight up town with Tess. We did not stay long however, and when I got back I went down the village for Mam.

   This evening I played out for an hour.

   We are trying to think of a racing name for Tess. [I made up for Ginger’s racing name, “Ballingetty”, from her father “Ballingally Lad” and mother “Royal Betty”.] It is unlikely that we shall be [able] to use the name “Newport Coon” as Newport, we think, is a copyright name.

   Nothing much happened this morning. I went for a cycle ride until 11.30.

   At just after midday we all went to Cannon Hill Park and we took our dinner with us. I cycled to the park and arrived five minutes before Mam, Clarice and Julia who came on the [1A] bus. We took Tess with us. It was quite warm but cloudy at times. We got home at 5.30pm.

   After tea I went out to play football until half past eight.

   Ginger [was] running for the first time since August 13th (3rd T5 31.28). Tonight she was 3rd again from trap 3. Her time was 31.13 seconds.