Today we broke up for the Easter holidays. After prayers at 10.30, the School Captain [G.R. Green] made a speech and presented Mr. Howarth with the twenty-five volumes of the Dictionary of National Biography on behalf of the school. Then Mr. Howarth in turn spoke and thanked the school for its generous gift and finally left Big School for the last time to tumultuous applause. INSERT SCHOOL REPORT (1 page)

   Nothing much happened for the rest of the afternoon. I have been to Cubs this evening.

   I heard this morning that I shall be in tomorrow evening’s “Town Forum — Italy”. My question will open the programme. According to the Radio Times, the programme is only being televised from 9.25 to 10.0 so I shall be heard and not seen. My question is identical to that for “Town Forum” last December except that I substituted the word Italy for Germany.

   After breakfast I washed up and took Ginger out. We had a very slight snowfall overnight but nearly all of it has gone now.

   On Television tonight we have watched Joan Gilbert “At Home” and another very good edition of “How Do You View?”.

   This morning I went shopping on my bicycle twice. Then this afternoon I had to be at the B.B.C. [282 Broad Street] for 2.0pm for a “Mid. Mag.” audition. This was in Studio 4 which has been rebuilt. My next “Midland Magazine” is on April 19th.

   This evening I broadcast in “Town Forum” from the Digbeth Institute. As I expected my question was not heard on TV. It’s a pity that the TV play — the 2nd part of Mourning Becomes Electra — could not have been begun at 7.15. The hall was packed. This time there were three cameras. One was on the balcony giving viewers pictures of the whole team & there were two others at the side to be focussed on the questioner or an individual speaker. The questioners were positioned on either side of the central gangway by a microphone. I asked my question without making any mistakes for which I was most thankful. The team took six minutes to answer my question and answered six questions in all.

   [The team was Professor G. Calogera, Director of the Italian Institute in London; Signor Riccardo Aragno, London Correspondent of “La Stampa” and broadcaster in “Voce di Londre”; Dr. I. Zingarelli, author and chief of Foreign Services of “Il Tempo”; and Signorina Nina Ruffini who is President of the Italian Council of Women and member of the National Council of the Italian Liberal Party. There is an article about the programme and photographs of members of the team in this week’s “Radio Times”. Prof. Calogera was imprisoned by the Italian for anti-Fascist activity until the fall of Mussolini’s regime in July 1943; Dr. Zingarelli was imprisoned by the Germans in 1944 and held as a hostage. “Town Forum” took a team of speakers to Rome on 12th October 1950, so this was a return visit.]

   After the broadcast I came home with John Winrow and Pickering in Mr. Pickering’s car. [J.A. Pickering is in the Science Division; he lives at 38 Kedleston Road, Hall Green.] I was back by 10.25 and then I took Ginger for her evening walk.

   I spent an hour this morning reading today’s newspapers in the library.

   At 3.0pm there was a repeat of “Town Forum” to which I listened. This was the first time [sic, opportunity] I had had of listening to a broadcast in which I actually took part.

   Tonight I went to the Warwick cinema to see a comedy film Reluctant Heroes. It was extremely good. The part of Sergeant Bell was superbly played by Ronald Shiner. No one could have played the part better. Sgt. Bell was a tough type whose unending flow of sarcasm makes life difficult for three National Service recruits played by Derek Farr, Brian Rix and Larry Noble. Complications are provided when Derek Farr finds his girl friend is a W.R.A.C. Captain (Christine Norden). The film was a riot of fun from start to finish. [I met Ronald Shiner when the stage production came to the Theatre Royal. He signed a picture for me.]

   The other film was Armchair Detective with Ernest Dudley as himself, and Sally Newton. This was a better than average thriller. Altogether, an excellent programme.

   After breakfast I did some shopping. Later I watched the composite Newsreel.

   Dad and I watched the Hurst Park racing after dinner. We also heard a commentary on the Grand National which was relayed over the Television service. The commentary was given by a team of amateurs (including a woman) and it was sometimes difficult to visualise what was going on. Of the 47 runners, 9 finished. Teal (100–7) won by five lengths from Legal Joy (100–6) with Wot No Sun (33–1) a bad third. We also listened to the second half of the International between Scotland and England. England won 2–1.

   We all watched TV this evening, Part 4 of “The Broken Horseshoe”, Looking at Animals, Music Hall (from the Plaza Theatre, West Bromwich) and “The Long Road” a story written and read by John Slater.

   This morning Clarice and Julia came with me to the park to give Ginger a run.

   Nothing happened after dinner. I had a bath before tea.

   Reg [Mam’s younger brother] came after tea and stayed until ten o’clock.

   [My school report came 3 or 4 days ago and I have put it in my orange folder with the others going back to 1943:—

PHYSICS   Fair — his written work loses much of its value from an examination point of view through lack of detail. (Mr. J.B. Whinnerah)

CHEMISTRY   Appears to work very hard but his power to retain the work is poor. S.D.W. (Mr. Woods)

BIOLOGY   He is a sound and conscientious worker, but he must try to retain more when he revises. (Mr. M.E. Monkcom)

ENGLISH   Quite good: works conscientiously. (Mr. T.R. Parry)

FRENCH   Good steady work. (Mr. A.C. Gosling)

MATHEMATICS   Most satisfactory — he works well. (Mr. J.C. Roberts)

FORM MASTER   He works hard and has made steady progress. (Mr. J.B. Whinnerah)

HOUSEMASTER   Very useful indeed, especially in the XV. (Mr. J.D. Copland)

HEADMASTER   I am reminded that his mother was one of the first parents I interviewed. He has progressed a long way since those days! T.E.B.H. (Mr. Howarth).

I am very sorry Mr. Howarth is leaving but his comment about my having “progressed a long way since those days” relates to the scathing report he gave me at the end of his first term when he wrote, “He might gain in determination generally if he decided that now is the time to master elementary mathematics”. In his 10 reports since then he seems surprised, even delighted, that I have become “a reformed character”!

    It riles me that he should have had such a bad opinion of me. I wish I had had the courage to go to see him and show him all my previous reports where I am always “good” at Mathematics, and usually “very good indeed” or “excellent”. He might then have asked Mr. Craig for an explanation.]

   It rained this morning until about ten thirty or so but then the sun shone and it was warm for the rest of the day. Nothing much happened all morning.

   Dr. Gough came to see Dad at 3.30 while we were watching a film on TV. It was a rather boring film anyway.

   Tonight I went to the Repertory Theatre to see King Henry the Sixth Part 3. The play was quite brilliantly done and could hardly be faulted at all. There were outstanding performances from Alan Nunn as Lord Clifford and Paul Daneman as Richard, and Jack May put a lot of feeling into his part as the ill-fated Henry. I liked too, Basil Henson’s Edward and Rosalind Boxall’s Queen Margaret.

   The 3 parts of Henry VI were written about 1592, in Shakespeare’s “experimental period” & were his first attempts at “blood & thunder”.

   It has rained all morning, most of the afternoon and again for some time this evening.

   I cycled down to the Library this morning, read the newspapers and borrowed J.B. Priestley’s play An Inspector Calls. I read this before dinner.

   I spent about three hours this afternoon writing up Biology notes then went to the Library again.

   At 7.0 I cycled to Cubs. After Cubs I played a game of Snooker and finally got home at 9.30.

   It is now 10.0pm. I have taken Ginger out and I am going to bed in a few minutes.

   This morning John called for me and we went for a 25–mile cycle ride together. We went along Stratford Road to Hockley Heath where we branched left and headed for Honiley. There we saw the Airport but no Jet planes. We came home via Knowle.

   Tonight I have been to see “Peek-a-Boo” at the Hippodrome. After the orchestra’s overture we saw Phyllis Dixey with her ballet and the Varga models. Next came “Snuffy” Jack Tracey and Audrey followed by some very clever juggling on a roller by Walthon & Dorraine. Fifth on the bill were Morecambe and Wise (Fools Rush In) to provide a spot of comedy. After this came Dixie’s Dormitory and then one of the highlights of the show — Billy West and his harmony group with Enid Margaret. They were very good. They were followed by Michael Bentine who is one of the stars of “The Goon Show”. Lastly before the intermission Phyllis Dixey again took the stage with her ballet and models.

   After the interval we saw the Varga models, Morecambe and Wise again and then Miss Dixie once more in “Degas Ballet” with The Girls. After this came George Martin the new comedian whom I saw in last Saturday’s Television Music Hall. After him there was a silent clown Eddie Gordon assisted by Nancy. He wore an ill-fitting suit and performed some tricks on a bicycle. Clowns never amuse me very much but I think this one probably got more laughs than anyone else during the evening.

   For the sixth time during the evening The Girls took the stage, this time in an Egyptian ballet and more nude poses. Phyllis Dixey herself wore only a diaphanous viel [!! sic, it was also see-through] or two which she soon cast off. “Snuffy” Jack Tracy appeared again with three nearly nude girls and then last of all we saw “The Bride’s Dream” with Phyllis Dixey [atop a 12 foot wedding cake, surrounded as her bridesmaids by] the girls and the entire company.

   It was an extremely good show with good solid fare and then Miss Dixey and her girls to provide the rest with piquantly saucy nude poses or transparent veils. As one critic says — no wonder that business in the textile trade is bad! [Phyllis Dixey is 38. Later in the year, she and Jack Tracy (her husband) and the girls will sail for Norway. Phyllis was only 50 when she died on 2nd June 1964. Her warm, deeply human yet tragic story is told by Philip Purser and Jenny Wilkes in their book The One and Only Phyllis Dixey, Futura Publications Limited, 1978.]

   This morning it rained until about eleven o’clock. Mam and Clarice and Julia went to town. I took Ginger out and washed up.

   During the afternoon I got out my stamp album and re-arranged some of my G.B. stamps so as to make room for the new stamps. It is expected that the first of these will be on sale before the end of the year. At 4.30pm I went down the village with Mam. I got an Agatha Christie novel, The Labours of Hercules.

   This evening I finished sticking some stamps into my album while listening to “The Goon Show” and “Variety Fanfare”. After taking Ginger all round the village, I have just heard the last in the present series of “Life With the Lyons”. The series should have ended in January but was extended as a result of its great popularity.

   This morning [Good Friday] I did a little shopping and then looked through my stamp album and amused myself by designing a Coronation stamp.

   After dinner I went to Blues’ match v Cardiff City. B’ham:— Merrick; Green, Badham; Boyd, Newman, Warhurst; Stewart, Briggs, Trigg, Murphy, Wardle. After four minutes a long clearance found Grant, Cardiff centre-forward, who beat Atkins & shot past Merrick. Then Blues had a goal disallowed but they were awarded a penalty after 16 minutes & Green scored. (I fail to understand why he should take B’ham’s penalties — he always kicks high & looks likely to put them over the bar — his penalty today hit the roof of the net). Briggs made the score 2–1 after 19 minutes but Cardiff got another. Just before half-time Sherwood in passing back put the ball past his own goalkeeper to score the winning goal. It was a good match but Blues missed chances.

   After tea Mr. & Mrs. Winrow and John & Barbara, called for me & we went to the Theatre Royal to see the Covent Garden Opera perform Mozart’s The Magic Flute — a belated birthday present for John, and my first opera (except for Venus & Adonis which I sang in). It started at 7pm and was in two acts. I enjoyed it very much.

   This morning after I had done some shopping I cycled to Stoney Lane to get some horse-meat for Ginger. This meat is fit for human consumption and a lot of people eat it for their Sunday joint, so there was a big queue as usual. I had to wait over an hour. On the way home I called to see John Winrow [at 16 Bourne Close, Kings Heath]. He is going to Switzerland with a school party on Monday.

   I watched the Kempton Park racing this afternoon. Meanwhile Birmingham City beat Queens Park Rangers at St. Andrews by 1–nil and so lead the second division.

   Tonight we saw Vic Oliver in a new show “This is Show Business”.

   I got up first this morning and before breakfast Clarice and Julia and I took Ginger for a run.

   Later in the morning I cut a small portion of the [back] lawn and trimmed the bush. It was a beautiful day and a warm one.

   This evening there was a very good comedy on Television. It was “Bird in Hand” by John Drinkwater. Previous to this we saw Gerald Moore, the well-known accompanist, speaking his mind.

   Today looked like being a really fine Bank Holiday. The sun had been shining all the time until about twenty past two and then we had a really violent storm and a deluge of rain which kept on.

   A friend came to see Dad this morning. After dinner we watched the racing from Kempton Park. The main race of the afternoon was the Queen’s Prize Handicap Stakes which was won by Sports Master for the second time.

   Blues lost 3–1 to Cardiff City but they are still second.

   This evening. when I had taken Ginger out, I listened to “Calling All Forces”. Tony Hancock and Charlie Chester now introduce the programme. Then at 10.10 we watched “Know Your Partner” which has replaced “What’s My Line?”

   After having breakfast this morning I cycled down the village. Nothing much happened all morning.

   During the afternoon Aunt Daisy came.

   This evening shortly after seven, a Birmingham News reporter called to see me about my broadcast on Saturday. He wrote four pages of notes in shorthand about the family including of course, Ginger Brownhound. How much of what he wrote finds its way into the Birmingham News is going to be interesting.

   I took Ginger out at 8.15 and I have just been listening to “Take it From Here” in which Joy Nichols made her re-appearance.

   It has been fine and warm today on the whole, though it looked as though it might rain more than once. The winds have been variable, from S.W. to E, S.E., N.E. and N.

   Nothing very much has happened all day. Again it has been fine and warm.

   This afternoon Mam and I took Ginger to the park and gave her a run.

   Tonight we watched Terry-Thomas in “How Do You View?”.

   I woke up this morning with a very bad headache. During the morning I went down to the Library reading room.

   After dinner I thought I would cycle to Elmdon Airport. I saw one or two aircraft take off including a B.E.A. Mail Plane. I cycled home by way of Damson Lane where Birmingham City’s training grounds are situated, and Solihull. It was very warm but I got rid of my headache.

   This evening we listened to several radio programmes.

   Today has again been very warm — the warmest day this year I should think. I went to the Library this morning to renew three of my books and then I decided to cut the front lawn.

   After dinner I finished reading my Peter Cheyney book Knave takes Queen which was really a series of short stories written in a rather different style to [sic, from] Agatha Christie but none the less enjoyable.

   I also wrote a sign for the back gate — “Danger! Dog at Home”. [Dad’s friend from the B.S.A. — “the Dummy” as they call him, because he is deaf-and-dumb — came in the back gate unexpectedly and Ginger bit him. It is inexplicable, she is so loving and docile and has never done such a thing before, but I think he did something that frightened her. Anyway, I thought we had better put a sign up.]

   After tea I nearly finished the lawn though not quite. TV began at 7.30 this evening with the Newsreel and then there was “Kaleidoscope” followed by “In the News”. Grace and Arthur came.

   Dad should have gone to the hospital today but the ambulance did not come for him.

   This morning I went down the village and got the Birmingham News [as I had seen an article — “Young Mike Veterans” — about today’s broadcast]. Then I went to Stoney Lane for Ginger’s horse-meat.

   Nothing very much happened at the B.B.C. this afternoon except that a violent electrical storm put the lights out. They were all put right for the broadcast though, and it went off without a hitch. [It was “Midland Magazine” No. 42.

   There were 23 of us taking part. Patricia Taylor and Bryan Hands introduced the programme again — Pat signed my Autograph Book “Patricia A. Taylor”, and Bryan “Bryan Lloyd Hands”. Others who signed it (in addition to David Scott-Daniell and Peggy Bacon) were Anthony E.Hill, F. John Bennett, Barry Griffiths, Keith Aldritt, John Lucy, John Eames Bonsor, Thomas P. Maher, Roy J. Stockton, Michael W. Hodgetts, Peter Matthews, Valerie Wood, Gillian M. Spencer, Josephine Stevens, Anthony N. Aspin and Carol Eustace.

   Unfortunately I didn’t get the signatures of Margaret Gavan, Pat Spencer, Janet Brockhouse, Pat Browning and John Bennett.

   When I arrived at Broad Street I recognised many of the people from previous broadcasts — Patricia, Bryan, Anthony (who is in U.M.C. at school), John Bennett, Keith, John Bonsor, Thomas, Roy, Michael (who is in the Classical Division), Anthony Aspin, Margaret, and John Bennett. Others were not there because they have had to “retire”, as I shall have to in July.

   When I had taken Ginger out this evening I went to bed at 9.30 and wrote a short play.

   This morning Clarice, Julia and I gave Ginger a run in the park. Then I watched a football match with Mr. Marquis [who lived in Circular Road opposite us].

   After dinner I spent a couple of hours or so writing out my play. It is called “The Editor’s Decision”, a comedy. When I had completed it, I posted it to “Midland Magazine”.

   This evening the TV play was Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. I have got the complete works of Shakespeare from the Library so I tried to follow it from the book. I say tried because about half of the play had been cut out, though very skilfully so that the play lost little or none of its original value. In a large cast, Margaret Johnston was particularly good as Katharine. She was a most entertaining Shrew.

   There is not a great deal to record today. I went down the village in the morning.

   This afternoon we watched an American film Girls’ Town which told a story of success and failure in Hollywood. The B.B.C.’s policy seems to be to buy all the old films and then show them as often as possible. I had seen this at least once before and I expect it has been shown half a dozen times.

   There was a much more interesting film shown from 8.15 until 8.45 this evening. It was entitled “Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II” — it is the Queen’s birthday today. Earlier today she reviewed the Grenadier Guards at Windsor. The parade marked the Queen’s relinquishment of colonelcy [being colonel] of the regiment held by her since 1942.

   We have just heard Ronnie Clayton lose to Ray Famechon in the European Featherweight Championship. He retired in 7 rds.

   I went shopping this morning and also bought today’s Picture Show, [which has Marlon Brando & Jean Peters on the cover in the film Viva Zapata!. It is not a film I want to see, though, or any of the others reviewed.]

   Later I spent about two hours getting some Physics notes up to date. During the afternoon Dad and I went into the garden and I cut one side of the lawn.

   I cycled to Cubs as usual this evening. We stayed up at the club-room. Nothing else happened today.

   In bed this morning I finished reading my library book The Stars are Dark by Peter Cheyney. It was a story of the Secret Service Intelligence during the war and I enjoyed it very much.

   After dinner Dad and I worked in the garden. I cut more of the lawn and planted three rows of gladiolas in the new bed.

   Tonight I went to the Springfield Cinema on Stratford Road to see Worm’s Eye View, the illustrious predecessor to Reluctant Heroes. The stars of the film were Ronald Shiner, Garry Marsh and Diana Dors. I enjoyed it just as much as I enjoyed Reluctant Heroes. Ronald Shiner is a scream. In the film he is one of four R.A.F. men in lodgings and the landlady half-starves them and removes the electric light bulb at night!

   After I had had breakfast this morning I went round to Dorlings and got today’s Listener. Then I went to the Library and also put a guinea towards my bank account [at the Midland Bank]. I was paid 10/6d for giving my broadcast on Saturday and I received a further half-guinea this morning for having written the poem. [I have now saved £7 17s 3d.]

   This afternoon Dad repaired the lawn mower and it now works beautifully. I mowed both the front and back lawn. The back lawn is in better condition now than it has been for two years. The front garden is now a mass of blooms. There are daffodils, narcissuses, a few tulips, forget-me-nots and wall-flowers, while in the back there are primulas, primroses, auriculas and a few others.

   There is nothing much to record today. It has kept fine and quite warm. I did some shopping and gave the lawns another mowing. I also read some of my library book.

   We listened to the radio this evening.

   This morning I did the shopping and then cycled to Stoney Lane for Ginger’s horse-meat.

   Blues played their last match of the season at St. Andrews this afternoon against Luton Town. Blues made seven changes from the side that was beaten 5–nil at Notts County last week. Team:— Merrick; Green, Martin; Boyd, Ferris, Warhurst; Stewart, Smith, Briggs, Purdon, Murphy. The game was not a brilliant one by any means. At half-time Blues led 1–nil with a goal by Purdon in 39 mins. The game was very quiet when there was a tremendous cheer — the scoreboard showed Cardiff [losing] 2–3, but it was then changed to 2–0, a dirty trick to play. Then B’ham scored twice in 60 secs thro’ stewart & Briggs but in the last minute Warhurst put through his own goal in trying to clear a shot which had eluded Merrick. Blues don’t go up unless Cardiff C. drop a point next week.

   I was up by 10.0am this morning. After [my] washing up, Clarice and Julia came with me to the park to give Ginger her usual run. Also, I mowed both lawns.

   Nothing happened after dinner. Tonight we watched TV. At 8.15pm. Gerald Moore the accompanist gave the last of three programmes in which he “spoke his mind”. Of these talks I saw the last two and I found Gerald Moore a most entertaining personality.

   The play was a comedy thriller by Alfred Shaughnessy written specially for TV. It was “The Tea Cosy”. From 9.30 until 10.15 we saw excerpts from “Penny Plain” the revue now running at the St. Martin’s Theatre, London, with Joyce Grenfell, Elizabeth Welch, Max Adrian and Desmond Walter-Ellis. TV is going to present excerpts from London shows from time to time. I only hope they do not become too excerptish.

   This morning I went down to the Library and exchanged the book I had finished reading earlier — Death in D Division by John G. Clandon. In exchange I got Murder By Mathematics by Hector Hawton.

   After dinner I washed up and then cycled to John Winrow’s. He was busy developing films of his visit to Switzerland with the school. Unfortunately, the visit was marred by the death of one of the party, J.R. Thompson, on the second day. I stayed at John’s until 4.45.

   I washed up after tea and then mowed both lawns as well as trimming the edges. After this I spent about half an hour talking to Barbara and then took Ginger out. It is now 10.15pm. I am going to bed in a minute.

   This morning John came round and stayed for an hour or so. Then we went down to the park together.

   I washed up after dinner and then went into the garden. Dad found a bird’s egg lying in the garden. It was blue with a few dark speckles — a Song Thrush’s I should think. Several birds are nesting in the vicinity. We see a pair of Blackbirds every day, and the cock is often perched on the shed or in a Poplar tree at the foot of the garden. Then there is a Mistle Thrush which splashes in an old saucepan of water, and every day we have a Robin. The other day we saw a pair of Chaffinches and a hen Blue Tit being fed by her mate.

   I went to Cubs this evening.

   John and I had intended to cycle to Yarningale this morning but the weather looked extremely unsettled so that was put off. As it happened it rained quite a lot, though I managed to get some shopping done.

   This afternoon I spent over an hour getting my uniform ready. After tea I went into the garden and finished the edge of the lawn on Prentice’s side so that it is now all finished. [Mrs. Prentice, Eileen and Janet lived at No. 151, Mr. & Mrs. Webb at No. 155.] I mowed both the lawns as well and when I had finished it started to rain. I took Ginger out at 8.15pm.

   We all watched Terry-Thomas in “How Do You View?” at 9.0pm. It was a brilliant show again. After this there was a programme “An American Looks at Science in Britain” in which Lynn Poole traced the growth of TV in G.B. It was put together quite well and presented entertainingly enough.