Friday 31st October 1969:

John came up in the afternoon. Sent letter to Radio 255, asking if we could send DX-news for broadcast each month.

Thursday 30th October 1969:

Number One: The Archies: Sugar, Sugar.

John came up. In afternoon, John played Je T’aime Moi Non Plus. (B.B.C. banned it.)

Wednesday 29th October 1969:

Carried on with tape. Got a teenager who knew about a station, and might have run one. Scotty came.

Tuesday 28th October 1969:

Started interviews for Sun Radio, about pirate radio. Did 3. One was with a couple of girls. We did it and then found it did not record, so we asked again if we could do it again. They refused.

Bill Griffiths; Six Ghost Stories for the darker nights

I have done this before, provided all the links to the 'ghost stories' of Bill Griffiths on this blog.

In 2005 I read a marvellous ghost story in Neon Highway written by Bill. I told him what I thought of it and he said he had more, both published in book form (Seaham Tales) and unpublished. I offered to publish six new ones - and did so, on Pages, one per month.

Enjoy this English municipal Gothic, Griffiths-style. Now the nights are drawing in, it's a good time to pick up on these. I hope you don't mind these raw links. They are numbered (excerpt number 5, oddly)

http://robertsheppard.blogspot.co.uk/2005/10/bill-griffiths-ghost-stories-1-tommy.html

http://robertsheppard.blogspot.co.uk/2005/11/bill-griffiths-ghost-story-2-hazard.html

http://robertsheppard.blogspot.co.uk/2005/12/bill-griffiths-ghost-story-3-midnight.html

http://robertsheppard.blogspot.co.uk/2006/01/bill-griffiths-ghost-story-4-on-friday.html

http://robertsheppard.blogspot.co.uk/2006_02_01_archive.html

http://robertsheppard.blogspot.co.uk/2006/03/498-bill-griffiths-ghost-story-6-law.html

And my reading of Bill's The Book of the Boat may be accessed here

Links to videos celebrating the launch of the third volume of Bill's Collected Poems may be accessed here. His stories await their collector. 

Monday 27th October 1969:

Today I rejoined the Southwick library (see 10^th July 1965)

Sunday 26th October 1969:

Reading: Leslie Charteris; The Saint Goes West.

John and I heard a jazz programme on Radio 260, then a new pirate Radio 255. I taped 255.

Saturday 25th October 1969:

Went down John’s. Got Duke Ellington L.P. (5 shillings). Auntie Marjorie and family came.

Friday 24th October 1969:

At night, Mum and Dad went to the cricket social. (They used my amplifier, and many of my records.) Scotty came round we did the same as we do usually. Heh!! Heh!!

Thursday 23rd October 1969

Thursday, 23^rd October 1969:

Number One: The Archies: Sugar, Sugar.

The Connaught Theatre came and did a play by Stradgrinsky (with music) and the staff had a meeting while we were at play.

[Note: That’s a strike meeting.]

Wednesday 22nd October 1969:

Had the student Mr. Capell (History and R.K.) and Mr. Humphries (Maths) for last time. Went out walking at night.

Tuesday 21st October 1969:

Timid English teacher [student] started getting mad, almost to break-down point.

[Note: 3A were buggers to control.]

Monday 20th October 1969:

After school, did a Radio Hi-Fi show to Mum.

Sunday 19th October 1969:

Reading: H.G. Wells: The Time Machine.

Taped Radio 260 in Morning with John. He went out in the afternoon, so I read my book The Time Machine.

Saturday 18th October 1969:

Went down Johns. His friend, Stephen Millan was there.

Friday 17th October 1969:

At night I did a spot of astronomy with Scotty in the garden.

Thursday 16th October 1969:

Number One: Bobbie Gentry: I’ll Never Fall in Love Again.

Took Sun Radio sticker and politic [?] review (by me) and clippings to school for board. Went out at night for a walk with Scotty.

Wednesday 15th October 1969:

After school Paul Plumb came to give a demo on stereo and mono record players. He threw out records, I got one.

Tuesday, 14th October 1969:

Chemistry test. At night, went out with Scotty. We discussed what we could so at the weekends.

Monday 13th October 1969:

Hales read Lady Chatterley’s Lover, by D.H. Lawrence in class. Had it taken away by Mrs Reed (the Roman Catholic).