3 Days of my Teenage Diary

I have recently started to read my teenage diaries. They are cringe.

I thought it could help me understand what it's like to be a teenage girl, so I am better prepared for what is going on with Heather, who is 13 going on 20.

I am aware that the complete lack of social media, internet and TV channels, may make it slightly different to being a teenage girl these days, but the hormones are the same, surely.

In 1984 my grammar and spelling is awful.


And I seem to be quite up my own bum. Gah.

So as a weird kind of catharsis/learning experience, I thought I would share with you some my diary. It was over 30 years ago so it's practically history. *Feeling Old*

To set this up - I am just about to go to Sixth Form and I am waiting for my exam results. I am the only one of my friends* who is going on to further education, the rest are starting jobs. I have a part time job, working on the burger and ice cream vans that are at various festivals. I have a German pen pal called Greta and have a cottage industry breeding and selling gerbils, as you do.

As a point of reference, I grew up in Shrewsbury.

*Names have been changed to protect the innocent

This is me in 1984, yes, this is a mullet, and a perm. I was completely on trend. For younger readers, this was the equivalent of a selfie.

19th July 1984. Thursday

Today I woke up at 10.30ish, the weather seemed nice. It was sunny. I watch some television for a while, while I ate a pot noodle (beef and tomato) then went down to Morris' to collect the money I earned for working on the ice creams.(£20). After this I cleaned out the Gerbils, all seven of them, and tidied my room. Preparing my room for when Greta comes tonight.
                After dinner I went to Vikki's; we made up stupid silly stories, (typical) as we lay in the sun sunbathing. I went home 3.30ish, and had a bath, while I was in the bath I started what seems to be a very good book by Graham Greene (Brighton Rock) Mandy then arrived and we set off to Birmingham airport to pick up Greta. The journey took about an hour. We then got Greta and returned home. She seems happy. We had stew for tea at about 9 '0' clock. I naturally had my vegetarian stew. Then Greta and I went to bed, exchanged photographs then went to sleep. Tomorrow I hope to go to Bomere with Vikki and and Greta but it depends greatly on the weather.

Points to clear up.

• Bomere - It is a lake where we would go swimming
• I am vegetarian at this point (Pot Noodles, at this time, had no meat in them - don't know if they do now)
• £20 probably seems like a lot for 1984. It wasn't for what we had to do, often up at 3am in the morning to get somewhere by 7am and then home by midnight. They were long days. 
• I loved reading, but most of the stuff I read, which wasn't for school, were Catherine Cookson novels. I loved a Geordie romance, me.
• Greta and I had met before, I had been to Germany and this was her second visit to England.

20th July 1984. Friday

Today we went to Bomere, however Vikki did not go, the weather is lovely however while Greta and I rode along a lot of thunder bugs stuck to us, pretty yukky!!!
We didn't get to Bomere until about 11ish and we left 3-4ish. After tea we went to Mandy's we didn't stay long as Greta was very tired, she didn't sleep very well, Greta went to bed about 10ish but I stayed up until 12ish watching television. 
Today my period started so I felt pretty rotten however, I felt better after taking one of my big yellow pills. I hope years from now I can say this with humour. Brighton Rock seems to get better after every page. I think my reading of 'soppy' novels is over. I could get to like this type of book.

• My periods were awful when I was younger and I had pills prescribed by the doctor to help me out. They were MASSIVE and yellow, and no, I still have no sense of humour about my periods..nor do I want to go roller skating or rock climbing. 
• Main forms of transport at this time, was my legs (walking or biking) or my Mum and Dad. Occasionally I would use a bus.

21st July 1984. Saturday

Today Greta and I went to town, I showed her all the usual shops including St.Julian's Craft Centre. I met Karen (fairly yukky) and had dinner at the Pantry. Later we met Mandy from Francisco Group the hairdressers where she works. We finished looking around town and Greti and I went and played some tennis against my brother and his girlfriend. 
After this we had tea, then Greta and I went to the local flicks (the pictures) (the cinema) to see Indiana Jones in the temple of doom with Harrison Ford, what a hunk (pity he is 41).
At the pictures we also saw Mandy and Gaz and Jeremy and Vick. The film was good and very very very funny. When we went home we picked up my Uncle Roger from my Grans' then we went home and Gretta and I went to bed. It is very unusual this going to bed early lark. I like to stay up late and watch television or go to discos or parties but, oh no not Greta, early to bed and early to rise and all that......!?!

• I cannot nor do I ever, remember thinking Harrison Ford was a 'Hunk' and I have no memory of using this word ever. Someone has clearly taken over my body to write this bit. (possession may explain some later entries)
• I did and do enjoy a late night and mornings were never my thing.

So that was your first outing into my teenage diary, I have no idea if you will find it interesting or if it is just self indulgent mush, so I will see how this one does in the blogosphere before I commit to more.