The Richard Burton Diaries (24 page)

17 Wednesday
Played tennis with Ron Butt, B. Fallows and Tr Cound.
¹⁰⁷
We had a fine game. That was in the noon. Went up Cwm in the night and met Ivor. He gave me a tanner. Had a bob off Dai. Went
¹
/
₂
with Sis. [...]

18 Thursday
It has been raining pouring for hours. It started delightfully. Went down Ben's this afternoon with Dillwyn. Ben won easily. But we'll have him back. Dai Owen went to the Army today.
¹⁰⁸
Hitler can stop when he likes.

19 Friday
Fetched a bucket of D. There was another man up there but I was very keen today I could smell D. a mile off. This mountain is nothing but D. Played tennis with A. and G. Powell. They are hopeless players. Went down Ben's.

20 Saturday
Did all my errands. I plucked up courage to ask all the people on my round to keep papers for me. Most of them agreed. Went to the Cach. Supposed to play tennis with Ivor. But it was too wet. [...]

21 Sunday
[...] Went to Chapel morn afternoon and night. School coming nearer and nearer. Very good Sermon.

22 Monday
Did not play tennis with Colin or anybody. Went up the park in the night and played football with Colin Wherle and Co. Did not play all night as usual. Finished about 7.30. G. Parkhouse and Bonehead went to flicks.
¹⁰⁹

23 Tuesday
Took papers for wall up Cwmafan. Had money and went to Cach to see
Gorilla
.
¹¹⁰
School a week today. Called in Neville Williams and borrowed his pump as my tyres were soft.
¹¹¹
Gorilla
was good.

24 Wednesday
Played with J. Beynon T. George and C. Eynon in morn and with R. Butt in noon.
¹¹²
Went for my first dip of the season it was cold but nice. It is a glorious day. Walked back and fore went over park after.

25 Thursday
Went to fetch D. and had to wait ages for it. I met G. Powell up there. Went down the park about 11.0 and played cricket with the practice teams. Went to the park. Played football.

26 Friday
Sis went up Cwmafan to paper again. I fetched Elfed's pay. In the morn I went over to the paper hangers and told them to pack up for Sis. Went over the park and took papers for Auntie Edie. More than usual.

27 Saturday
Collected all papers from the people and they came to quite a pile. Anyway I had 6d extra off Auntie Ede. I went up Pont and took Gerwyn for a walk.
¹¹³
I had 2/6 off Pop.
¹¹⁴
He was drunk. It is clearance.
¹¹⁵

28 Sunday
Went to chapel per usual. Only 1 more day of hols. Went for a walk with D. D. and J. Williams and Hubert David [...]
¹¹⁶

29 Monday
Went down to change my library book this morning and helped Uncle Evan and Edwin to carry blackout to Mrs Hopkins – Had two glasses of Pop.
¹¹⁷
I am determined to work hard in school this term. Letter for Sis from Dai Jenkins but not for me. Also Dai Owen.

30 Tuesday
School started today. Had wood work all morning and did not take Gym. After starting a tie box I converted my labour into a knife box. Had usual lessons this afternoon. Did a little swotting of
Richard II
our new play. It is interesting homework. Real work tonight.

MAY

1 Wednesday
Did my Geog and tried my Geometry but I was beaten. Played football against Bowditch's team.
¹¹⁸
We won 6–5. Scored a goal. The farmer came and tried to find my name but I argued that he did not have a notice up. He asked my name and I told him to find out.

2 Thursday
Tried to do my Geom homework but I couldn't. Went down Park and played footer. We had art today and I am starting to copy old English Printing with D. H. Lodwig.
¹¹⁹
I have not heard anything about farmer.

3 Friday
Went to school as usual. Did my Geom in Phys with the help of THM I was the only one to do it and have it right. Went down the park in the night and played football. Scored 2 goals. 1st time that Boyo has been on my side.

4 Saturday
Did all my errands and went down the park in the noon and played putting. Did a little homework and went to Social. Had tea then went up Park and played putting again with Allan and Dillwyn. Dillwyn won most. I won one. In 25.

5 Sunday
Went to Chapel all day. Went for a walk in the evening with Plum and Dill. Nelson had a fight with Palmer.
¹²⁰
They were stopped.

6 Monday
Played football with the Boys tonight. Our Davey is home on hols. and he sleeps with me. What a life. I helped Sis to shift the bed from one room to another and a bed off Mrs Turner over to our house.
¹²¹
Sis now sleeps in the front room upstairs.

7 Tuesday
Played Dai Rees's team and we won.
¹²²
Just in time by 5 goals to 4. I scored a penalty with my special. Ron Butt was picked as Captain of the Cricket team Juniors and I as vice captain. It came as great shock to us all. We expected B. Phillips to be Captain.

8 Wednesday
Only another 5 days before Whitsun. I am writing this in the cold hours of Thursday morning. Davey is going to play Tennis with me on Friday. I wonder if he is very hot. Went down the Park. [...] Played putting with R. Palmer and we drew twice. He won the rest.

9 Thursday
4 more days to Whitsun. Great debate in the Commons over the conduct of the War by Chamberlain. Lloyd George made fiery speech. Norway now is lost or practically so. Capture of Narvik imminent by Britain.
¹²³

10 Friday
Holland, Luxembourg and Belgium invaded by Adolph and his crazy gang. They are being held. I think this is Germany's great and first mistake. Played Tennis with Dai. He won. When reached home he was called back.

11 Saturday
Germany claims that Holland and Belgium were making alliance with GB. Went to baths this afternoon. Chamberlain resigned yesterday. Churchill new premier Just heard. Attlee Greenwood Eden Sinclair and Alexander and Chamber in cab.
¹²⁴

12 Sunday
Went to chapel all day and had tickets for Whitsun Treat. Elfed is not having his annual hols next week not even his 1 day bank holiday. Roy Palmer is coming to Ogmore.
¹²⁵

13 Monday
Holiday. News on wireless says we go back to school tomorrow. Very shocked. Went to Ogmore lovely weather. Palmer and I had a pile of fun. Met feller named Josie Jenkins who owned a farm there. Knew all the sheep's names by heart. Had 1/- left.

14 Tuesday
No holiday today as per usual. Went to school. Our form put the nets up. After much struggling with it we had a game of cricket which was a refreshing reward. Saw Form IV rehearsing their play in the Hall. Played cricket with Wherle. We bought a new ball.

15 Wednesday
Went to school. War improving for us. Dutch stopped fighting. Stayed in and did my homework. Had a cricket practice with the Juniors. Some of the boys were not there because of the play but we had a good game. Everybody had a knock and a bowl.

16 Thursday
Played cricket with Wherle and Co. Had a knock with the Seniors. Eastern lost to Centrals by an innings. Ivor Jones bowled them all out.
¹²⁶
I scored 34 not out against Wherley's bowling. We won by 20 runs. I cannot bowl good length at all.

17 Friday
Played cricket. D. H. Lodwig has left school to work in the steel works. In a way I'm sorry. Played cricket with the ‘boys’. I scored 24 clean
bowled. My average is now 58 as I was not out in my 1st innings. Left my whites strap and coat in school.

18 Saturday
Went to Cach to see Will Fyffe and D. Fairbanks Junior in
Rulers of the sea
.
¹²⁷
Went down the park and had a game of putting with B. Phipps. I won most of the games. Highlight of Cach was Billy Bennett with his great poem ‘Out in the Jungle where men are men’.
¹²⁸

19 Sunday
Went to chapel morn afternoon and night. Dr Rees gave a good sermon and after it all he made a nasty wisecrack about Uncle Charles.
¹²⁹
Absent.

20 Monday
Played cricket with Wherle and Co. I had 3 inns 12, 1 and 23 which made my average 24. Went down the Sandfields to play cricket with the Seniors.
¹³⁰
Archie bowled me.
¹³¹
School as usual. Weygand now instead of Gamelin in the War.
¹³²

21 Tuesday
At four o Clock Richard Walter shits his Pants.
¹³³

This entry was written by Elfed in an attempt to spoil the Book but it will remain if I live to be a 100.

22 Wednesday
Went to see
As you like it
as performed by Form IV. It was very good. T. George was the star of the evening as Touchstone the Clown.
¹³⁴
The War has taken a serious turn against us. The Huns are only 15 miles from the Channel. But am confident that we'll pull up.
¹³⁵

23 Thursday
Played tennis with Jakeweed Williams.
¹³⁶
Went up the park and played cricket with Stan Walter of international and Rydal School fame.
¹³⁷
He is a beautiful bat. The war is going badly for us but am confident of victory.

24 Friday
The King made a speech today and made Sunday a day of National Prayers for the boys in France. Big meeting coming nearer now. Am looking forward to seeing preacher Mr J. Derlwyn Evans of Ynysmeudwy.
¹³⁸

25 Saturday
Went to Cach and saw
Rose of Washington Square
.
¹³⁹
T. Henry came down and I had very acceptable dough off him. I have bought a tick off T. George to go to play the next Tuesday.
¹⁴⁰
Mr Wellington was in our house when I reached home tonight.

26 Sunday
What a rousing sermon of Derlwyn Evans tonight when he said that our country's sheet is not too clean also.

27 Monday
Went to school all day. Had a knock in the nets this afternoon with Smite and Tadpole bowling for me.
¹⁴¹
I'm afraid that I am rather weak on the off side, but should score runs this season. Ron Butt had knock.

28 Tuesday
Went to Regent to see
Captain Fury
.
¹⁴²
It was a jolly good show. Illustrating the liberation of the settlers in Australia by Captain Fury who was a convict. [...]

29 Wednesday
I keep a War Diary now. Played tennis with T. George, D. Parr and J. Beynon.
¹⁴³
We had a jolly game but not a good one. Don tried continually to beat the altitude record. We lost the ball about 7 times.

30 Thursday
Had a letter from Will my soldier brother.
¹⁴⁴
In it he said that cinema war pictures were nothing to reality. It wasn't a very long letter. Went to see the County sports. Saw K. Cordy win the
¹
/
₂
mile with plenty to spare.
¹⁴⁵
Tudor won.
¹⁴⁶

31 Friday
Had preliminaries for sports. After going around with P. Lane etc. in the 440 I was surprised that I could stick it so.
¹⁴⁷
I am going to enter for the middle 440 yards. And I am sure I ought to win it.

JUNE

1 Saturday
Did all my errands as usual and changed my library book in the noon. Went to the Regent and I saw a picture called
Four Feathers
.
¹⁴⁸
Showed what family tradition can do to a man. This man was sent four white feathers. But he proved them wrong.

2 Sunday
Went to chapel all day and Dr Rees gave his usual sermon. I am afraid that Dr Rees goes terribly sometimes.

3 Monday
Sports nearing. Not very confident in our House's victory in the Sports. Road race has been run today. Morgan came 2nd Caradog 1st Iestyn 3rd. Have entered the 440 in the sports and putting the shot and javelin.

4 Tuesday
I have already won the long jump and the second place in the high jump. Ran with Haffield for honour of representing house in school sports. I won by about 30 yards in the quarter. Hope I can repeat it.

5 Wednesday
Straight after school I went up the field and practice the 440. I have worked out the positions as to where I go all out for the finish. Am afraid that Tanner can stick it. I hope not.

6 Thursday
Sports. I won the putt the shot by 18 ins (from R. Butt) with a throw of 31ft 7 ins. I came third in the Javelin through bad luck. I came first in the 440. My worked out spurt came off. Total 17 points.

7 Friday
Today Mr Smith said that I was to run the 440 yards and putt the shot and long jump in M. Ash.
¹⁴⁹
I am very nervous about the result. I hope there are no crack runners there because I'm no crack.

8 Saturday
Went to M. Ash. I came 6th in shot out of 23. 7th in long jump out of 30. Bridgend won senior sports again. J. Beynon and B. Phillips both won their heats in the hurdles. But lost in the finals. Did not run.

9 Sunday
Went to Chapel all day. After Chapel I went down the beach. Have been expecting our Will home. I had a dip.
¹⁵⁰
First I ever had on Sunday.

10 Monday
Italy declared war on us. Don Parr and I went down the beach. We had great fun I had a knock in cricket at the nets. Tadpole heard THM swearing and made a joke out of it.

11 Tuesday
Had Woodwork and finished my model but I'll spend next Tuesday polishing it up. [...] Had cricket practice but I didn't have a knock all through.