The (Reappeared) 1976 Breakfast Diaries

Here it is for the last time, the 1976 diary.

The diary turned up then. Hidden beneath a book of non-league football statistics and a large brown teddy bear. I should have known.

So, for the final time, I shall reproduce some of my 1976 diary entries. It's the final day of the school Christmas holidays, followed by a couple of football-themed entries from later in the month:

Monday 5th January 1976

Last day of freedom before going back to school. Boring day in a sort of way. Paddington Bear started today on BBC1. Helped mum de-ice the freezer.
Breakfast: Rice Krispies
Lunch: Mushrooms on toast
Dinner: Beefburgers, mash, spaghetti and roast potatoes

Saturday 24th January 1976

The tele man came today and put up a new ariel. He said "We can't get London ITV on our set". Pompey drew 1-1 in the F.A. Cup against Charlton (away).
Breakfast: Golden Nuggets
Lunch: Noodle Doodles
Dinner: Cod and chips

Tuesday 27th January 1976

Dad and I have got a bone to pick with Uncle Den. He was the one who persuaded us to go to see Pompey v Charlton replay. It was one of the most rubbishiest games I've ever seen.
Breakfast: Rice Krispies
Lunch: Toast Toppers
Dinner: Beef

Ah, the ennui of the dog days of the school holidays, post-Christmas, perfectly captured in the phrase "helped mum to de-ice the freezer". When that's the main event of the day, then it's probably time to go back to school. At least Paddington Bear had started again (on BBC1, of course).

I can really hear my dad talking in the second and third entries. It would never have occurred to me that we could get London ITV in our house in Havant, 70 miles from the capital, so asking for that would have been his idea. I presume London ITV had more sport than Southern.

As for the Charlton match, I remember an enormous crowd at Fratton Park, and I think Pompey lost 3-0. At this point, I hadn't yet seen Pompey draw 0-0 with Newport County in the Third Division. Now, that really was the most rubbishiest game ever.

And just look at all that mouth-watering food I was eating in 1976...Noodle Doodles! Toast Toppers! Beefburgers, mash, spaghetti and roast potatoes - or, in other words, leftovers. Surely?.