Record of the Week: Sex Gang Children – Song and Legend

27th March 1983
FEEL ILL

28th March 1983
AT SCHOOL – QUITE A GOOD DAY
FELT ILL LATER

29th March 1983
ILL AND AWAY

30th March 1983
ILL AND AWAY

31st March 1983
HOLIDAY
Went to doctor – usual
Contemplating getting Atari

20th Feb 2023 – My diary says it’s Maundy Thursday and I had no idea what that is. Then I see that this is something to do with Easter as the following day is Good Friday. Don’t recall ever having a holiday from anything on this day since.
‘Went to doctor – usual’ – what the hell does ‘usual’ mean? Maybe I was going there often and just being told I was ill. I knew that much already!
Part of the reason I was probably sick a lot was that since starting junior high school I never spent the money my mum gave me each day on lunch, instead saving it to buy records at the weekend, which I would then have to smuggle into home, often leaving them outside, hidden in bushes, until the coast was clear. I didn’t want to have to explain where the money came from to buy them. A few times mum would see my ever-expanding collection and ask where I got them all from to which I lied that I was just borrowing most of them from friends.

1st April 1983
DIDN’T DO MUCH
STILL NOT FEELING TOO GOOD

2nd April 1983
GOT THE ATARI
FUCKIN’ ACE

20th Feb 2023 – My handwriting was so bad that I started practising writing with capital letters all the time. Later, when I didn’t want mum to see what I was writing in my diary (not that I think she ever bothered to look) I would return to an illegible scrawl, which my poor eyes are going to have trouble deciphering.
Perhaps strangely, I don’t recall the Atari but have fond memories of other games systems and early computers. I do seem to recall the Atari being a big deal.
Rupert had one now that I think about it but the only game he had was Pong. This was amazing enough for us at the time. We couldn’t believe that we could play a game on our TV. We sat in his living room for ages playing but soon got distracted with things outdoors instead, and then later, distracted with alcohol. Games were expensive too, so if you bought one you’d want to make sure you really would enjoy it.
Hmm – so searching for a picture I think Rupert just had the Pong console and not the Atari that took cartridges (the 2600), which I think is what I had.