John Woodhouse's story: 1963

This embarrassing photo is with Susan Strong and Dreosti at the Matric dance

In my 1963 diary I record on New Year's Day that I refused to go to Modderfontein. Can't stand Brownwen Leeman or Martin Gerber. This was an annual visit to the Leymans. I went to Gavin Ritchie's instead which was a bit boring as we played chess and cards. I spent a lot of time indexing Daddy's organ music onto small cards which I still have! The Guild visited Hugh Tracy's home and amazing collection of African instruments including kalimbas. Tracy had a vast collection of recordings. I was making cine films of the zoo and the city (now in video form) and going to camera club. I had sections of the school library to look after and clean and I spent many happy hours hiding up there! \I gave a talk to the literary society about Gerald Durrell. I playedBurglar Bill in the church youth fellowship play "Elegant Edward".
In June Michael Goldthorpe came to stay. He had been at Dad's school Nunthorp in York and sang in Trinity college Cambridge choir. His superb tenor voice was an inspiration. We took him to the Kruger Park rising very early in the morning having stayed at Bushman Rock. I breathlessly record 6 hippos, Cape hunting dogs, hyenas, baboons with impala, 3 elephants, bull wlldebeest, giraffes, kudus, zebra, hornbills, Michael hitchhiked round the country with his French horn! One Sunday we took him to Sterkfontein caves all in our Sunday best!
I mention my stamps quite a lot - I had thematic collections on music and animals and collected first day covers. On the 1st August I went to the drill hall for a medical examination, We waited 4 hours some of it naked and nothing was written on my form which was probably good as later I learnt I had been spared call-up because of my leg. I record several perfomances of The Merchant of Venice including Nerissa falling into the pit in the blackout and being given brandy! Then came the dreaded Matric dance. Mum arranged for me to take Susan Strong and for this we had to practise dancing. I appear to have enjoyed myself Susan rather nervous but she enjoyed it. Too much twisting not enough waltzes - what's new? I borrowed Mr Finn's evening dress suite - he was Dad's hairdresser.
I attended the dress rehearsal of Pirates of Penzance done by staff and parents. Bosch Crowther-Smith looked stupid as a pirate, Spike Carter past it as Frederick, Fr Sulter was a policeman,
The most awful event of the year was the assassination of President Kennedy. I returned home from youth fellowship to find Mum glued to Voice of America. We were all horrified and things would never be the same again.
This was the year I turned 17 and at the end of the year came the Matric exams and then we were off to Hout Bay for a month. Here Ann and I saw a snake in the garden. We arrived to find the house locked. The neighbour said look under the garden seat where we found the key. Inside was a letter "Welcome, you will find the key under the garden seat". The cat would not eat the food in the fridge so every day I went to buy mince. When the owner turned up (she was camping) she did not recognise the cat. A picture of Hydrangeas had fallen down so we asked which was up it went. She said I like it that way up! Very arty! We loved the Cape and had a great time. Dad had us dragging everything down to Clifton beach which was a bit of an anti-climax. On New Year's Day 1964 we went to the Coon Carnival (Yes it really was called that!) at Green Point stadium. My diary describes very colourful costumes, coloureds (mixed race) with blacked faces and white lips. About 9 teams mostly American names like Mississippis. Juveniles were not good - too sentimental! On the 2nd i describe the debacle of meeting the Hamiltons Daddy's friends from RAF days/They were half an hour late at Constantia and we followed them. They indicated a house on the left which is where they used to live. We turned left and lost them. Their son gave us directions to Stellenbosch and the picnic at Jonkershoek valleyand I comment "very little to do". In the evening I listened to "The Winslow Boy" on the radio.