26.3.1976

Took the raffle tickets to school and to my great surprise I’d sold the whole book (only 5 but costing 10 each ticket), it appears that appealing to people’s greed pays dividends!! At this rate I’ll be able to sell at least another two books.

Felt Julie’s skin today. With my whiskery bristly face, I’d forgotten that skin could be so soft. Ironically, the joke was “Julie’s got a beard, hasn’t she!?!” – then I felt her face and was really astounded to discover how soft it was. Really unbelievable.

Went to the Public meeting in at Hull this evening. After the inevitable fifty minutes on the train (very pleasant because the sun was setting on my left hand) I arrived. By the time I arrived at the small, overheated room in the YPI, the talk had begun. Steve was very different to what I thought (i.e. long hair, sort of uncouth lad of 18) – smart, short sandy hair with sideburns and moustache and glasses, about 22 or perhaps older.

Despite the few pwople heckling bout the old things like “What about the USSR?” we managed at least to inject our ideas, although the overall outcome was (as one might expect) a stalemate. Had a drink with Steve, Richard, Susan and Carol (all YCL’ers) then endured a 1hr 35mins bus ride, bringing home some literature and raffle tickets.