Week 11: 12th-18th March 1967

 

Here’s what’s happening around the world this week in 1967:-

• March 12th – After the second round of voting for French National Assembly, President Charles de Gaulle’s Union des Démocrates pour la République (UDR) Party emerged with 244 seats, one more than the 243 needed for a majority.
• March 14th – Nine executives of the West German pharmaceutical company Chemie Gruenenthal were indicted on criminal charges in Aachen for breaking German drug laws on Thalidomide.
• March 16th – The first of two unexplained incidents happened at Malmstrom Base, where the U.S. Air Force had ICBM silos. According to accounts, crews in the areas had seen unidentified objects hovering near or over the silos and the missile launch facilities had become inoperable. Eight days later, another set of missiles went offline after a UFO was seen.
• March 17th – The “Declaration on the Croatian Language” was issued by a group of prominent intellectuals in Yugoslavia and marked the beginning of the movement referred to as the “Croatian Spring”, a political quest for an autonomous Croatian state within the Yugoslavian federation.
• March 18th – The supertanker Torrey Canyon ran aground on the Seven Stones reef between the Cornish mainland and the Isles of Scilly. The tanker was reportedly trying to trying to avoid a collision with fishing vessels.  Initially, six of the 18 tanks on the Torrey Canyon were split open, releasing 30,000 tonnes of oil. Ultimately, the vessel would release 32 million gallons of oil, much of which washed up on the Cornish coast.
• March 18th – The first demonstration of slow motion replay on television was shown on ABC Wide World of Sports during the finals of the “World Series of Skiing” at Vail, Colorado. Repetition of the same scene at the same original speed had been possible as early as December 1963, but the new Ampex HS-100 video disc recorder made it possible to slow down, freeze, or reverse the action.

And this is what Peggy and the family are up to:-

Sunday 12th March 1967
While the children were at Sunday School, Cyril, Leonard, Mary and I went to look at the new houses at Mill Hedge. Very nice too – wish we had £12,000 doing nothing!!  Raining this evening.

Monday 13th March 1967
Driving lesson.
Well, I’ve had my last lesson, thank goodness. It wasn’t quite as bad as Friday’s. Lots of work piling up at the office. Much more than I can cope with I fear!

Tuesday 14th March 1967
Driving test 2:45
Woe is me. I failed it. Not disgracefully, but I did. Wasn’t as panic stricken as I thought I would be though I was pretty nervous. Shall try again. Made 3 dozen hot cross buns for Young Wives.

Wednesday 15th March 1967
So much work it’s not funny! It isn’t so easy to bring home now I’m on my new system. Think I’ll have to forego badminton tomorrow and work instead.

Thursday 16th March 1967
Had to give up my badminton today and go back to work. To PTA meeting tonight – a talk given by Mr Lee, Headmaster of Cobham School. Very well attended. We had our work cut out making tea.

Friday 17th March 1967
Tim’s 21st birthday
Had my hair done this lunch time – and it’s rained ever since! Got wet coming home. Rang Tim to wish him Happy Birthday.

Saturday 18th March 1967
Tim’s party.
We left here at 09:20 – had an appalling journey – the M4 was closed, at least part of it, so we were all diverted through Slough. In 2 hours we travelled 34 miles. Eventually arrived at Sedgeberrow about 2pm. Very nice party with super eats! Children enjoyed staying at the hotel which was quite comfortable (especially at 25/6 per night).

Thanks to Eileen for the party photographs.

Mick, Margaret, Ted (just visible) and Peggy

Peggy in the middle of it all.

Joan, Tim, Eileen, Fred and Andrew