The Richard Burton Diaries (16 page)

Nevertheless, it is possible to suggest that a more varied Burton emerges from his own writings than the one currently circulating in the public domain. We find here Richard Burton the acclaimed actor, the international film star and the jet-set celebrity, but we also find Richard Burton the family man, father and husband. The diaries reveal the melancholic, afflicted, troubled and introspective Richard Burton struggling to come to terms with the missed opportunities and unfulfilled potential of his life and talent, and they show us the Richard Burton justly proud of his achievements, of his journey in life, hungry to scale greater heights. In the pages of his diaries we see Richard
Burton watching his weight, watching his drinking, watching other men watching
his
Elizabeth. We have a Richard Burton who reads, who thinks, who longs to write. On the many pages of his diaries Richard Burton displays his multiple selves.

DECEMBER

10 Sunday
Cassie died today. Graham came to sleep with me.
¹

18 Monday
I am keeping notes of
Richard II
.
²
I am keeping homework timetable.

25 Monday
Went down Mrs Pike's for a party not bad had great fun playing darts.
³

26 Tuesday
Went to another party down Mrs Davies. Had a ragtime band. Colin Wherle was there.
⁴

27 Wednesday
Went to Cach in the evening and
Stranded in Paris
and
Bulldog Drummond Secret Police
was there.
⁵

28 Thursday
Went to Regent to see
I Met a Murderer
and
Exile Express
starring Anna Sten.
⁶
The first picture was very boring.

29 Friday
Waiting for result of the job I applied for last Wednesday. Sis has been canvassing for me.

30 Saturday
Played football yesterday – Mr Nicky said to turn up next Friday.
⁷
Went to Cach with Ray Pike.

31 Sunday
We had a party down Aunt Edie's and I went out to greet the New Year to people.
⁸
I went with Dillwyn.
⁹
We had 2/3 each.

DECEMBER

10 Sunday
Cassie died today. Graham came to sleep with me.
¹

18 Monday
I am keeping notes of
Richard II
.
²
I am keeping homework timetable.

25 Monday
Went down Mrs Pike's for a party not bad had great fun playing darts.
³

26 Tuesday
Went to another party down Mrs Davies. Had a ragtime band. Colin Wherle was there.
⁴

27 Wednesday
Went to Cach in the evening and
Stranded in Paris
and
Bulldog Drummond Secret Police
was there.
⁵

28 Thursday
Went to Regent to see
I Met a Murderer
and
Exile Express
starring Anna Sten.
⁶
The first picture was very boring.

29 Friday
Waiting for result of the job I applied for last Wednesday. Sis has been canvassing for me.

30 Saturday
Played football yesterday – Mr Nicky said to turn up next Friday.
⁷
Went to Cach with Ray Pike.

31 Sunday
We had a party down Aunt Edie's and I went out to greet the New Year to people.
⁸
I went with Dillwyn.
⁹
We had 2/3 each.

JANUARY

1 Monday
I went up Cwmafan to Tom Henry's. I had 2/6 today. Reached up there about 10.30 came home by 2.30. Played football in the Park.
¹
Went to Regent to see
Oklahoma Kid
with James Cagney and H. Bogart.
²

2 Tuesday
Rode Boyo Jenkins up town yesterday and he went to Lloyds.
³
Went down the Library after.
⁴
Played football, in the afternoon, it was a decent game. Stayed in to-night and listened to
ITMA
.
⁵
It's very cold.
⁶

3 Wednesday
Went shopping for Cis yesterday.
⁷
I have got to have an interview with the Co-op committee tomorrow.
⁸
Played football today. There is a terrific wind. Went to Cach to see Sandy Powell.
⁹

4 Thursday
Went to see the old boys beating the school yesterday. Not a bad game at all. Went to have an interview tonight for the job in the co-op. Everything went splendidly and I have been told that I have had the job.

5 Friday
Had football practice on the Plough and left my brown coat behind.
¹⁰
My diary and 2d cash were inside. Had the 2d off Mrs Jackson for going to Dr Marshall's for her.
¹¹

6 Saturday
Went to see Cardiff beating Aberavon.
¹²
Went to Cach in the night and saw. ...
¹³
Afterwards went to Joe's and had hot milk pop and chocolates.
¹⁴
Had chips after.

7 Sunday
Used Mam James presented book for the 1st time.
¹⁵
Went to Chapel all day.
¹⁶
Went up Baglan for a walk.
¹⁷

8 Monday
Elementary school started today. Went down to see school playing in the yard. Had no money so I stayed in the house with my mother.
¹⁸
I haven't done much today. We are short of coal. Very cold.

9 Tuesday
Ray and I went to play billiards down Glen Parkhouse's.
¹⁹
Going to try to have a game of football with Eastern practice team.
²⁰
Went to Cach to see
Inspector Hornby
.
²¹

10 Wednesday
Uncle Ben has a new game about land, buying and selling houses etc.
²²
He broke Elfed after about 2 hours. I was undefeated but I did not stay on. Fetched sticks.

11 Thursday
Went down Uncle Ben's again. I was broke early. Dillwyn was winning with a tremendous amount of money. Then Uncle Ben broke him. Uncle Ben hasn't lost yet.

12 Friday
Went over the woods to fetch some blocks sawed off the wood. I met Afan and Gwylfa Powell.
²³
Went down Uncle Ben's again. Was beaten.

13 Saturday
Done all shopping. Had a haircut in Sandies.
²⁴
Had a bath in the afternoon. Went to Regent in the night saw
Vernon and Irene Castle
.
²⁵
Went to Joe's and had hot milk.

14 Sunday
Went to chapel all day. Nice dinner after chapel went for a walk with Ray Pike up to town.
²⁶

15 Monday
Went down Eastern School chasing Eddie Miles and Plum.
²⁷
Went up the park afterwards. Tapped shoes afterwards.
²⁸
Stayed in and read the book brought from the Library by our Marian.
²⁹
Went to bed 10.20.

16 Tuesday
Started school today. Played football in yard. Went to school in the afternoon. Had an easy day. Stayed in tonight and started to read
Martin Chuzzlewit
written by Dickens.
³⁰

17 Wednesday
Woke about 8.20. Went to school. Fairly good morning. Had dinner then went to school. It was bitterly cold so I wore my overcoat. Only had a bit of Geog to do and I did not do it. Had stew for supper.

18 Thursday
Went to school as usual. Went up the Side and helped to carry water for Elfed's glass house.
³¹
Freezing today. Went down Uncle Ben's – played darts and won after a poor start. Lost again in Monopoly. I was doing well for a time.

19 Friday
Went to school. I thought that my name would have been up on the board. But probably the ground was too hard.
³²
Went down Uncle Ben's and won the 1st game. No good 2nd game.

20 Saturday
Snow has frozen on the ground. Bitterly cold today. Ground like glass. Went out on my bike. Went to Cach and saw very good picture
Union Pacific
.
³³
Went to Joe's then had chips.

21 Sunday
Went to Chapel afternoon and night did not go in morning. Cis had row with Elfed. Graham and Edie came down.
³⁴

22 Monday
Sis was bilious today so I stayed home today.
³⁵
We can get no water from the tap because of ice. Went down the Co-op in the afternoon. Gave note to Tom Henry. Went to Uncle Ben's had two good games.

23 Tuesday
Went down to fetch papers. Had Gym fell down hurt my knee. Very nearly finished my model in woodwork. Did my homework and went up the Side. Fetched chips for Mam James had 1d for it.

24 Wednesday
Went to school as usual in the morning as usual. Had hot dinner [...]. Went down the Co-op for Sis when I came home from school went down G. Parkhouse to play Monopoly. Lost again.

25 Thursday
Great drowning tragedy in Cwmafan. 4 people drowned.
³⁶
Parkhouse asked me down again but I refused and went down Uncle Ben's and for once I won. Dillwyn was runner up.

26 Friday
Went to school in the morning. Had an uneventful day. Soon as I had tea I went down Uncle Ben's to play Monopoly – Uncle Ben won the 1st game and Alan the 2nd game.
³⁷
Had great fun.

27 Saturday
Went to fetch papers then I went down Co-op. I was there for ages. Uncle Evan just gobbed on my book.
³⁸
Went down the Library to pay my debt. Went down Uncle Ben's in the night.

28 Sunday
Went to chapel in the morning. There was a tremendous congregation of 12. Very windy. There was about 60 people in chapel in the Noon.
³⁹

29 Monday
Went down to fetch papers none there so I waited for some time and then went to school. Then in the noon I fetched the papers. Went down Uncle Ben's we did not play Monopoly. Auntie was ironing blast her.
⁴⁰

30 Tuesday
Finished my model in woodwork. Papers did not come properly yesterday or today. So I took them out in the afternoon.
⁴¹
Went down Uncle Ben's to play the usual lost twice. Auntie Win went out early. Got some good books.

31 Wednesday
Papers did not arrive in time again today. Had geometry for homework. Did all my homework. I kidded Glen Parkhouse that he had lost my book for me. Went down house to play Monopoly. I won once then he won. [...]

FEBRUARY

1 Thursday
Went down to fetch papers yesterday but they were not there, as usual. Played football after school with the seniors. Went down Ben's afterwards to play Monopoly. Hope to be picked for the Middles to pay B. County on Saturday.
⁴²
Very bad cold.

2 Friday
Went to school. No papers. Went to school on bike this afternoon. Fetched papers for the chip shop but Auntie Ede was not in so I will have to go down tomorrow. Went down to play Monopoly down Ben's. Lost twice.

3 Saturday
Went down to fetch papers and lent my togs to Trevor George.
⁴³
Had 1/-off Davey.
⁴⁴
Had bath in the afternoon did a little homework. Went to Regent to see
Spies of the air
.
⁴⁵
Had food in Joe's hot milk toffolux.
⁴⁶

4 Sunday
Went to Chapel all day. After chapel in the night I went down Alan Dummer's.
⁴⁷
I had a lend of a book off him. It is about school life in the Council school of Britain.
⁴⁸

5 Monday
Was very late for the papers this morning. I jumped on the bike the tyres were not far from the rims. When I pumped it up lunch hour the tyre burst. Played football with the firsts it was a bit muddy but all right. Did all my homework tonight. Shorthand.

6 Tuesday
Started to make a tray in woodwork [...]. Had a fine afternoon especially with Burton who talked about Astronomy.
⁴⁹
Went down Uncle Ben's and played the usual. I won 1st then Alan 2nd.

7 Wednesday
My name was upon the board for practice with the middles. Did my homework then I went down Uncle Ben's to play Monopoly. The best game I've had for some time although Uncle Ben won. I gave him a good run though.

8 Thursday
Played with the seniors tonight. I had a fine game. Went down Uncle Ben's and I lost to him after a very good hand. He held all the Blues and all the ‘Pall Mall’ etc. block. I owned Reds but I lost.
⁵⁰

9 Friday
Went to school and we started what Mr Burton called Telegrams. There was a definite score at the end of each telegram.
⁵¹
I had a pleasant surprise today. I was picked to play for the Seniors against Tonyrefail in Ton.
⁵²

10 Saturday
Woke up about 7.40 and rushed with my papers round – Bus was some time coming. When we reached Tonyrefail we found that we could not play because the ground was too hard. I went up Cwmafan I collected 1/9.

11 Sunday
Went to chapel all day. In the night while Dr Rees was giving his sermon there was thunderous knocking on the door of the church.
⁵³
It was two boys probably.

12 Monday
Went to school as usual. Played Football with the Seniors in the afternoon had a few good runs. Stayed in tonight and did my homework. I am now keeping a Home-diary. Sis went to Neath with Hilda.
⁵⁴
I hope to go down Uncle Ben's tomorrow.