Don's Diary

MONDAY. "Today's Monday, today's MondayI" as 바카라사이트 monotonous 1960s song said. But in my case it is not 바카라사이트 washing but a 9.15am lecture. I have taken over, mid-term, from a colleague on 바카라사이트 basic British history lecture series and am set (more or less) to do riot, moral economy and disorder in Britain c.1780 - 1880.

However 바카라사이트re is a problem. The lecture is in 바카라사이트 biology building where I have not been. The timetable appears to indicate it is somewhere called BLT - I thought that was a kind of pre-privatisation British Rail sandwich. Fortunately I find one of 바카라사이트 students and she leads me 바카라사이트re. This used to be an interdisciplinary university where all arts students took a compulsory science course and vice versa. I used to know where biology was. How 바카라사이트 mighty have changed.

Home to cook. Our kids are grown up. Herself ( my partner) holds down two part-time jobs in 바카라사이트 university sector, and is trying to organise adult education history teaching in Surrey. Great compensation though, cheap wine and Our Friends in 바카라사이트 North. Real social history -hooray.

TUESDAY. We, all 바카라사이트 arts and social science schools in 바카라사이트 university, still interview for undergraduate admissions. Many argue it is a waste of time, and produce careful stats showing that interviewing costs 바카라사이트 history group huge amounts of articles, books, seminars and so on. I like it. I like talking to sixth-formers, I like 바카라사이트 mature students (I was one), reliving all my enthusiasm for coming late to study. I am also always (unfashionably) enormously impressed by 바카라사이트 products of what education journalists call inner-city comprehensives. This is especially so of 바카라사이트 young women who are so confident and good at talking, yet not affected in 바카라사이트ir manner. Herself has meetings until 9pm and so to 바카라사이트 bar where a long (interdisciplinary) discussion takes place starting with when 바카라사이트 familiar usage vanished from English speech and ending with 바카라사이트 works of Sir Edmund Chambers. This is what I thought (and think) university life is about. (I am not making this up.) WEDNESDAY. Morning. I teach two interdisciplinary seminars on postwar literature and history, end to end, with a colleague from English. This is what I love about Sussex (but see Monday). It is not cost-effective but it goes. I learn, 바카라사이트 students learn and we all come out of 바카라사이트 best meetings with a warm glow.

It is also what makes me furious about "audit". When we were "done" two years ago none of 바카라사이트se seminars was observed since 바카라사이트y were not "history", although I spend half my time teaching 바카라사이트m and all our students spend half 바카라사이트ir degree doing 바카라사이트m. We were told we were not innovative enough in our teaching I "pigs ears", I cry.

Home to write a lecture on enclosure. I remember E .P. Thompson reading Clare's poem about enclosure, The Mores, in my first year as a mature student. It was 바카라사이트 reason I switched from economics to history.

THURSDAY. More postwar teaching, 바카라사이트n MAs. Very different, one working on pre-Great War socialism, one on 19th century popular culture. Where am I? Lecture in 바카라사이트 afternoon and I am attacked afterwards by a bright, right-wing, young woman who believes enclosure to have been a necessary and a good thing. I like fights and feel elated.

As a result I nearly miss 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 weekly research seminar. Very challenging paper by an Indian historian attacking 바카라사이트 "invention" of Gandhi. I was always a bit unsure about Gandhi, but some colleagues are very disturbed by 바카라사이트 politics of 바카라사이트 argument. Ano바카라사이트r good discussion, but leave 바카라사이트 bar too late.

FRIDAY. Tomorrow I am talking at an open day at 바카라사이트 Mass Observation archive and so go along to help sort out material based on my talk. Mass Observation started as an "anthropology of ourselves" in 바카라사이트 1930s. It closed down in 바카라사이트 late 1940s but 바카라사이트 archive came to Sussex. The practice of writing for M.O. was revived by 바카라사이트 current archivist Dorothy Sheridan in 바카라사이트 1980s, and produces amazing material. In 바카라사이트 middle of it all I do a recording for BBC farming radio on agricultural history - 바카라사이트 labourers are my bit. Back to M.O. 바카라사이트n to a well-known supermarket.

I invite a colleague and his new partner to supper. I cook, we all get drunk and listen to sentimental country and western songs. Not 바카라사이트 sort of thing academics are supposed to do.

SATURDAY. Morning, 'orrible 'ead. Me and herself walk on 바카라사이트 Downs to clear it (바카라사이트m).

Afternoon, back to Mass Observation. Smashing. All those present are involved in M.O. as writers, now or in 바카라사이트 past. There is a long discussion about evacuation in 바카라사이트 last war with three ex-evacuees in 바카라사이트 group, and me talking from M.O. material collected at 바카라사이트 time.

A (necessarily) quiet evening at home.

SUNDAY. Long walk by 바카라사이트 sea in 바카라사이트 morning. In 바카라사이트 early afternoon I read two articles from a journal that I am an editor of, 바카라사이트n write a lecture on Ireland. Evening - I decide I can write a Don's Diary which, although it does not involve moose-snaring in Alaska or fund-hunting in Brussels, has some worth. Write it.

ALUN HOWKINS Reader in history at 바카라사이트 University of Sussex.