Tuesday March 6, 1973

Got up at 7.30. Left on the 8.30 bus to Rawdon. June came at about 9.30 wearing a very fetching black cardigan-type-jumper thing. Mrs Lane gave me some very shocking news adressing me by my staffroom name - 'Ravishing Rhodes'. She had been in the staffroom and my name had been mentioned. She said she thought she was well-up on the latest gossip but was shocked to hear that I had had " three girlfriends since Louise". I replied: "I have never had, nor wanted, Louise!"

Lynn is 15 years old today and it actually snowed at about 8 this morning, the only time that Mum can remember it snowing on March 6 since the very day that Lynn was born in 1958, when it was a very wintry day.

June and I went out again to Hinchcliffe's in Rawdon. She promised to wait for me until 10 to 5 tonight in case Ayling makes us watch the Budget in any great detail.

We began with the Budget at about 3. Jacko and I went to the main school to collect the television and took it to the library. Both upper 6th and lower 6th economic groups were herded in Ayling's class to watch it - most enjoyable!!

The Budget itself has been described as the Childrens' Budget or Lollipop Budget because the chancellor didn't put VAT on childrens' clothing, etc. He also removed the tax on potato crisps, ice cream, sweets and other childrens eatables. VAT was set at 10 per cent, a mark which the majority of people expected. Dave voted for 7 and a half per cent. The pensioners got a £1 rise (however, it's not payable until Oct 1, 1973). No doubt Mr Barber expects a lot of them to be dead by then due to the industrial action of the gas workers and electricity men. Dad says the Budget is a typical Tory one. The Tories have given more increases to the pensioners than the Labour government ever did between 1964-69. And Dad can't argue about that.

Mum made a lovely tea for Lynn - cream cakes, etc. Ayling let us out at 4.30, enabling me to enjoy a walk to the bus stop with June and untaxed Cadbury's Cream Eggs.

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