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Saturday March 10, 1973

The Queen's youngest child, Prince Edward, is 9 years old today. A very beautiful, clear, crisp, bird-singing, lung clearing morning! Got up at 10.10. Dad went to work at 11. I decided to go with John to see Leeds United play Everton at Elland Road. John couldn't believe it. I've only been 3 times before with him.

I spent an hour in the garden pruning the roses and then had lunch at 12 which consisted of pancakes which I should have devoured last Tuesday, but Mum had forgotten it was Shrove Tuesday.

At 12.30 Mum and Susan went down the lane to meet Lynn from work and go straight to Bradford for a shopping spree. At 1.15 John I went down to Silverdale Rd to get a lift to Leeds from Geoff Saxton - and we sat with Kathryn and Margaret until he was ready to go at 1.50.
John and I went into the cheap stand at Leeds Utd paying 50p each - phew! I thoroughly enjoyed the match, Leeds winning 2-1. I stood next to a drunk who was shouting: "West Brom for Kings!" If would not have been so funny if Leeds had not been playing Everton! We were home at 5.40 just in time to see 'Dr Who'. Mum and the girls came in ten minutes later. There had been a bomb scare in Darley Street and they had been evacuated out of a shop. Mum came home with something for a change.

At 6.45 set off to work. It was not really busy until 9.30. What a rush! Pauline seems to have recovered from her mad passion for me which is a great relief. We sat with a couple of beers each until nearly 1.30. Toffer brought me home. Everyone asleep in bed. Good night all! Excuse the blob! (Splodge of ink between paragraphs above).

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Friday March 9, 1973

John woke me at 7.20 when he was getting ready for work. But I was quite pleased to be up in good time. Had a little breakfast and came to school on the 8.30 bus. Benita was the only other person there. Christine Braithwaite arrived shortly after and she helped me put the finishing touches to my 'demand and suppy' essay - the mathematical bit. Ughh! She went out last night and didn't manage to start her essay (Monopoly) until 12 - finishing it at 2.30am! I'd have still been scribbling at 4.30 if I'd gone out first. Double Economics was quite enjoyable - believe it or not, and Groves must have told Mr Ayling of my acceptance into college - because he suggested that I do extra economics, much to the amusement of all the others.

At lunchtime June and I went for a walk in the park. Very romantic. The weather is absolutely beautiful. Spring is with us at last. We walked hand in hand back to school. Saw Chid.

In the afternoon Christine and Maggie Edwards gave one of their OAP orgies. June and I were doing nothing for the first lesson and we therfor decided to entertain the old dears. Anyway, it was a good excuse to knock back a few cups of tea. Louise and I were then dragged off to Biology by Mrs Stancliffe. It was a great 2 lessons! We did a question on heredity and disease and the haemophiliac line of the Royal Family. I knew more on this than Mrs Stancliffe did! It was very interesting and made a change from the usual clap-trap about plants and gas.

June and I walked hand in hand to the bus stop at 4.50. I will not be seeing her until Sunday! How awful!

Back to work at 7.30. A terribly long night. Even Sue R admitted that she had never known a night drag on so long. She has asked me to work on Tuesday nights as well as Friday and Saturday - pushing my weekly wage up to £5. They were very pleased to hear I had got into college - so I therefor gave them 4 months notice! Toffer brought me home at 12.15. Watched the end of a film and came to bed at 12.40.

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Thursday March 8, 1973

God! I have been accepted by Middleton St George College of Education! Mum woke me at 7.50 and this historic news arrived in a letter some 5 minutes after. My heart almost stopped beating when I read the first marvellous sentence. The following hours were ones of absolute euphoria. I rushed impatiently to school where MM and Lousie were the first to congratulate me on my good fortune. When Groves came in he almost had a fit when he saw the brown envelope. He went into 10 minutes of hysteria when he saw the actual contents. The conditions of my entry state that I need the minimum of qualifications, i.e. a pass at History 'A' Level or a pass at Economics 'O' level. June and Dave were thrilled.

In the third lesson June assisted me in constructing my letter of acceptance and also the application for a medical examination. I have never felt quite so relieved. Still euphoric at lunchtime. June and I plan to go to the pictures to see "Tales from the Crypt" After Economics I plan to begin my "Monopoly" essay - but disaster! I ruined Louise's "Harvey" with water. Honestly, fire last Thursday, now water today. What next week? Plague? Pestilence? However, by 4 I had achieved very little and June made me cancel my "Crypt" date for tonight - she is so good about it - insisting on my staying at home to finish Ayling's infernal essay. I had to agree.

We went for the usual buses and 2 Cream Eggs. Had a laugh with Denny and Louise at the bus stop, and I left at 4.45 blowing her a kiss from the rear window. Came home and had tea. Mum and Dad still chuffed about my college acceptance.

On the 5.45 news I see that the bloody IRA have exploded bombs at the Old Bailey and in Trafalgar Square, London. 140 were injured and 1 man died. Good Grief! As if Belfast isn't good enough for them! What will they do next?

Went to do my Economics essay after watching 'Top of the Pops'. June is almost identical to one of the Pan's People dance troup - very glamorous! Everything is so good this month. June must have brought good fortune. Do my Monopoly essay from 7.30 to 11.30. Four sides of notes and 4 sides of essay. Feeling very exhausted. Stagger into the lounge to watch Ludovic Kennedy and 'Midweek'. Came up to bed about 12.15. Very relieved to have finished the Economics.

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Wednesday March 7, 1973

Awoke at 8. Rushed down the lane for the 8.30 bus. Arrived in good time. Got to school about 8.50. Sat with Christine Braithwaite. June came in with Linda W at 9.35. Linda saw those poor passengers getting on the plane which crashed at Nantes in France soon after. She was very nervous on her flight. She says she's fallen in love. Yes, with a sex-mad Spanish waiter after only 5 days. June and I tell her that these waiters have a new romance every week but Linda simply will not listen. She has written to him already. I bet he won't reply.

Talking at break we decide to go to the Emmotts tonight - for the first time on a Wednesday. However, love-struck Linda will not go, and so Cowie won't go. That means June and I will be going up on our own again - how romantic!

At lunchtime June and I went down into Rawdon for the lunches. We always enjoy the chase to and from school with the pile of liver-sausage sandwiches and warm, dripping pork pies. Ughh!
Dave, Louise, Christine and I had a very good laugh this afternoon gossiping about WW (the rabid homosexual) who just happened to be sitting behind Dave. We also played Chinese-whispers but not very successfully.

At 4.30 June and I walked hand in hand to the bus stop. Called at Cleggs sweet shop on the way - the bloke knows what we want before we even have the chance to ask! My dreaded bus came at 4.50. Came home and rang Dave. We decide to go to the Emmotts (or at least I persuaded him to go). We went up on the 7.30 bus. Dave was wearing a new jacket - very trendy. We arrived at 8. June was waiting outside for me. We passed a very nice 2 and a half hours spending very economically. June was on Britvics and I was on lager. Dave however, drank Martinis - very rich!

Ivy, bless her, was very tactful to sugegst to Dave that June and I wanted to "do some courting" and he left on the 10.40 55 bus. 10 minutes later June and I went but on the way I encountered Dad's workmate, PC Copsey - I ignored him, but whether he recognised me is a different matter.

My bus came at 11.10. After 20 minutes on a seat with June. Got in at 11.40. Everyone was in bed and I proceeded to do the same, without any supper. Somehow I have no apetite.

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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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Monday March 5, 1973

Awoke at 7.35 - my throat was inflamed and feeling very dry. Made a little breakfast and went on the 8.30 bus to Benton Park. In general, the day was far from satisfactory. June was much too apologetic about bringing her sister along yesterday. Why does she apologise for something which is not at all wrong? After this and all day long she had the idea that I was trying to finish with her! How totally senseless. I cannot imagine why she thought this. God! I hope we are not cooling off! I could not last without her affection!

At lunchtime June and I went down to Hinchcliffe's for a couple of rum truffles and just to be contradictory I made her go without her coat. We walked slowly back to school hand-in-hand. Martin V-B made some snide remark about it but we ignored him.

The afternoon was really a shocking bore. I think that June and I see too much of each other. The thought of me saying that a month ago would have been unthinkable. But quite seriously it can get a bit monotonous being with one another every bit of the day. However, at the bus stop we made up entirely, buying our usual cream eggs. June helped me pick a birthday card for Lynn, who is 15 tomorrow. We waved goodbye until she disappeared from view.

On the news I see the terrible news that a plane with 45 Britons on board coming from Majorca crashed in France killing them all. Linda W was coming home from Majorca either today or tomorrow! I was most worried. June and Cowie will be having eggs tonight.

Went to bed early feeling tired. Tomorrow is Budget Day. I wonder what the Chancellor will do? He had better do something for the pensioners because they are poorly underpaid at the moment. We're watching the budget with Mr Ayling. Lynn is also 15 and the celebrations will begin at tea time.

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Sunday March 4, 1973

Quinquagesima. Dad woke me up at 10.30 whilst making Mum her morning cup of tea, but I went back to bed for another hour. Got up at 11.30 to a fashion parade of girls dresses which Muriel Rawnsley had brought round from her Grattan's catalogue orders. Lynn and Sue are certainly preparing for Italy. Went upstairs to dress. Mum was making lunch and smell of roast chicken drifted around the house.

Toffer gave me £4 last night, an extra 50p - for commendable service on Friday night. I was most chuffed. However the extra 50p will not be put to use by me because Lynn celebrates her 15th birthday on Tuesday and I have promised to put 50p in the birthday kitty. Tuesday will also be a very important day politically because Mr Barber, the Chancellor of the Exchequer presents his Budget to parliament in good time for the introduction of VAT on April 1. The Budget is usually near my birthday.

After a superb lunch we all went into the lounge and watched TV. I had a bath - soaked for an hour - and then came downstairs to press my trousers for tonights liaison at the Emmotts.

Tea was upon is once again and I ate it whilst listening to Tom Brown's Top 60 show on the radio. At 7.30 I headed down to the bus stop and was most surprised to see that all the broken windows had been replaced. Got the 8 o'clock 55 and was at the Emmotts by 8.25. June and Janet and June's twin sister Susan were waiting inside. I had quite forgotten what Susan Bottomley looked like. A pleasant evening together. Chris, Christine, Andy and Linda Smith came up at about 10 and then Keith Harrison arrived. Within 20 minutes we had Susan B and Keith "off together". June and I then left them alone and we walked down to the bottom road. June said that Susan hated Keith - having been out with him before. We sat on the seat waiting for the damnable bus. At about 10.55 Chris and Andy and girlfriends came marching past - Chris was all cheesy grins. Susan and Keith followed. They didn't half look funny together. But Susan is such a nice girl, and if I had never met June then she would have made an admirable substitute.
Ah but nobody can replace June.

June's 33 bus came at 11. We bade farewell. Chris was also on board. Keith was over the moon! He's such a fan of Sue Bottomley. Keith and I walked into Horsforth (?) with Dave Pearson, a black chap. I continued to walk home realising I'd missed the last bus. It only took 30 minutes. Arrived home at 11.45. Mum and Dad had just gone to bed. I had some supper and went to bed at 12.20. A delightful evening.

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Sunday March 25, 1984

 Moorhouse Inn British Summer Time begins 3rd Sunday in Lent Bacon sandwiches and the Sunday Telegraph. Fuss about the Queen's visit to ...