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Saturday March 17, 1973

Got up at about 11. Mum told me that she would treat me today and give me some money for a pair of trousers!

The weather is absolutely remarkable for March, and only last night Sue R was saying we had had no winter with very little ice or snow.

Dad, who took to bed with a terrible cold on Thursday, is unable to enjoy this good gardening weather, being tucked up in his bed - sneezing like hell all day long. Because of Dad's illness Mum asked me to walk down to the shops in Guiseley to get her some bare necessities. Flour, eggs, bacon, cheese, etc. Came back and had lunch at 1. At 2 Mum gave me £7 - not counting the £2 I had given the girls to get me a jumper in Bradford. I made my way to the bus stop which fulfilled its purpose of providing me with a bus at 2.30. Arrived in Leeds at 3.15 making my way to Harry Fenton's. I found a pair of Oxford Bags for £3. Bought them almost immediately.

After looking round the very busy Leeds I caught the 33 Ilkley bus at 4.30. Back in Guiseley for 5.10. Mum was surprised to get £4 change. It isn't like me!

After tea of salad I went down the lane to work which was extremely busy all evening. Sadly, at midnight we altered the clocks again to 1am which means I will lose an hour in bed tomorrow. We sat with our beer and lager until 3 (2 in old time). Pauline was too fagged to stay any longer. Toffer gave us a lift home, and I obliged Pauline by lending her my Rachmaninov's 2nd Piano Concerto played by Maura Lympany - she will enjoy it, being a romantic. Got home at 3. Had no supper and came to bed 1 hour later after messing around with my diary (yes, you!).

Oh it's been an awful day without June on the scene. Roll on tomorrow. Night, night all. I'm so damned tired.

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Friday March 16, 1973

My Grandad Wilson was born in 1890. Christine B is 17. Dave passed his driving test! First time as well! I found out at about 1pm when June and I rang Dave's house from the phone box in Rawdon to be told by Mr Lawson that he had passed - we were over the Moon!

Got up at 7.30 and had breakfast, coming to school at 8.30. We should have had a 6th form meeting but nobody had put anything on the agenda. In Economics we did more ruddy essays on monopoly. I gave him his £1.60 first in order to put the old boy in a good mood.

At 11.45 we all sat about in the common room praying for Dave. I was convinced that he would pass. June and I crept out for the lunches at 12.30 determined not to be the muggins and get everybody's like yesterday. Coming back from Rigg's I stopped off at the telephone box, much to June's annoyance, who didn't like the idea of me ringing Dave. Benita was in the box talking to her boyfriend and we had to wait for several minutes. Mr Lawson seemed thrilled to bits, saying that Dave was up at Marion's.

We rushed back to school where Dave was sitting calmly and glum - pretending to have failed - but I soon made it known that I knew the true result.

After a very quiet lunch several of Groves Current Affairs group, including me, prepared the common room for a talk to be held on East Germany in the project periods. Louise and I went to Biology instead. Anything is better than listening to some pro-communist maniac banging on about some crap eastern Russified power as though it was God's gift to civilization - no thank you!

It was genetics again with Mrs Stancliffe - quite interesting.

June, Graham, Linda, Benita, Janet and I went down to the bus stop at 4.15 and I deposited £2 in my Post Office savings account. June nipped across the road and bought 2 juicey, green apples, instead of the divine cream eggs. It was enjoyable. I wrote "Mick=June 16/3/73" in the dirt and grime on the big black door next to the bus stop. My bus came at 4.50.

The Queen today opened the new London Bridge with the words: "it is closed for the first time ever - so that I can open it." She certainly has a sense of humour.

Went to the Chuck Wagon at 7.30. Sue gave me a piece of apple pie and cream. Quite busy. Home at 12.45. John was watching the end of a film. I sat listening to the 1812 Overture but sadly played very low owing to the time and fact that everyone was in bed. Came to bed at 1.30.

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Thursday March 15, 1973

Six long, beautiful, halcyon weeks together! Got up at 7.30. Had a small breakfast and left for the bus with Mum and the girls who are going to the dentist in Rawdon. Got to school about 8.50. Sat watching Christine B finish an essay on Bernard Shaw's St Joan . Mrs Lane was interogating Sheila for the first lesson, leaving the remainder of us in the Library revising Chartism. After break she started on me and what a shock I received! She actually liked my Russian essay, saying that out of the lot I had improved my standard of work more than the others. She says I'm past "O" level, but touch and go when it comes to "A" level standard. I left the room feeling quite content with myself.

At lunchtime June and I took about 13 orders for lunch to Hinchcliffe's. We were shopping until 1pm. Never again!

Groves said today that Mr Elliott had seen him about his visit to the 6th form on Tuesday afternoon. Evidently, the Fuhrer was disturbed about the size of the crowd sitting about in the common-room doing nothing. The study areas were all full, with Dave, Christine B and I. Thankfully, no mention was made of David's cigar.

The afternoon was supremely boring and Christine, Louise and I simply sat about in answer to Mr Elliott. Surprised to see Louise in conversation with Chris, who seemed so happy with her - just like the old days!

At 4 June did not fancy a cream egg which I said was symbolic of our relationship. She ate an apple instead, whilst I devoured an egg on my own. My bus came at 4.45 and June and I promised to have a cheap evening staying at home instead of making our regular voyage to the Emmotts - June is so considerate about money and understood my point of view of being short of cash due to ther fact that I owe Ayling £1.60 for several Economic text books - Ugh!

Came home and had dinner. Sat watching the TV until 10.30. Such a boring evening.

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Wednesday March 14, 1973

Dave, who takes his driving test on Friday, was attacked by Groves today for not doing work in lesson time. Next time he is found in a similar situation he will be expelled until further notice!
Poor Dave is quite cut up about the whole sordid business.

My test went down very well but I always worry about what Mrs Lane's reaction will be. I suppose it's only natural to feel this. Ayling gave me my Monopoly essay back with a 16 out of 25 for it - meaning 64 per cent. He was quite pleased with it.

At lunchtime June and I made the decision to go the Emmotts tonight as well as tomorrow because we get fed up with waiting all the way from Sunday to Thursday to go out. At 4.15 we went down to the shops, June being chaperoned by Linda, Benita and Janet. Benita is really eccentric. She wears black fishnet tights and very sombre dresses, and being very small she looks too funny for words. Her eye makeup is frightening,but June says she only does it get noticed.

Arrived home at 5.10. We had rabbit pie. Watched the 6 o'clock news. Marion, Countess of Harewood and the Liberal leader Jeremy Thorpe were married in a London register office today. (I bet you're saying: "what the hell is so important about that?" Well, it isn't so important, but they are desperate for headlines.). The news tells of more Trade Union threats to the poor government, etc.

Down the lane for my bus at 7.15. June was waiting for me outside the Emmotts looking simply divine! (Swoon). We sat around the corner away from the sight of Ivy, who becomes quite broing after the first 5 weeks! We sat on our own the whole time. Helen Willis came across for a chat - I haven't seen her for about a year - however, she's the same giddy girl.

Andy, Linda and Christine (White?) came in without Christopher. I wondered where he must have gone. June and I waited at the bus stop until 11.10. Having a very romantic, beautious affair in the crude looking bus shelter. My bus came at 11.10. I left June waiting for her 55.

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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 ...