20090417

Saturday May 26, 1973

Revise Napoleon (the 1st) all day. Do an essay entitled: "Enough was never enough", is this a fair judgement of Napoleon I?" Read AJP Taylor's essay on the thing. I hate Taylor. It was he, last year on tv, who said that he wouldn't even have employed Queen Victoria as a cook! The dirty, republican swine!

Fairly warm day. Go to CW at 7 o'clock. Exceedingly busy. Sue gets a bit flustered but, after all, it's understandable. Home by 2 o'clock.

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Friday May 25, 1973

Do Economics homework until nearly 4.0 this morning then go to bed until 8. Go on the 8.30 bus to Benton. Christine very tired. June, bless her, stays in bed until 11, having no lessons until 11.45. We do Economics. Christine and I are too tired - can hardly read our finance books. Surely, the most boring book ever written. Mr Ayling was in good humour. We laugh about last night - mine and Christine's jig caused a sensation.

June arrives for lunch. We stay at school at lunchtime and sit out in the red-hot sun. June does English in the afternoon. Dave, Christine and Holmes played chess. I revised with Carol Bailey. At 4 we pinch Tiff's shoe - and chase about until 5.30. Christine and I have such a good laugh. Go home after seeing June off. Not going out again until after the 'A' levels - or at least we aren't going to make a serious move to go out.

Go to the CW. Sue and Toffer in very jovial mood. Come home at 1 o'clock in the morning.

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Thursday May 24, 1973

It's the Profumo Affair all over again! Yes, Mr Heath's government is falling down about his head. Yesterday, Lord Lambton, the former Earl of Durham, resigned from the Defence ministry after admitting to drugs charges and do's with prostitutes. If this isn't enough, the 55 year-old Leader of the House of Lords, and Lord Prvy Seal, Earl Jellicoe, a godson of George V, today also resigned after being cited in the prostitute thing with Lambton. The news on tv has been really juicy these past two days!
The main question is, have they been forced, through blackmail, into leaking government secrets? Especially Lambton at the Ministry of Defence. Very, very embarrassing for Heath.

A really beautiful day. June and I really looking forward to tonight. June goes home at 3 to wash her hair. Dave goes home for his gear because he has to stay the night at Willie's in order to let W do the driving - him not having past his test yet. Go down to the employment exchange and get my passport - nearly leaving my birth certificate on the counter.

Willie brings me to Guiseley and then drives on with Christine, Elke, Dave, and Dietrich to Addingham where they have tea with Cowie. Dave and Willie pick John and I up at 8.0 we go on and pick up June, Hursty and Dale. Go to the Midland Hotel, Ilkley, and then do all the pubs going up the hill towards the Cow and Calf. Arrive at the Cow and Calf at 10. Christine not well at all. Have whisky with ice. June looks irresistible. Go to the Intercon. John dances until 2 without once leaving the floor. A fantastic evening. Come home in two trips. Christine and I do a silly dance whilst waiting for Willie from the 1st journey. Such a hysterical hour it really was.

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Wednesday May 23, 1973

Get up at nearly 8 o'clock. Have a grapefruit. Mouth still very painful. Go to the dentist at 9 and sit reading Lord Liverpool in the waiting room until 9.30 when the receptionist comes in and says my appointment is at 4.30. Rush out back to school. The test begins at 9.45. A scorcher! Just my type. "How far was the Tory government 1822-30 Liberal?" Mrs Lane liked it, but she went into a cold sweat when I happened to mention that the 'A' levels are only three weeks away.

Do Economics. Ayling goes into raptures about the attitude of mind which we (the lower 6th) are taking re the 'O' levels. Ayling is however a terrible snob and he gets up my nose.

Revise in the afternoon lessons. Go to the bus stop with June. Uncle Harry arrives at 4.30. Believe it or not, he is not drunk today. He stays with us for tea (crab salad). Later, Mum, Dad and Uncle Harry go see Mum's cousin Dorothy in Burley-in-Wharfedale, where she's landlady of the White Horse pub. They come home at 1.0 - drinking after hours! Come to bed at 2 after quarrelling with Uncle H about Granddad. Mum gets really furious. But we are all friends by the time he sets off for home.

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Tuesday May 22, 1973

Revise all day. The 'Liberal Tory' administration, 1822-1827. Hardly a thing to go into raptures over. Anyway, I have to save everything I know about Lord Liverpool until tomorrow morning.

Go down to work at 7.30. Sue still knitting for baby. No one comes in until about 11.15 - a party of six! Sue was really furious. Toffer brought me home at 1. Had a cup of Horlicks and came to bed.

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Monday May 21, 1973

Get up at 8. Decide to go to Bradford Library and pay my fine once and for all. However, I cannot find Harold Nicolson's diaries and letters and realise, with horror, it's in June's locker at the 6th form. Go to school at 10 o'clock. Sort out the book business. June is not at school. Sit doing Lord Liverpool until 11.30.

Go to Bradford Library at 11.45. Spend an hour in the library. Reading in The Times I discover that Elizabeth, Countess of Scarbrough gave birth to a son and heir on Friday. He takes his father's courtesy title, 'Ld. Lumley'. That's another earldom saved from extinction. The earl is 42.

Go back to Benton. See June who is going into Guiseley about a holiday job. Go to Dave's house and do "the political influence of Queen Victoria". Mrs Lawson gives me £47.50 for Dave's holiday. At 4.20 Dave drives me home - Mum gets the money.

Carrying on with Victoria. Have dinner. Watch a play on tv - "Cider with Rosie" - quite good. Watch tv until 12.30. Have coffee and come to bed.

I'm taking June out on Thursday to the Ilkley Intercon - if she'll let me.

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Sunday May 20, 1973

Got up at about 11 oclock. Had grapefruit for breakfast.Read Sunday papers. Did you realise you could still be hanged in the UK? To murder or conspire to murder the Queen or Lord Chancellor; to blow up a battleship or harbour? And many more. It's only theoretical of course. If someone were to kill Her Majesty I do suppose that the sod would only do six years, or spend a couple of years with a good probabtion officer. The penal system in this country has gone to pot anyway and I do suppose that murderers do not even consider the consequences. What fear does a Butlin's holiday camp type prison hold? Free meals, good wine list, persian carpets, etc, etc.

Go to the Emmotts with June at 8.30. MM and Chris and several of "other" Germans arrive. The manager asks a German whether he's 18 or not. He says: "Ja, Mein Herr." Such a laugh. June has new white shoes. Very nice. Come home in rain at 11.10. Got to bed after Lynn was being sick everywhere - she got drunk at Christine Dibb's. Mother very upset.

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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 ...