20090530

Sunday February 3, 1974

4th after Epiphany. Mother wakes me at 10. A beautiful morning - very bright, crisp, and clear. Have my breakfast with Dad who is on duty until 2pm. At 11 Mr Rhodes, the driving instructor (no relation) picked me up - drive until 12. Don't do too badly though I feel very self-conscious about the whole thing. Rhodes is quite a decent chap really - 35-ish. At 12 John goes out driving until 1. My next lesson is on the 12th. In the afternoon, John Little brought Stewart, Mum's godson, to see his Auntie Nora. He's well and truly a little horror - being a typical 5 year-old. Spoilt, selfish and enormously greedy. John nearly died laughing at the tea table when the little lad crammed his mouth full of sticky chocolate cake - even Mum saw the humour in it. I suppose that most 5 year-olds do the same. To Lynn's relief he went at 7. Poor Lynn hates children. I'm sure she'll be the type of mother who beats the brains out of her little Angels (joking of course). Chris rang at 7. John decides to go out - but I decide to have a quiet evening. Monty Python comes before any other method of enjoyment. See a slapstick war comedy on tv - quite funny. Monty Python gives me heart-burn I laugh so much. It was the episode about storage jars exploding in the House of Lords... Mum and Dad go to Burley-in-Wharfedale. Home at 11. I talk with Dad about the current political problems until well after 1 o'clock. "Tiger Feet" by Mud. -==--

Saturday February 2, 1974

Susan gives me a shake at 7.30 and I have a greasy crumpet for breakfast. Laugh at the thought of it because 'Greasy Crumpet' is Chris's description of Miss Helen Taylor. Get the usual train in Guiseley. See in the YP that Reginald Maudling, a former Home Secretary, was injured by a letter bomb last night. Also, Ronald Biggs, one of the 'Great Train Robbers' has been arrested in Rio. The bugger's been on the run since 1965.

Finish at 12. Rush into Leeds and get a pair of shoes for £7.99 - not bad really. See 'Dr Who' on tv after fighting my way up the lane in driving downpours. Have a bath and John and I get the 8.0 o'clock bus to the Emmotts. Poor Ivy isn't in her usual corner, and I continue to worry even after Martin V-B assures me that the old girl is not dead. MM and David come in, but we leave 10 minutes later. Chris, we learn, discovered his wallet under a seat at the Black Bull and he and his father proceeded to carry on drinking until 2.0am. I never thought he'd see that again.

At 10.0 Chris and Linda and Christine and me go in Pete's car to Meanwood - 'The Cat's Whiskers' no less. John and Andy go with Keith and Helen. Not particularly over the moon with it - the disco that is. Too large and poorly planned. The service isn't too good either. Anyway, John and Andy arrive safely and we remain until 2.0am. Helen and myself danced in 'the cage' - and so did the others later on, but we set the initiative.

-==-

Friday February 1, 1974

Quite an eventful day. YP very much the same, but the evening was riddled with exciting incidents which usually occur within months of each other.

At 7.30 John and I leave for the Queen's where we are joined by Chris, Andy, Laura (with her new car), Linda and Christine W. Keith Brown and the delightful Helen call in at 10. MM and Marita drop in. At 10.0 we decide to go to the Black Bull at Otley. Chris, Christine and I go with Laura, and the rest go with Keith. At the Black Bull Helen decides to adopt John and myself - great fun calling her 'sis' all evening. At 11.15 I make a silly suggestion that we should all go back to our house - thinking no one would take any notice of me. However, when Laura dropped me off at Pine Tops, I am surprised to find Linda, Andy, Keith and Helen listening to the record player in our dining room. On top of that, Chris rings 10 minutes later to say he had lost his wallet, with everything in it, including £12 and a Barclaycard. His Dad was taking him back to Otley to look for it. I doubt whether they will ever find it again. The guests leave at 12.45. We go immediately to bed.

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Thursday January 31, 1974

Marita 19. The last day of January, and it certainly is a good month to have behind you. We have had an unbelievably mild winter so far but February always holds a few snowy surprises up its sleeve. March isn't much better either.

Went to Benton Park at 12 on the 55 with Sarah. Very nice journey together. Sarah and I always seem to have the same half-days. School is completely hateful. CB is obviously angry with me about something or another. MM says very little. We play a guessing game all afternoon - Maggie Edwards and Liz Clapham are fun. Leave at 4. Home by 4.30.

Quiet evening at home with a massive surprise at tea-time. Discover an extra £12 in my pay. A sizeable tax rebate. Mum is thrilled at my sudden rise in fortune. See 'Top of the Pops' - Mud is still in the number 1 spot. Bed at 10.30 when the tv closes down - such a hideous innovation on the part of Her Majesty's government.

-==-

Wednesday January 30, 1974

Charles I was Martyred, 1649. Can't be bothered to become involved in the intricacies of everything. Work as usual, and I don't intend writing anymore.

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Tuesday January 29, 1974

Dad points out that in the present 'crisis' the Royal Family know what to do and that is to get out! It seems as though the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince of Wales, Princess Anne and Capt Phillips are all out of the UK. Even Lord Snowdon seems to have deserted the sinking ship. However, the good old Queen Mother is still moving among us, and what we woulod do without that dear lady I shudder to think.

Quite a busy day. Typed the paper up this morning. Janice was on half-day. I am taking Thursday and intend goint to Rawdon Library and calling in at Benton Park.

Train strikes will take place next week, and I am now beginning to seriously wonder whether the whole country will live to see the first daffodil of Spring. A General Strike cannot now be avoided. Lord Carrington made suggestions that a 'Two Day Week' will be seriously considered by the Cabinet. The Confederation of British Industry says economic collapse of unprecedented proportions can only arise from such an action...and all MPs can find to argue about is whether it is immoral for a man and his wife to take a bath together! I think it's a very good thing. The poor woman who suggested the idea must think that is an original idea! All the best couples have bathed together since the beginning of time.

Mum and Dad go to Esholt at 9. Sue and I make beans on toast. See a good tv programme about Hugh Heffner, owner of the magazine 'Playboy'. Oh, what it must be like to own all that wealth!

(Greed, greed, envy envy, etc).

-==-

Monday January 28, 1974

Nothing much today. Kathleen is now well and truly at the helm of the ship. Janice Bloody Williams will receive a mouthful of naughtiness from me before the week is over and done with. The little bitch really puts my back up. Oh, she's so superior. The poor child is taking on all the airs and graces of Carol, who is no more than a strip of a girl herself. I can tell you, it's not an easy life working with 5 bitchy females.

The Commonwealth Games are dominating the few hours of evening tv which we are permitted to see. The 10.30 deadline is quite pathetic. Poor Mr Heath looked awful on 'Panorama' tonight. Joe Gormley, Mick McGahey and all those train drivers cannot be doing his health much good. Not forgetting the miners. However, I admire the Prime Minister for showing courage and fortitude and not giving into the demands of the miners, who are controlled by a strong Communist force. My opinion is that the present dispute has nothing to do whatsoever with wage claims. Instead it's an outright attack by Marxist union men to overthrow the elected government of this country. Evidently, Mr Heath thinks so too.

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Sunday January 27, 1974

Mama is going to flog the family jewels so that she can make her annual pilgrimage to the hot climate of the Continent. Lynn and Sue will be taking Al and Christine Dibb along as chaperones.

Get up at nearly 12. Have beans on toast for luncheon then see the tv until bedtime. Monty Python closed the evening. A boring Sunday by anyone's standards and the weekend is over far too suddenly.

The selling of the family jewels seems to be the only item of excitement, and what poor Lady Crawshaw would say if she heard I don't know. You may recall from last year that Lady Crawshaw is Dad's only sister. Born Dorothy Claptrap-Rhodes she married in 1951, the Hon Leslie Muggins-Disley-Cutout, DSO, and the peerage is held by 'Aunt Dot' in her own right. She's the 18th baroness. The heir to the title is her eldest son, the Hon Robert Muggins-Cutout, educated at Trinity College, Cambridge.

The items of value in Mama's jewelry collection amount to a semi-platinum-nu-form-vinyl-type locket (Woolworths Ltd circa 1963) valued at fifteen shillings in old currency. The other main article in the Muggins Collection is a plastic, unbreakable mug (1923) commemorating the birth of Lord Harewood. The last article, is, in fact, quite priceless.

-==-

Saturday January 26, 1974

Andy, Linda, Christine W and myself today saw 'Jesus Christ Superstar' at Yeadon. Both Christine and I had doubts about going, but we all thoroughly enjoyed it. However, it wasn't the type of musical which you could dislike. Very modern. I have a tendency to like religious films. We called in at the Clothiers before and after the film. Andy cannot remember when he last only had had 2 pints on a Saturday night. We met John, Chris and Pete Mather at 10.20, the latter bringing us home at 10.45. Unbelievably quiet for Saturday evening, but nevertheless an enjoyable one.

Saw Martin V-B and Helen Taylor in Yeadon High Street - looking a lot more more friendly than 'just good friends'. Helen looked somewhat 'put out' when I made a comment. But the poor girl saw me leaving the cinema with Christine W. The poor dear must still fancy me.

-==--

Friday January 25, 1974


Miss Kathleen Rainford today succeeded as head librarian, Yorkshire Post Newspapers Ltd. Very busy. Anne and I spent the afternoon making photostats of the Leeds Intelligencier from June/July 1815 - 'The capture of Buonoparte', and praises of the Duke of Wellington.

Miss W (as you can see) appeared in the paper this morning - and the photograph stands as a comparison with the usual attempts of the YP photographers - hopeless. Poor Miss W -though I say it myself - looks much more pleasant than this. The poor girl didn't really want to leave.

Whilst travelling home on the train with Judith I see in the stop press that James Pope-Hennessy, the renowned author and biographer, was murdered today in his London home. The thing I remember him for is the official biography of Queen Mary, completed in 1958. The poor man died of stab wounds in hospital.

Chris rings at 7.30 and we decide to go to the Queen's in Apperley Lane. John and I are on our own until Andy, Chris, Laura and Martin (her new boyfriend) arrive at 9. We all sit in the little room with the large picture of Her Majesty over the fireplace. I think it's one of Leonard Boden's creations, and it stands as a reminder that the poor Queen is ageing along with the rest of us. What a beauty she was 20 years ago.

After 3 pints in the Queen's Martin drives us to the Emmotts. He then takes Laura to Horsforth. Give Sue Crosby a birthday kiss - can hardly believe that we have endured a year since her 18th birthday. I remember her last birthday as though it was yesterday. John and me get the 11.10 55 bus. Home at 11.40. Dad gives us a demonstration with the new kettle, and I retire at 12.30.

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Thursday January 24, 1974

I have finally rid myself of the old bag - namely Miss W. Things should now begin to brighten up. Anne and I discussed the changes we'd like to see at the YP whilst going for the train. Sarah, Carol, Kathleen etc, had gone with Miss W to the party in Mr Linacre's private suite -

Feel very tired on the train and sleep until we reach Guiseley station. At home, Mother entertains me with her home-made tea cakes. Nothing quite equals the smell of warm, newly baked loaves of bread.

See Prince Philip opening the Commonwealth Games in Christchurch on behalf of the Queen on tv. The poor duke looked quite ill bare-headed in the hot New Zealand sun. He read the Queen's message in a hoarse voice, and by the look of things he won't be with us for his 53rd birthday.

See Jimmy Savile on Top of the Pops. 'Tiger Feet' by Mud pushed the New Seekers from the number one spot on Tuesday. It's truly an amazing little disc. Everyone enjoys it.

Still reading Sir Thomas More. Have a bath. Generally a momentous day on all accounts. Let's hope Kathleen doesn't change from her lovable self. A quick surge of power can often ruin a sane being.

--==--

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 ...