Monday December 9, 1974

The morning papers carry a sad story indeed. It seems that the Greeks don't want King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie back in their rightful place on the Hellenic throne. A referendum held last week shows that the majority are in favour of a republic. Obnoxious it all is. A sad day for monarchists everywhere. The crown in Ethiopia is even more insecure. The imperial family there are being executed right, left and centre, and fears for the life of the tiny emperor, Haile Selassie, are growing. Two thrones collapsing in one year is too sad. The late King Farouk of Egypt told Lord Boyd-Orr in 1951 that 'soon there will be only five kings left. The Kings of Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs and Spades, and the King of England.'

YP all day. Kathleen is better tempered after the weekend. Don't do pictures at all, and just do cuttings. Much more pleasant.

Denny rings at 4.30 to say she is finishing with Adrian tonight because he is being cowardly about the dinner dance.

The Sunday Express yesterday said that the Prince of Wales continues to visit Lady Jane Wellesley at her Fulham home - disguised beneath a false black beard.

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Monday April 29, 1974

Warm and clammy all day. Quite busy at the YP. Kathleen gives me a claim form for my taxi expenses for last Thursday and I go to the cashiers where I emerge several minutes later with two crisp, new pound notes and four silver ten pence pieces. This sudden glut of wealth brightens and cheers the remainder of the day no end. We laugh at Sarah, who is somewhere in the midst of revolution-torn Portugal, and think it an amusing coincidence that she was also in Greece last summer when when the coup d'etat took place and the monarchy was 'axed'. Obviously, Sarah must have a diverse influence on the sanity and reason of foreign nations. Let us hope that she will go to Russia next year, for who knows, the Tsar may well be back in the Winter Palace, thanks to Sarah!

See part two of Dorothy L. Sayers book 'The Nine Tailors' - which is quite enthralling. Ian Carmichael plays a brilliant Lord Peter Wimsey. The books could have been written especially for him.

Make toast for supper and laugh at poor Peter who had to sit through 'The Way We Were' starring Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford at Yeadon Cinema. Love stories aren't quite young Nason's cup of tea.

Cousin Jill had a birthday today - the exact numerical situation fails me, but I think she must be nearly 12 or 13 if my shoddy calculations prove correct.

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Tuesday November 27, 1973

'A' Level History Exam. I arrived at school at about 9 o'clock and go to the exam room. Begins 9.30, ends 12.30. NO MORE EXAMINATIONS EVER. You probably don't appreciate what that statement actually means to me. For years I have wanted to shout this on the top of my voice, but this is the first time. Even in June when I finished the 'O'levels and 'A' levels I exclaimed 'no more exams until November at least'. That sentence says a lot for my character. 1. The cautiousness stands out a mile, 2. Modesty? 3. Pessimistic.

See Mrs Lane, who liked both papers. Leave for Leeds at about 1 o'clock. Didn't see Christine or MM.

Kathleen is pleased to see I'm well again, but poor Sarah is still indisposed. I argued with Miss Went about the relationship of King Constantine of Greece to the first King of Greece. She says his father was the Dane who became George I of Greece! Kathleen said he was the present king's grandfather but I insist on great-grandfather. I was right.

See tv. Bed at 12.0 o'clock.

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