Sunday September 9, 1979

13th Sunday after Trinity.

David Lawson phoned recently, but I forgot to record it here. He asked when Christine is getting married! I had to tell him, with heavy heart, that the nuptials took place two weeks ago. The Lawsons now have some kind of Setter so I presume, without mentioning it, that Toscanini, the poodle, is no longer with us. Gone to that great kennel in the sky, &c. The poor lad is dog sitting and mopping up piss night after night.

Got up at 12. Ally came down to breakfast in not a pleasant frame of mind. After her toast and marmalade she left for Bradford saying: "see you next Friday, then". _________________.

I sat pasting Mama's photos into an album and watched 'Horatio Hornblower, RN' on the BBC. A black and white film shot in the thirteenth century BC. The heroine on the film [Gregory Peck's tart]  was supposed to be Lady Barbara Wellesley, sister of the Duke of Wellington. The duke's sister wasn't Barbara, she was Anne, who married a son of Lord Southampton.

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Sunday December 3, 1978

First Sunday in Advent

Bad hangover. Up at 11:30. Devoured a couple of boiled eggs and masses of toast. Mummy said I looked awful.

Spent the afternoon in a coma and only revived at 8 o'clock to watch Patrick Ryecart and Rebecca Saire in 'Romeo & Juliet' on BBC2. Very enjoyable, and just the thing to clear my pickled, pathetic brain. Watched another film with Daddy from 11, and so I didn't hit the sack until after 1am. This was mad I know, because I really needed the sleep.

Pictures in the Sunday papers of the Prince of Wales and Lady Jane Wellesley in Spain. The Duke of Wellington is saying that the couple are just friends, but I expect he's been groomed by Capt Mark Phillips's parents who said exactly the same thing in '73 throughout Anne and Mark's secret courtship. What else can His Grace possibly say though? He can hardly say they've been screwing for three years and that HRH is virtually one of the family. To say such things would put his KG in jeopardy. We shall just have to wait and see, eh? Blimey, how many times have I said this on the subject of the prince and his lady associates? I'm growing steadily worse as a royal pundit. Before long I'll be a male Audrey Whiting, the so~called expert on the royal family, who knows absolutely bugger all when it comes down to it.

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Thursday November 30, 1978

New Moon 08:19

St Andrew's Day {Scotland}

It's late so I'm going to be brief. Didn't venture out for the usual orgy of ales and delights of the female form ~ party due to the poor state of my finances, but mainly due to the heavy fog. Very dense and nasty it was.

Jim and Margaret came here at 8:30 and we watched a Greta Garbo film on the BBC.

The Prince of Wales is in Brussels on a visit to the EEC headquarters and tonight he dined with King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola at Laeken Palace. Princess Marie-Astrid was not present though she frequently stays with her uncle, the Belgian king. I do not want HRH to marry a foreign princess when these islands of ours are swarming with English roses. It is heart rending to know that the prince is going on to Spain for the weekend with the Duke of Wellington and Lady Jane Wellesley ~ reputedly a 'shooting weekend'. I do wish he'd pull his finger out.

Bed at 12 o'clock. Susan was in all evening.

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Monday November 27, 1978

Phoned Carole at B.S. & W. Whiteley's at Pool~in~Wharfedale this morning. We discussed her 21st birthday party on Saturday at the Cow & Calf. She said it was a drunken affair and that everyone who should have attended had done so and then she giggled slightly. I told her I had been to Stranraer and she asked about Maria. I told her that she had been the topic of discussion on Saturday when we were pissed up and she exclaimed "Oh God, I can imagine what you were talking about". She told me that she and Fogarty had split "for a fortnight so that she could have a break". Now was my chance surely to get hold of Carole, but after ten minutes of natter down went the phone having made no plans to meet.

Christine phoned later. She told me that now was my chance to pursue Carole again. I will contact her later in the week. Christine said she is free on Saturday, and so I might be escorting one of the region's most glamorous females._____________.

I wrote to David L in Hockley Heath. I fear I have been neglecting him. I don't think he'll be home until after Christmas.

Saw in some of the newspapers that the Prince of Wales and Lady Jane Wellesley have been together in Spain over theweekend at the estate of the Duke of Wellington. This is a weird relationship. They have been on and off since 1972. Lady Jane will be 28 next. A Princess of Wales is going to have to be young enough to produce a few children, and Lady Jane is on the verge of becoming an ancient relic. John MacMurray saw Lady Jane in the flesh a few months ago at a NUJ meeting and he was far from impressed. Mind you, nothing much impresses John.

Lady Sarah Spencer's dad is critically ill following a cerebral haemorrhage and I do suppose he'll shortly be giving up the ghost. The heir to the earldom is the 14 year-old Lord Althorp.

Just watched TV tonight. Mum and Dad went to Lynn and Dave's at 8 and stayed until 10. They returned virtually frozen to death.

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Monday June 16, 1975

The numbness in my face is going off slightly, but I ring and make an appointment with old (Dr) Ludlow all the same. I might as well get my moneys worth out of the National Health Service.

Nothing of great interest in the news other than the re-opening of the sensational Lucan Case in London. I doubt very much whether any of us will ever hear of the Earl (of Lucan) again, and so it's an open and shut case, as it were.

Last Friday's Daily Mail had a piece about the Prince of Wales and Lady Jane Wellesley again. The will insist on linking the poor prince romantically with that ____ Radio Times researcher, who disgraces the very name of the august Iron Duke. If he, the prince that is, ever makes Lady J his princess I will take off all my clothes and parade around the garden in a nude form as a sign of protest. I'm not joking either.

Go see old Ludlow at 5.20. He sticks a massive metal instrument up my nose and peers up it and gives the occasional grunt. He then gives me a large jar of brown pills - quite the biggest things I've ever seen - and a few capsules to inhale. Hate going to the doctors. But the numbness was quite disturbing really. At work Sarah laughed when I said I probably had only six months left to live. I know it'sa terrible thing to say. I'm quite tempting fate in saying things like that, but one should always look non the funny side of life, and even more so the funny side of death.

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Friday May 24, 1974

Quite a memorable day romance-wise. Lounge around all day and do sweet sod all until I go into the YP. Quite a good evening, which I discover to be my last on night duty for a while, other than Ray's day off of course.

Tony Kelly, my drinking companion, suggests we try the Wellesley, which is on Wellington Street, and unless you know anything about famous nineteenth century personages you won't have made the connection between Arthur Wellesley and Wellington. Of course, Arthur was the 1st Duke of Wellington.

Go to Wikis by taxi at 12. All the mob are therein, and Bruno is also amongst the crowd, making passes at Carol Smith, much to the disgust of poor Chris, who is quite infatuated with her. Chris goes at 12.30 - having a lift from Raymond. John is with Judith B and I soon take my rightful place. At 2 she brings us home and I invite them in for a coffee, which they willingly do, remaining until 3.45. We sit about reading our LP covers and arguring about pop singers in general. Then it happened, at about 3.45, outside Pine Tops, leaning on the Alfa Romeo - we kissed & for a brief minute or two I was in paradise. She says she isn't going to Wikis anymore and when I say she is 'nasty and evil' for not coming to the party at Pontefract next Friday she agreed, adding: 'I don't like parties.' I now realise just how easy it is to become infatuated with someone.

PS - saw dear Helen, who was once the property of Keith Brown, at Wikis, with another man. We exchanged niceities but that was all.

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Wednesday November 28, 1973

The first of the winter snow fell in Leeds from about 11 o'clock this morning onwards. It was fantastic. The snow always deadens the noise, and the traffic moved silently down Wellington Street, for a change.

Ian Appleyard was on the train this morning. His sister Margaret is getting married again next month.

A busy, but pleasant day at the YP. A journalist wanted to know if I would play rugby on Sunday but I told him that I loathed the sport. He says it's the YP versus the EP. They'd kill me! All those 16 stone grizzly reporters - never!

At lunchtime I researched the genealogy of Lady Jane Wellesley. She is, of course, descended from the 1st Duke of Wellington, victor of the Battle of Waterloo, and she is a fifth cousin of the Queen. Yes, she's suitable enough and quite attractive - probably a bit plump, but nothing to get tangled about. Whatever happened to Angela Nevill?

Get the 5.17 train with Helen Willis. We discuss old school days especially the sociology lessons. What fun we had way back in those good old wintry days of December 1971. Home at 6 for tea.

See 'Coronation Street'. Albert Tatlock and Minnie Caldwell are thinking about getting married! I'll not venture to comment on that thank you very much.

You are well aware of my views on the subject of monarchy, but I'm going to break from tradition in order to say something very rude about one of the lesser royalties. King Feisal of Iraq is a "silly bugger", and I mean it. He's been very stubborn with his oil supplies at the moment and, as a result, petrol rationing books will be issued tomorrow.

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Tuesday February 6, 1973

The 21st anniversary of the Queen's accession to the throne. On February 6, 1952 the Queen succeeded to the throne on the sudden death of her father King George VI at the early age of 56. The Queen is only 46 now, and to have been been reigning for 21 years seems so long for one so young. Her grandfather, George V, reigned for 25 years and died aged 72. It cannot be doubted that Her Majesty has made a very good job over these years, and has succeeded in adapting the Monarchy to the present day. The British monarchy is more secure now than it ever has been. I am now reading an interesting book "The Youthful Victoria" by Creston. It is remarkable that a 20 year old woman could terrify Sir Robert Peel and even the Iron Duke himself - Wellington. Such a pity that Victoria was the last British sovereign to be able to tell her government "where to get off" as it were.
A very blustery, windy, sunless day. Icy cold. Got up at 8.10 this morning. After breakfast Mum, Susan and I walked down into Guiseley. I caught the 55 bus at the Station Hotel at 9.05am.
On the whole it was a most boring day, June being in lessons for most of the time. The only two lessons I should have had: History was disbanded whilst Mrs Lane continued her inquisition into the exam paper fiasco. The unlucky victims today were Carol and Sheila. I had been seen to last Thursday. At lunch June refused to eat anything and even as late as 4.10 said she wasn't hungry. The afternoon was especially uneventful but for the fact that I smashed one of the servery cups whilst trying to avoid treading on the furniture - some people just have no luck!
At 4.15 June, Linda, Cowie, Louise and myself went down to the bus stop. Cowie hinted to Linda W that Andy Graham had said something about her, but he would not tell exactly what. She wouldn't let it drop until I told her that AG had told GC that he ought to have it away with L, at which GC told AG that he had already done so. At this AG turned a violent red. Jealousy if you ask me. June boarded the bus at 4.30. Janet Roots came across the road after June had left and pretended to go in the Post Office. Louise and I both realise that Janet is head over heels in love with me. Even Louise had to admit this time that I was doing no 'leading on' in Janet's case. Janet came out of the Post Office (with no evidence of any purchase made therein) and waited with me at my stop until my bus came.
After dinner I had a bath at 9.20. The 9 o'clock news was disturbing. Evidently the Civil Servants and Gas Men are striking for wage increases next week. The Prime Minister has instituted a wage freeze (and price freeze) until the end of March. They are only asking for trouble. What with Ulster; the bother in Vietnam, where it's supposed to be at peace since January 27; the bomb through the Archbishop of Canterbury's bedroom window; anti-Marketeers jeering the Queen, etc, etc. The nation is certainly going to the dogs. What next I ask myself?

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