Tuesday June 1, 1976

The First of Bleedin' June.

Up with the larks at 7.20 and devour a few slices of toast before making off down the lane at 8 o'clock. Jim Rawnsley doesn't pick me up as he usually does and so I have to travel by bus like a peasant.

Carol is not in the office & so I cannot speak to her about Friday night's excursion to the Emmotts. Sarah is in good form. She says she'll come to London on June 12 to see the Trooping of the Colour. It would be nice to arrange a party from work because I am rapidly running out of suitable chaperones. John was always a good companion on these adventures but circumstances of course prevent his continuing in this capacity.

Blimey! 26 days before Peter and I bugger off to Ibiza for a fortnight! Just three and half tiny weeks! I'm in two minds about declaring a State of Emergency because I feel so unprepared for the holiday. I have a passport, I will have three weeks pay. Clothes? Do I have suitable gear? Eeek! All these things have to be looked into!

See a Jimmy Cagney/Bogart 1939 film on TV and go to bed at 11pm after discovering that I haven't smashed all the glasses Mum has accused me of smashing. She expects everything to be in its correct place, and had not bothered looking in one of the other kitchen cupboards where they nestled in complete safety.

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Sunday October 20, 1974

Up at 12. Nice lunch then see a James Cagney film again.

John goes for Carol who does Mum's hair, then she and Dad go out for the afternoon. Sit in front of the TV all afternoon looking at photographs. Peter and Sue join John and Carol in the lounge and I sit on the floor with a cup of tea. Lynn does her homework.

See in the Daily Express that Rudolph Nureyev and Princess Margaret are having private ballet rendezvous together in his London studios. I can just picture the scene. All I can say is I hope Mr Nureyev is being well paid for it. It can't be a heartening exercise having to hoist HRH above ones head.

Mum and Dad go out in the afternoon and John brings Carol round for tea. We all decide to go to the cinema. I ring Lynne and inform her thus. See 'Three Musketeers'. I've seen it before with Denny, but it was well worth seeing again.

John had to drag us all into the Clothiers before the film started in order that he could consume his revered pint. All back to Pine Tops for coffee. See 'The Saint' on TV which stars Roger Moore in the title role and is superbly done in the traditional 1960s style. Dave takes Lynne home at nearly 1 o'clock and I depart to bed.

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Sunday April 7, 1974

Palm Sunday. Out of bed at 1.30!! Well, hardly any point about feeling guilty about it. After all, I am on holiday. Cook some marvellous steak for lunch, then sit in front of the tv watching a James Cagney film all afternoon. Looking forward with rellish to my liaison with June this evening - our first date since August.

Leave Pine Tops at 7.20 but don't arrive at the Emmotts until 8.20 - quite forgetting that the 55 bus only runs once every hour on the Sabbath. See Chris, who is in conference with Ivy - but no June. Chris and I stand at the bar until 9, then he suggests that we move on. Strangely enough, I feel nothing about being jilted for the first time. I have always imagined that being 'stood up' was an extremely painful experience. We get the bus to the Hare and Hounds where Andy, Linda, Christine and Keith entertain Laura and Martin. They say very little, and it certainly lets you know just who your friends are. Everyone wants to know you when you're having a party, but after that you're nothing.

Christine suggests we go to the Malt Shovel - I go with Keith, who, I must admit, is always civil. Andy brings me home at 10.30, and I see Mama and Dad, Lynn and Sue for the first time since Friday. They all had an excellent time, though no one saw the Queen or anyone whilst in Windsor. Quite disappointing.


"Seasons in the Sun" Ugh

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