Saturday July 24, 1976

Wake up on Peter's floor at 8.30 and Mrs Mather makes me scrambled eggs on toast before Lynne drops me off at home at 9.30. Go into Guiseley this morning with Mum & Dad again. I buy a Yorkshire Post to see if Fred Manby had used the story I suggested to him about Lord David Dundas yesterday, and see that he has. How many times does the son of a marquess appear on 'Top of the Pops'?

See John and Maria who stand with us and chat for 10 minutes or so.

Later: John, Maria, David, Peter, Lynne, &c, gather for a sherry at Pine Tops. Lynne drives Sue, Peter and myself to a pub just outside Ripon where we stop for a drink. Lynne and Dave travelled together of course, and John & Maria go with Mum & Dad. After a drink in this horribly snobby pub John & Maria come with me and Lynne to show us the way to Wath. Alas, David's car broke down 2 miles from Wath but managed to get the car there after about half an hour. The spitfire's been nothing but trouble since John purchased it about 14 months ago.

The dinner was marvellous and the ten of us had a really good laugh. I told a sick joke about poor Lesley Whittle (a girl kidnapped and murdered by the notorious Black Panther) which was received with little pleasure, but otherwise it was a great success. Dinner was only £3.50 per head, and although I paid for Lynne's I still think it was well worth it. Set for home at nearly 12 o'clock after dancing about in the shadows of the George & Dragon car park. Maria and I were penguins, and David did a very good impersonation of an elephant. David abandoned his car near Ripon on the way back and Dad dropped him off at the Dyneley (Arms). Back to Pine Tops for handing over presents and cards to Maria. I promise to buy her something next week and she doesn't seem to mind the delay.

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Saturday March 8, 1975

Lesley Whittle is dead. This puts the toll reaped by the Black Panther up to four. Three sub-postmasters and one innocent young girl. Anyway, I'm not going to dwell on that.

Wake up at 8 and find a beautiful morning awaiting my inspection. Have a cup of tea with Helen and Jane and then have a lift home in style with Miss Jane Lockyer at the wheel. Make a steaming hot pot of tea and take it up to Mama and Papa with the miserable looking morning papers. We sit for half an hour discussing the Black Panther and criminology in general. This conversation really saved the day, because sleep, rigormortis and lock-jaw would have set in had no one made the effort to talk to me. By 10am the brightness of the morning and the pleasant thought of food fives me that 'get up and go!'feeling. Oh for the Joys of Spring! (Sickly, isn't it?)

Mum takes on the mood of an ogre before lunch because Dad renders the car inoperable with repairs when it happens to be his weekend off. The poor girl hasn't been out for weeks and it looks like being another quiet weekend for her. Tomorrow is Mother's Day, so I hope she cheers herself up a bit.

Chris, Dave and Peter M go to the Dyneley - and Lynn and the birthday boy and me go to the Hare & Hounds, where MM and Marita are therein accompanied by Chris and Dave L. MM and Marita aren't too talkative and they leave after a few minutes. Dave, Pete and Chris (Christine having finished with him this afternoon) all go to the Dyneley, and Helen, Christine Dibb, Dave B and me go straight to Wheels,a discotheque in Seacroft. The others from the Dyneley follow on and a great time in enjoyed by all. Helen Lockyer is a darling - just my type really. She's Aries too - April 8 - which makes us very compatible. Dave L got on extremeley well with Christine Dibb and the birthday boy and me attempt to get drunk. Had a few dances. Home at 2am.

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Friday March 7, 1975

SPECIAL NEWS FLASH EDITION: A rumpus at the Hare & Hounds tonight when Christine said she'd finished with Chris and is now going out with a banking friend, Gary, whom I know only briefly. It all came about when good old Dave L (making a guest appearance)said he'd rather go to Wheels tomorrow than go to Wikis tonight - Chris agreed with this and dashed over to the other end of the pub to convery these thoughts to Christine, who was now doing her upmost to pull Gary. Pandemonium ensued when Helen said: "Why can't we do both?" Being the Jet-Set, high living spenders that we are. This suggestion was received coldly and with a good deal of discontent, and Christine ended up telling David to "piss off", but in a friendly way. (Christine's the only bird I know who can insult you in a nice way). Helen and I stick to our guns and say we are going to do both venues. So, it's Christine Dibb, Helen and me to Wikis where nothing much goes on, or indeed comes off. John is with Naomi and her cousin, and Carol S is with her recent acquisition. I think she intends to generously leave all her boyfriends to the nation when she dies. I'm sure it will be the largest collection of males under one roof. Since we formed the Royal Society for the Prevention of Wastage of Drinks I've sure had my share of alcoholic refreshment.
John isn't in the car (changing the subject) and so I walked Helen back to Menston and stayed the night sleeping in a sleeping bag on her settee. Prior to this we discussed all manner of things - women's lib, monarachy, ghosts. PS - at about 8 Kathleen rang looking for Lesley Whittle's picture file. Is the poor girl a goner?

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