Monday May 10, 1976

A bright warm day. Boring at work and uneventful. Jeremy Thorpe resigned as Liberal party leader this afternoon, which is no surprise really. After seeing several letters from him to Norman Scott published in this morning's papers it was obvious he had to go. No doubt Cyril Smith will be pushing his way to the front line now.

Meet Carole in Guiseley - quite accidentally of course, and walk with her to Ridgeway where she's going to see Maria. She seemed composed and calm. She was pale and drawn and I made no attempt to act soft with her. She asked me why, on learning of her suicide attempt, I had not sent her a bunch of flowers! I told her quite seriously that circumstances almost made it possible for me to send her a wreath. She called me a 'sod'. I ask her to pass on my regards to Maria, but don't think they'll be conveyed.

Home for tea at 5.30. The news is dominated with Mr Thorpe's resignation. I can't help feeling rather sorry for him. However, the world isn't quite ready for sexually deviant political leaders.

Watch TV all evening and have a bath at 10.15. Finish 'Service with a Smile' by Wodehouse and begin 'Bachelors Anonymous' and retire to bed after midnight.

-==-

Thursday October 10, 1974

King Henry III born 1206. Polling Day again. John and I go (vote) in the car at about 7.30. He votes Labour, and I Liberal. I know it's shocking of me to desert the poor Tories in their hour of need, but they made such a mess of it last time I feel as though it would be almost criminal to get them elected again. YP all day. Quite busy, but nothing of importance happens. Home at 6pm and see tv until 1am. It's quite clear by midnight that 'Darling Harold' will remain Prime Minister. Go to bed feeling very tired, and fall asleep with the knowledge that the nation is now doomed to destruction under the crushing hammer of Antony Wedgwood Benn's nationalisation plans.

-==-

Monday October 7, 1974

Weather terrible all day. Read biography of the Prince of Wales all night, with the exception of the 9 o'clock news. Denny rings after 9 to give her impressions of the letter I wrote to her on Saturday. She especially liked the bit about my not writing any more 'in case Auntie Evelyn sees this letter'. She's put one in the post for me, and I should be on the receiving end by tomorrow morning. See the election thing on the TV again, and decide that in this coming General Election I am going to vote Liberal. Neither Mr Wilson or Mr Heath have achieved anything int the past four and a half years, and I'm developing a growing admiration for Jeremy Thorpe. Besides, the liberals have had long enough out of office to have made some decisions about exactly what to do when they get in. (P.S. Harry, the driving instructor, calls after 9 to arrange my future driving lessons with him. I'm to take test on November 20, and have about six lessons before that. Should earn a few bob out of it for himself.)

-==-

Thursday May 10, 1973

No school today. A very windy day. Do a 'Bank of England' essay - but scrap it after a couple of minutes.

Go to vote in the afternoon. Vote for Philip Cartwright's Dad - a Tory - then for another Tory and a nice little Liberal. It is the first time ever that the electorate have had more than one vote on a polling day. A silly man on the tv says that those who perm their votes, which I did, are idiots. What the Dickens is wrong with feeling sorry for one pathetic little Liberal? Anyway, in a few years time it will be nice to see the ex-Lady Harewood in Number 10. I hope it won't be an embarrassment for the Queen having the ex-wife of her cousin as wife of the PM.

Spend the evening at home. Go to bed at about 11.30.

--==--