Tuesday April 16, 1974

Mum wakes me at 7. My first day back at the YP. I feel weak and ill after last night and vow never to drink gin again. I have a coffee and leave Uncle H asleep in the lounge, not venturing in to see him because it cannot be a very pretty sight. At the office I find a letter on my desk: "Dear Michael, I have some rather depressing news for you. David is leaving the night staff this Sunday (last Sunday for you), so you will have to do a night duty when Ray has his night off; don't panic. I will try to work a late shift with you and stay until about 10pm so it shouldn't be too bad. I've arranged your extra payment and will sort out transport when I get in on Wednesday. It's all a bit sudden and came as quite a shock for all of us. We''ll have a talk about it when I come in. Hope you had a lovely holiday!! Kathleen." My eyes lit up when I saw the sentence about extra payment. Anyway, I quite look forward to getting away from horrid, little Janice Williams. My new driving licence came today and at least I can drive round Aireborough legally again. John took a day off, regardless of what Dave Slater wanted him to work and I've told him he does right. Why should he have only one day off at Easter when all other civilized beings on earth have 2? At 8 I have a hot shower, then see the news on tv and a documentary on Baron Philippe de Rothschild, the French wine producer. Come to bed at 11 and read the Bruce-Lockhart diaries. -==-

Thursday April 11, 1974

Up at 9 o'clock. Decide to go with Lynn to the cinema this afternoon. The weather is deteriorating slowly, and by Saturday will shall be six feet under the snow no doubt. British weather never fails to let us down at Bank Holiday time. At 10 I go into Guiseley to get a birthday card for Judith, who is 19 tomorrow - find an amusing one. I make a call at the library and glance at the first volume of the diaries of Bruce-Lockhart, who died in 1970. They seem quite interesting, but I've read Nicolson's diaries for the same period, dealing with the Duke of Windsor, Mrs Simpson, Sybil Colefax and all that lot. Glance at the Times whilst in the library and see that the Earl of Snowdon made his maiden speech in the House of Lords yesterday. He spoke on disabled services or something equally mundane. He didn't make the same mistake as Lord Harewood, who made a very controversial maiden speech on hanging or something. Princess Margaret came to Harrogate today, arriving at Yeadon of course. Unfortuntately, Lynn didn't want to accompany me to Yeadon so I decided not to bother going on my own. Anyway, I only saw Princess Margaret the other month, and she won't have changed very much I do suppose. At 2.15 Lynn and I go with Mama and Papa to Yeadon. They go to Morrison's whilst Lynn and I go to the cinema. See 2 horror films which last until 6.30. Lynn is rather terrified, but I am unmoved. The trouble is that my imagination doesn't begin to work until hours after the film is finished. Horror films are often more gripping in the dead of night. -==-