Monday June 9, 1980

_. Much rain. Back to the office. Met Lynne Bateson in the lift, she confirmed what I was thinking: 'You look miserable'.

Sat hacking at the newspapers, thinking of Ally. ___________.

Sarah has been distraught with worry because her Shih Tzu has had an op for stones in her kidneys which has cost over £100. Insanity.

Home at 5, and out at 6:30 to West End Terrace for an evening with a damp paint brush. Joined by Ally. We had fish and chips at almost 11 back at Pine Tops, and went to bed at 12, still dotted in white paint.

The news: have you heard that the dweadful Woy Jenkins is form yet another abominable political party? Everyone [i.e. the Press] seem to be excited at the prospect, but I cannot help yawning.

Reading David Sinclair's 'Queen and Country' a biography of the Queen Mother, loaned to me by Derek Naylor.

Wednesday January 10, 1979

For two nights now I've dreamt about death. Not my death, but the death of unfortuate beings very close to me. I find it disturbing. I'm not going to explain here. Putting the details on paper would be sickening and tempting fate, and all that. It's probably all due to the vast amounts of Scottish cheese I've taken to devouring every night.

Thick snow today. I attempted to shovel it from the drive at 7:45am but didn't get very far.

To the YP with Jim, Jenny and Alec (Muriel's brother), and Donald Best. The discussion in the car was Princess Margaret and the saintly Lord Snowdon. They all disagreed when I said Snowdon was the first to stray. Evidently, it's still the fashion to abuse the poor, defenceless woman.

Kenneth More: nauseating

Sarah and Carol went off to a literary luncheon at the university to see the actor Kenneth More, and James Burke, the tv personality. Both nauseating, in my opinion.

Just me and Kathleen all day. It's just not done to talk about sex, play cards, or laugh raucously in Kathleen's presence, and so I hid behind a filing cabinet with a great heap of photographs.

Dad has announced that he wants to read Kipling. Has he said this before? Probably at the end of 1978? I suggested that he reads Crossman's journals instead - but the shear size of the volume puts him off. Besides, he has an

James Burke

aversion to the intellectual, middle-class type of Labour MP of which Richard Crossman and 'Woy' Jenkins are prime examples.

Sue and Pete went down to the Shoulder of Mutton to make a final farewell party for Gus and Frank, but only Chippy materialized ~ with his 'girlfriend'. They came home at 10:30 covered in snow. I don't suppose Gus will get much of that in the Golan Heights. To bed at midnight.




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Monday August 2, 1976

Bank Holiday in Scotland & Irish Republic. A thoroughly miserable day at work. _____.

See two articles about the Prince of Wales and Davina Sheffield in the Sunday papers. One of them told of an incident in Devon a few days ago when the prince and Davina went down to a beach with a crate of beer accompanied only by one detective. The other was concerning an event which is alleged to have taken place on the same occasion. The prince had changed into bathing gear in a changing room and Davina went up later to change, using the mens room by mistake, and was caught in a naked state by one of the local clotted cream manufacturers who received a right eye-full. It will be a nice tale to tell if the couple ever marry.

Home at 5.15 and have a good argument over tea with Lynn, Dad and Mum. They argued that it was wrong that immigrants can get away with not wearing crash helmets because of their religion. My argument is that ones religious beliefs are more important than a ridiculous law that's been cooked up in Westminster one rainy afternoon just to pass the time. The same applies to the wearing of car seat belts. If a chap wants to risk his own life then why can't they let him get on with it? The sooner Roy Jenkins goes the better.

Mum handed in her notice this morning. Moon's Mill will certainly miss her because she's a brilliant worker and so efficient. Nothing can make her change her mind once it is made up. Prospective grandmothers shouldn't have to go to work anyway.

I was rendered speechless when, after taking my bath, I went downstairs to find Mum & Dad watching the Olympic Games on TV. When I exclaimed: "I thought they had finished yesterday?" Dad responded: "Oh yes, but now they're showing the hilights."
Oh My God. I quickly departed back to my room to read Burke's Peerage until the 9 o'clock news. Later watch Faye Dunaway and Kirk Douglas in a film until after 11, and then watch that last hour of 'Billy the Kid'. I'm addicted to the TV at the moment. The book by Trollope just does nothing for me.

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Friday November 28, 1975

Don't want to write much. To the Cow & Calf with Peter M, CB and Carole. We all got on quite well considering how the girls hate one another.

Peter wants his head looking at for chasing after CB. She makes it obvious that she wants nothing to do with him, and Carole feels sorry for the poor lad. However, I shouldn't interfere with the 'goings on' of other peoples 'romances'.

Drink pernod and realise I must be mad because of what I'll be spending tomorrow.

Ross McWhirter, the Guinness Book of Records chap, was murdered by the IRA last night. Margaret Thatcher, a mate of his, is now shouting for the re-introduction of capital punishment. It is a sad state of affairs when a political leader is only moved to action when a personal acquaintance is done away with. What about all these innocent people dining out in London restaurants? Why should it take Ross McWhirter's death to get our MPs to leap into action?

Roy Jenkins still insists that death for terrorists is no deterrent and that the police force is the main force of attack. Fool that he is.

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Monday November 25, 1974

Tiring day. Awful weather & a cloud of utter misery hangs over everything. Kathleen celebrates her birthday, which was yesterday, with doughnuts and cream buns with nuts on top, &c. Nothing else of interest at work and arrive home at 6.30 in a raging mood about being held up in the Leeds traffic. All the buses were full, and chaos reigned everywhere.

Laze around in front of the TV all evening. See 'The Family Way' Starring Hayley Mills and John Mills, and it proves to be a 'fabulous' film. Fabulous appears in inverted commas because it's such a Judith-Rushworth-type word that no one could possibly say in a serious vein. 'Fab' went out with flower power, cow bells and the Beatles. But seriously, the film was a gem.

Mum and Dad go to the pub and don't come back until 11.30. Nothing fantastic in the news. Mr Jenkins has banned the Irish Republican Army & all other organisations of the same type, but didn't do anything really powerful to deal with the terrorists. Banning the IRA won't matter one bit - are the IRA going to mind being illegal? I think not. Nothing has changed. Also U Thant, the United Nations' boss from 1961 to 1971 has died in New York. I can't say I ever knew who he actually was, but the name sticks out as being a leading one in the 1960s. Bedat nearly 12.

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Friday November 22, 1974

At lunchtime I go into town and purchase a Metro Card for £5. This gives me access to the buses until December 21, and I should save a pound or two in the process.

See from further reports that 19 people died in Birmingham yesterday. Several anti-Irish attacks have been launched throughout the country, but nothing too serious. Our beloved Home Secretary, Roy Jenkins, promises new legislation to deal with these terrorists and many MPs want to see the re-introduction of the death penalty. I don't think for one moment that the feeble Labour government will do anything to appease society in any way, and poor Lord Hailsham can talk himself blue in the face about all this being 'treason', but Uncle 'Woy' won't be led from his weak, spineless, narrow little path.

Go to the Hare & Hounds and then the Commercial. Everyone agrees that Christine White is a changed person since she started this liaison with that bloke from York, and I for one quite fancy her these days. All back here to see Peter Cushing in a Frankenstein movie. Laura sat in her coat all night, which amused Mum, and Carol tried to make life difficult for Lynn & Dave.

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Wednesday February 20, 1974

The General Election..........Harold Wilson..........Edward Heath..........Jeremy Thorpe..........General Election..........Roy Jenkins..........Rising Prices..........Nationalisation..........Wilson..........Inflation..........Anthony Wedgwood Poulson..........WG Pottinger..........Edward Heath..........Rising Prices..........Cyril Smith..........Liberals..........Opinion Polls..........Even More Liberals..........the Miners..........Fuel Crisis..........Watergate..........Henry Kissinger..........John Poulson..........Edward Heath..........Ludovic Kennedy.................................................................Marilym Monro........................................................................................................................................Maudling..................................................................