Friday December 8, 1978

Not too hung~over, but all the same  took my weekly dose of Eno's on my arrival at the barren, deserted office.

Malcolm was working flat out to get the EP on the street. I gave him a few items of interest from the Daily Telegraph and he snatched them up eagerly and called me a "grand lad". Am I perhaps a creep, or just nice and helpful? Peter Lazenby wouldn't approve of my assisting here.  Sarah is still off.

At 2 Eileen and I went to Len's for a couple of lagers. At 3 I began my Christmas shopping in torrents of rain and in 90 minutes I purchased five presents and spent £20. Easily done.

Golda Meir: eagle?

Home and dry for 5:30. Devoured a pile of cheese sandwiches. Saw on the news that Golda Meir has died. I believe she is the eagle which escaped from London Zoo in 1966 or thereabouts. (Am I mad?)

Out to the Shoulder of Mutton with Sue & Pete at 8 and are joined by the mob. Johnny is home from college and he is taking us to a party in Headingley tomorrow night  ~ a 'Vicars & Tarts' arrangement. I spent very little but enjoyed it all the same. In fact I was slightly pissed.

Pennies from Heaven ...

At 10 we went to the White Cross and then back to _____West's house opposite the old police station. (He was the lad who thumped me, Dave Lawson and Andrew Dean, after the Fieldhead School prize giving day in Dec 1971). However, Christmas is the season for forgiving. Besides, he bought me a whisky. They played cards and I watched 'Pennies from Heaven' and completed a crossword. Later I read an interesting article on carp fishing in an angling volume which educated me greatly. Home at 1 o'clock and to bed.

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Saturday July 20, 1974

To work at 8. Get John a pair of trousers and a shirt from'Harry Fenton'. Home and in the bath listening to Tony Blackburn. Party here at 10.30 after the Hare and Hounds. Judy comes at 9.30. Back to the house for a great time. Mr Monkman comes round in his pyjamas and I tell him to get lost, or words to that effect.

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Saturday July 6, 1974

To Leeds with John and Chris in Mr Ratcliffe's small, though efficient automobile. Spend the whole afternoon idling around the shops - none of us actually buying anything, though you can't say we didn't try. The three of us joined finances in purchasing 12 Sobranie Black Russian cigarettes - 37p or thereabouts! Rather a scandalous price, but worth it entirely. Also buy a copy of 'Landslide' by Tony Clarke, a smashing record, recorded in 1967 - it reminds me of Wikis. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVkAEQUeGlE To the Hare and Hounds again. Dave says he hates the places but doesn't actually refuse to go. See Linda West with the same old boyfriend she picked up in the Spring of '73. I expect she'll be tying him down for life. We all move on to the Black Horse at Askwith - sit in the beer garden - where David and John have the usual brawl. Everyone picks on John and he can't say anything without people rolling around in near hysterics. Back to Pine Tops for coffee made by Linda S and Christine W, and a record session. They all go at 12 and I see the tv until 2am. Dave and Chris have got on perfectly throughout, though I do suppose ___will have harsh words to say to David when he learns of this treachery, etc. Even Dave agrees that on the return of the 'Jet Set' from Spain he will be banned from seeing us until Christmas at least. -==-

Friday May 31, 1974

Very hot day. Go to the YP and discover that I am working tomorrow morning and therefore decide to take a half-day today. Quite pleased at being able to escape from the dismal office, and I drift into Leeds where I purchase a new pair of shoes from Ravel, with my new Barclaycard of course. They cost me £9.99. I piled onto a 55 bus, reading the latest edition of 'Private Eye' which features the recently ennobled Mrs Marcia Williams, or Lady Falkender, or whatever she calls herself. Home after 2. Sit with Mama and Papa on the rear lawn with a cup of tea. Take a bath at 4 and get ready for the Chris and Laura celebrations. John and I get the 6.30 bus to the Emmotts and I begin with a double whisky, one pernod and orange, and a Drambuie. George and Jane and many more come at 7.30 and we leave at 8 coming back in the coach ten minutes later to pick up 5 silly females whom we had left behind in the toilets. Darling Denise is completely enraptured by my braces and we feel slightly fresh when Keith passes a bottle of sweet Martini around the coach. Arrive at Kiko's just after 9. Wonderful place, but the enjoyment is marred by my inability to get drunk, but I certainly tried my best to do so. The place is very Polynesian with plastic palms adorning the walls and floors. See Joe and Anne Grunwell, who cannot believe that I am 19. Get back to the coach at 2. Home at 3. Chris was sick on the floor, and I laughed because he threatened us all before-hand about being ill on his precious and expensive bus.

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Saturday April 20, 1974

Wake up at 10 but drop off again until 1. Up for lunch which was very nice. John and Lynn decide to go to Leeds in order that John can buy a new suit. Mum and I then sit with a cup of tea and discuss my financial situation. I say I want a Barclaycard or something, but she is doubtful. Dad thinks it's a great idea. I will look into this next week.

Go upstairs and listen to 'Radio 5' which is put out on the BBC by Eric Idle, of Monty Python fame every afternoon at 2.

John and Lynn home at 5.30. J buys a £30 suit from Burton's - very attractive indeed. After washing my hair, Sue blow waved it for me and she did exactly the same thing for John, which he didn't really like. We ring and Chris and decide to go to the Hare (and Hounds) in Menston and we leave, on foot, at 8. I wear a pair of John's platform shoes and he wears flat ones in order to do justice to his suit. Arrive at 8.30. When Chris arrives, the three of us, have a good time around the juke box. Chris and I keep playing 'When I Fall in Love' by Nat King Cole. John is furious at our taste in music, but Chris calls him a 'narrow minded git.' We all decide to go to Wikis at 10.30 but on leaving the H & H I find I cannot walk in John's shoes, which rub my feet terribly. I ask John to swap shoes, which would have remedied the problem, but he refuses. I decide to go home to change shoes, and then decide not to go back to Wikis. My brother is a swine and he knows it. Talk with Lynn until 2.30. John comes in but I ignore him and go to bed.

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Saturday December 22, 1973

Dad wakes me at 6.25am and I wash, dress and go downstairs where I blow up several balloons in the lounge. Mrs Blackwell bangs on the door at 7 with a story about the taxi driver being late. They are going to Torquay for Christmas to see their son and four grandsons.

The weather is shocking, fog and rain both at the same time. At 8.0 I get the 55 bus arriving in Leeds at 9.0. Spend three hours and £6 buying presents in near torrential conditions. See Sue Bottomley in 'Scene and Heard', who says June didn't enjoy the party at Benton Park on Wednesday. I tell her that I didn't enjoy it either, and she gave a wistful smile.

On arrival home I try ringing Jackie in order to get to the bottom of these latest 'June rumours'. Whilst talking to Uncle Jack the line goes dead and at 5.30 I had heard nothing further from Pudsey. Even Mum is hopeful that June and I will get back together. The prospect literally makes me feel like going hysterical with joy. Who knows what might happen?

John, Christine W, David, Marita, MM and Linda go to York until 4am. I await further instruction from higher places. I went to the Emmotts and sat with Ivy until 8.30 when Chris, Andy, Peter Mather and gang joined me. At 11 we went to a party near the Golf Club - gate crashed it. Remained until 1.30. Peter brought me home.

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Saturday November 24, 1973

One of the greatest men who ever lived was born 78 years ago today. My Uncle Albert had few faults. In fact, most people who knew him admit that he was perfect. I wish he had lived longer than he did, because when he died in 1969 I was only 14, and hadn't grown up enough to appreciate his character.

John and myself go to Leeds at 11.30 where we buy a complete wardrobe, i.e. trousers, shirts, jumpers and coats. All for £18. Home for lunch. This evening see 'The Generation Game' on tv.

At 8 John and me go to the Yorkshire Rose where we are joined by Andy, Chris, Denny and Laura and Christine W. At 9 we all go across to the Town Hall, where we have the most fantastic times of our lives. Denny and I dance most outrageously. She's like one of the girls in Pan's People or the Young Generation. However, whilst we are having a good time John and Chris are delivered hopelessly drunk. Even Dobby, Susan's boyfriend, a certified alcoholic, is paralytic. Ian Appleyard is on the bar, and he helps with carrying John and Chris outside. Laura, poor thing, doesn't mind the idea of carrying Chris home to Horsforth, but she'll never do it. I am worried about her plight. Denny, the darling, comes home to Pine Tops, where she stays the night as a guest of Lynn and Sue.

Dad called in at the Town Hall, in uniform, to keep an eye on things. He laughed at Andy, who was also a bit gone.

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Saturday September 8, 1973

John and I go to Bradford in the morning and he buys the LP 'Never a Dull Moment' by Rod Stewart. The day is very hot and Bradford is sweltering. Rush home for lunch.

At 1.15 John and I walk down to Silverdale where Geoff Saxton gives us a lift to watch Leeds United play Birmingham. A 3-0 victory for the boys! We go immediately to Chris's and let ourselves in whilst he's at work. He is home by 6.15 and we have a meal together. Andy joins us at 8 and we all have very large Bacardis. When Marita arrives at 8.30 we are well on the way to getting drunk. Chris drinks his in the bath. John, Andy and me move on to the Fleece 8.45 where the rest of the gang awaits our triumphal arrival.

Later: the party at the Ratcliffe residence begins at 10.30. Andy and I are stoned already. We make a few practical jokes and Linda throws his clothes out of the bedroom window. Dave got drunk tonight for the first time in his life! He, along with Christine and Philip, played strip pontoon in the lounge. Philip had his trousers off before even his shirt. Why? Why? Wh? I ask myself.

At 3.30 Andy, Chris and me walked to Grandways for twenty cigarettes. We finished up dancing in the large concrete flower pots outside one of the shops. At 4.0 everyone went to bed leaving me with a Tamla Motown LP -what a terrible effect it had on me.

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Saturday August 11, 1973

Awake at 10.0am. John awakes and realises he should gave gone to work at 7.30. June rings at 10.30. She has a guilty conscience and wants to go to Leeds with me this afternoon. We meet at 2 at the bus station. John comes along too.

June is very apologetic about last night - wearing a pretty blue coat with a belt (1940s style).

I buy 'Raphsody on a theme by Paganini' by Serge Rachmaninov - very moving; and 'Roll over Beethoven' by the Electric Light Orchestra. Coming home we decide to meet outside JCT600 and walk to the Queen's on Apperley Lane. Arrive 8 o'clock. Very warm, typical August evening.

Arrive at the pub at 8.30. Christine and Philip are inside with Philip's brother, Mick. The Knowles family are disgustingly generous - Mick even paid my bus fare back to Rawdon.

June and I spend an hour in Rawdon Park - very romantic. Evidently, June's mother's first husband died on a British ship in World War II - and yet she cannot understand why Christine (Hobson) is bitter about Germans!

Home by 11.30.

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Friday July 6, 1973

A hazy, warm day. Go to school at 10.0. Sit with Vilma Crossfield and catch two horrid bluebottle flies in a coke bottle. They are repulsive little creatures. June arrives at 10.45. Fantastic being able to see her again - sit together until 11.30 Walk to the bus stop and have a romantic interlude in the bus shelter. Catch the 33 bus at 12.10. Arrive Guiseley at 12.20. Not seeing June again until Sunday evening when she will be 17 years old!

Meet Mother at 12.30 outside Guiseley Railway station. See Mrs West leave on a Leeds train. Catch a train to Bradford at 12.45.

On arrival we have a good lunch - fabulous piece of steak. On leaving the restaurant a torrential rainstorm is let loose upon us. I am in shirt sleeves and Mum is a sleeveless-dress. Shop until 4.15. I find no decent shoes. Mama gets fitted out in a pretty outfit including a large hat - Mother never wears hats!

Arrive Guiseley at 4.45. Mr Melville gives us a lift home. Go to CW at 7.30. Les is once again playing at chef. Sue goes out leaving us to the job.

Home and in the bath by 12.30. Feeling really sorry for Brian and Valerie who, by the look of things, will be marrying in pouring rain. Sit in bed reading until my hair dried.

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Saturday June 30, 1973

My last Saturday at the CW. Get up at 8.30 to the sound of concrete pouring onto the drive. Papa is re-laying the drive immediately in front of the garage. Get up and act as labourer to Dad and John until 10.30. Mother, Lynn and Sue have breakfast whilst John and I prepare to go to Bradford - haircut.

Leave 11. A brilliant sunny, hot day. Walk all the way to the bottom of Hawksworth Lane and then have to walk all the way back up to collect my library books - get the bus at 11.30. Have our hair cut at 12.30 - 45p each - not bad at all. On the way to the bus we see 'Aunt Bore' - she really is a catty old cow, putting it politely. Arrive Guiseley 1.30.

Go to Usshers where John buys sunglasses. See Dave with Mick Orchard - heading to Leeds shopping - looking very secretive.

Go to Fieldhead Road School gala. See Mrs West, James, Mrs Kingsbury, etc. Mr Illingworth really is a snob and a pig. Just because Papa and Mama are not members of the Parents Teachers' Association he choses to ignore us. Good luck to the old creep, that's what I say.

Arrive home where Mum entertains Maureen, her old school mate from the 1700s.

Go to CW. Pauline is with a darker mop of dyed hair. She's sad that it's my final Saturday - or so she says. Unusual night. Home by 1.30. Bed at 2.0am.

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Saturday June 16, 1973

Read Duff's 'Albert and Victoria'. Much better than Woodham-Smith's biography. It raises doubts about Prince Albert's parentage. He suggests Albert's real father was Leopold I, King of the Belgians or some court chamberlain of Jewish extraction in Coburg. Fancy, Queen Victoria marrying a bastard! I have taken a real liking to the young Queen Victoria - not lacking in physical attractiveness either.

Get up at 10.30. Go with John to Leeds on the 11 o'clock train. Arrive 11.15. I buy some shirts whilst John spends £25 on a suit for Brian and Valerie's wedding - including a pair of fantastic shoes -adding about four inches to his height. Arrive Guiseley at 2.40. I bought a pair of polaroid sunglasses for £3.25.

Lynn no longer has a job. She and Al resigned this morning after a squabble over working hours.

Have a cup of tea and watch 'Dr Who'. Go to CW at 7. Sue and Toffer are excited about the holidays. Imagine, no work next weekend! No CW until June 29. Pauline is in good spirits and slightly sun-burned. Toffer and I had a 'Hairy Leg' contest. I won! Come home at 1.40. Sit an hour with 2 boiled eggs. Read a bit of Albert and Victoria. Bed 2.45.

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Saturday April 14, 1973

It must have been nearly 12 when I awoke. John and I decided to go to Leeds. Mum was in a rather terrible mood - we were relieved to get out of the house. We hope she'll be back to normal by tea time. She wanted to give me the £1.30 she owed me, but I protested and said I would wait until next week. John and I got the 2 o'clock 55 bus. Arrived at Leeds 2.50. We go to the predestrian precinct where we find Harry Fenton's. I buy a pair of trousers for £6.75 and a jumper for £4.50. John lends me £2 until next week. We next went to Ray Allen's where John bought a pair of (Oxford) bags for £5.50 - very similar to my latest bags. At the bus station I bought Mum a box of plain and milk chocolates for 20-odd pence. Leave Leeds on the 55 at 4.50. Home by 5.30. Watched Dr Who and had a salad. Prepare for work. Walk down Thorpe Lane arriving at the CW at 7.10. Pauline, Sue and Toffer sit in readiness for the hungry mob. Pauline gives me a piece of chocolate. Not a terribly busy evening. Sue feeling very tired went to bed at midnight. Pauline and I have a laugh with Toffer until 1. A "lovey-dovey" couple keep us waiting. Pauline and I think of ways to get rid of them. Toffer looks on at us in horror. P and I have a bowl of soup and a roll in the restaurant at 1.15. P being very giggly. Come home at 1.30. John watches the television. Lynn and Sue come home ten minutes later from babysitting. We drink a glass of sherry. Dad comes home for supper. Lynn and I say goodnight and go to bed. Sue comes up not long after Dad departs for work. --==--

Saturday March 24, 1973

John woke me at 10.30 with the radio on in the bedroom. The actual record being played over the air was "God gave rock and roll to you" by Argent. Not one of my favourite discs at the moment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsG5V-o6uxY&feature=PlayList&p=01FEB463DED25F6D&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=58

We had an argument about going to Leeds, and in the end, owing to the sorry state of my depleted financial monetary situation, I decided in the negative.

After breakfast I made my first ever attempt to skin a rabbit which was most interesting. From past experience (watching Papa) I know that the smell is utterly nauseating, but by simply breathing through my mouth I found it quite tolerable. Dad was pleased with my effort. For Dad to actually like something which I have done is a point to be noted.

At about 3.30 occurred a historic event of great magnitude. June actually rang me. Oh, her sweet angelic almost child-like voice over the phone! I was able to tell her about the new arrangements for Sunday. We decide to go the baths at 10.30am. Janet and Linda W are also coming, as is my own sweet sister, Sue.

Hot bath later. My evening at the Chuck Wagon was quite good. It felt unusual walking to work in the sunshine. It has always been dark in the past. Pauline was being her usual sexy self. Quite repulsive really.

Came home at 1.30 after having three nice beers. I have opted to work on Easter Monday afternoon, which is April 23. It will be a bit of extra money. Dave seems to think that I am a millionaire in my own right which isn't quite accurate.

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Saturday March 17, 1973

Got up at about 11. Mum told me that she would treat me today and give me some money for a pair of trousers!

The weather is absolutely remarkable for March, and only last night Sue R was saying we had had no winter with very little ice or snow.

Dad, who took to bed with a terrible cold on Thursday, is unable to enjoy this good gardening weather, being tucked up in his bed - sneezing like hell all day long. Because of Dad's illness Mum asked me to walk down to the shops in Guiseley to get her some bare necessities. Flour, eggs, bacon, cheese, etc. Came back and had lunch at 1. At 2 Mum gave me £7 - not counting the £2 I had given the girls to get me a jumper in Bradford. I made my way to the bus stop which fulfilled its purpose of providing me with a bus at 2.30. Arrived in Leeds at 3.15 making my way to Harry Fenton's. I found a pair of Oxford Bags for £3. Bought them almost immediately.

After looking round the very busy Leeds I caught the 33 Ilkley bus at 4.30. Back in Guiseley for 5.10. Mum was surprised to get £4 change. It isn't like me!

After tea of salad I went down the lane to work which was extremely busy all evening. Sadly, at midnight we altered the clocks again to 1am which means I will lose an hour in bed tomorrow. We sat with our beer and lager until 3 (2 in old time). Pauline was too fagged to stay any longer. Toffer gave us a lift home, and I obliged Pauline by lending her my Rachmaninov's 2nd Piano Concerto played by Maura Lympany - she will enjoy it, being a romantic. Got home at 3. Had no supper and came to bed 1 hour later after messing around with my diary (yes, you!).

Oh it's been an awful day without June on the scene. Roll on tomorrow. Night, night all. I'm so damned tired.

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Saturday January 20, 1973

Boring day. John and I went to Leeds in the afternoon. I intended buying a coat, but was unable to find any suitable ones. John bought a pair of Oxford bags for £3.50 - not a bad price. Mine cost £5.50. 

After having lunch in Leeds we browsed around until 3.30. 33 bus back to Guiseley for 4.10. A couple of cars had bumped in the snow on Hawksworth Lane and Dad (who was on duty) invited a couple of the victims to take refuge in our house. When I left for the Chuck Wagon it looked like a refugee camp. Distraught ladies were using our phone to ring garages, etc. 

Approx. 50 people dined at the Chuck Wagon - not bad going. Worthy grows that little bit more every time I see him. Florence has now settled down with him. He was just the same when Webster was a pup. At 1am Pauline, Toffer and myself decided to have a mad half hour in the snow - snowball fight outside the CW. I think Toffer scored the most hits. Me and Pauline did lousy. On arriving home at 1.30 Toffer shoved the stuffed dogs head out of the car window and barked like a dog, at which P and I broke into hysterics. Mum and Dad came to the door in curiosity at the noise we were making. Came to bed at 2am. Hope to revise in the afternoon.

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