Tuesday April 17, 1973

June did not ring me. However, she did send me a lovely letter, to which I replied immediately. She must have forgotten about ringing me - she is always telling me how scatter-brained she is. But I love her and would never have her change. Got up at 10 o'clock. Dad was painting the side door, and the girls were having breakfast - the weather is perfect. I read June's letter and reply immediately. By 12 o'clock she still had not phoned.

Had mutton for lunch. Mum and the girls went to Bradford. Dad went to work. I was left alone with Sir Anthony Eden, or should I say Lord Avon, plus my awful doubt. Why has June not phoned? What can I have done wrong? I am like a big kid. She would laugh if she knew I was worrying over her. At 2.10 I beging seriously reading Eden. What a terrible way to spend a beautiful Spring afternoon!

She rang at 4. How relieved and thrilled I was to hear her voice. We are meeting at the Emmotts at 7.30 tomorrow. The pips came much too soon. I blew a kiss down the phone. Swoon, Swoon, Pant, Pant, Swoon, etc.

Tried to settle back down with Eden and the rearmament thing of the early 1930s. Oh, how happy I am! John came home at about 5.30 followed by Mum and the girls, and they were followed by Dad. We had tea. By 7.30 I was back at the Chuck Wagon, where it was unusually busy for a Tuesday night. Came home at 11.30 and had a discussion with Susan about the order of succession to the Throne. I told her how silly it was to say that it should go in order of birth regardless of sex, and not by the usual male first. If this idea had been in operation in 1901 then Queen Victoria would have been succeeded by the Empress Frederick who would have been Queen Victoria II from January to August and then succeeded by her son, King William V (aka Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany). Not a very satisfactory idea is it?


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Monday April 16, 1973

Got up at about 10.30. Lynn and Susan were watching the television. Mum was at work and Dad was in bed. Lynn was complaining like mad about no one wanting to go out with her, Susan intending staying in all day.

Woke Dad up at 12 and he went and collected Mum from work. We had omlettes for lunch. In order to shut Lynn up I decided to go to Guiseley with her. Dad gave us a lift down at 2pm. We went into the Library where we remained for about an hour. We brought 8 books out with us. I found two of Eden's large memoirs - 'Facing the Dictators' and 'Full Circle'. Eden says that he resigned due to ill-health and not due to his arcaic policy which was shunned even by his own colleagues. It goes to show how history can be twisted and warped. I can understand how King Richard III has been wrongly portrayed over the past six hundred years. It was Shakespeare, who may have been a good playwright, but a lousy historian. Henry Tudor was the blackguard.

Lynn and I went from the library to Mrs Little's at Silverdale. We remained for about an hour. She made us a coffee. We didn't see much of Stewart, who was out playing with a friend. At 4.45 we set off for home. The weather is really beautiful and we discuss our very first memories as we walk up the lane. Dinner at 5.15. Watch the television for the remainder of the evening. I briefly look at the Eden memoirs which I'll look at in more detail tomorrow.

June is intending ringing me up tomorrow morning, and event for which I can hardly wait. We will not be seeing one another until Wednesday or Thursday. Too long to ask any love-sick man to wait. Came to bed at midnight.


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Sunday April 15, 1973

Palm Sunday. Nearly 12 again when I get up. I ought to be ashamed of myself remembering the days when I spent Sunday morning in church. Have breakfast and then go upstairs to tidy my bedroom which is a disgrace with books, papers, and useless articles piled everywhere.

Have a small snack at lunchtime then watch a corny film (black and white). Nice tea at 5 followed by Badminton Horse Trials on the telly (Princess Anne there). Horse trials are always very exciting. One poor girl succumbed to a heavy blow on being thrown from her horse which landed on the top of her. She was taken away in an ambulance. Dad was being anti-social and he did the washing-up. Susan and I departed to the dining room to listen to the top 60 programme. At 6 o'clock I rang Dave. His mother told me that he was in Sheffield for the day but he would contact me on his return. At 7 I rang again. He had just got in, and due to several severe nose bleeds he said he wanted an early night. So it seems that June and I will be alone.

Arrived at the Emmotts at 8.25. June had been there since twenty to 8. But in her note she said quite clearly that she'd been there at 8.30. Anyway, she was enjoying herself with dear old Ivy. We have a laugh about her name. She dislikes Bottomley. Evidently, her grandfather, Mr Bottomley, married a Miss Sidebottom - what a remarkable arsey phenomenon! Bottoms run in the family. June's brother, Geoffrey, changed his name to Dalton, and her sister, prior to her marriage, changed her name to Langley. Bottomley is not so bad. Very much to our surprise, Dave came in at about 9 o'clock. He had a couple of cokes and stayed until about 9.50. He had to take the car home for his Dad. June and I remained until 10.30 - she very much liked my new furry jersey and said that her sister Sue is having a crush on me at the moment. God! Not another one! Came home at 11.15. Watched a programme about what the Commonwealth thinks about the Royal Family. Ray Belisario, that horrid photographer, showed some phots of Princess Margaret scantily clad. Everyone should be allowed to have some privacy - Belisario wants hanging!

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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. --==--

Friday April 13, 1973

Christine and Jacko are away. Louise and I go to Economics where Christine Jennings and Irene sit with Mr Ayling. What a boring lesson it is. At break Louise pretends to be sick so that she can avoid the second Economics lesson. She is a lousy actress. In the next lesson we discuss the 6th form with Mr Ayling. He asks me whether I think it's been a success. I pause, but then say "yes". He wants to know if we think there is enough authority in the block. I say "no". He and Irene then discuss where staff and pupils must draw the line. We all agree that the situation is very difficult. I sit with MM, Louise and Denny until lunchtime - June being in lessons. We laugh at the ridiculous letters in Louise's magazine. People worrying about ejaculating on the bed linen. June and I go to Rigg's at 12.30 where he, Mr Rigg himself, tells us that June and I are the only people from Benton Park who actually talk to them in the shop. His assistant said that the majority of the kids are morons and 'thick.' The Riggs are nice old souls really. In current affairs Groves left us to prepare for the lecture which is being carried out by Dave Kerfoot, June Turner and Vicky Kellett. They arrive at 2.30. The talk is really interesting, and deals with the problems facing bods who go away from home to live in colleges and universities etc. Dave Kerfoot is at polytechnic living in digs, June Turner is at college of Education living in halls of residence, and Vicky is at university but living at home. Therefore, a varied selection of opinions. They all put there cases very well. Collected my gear together and left with June for the bus stop - having now broken up for Easter. On the way down to Rawdon we decided to meet at the Emmotts at 8.30 on Sunday. Departed for home waving wildly at June from the window. Went to the CW at 7.30. The evening was rather a drag. Toffer and Sue were arguing again. Came home at 1. John was watching Anthony Quinn is some sort of Western thing. I did not take too much notice of it. John went to bed about 1.15 leaving me reading. Dad came home for supper at 1.30. I said goodnight and came to bed. --==--

Thursday April 12, 1973

Awoke at 8.30. Mum bids me goodbye and goes to work. I sit with the Daily Mail and a coffee until 9.15. Have a hot bath. Prepare a urine sample for my medical - pissing into a bottle. I sit laughing to myself at the latest crisis occurring in the Rhodes family since we cut off diplomatic relations last September. It seems that my Auntie Dorothy fell down an open man-hole at work, and a poor hospital worker was impailed on the end of her boot. She suffered severe damage to one of her feet. Her husband has contracted his imaginary rash again. He uses this in a variety of excuses. This time it was used to get rid of Grandad Rhodes. Aunt is now undergoing treatment at her home in Crawshaw something or other in Pudsey. My grandfather is now sponging on the hospitality of Uncle Harry at Wakefield - much to Harry's annoyance. My Grandad tore one of Uncle Harry's best white shirts to bits in order to create a dish cloth. I can see he won't last there for very long. Cousin Sam broke out of his cell on Mother's Day and went to make Auntie Mavis her breakfast in bed. While he was downstairs rolling up newspaper for the fire, Auntie Mavis was quietly dialling the police who arrived on the scene with a strait jacket. Sam - "Dr Jekyll" went without force. What a family the Rhodeses are.

At 9.45 go with my urine sample to see Dr Murdoch in Guiseley. After 15 minutes he says that my x-ray was perfect and the remainder of me is in absolutely great form. Come home rejoicing at 10.45. Write a letter to June. Mum comes home at 12.30 with lunch. After lunch Sue plays the Supremes LP whilst I made some attempt to start my Economics essay. At 3.30 Mum, Dad and I went up to Hawksworth School to vote. Because it is a secret ballot I am not obliged to write down for whom I voted. But I suppose you can guess. Had a nice tea. Then watched television until 7.15. Set off for work where Sue and I had a set to with the greasy cooker and cupboards. I also accepted the proposal to de-grease the kitchen on Wednesday for £3. I am going to be a wealthy man in my own right before the year is up. Came home at 11.30. Browsed over my Economics essay until 12.45. Retired to bed after smoking a cig.

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Wednesday April 11, 1973

Got up at 8 o'clock. Have breakfast and then get a lift with Mr Rawnsley to Quaker Lane. Arrive at school at 9.10. Mrs Lane goes over Sheila's Napoleon III and Suez essays. She ended her Suez essay with the line: "it proved that world politics had changed considerably since the days of Palmerston." Very hysterical. Talk about stating the obvious. Even I know more than that.

Mr Ayling didn't turn up at the first lesson because of a family bereavement. He did, however, arrive after lunch. From 2.30 until 4 o'clock we put up the Christmas decorations for tonight's party. What a laugh it was. Denny and Chris could do nothing but laugh. June sat in a corner reading - very intellectual. Came home on the 4.45 bus. June waved goodbye from my bus stop. She's gorgeous.

At about 7.30 I got to the Emmotts where a crowd of lower 6th boys were sitting coyly. Dave, who had picked me up in the car, was wearing his new platform shoes and white bags. June wasn't on the 7.30 bus - Janet came on it instead. Lynne Robinson, my old neighbour from years ago, came in at about 7.45. She said hello. Louise and Denny went over to speak to her. June, Sue B and a few friends arrived at about 8. She was full of apologies but I only laughed and bought her and Janet a drink. At 8.30 Dave took Denny and Louise down to school. The rest of us waited to be taken down in the second batch. We set off ten minutes later. June sat on my knee in the front. We followed Tim in his mini bus - what a terrible driver he is. We were immediately disappointed by the music - it was a selection of Chid's progressive rubbish - the sort of that bangs on in a erratic fashion and the sort you've never heard before. We did not dance much. June looked lovely in a pink flowery dress covered in pleats. Dave and Janet seemed to be taking notice of each other. How marvellous it would be if they could get together. Harry came as ususal. He tried to get off with Sue Bottomley. He walked her to the bus stop. June and I could not help laughing. After seeing the girls on the bus Harry and I went back to the 6th form block. To our horror and amazement - everyone had gone. I ran down Quaker Lane where Dave was wondering aimlessly in his car - I was so surprised to see him. He brought me home dropping me at the door at 11.45. Auntie Hilda and Uncle Tony were here. Came to bed at 1.

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