Monday December 17, 1973

Princess Anne and Mark Phillips return to desolate Britain. 

Chaos reigns in all places. Mr Barber announced his Christmas budget in the Commons this afternoon. A typical 'election type' budget, which gets only at the rich. Obviously, Mr Heath is planning an early general election. Some sources are going so far as to suggest January 24! My resources as a voter may be required sooner than I imagined. 

 An Aide-de-Camp to the Queen has been injured by a letter bomb in London this morning. Brigadier O'Cock is his name. It goes to show that this can easily happen to VIPs. The Queen herself is unaffected by letter bombs. Her mail will be thoroughly checked before it is placed before her and if it isn't, Brig O'Cock is a good example of what might happen. The tv today closes down at 10.30. I go to bed at 10 o'clock to avoid the humiliation of seeing everything black-out at such an early hour. --==--

Sunday December 16, 1973

3rd in Advent. Glance at the family documents again. The Rhodes family has never passed the same name on from generation to generation like some families do. Only a couple of Johns follow each other.

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Saturday December 15, 1973

Go to Leeds with John. See nothing worth buying. Snow in Guiseley and extremely cold.

Later: rush down the lane to get a bus to the Woodside Tavern where I'm meeting Tiff and Martin V-B. Miss the soddin' thing. Go to the off-licence in Guiseley and buy a bottle of apricot wine in a whisky bottle. Get the 33 bus to Horsforth. Call in to see Chris then find Pam's house. Vilma, with her boyfriend, a cheery, bookish lower 6th female, and Pam are the only guests. Judith Lea arrives ten minutes later. Martin, Tiff and Andy Barrett arrive at about 10. Andy B and Judith Lea begin with the orgy. Pam and I make ice-cream for the dinner party - and what a bloody dinner party it was! Never have I seen so much food on one table! Martin and me toast everyone we can think of - for about an hour.

Later. Very much later.We leave for home suitably stashed up with bottles. Martin and I walk towards Rawdon wearing little green police helmets. At the crematorium we get a lift. I get out at Guiseley baths. Home by 2.45. A very good laugh. Especially Martin's impersonation of Tommy Cooper.

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Friday December 14, 1973

Uncle Tony 'caught up' with Mother today. He's 38. Haven't seen him or the family since October. This time of the year tends to be a bad one for Auntie Hilda, who becomes depressed at the thought of spending money at Christmas. At the moment her main worry is Uncle Tony. Will he or will he not lose his job in the current economic crisis? We all know he won't, but Auntie Hilda doesn't. She's never content with life like Mum is. Not at all like sisters really. 

 Chris rings at about 7. Meet at the Emmotts at 9 o'clock. Martin Vere-Bujnowski and little Helen join us, with no Laura for a change. She's gone to a disco with Philip Cartwright. Martin and I discuss the party tomorrow evening. He thinks it'll be an absolute orgy... five of each sex... can you blame the poor boy's mind for thinking that way? All get merry. Leave Emmotts at 11.10. Bus home. 

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Thursday December 13, 1973

Britain today came to a grinding standstill when the Prime Minister, Mr Heath, announced drastic measures in the Commons. From Monday many industries will be on a three day week, which will create massive unemployment by the beginning of the New Year. Tv will close down at 10.30, and Christmas tree lights will only be allowed to be lit on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. The steel industry is to close down and the so-called 'national boom' is dead. Poor Ludovic Kennedy was heart-broken when he realised that his programme 'Mid-Week' would be axed by Mr Heath's measures. The poor man was desolate. Anyway, on the bright side, turkeys are free from the VD epidemic which wiped out millions of them last year, and no restrictions concerning the manufacture of Christmas puddings have yet been enacted by HM Government. Poor Sarah was shivering with cold at work this afternoon due to the ban on office heating. Petrol will not be rationed until the New Year. And if you want my opinion, all we want now is a World War and we will have had everything. Went for a drink with Peter Lazenby at lunchtime. Didn't return to the YP until 2.20. Miss Went was nice about it. I was pissed. Drinking on an empty stomach always flattens me. Going to the editor's Xmas booze-up on Dec 21. Bed at 11.30. -==-

Wednesday December 12, 1973

Miss Went came back today after having had two days off. Uneventful day at the YP. Cold and rainy.

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Tuesday December 11, 1973

An interesting morning filing the obits. The Prince of Wales was yesterday made a personal Aide-de-Camp to the Queen. The other ADCs are the Dukes of Gloucester and Kent, and Earl Mountbatten of Burma.

See in the Express that another of Prince Charles's girlfriends is engaged. Lady Henrietta FitzRoy, a daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Grafton. However, Jane Wellesley is still tipped for the top.

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