Monday July 19, 1976

Overcast, miserable day. Go to lunch at 1pm and purchase a pair of boots I took a fancy to the other day. They cost £17.99 - the most I've ever paid for footwear.

The afternoon is one of nail biting and is passed with much trepidation on my part. Dentists are not my favourite professional people. By the time it comes for me to vacate the YP building I realise just what the Angolan mercenaries must have gone through prior to been dragged out into the street & disposed of.

It wasn't bad at all really. The waiting is the agonising bit. No doubt Colonel Callan was in the same frame of mind as the shots rang out.

Home on the 6.30 33 bus and meet John parked outside the chemist with a pained expression on his face. The car had ceased to function. Maria emerged from the pharmacy and had hysterics over my new boots. She could not believe that I had actually bought them. I pushed the car down onto Park Road - John steering the vehicle and Maria jogging along side - making ribald comments about my car-pushing capabilities. The car did start, and I was home for 6.30. The numbness had worn off by 8 o'clock and I did manage to have fish and chips a couple of hours later.

Ring Lynne at 10.30.

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Sunday July 18, 1976

5th after Trinity. A beautifully hot day. Awakened at 6.10am to see Susan standing over me. Give her a big kiss. She's home 12 hours before we had expected. Alison, Martyn, Dave B, Peter N are downstairs with Mr Dixon, & Lynn is chatting in a high pitched tone with Mum. Go downstairs. Fog was responsible for their flight being switched from Heathrow to Luton. Poor Mr Dixon had to chase across the Midlands in hot pursuit of the plane and finally collected them at 4 o'clock this morning. Alison and her Dad go at 7, and after a cooked breakfast I go down onto the lawn until lunch.

John & Maria come at lunchtime and we have a nice meal. My face is stinging with the sun and I feel like ruddy Rudolph the soddin' Red Nosed Reindeer.

We all go back onto the lawn until tea time and Uncle Peter, Auntie Jean and the kids roll in for ten minutes at about 4 o'clock.

Sitting next to Maria I can see the baby kicking about and watch with fascination as her stomach violently vibrates. My future nephew shows all signs of being a vigorous little devil.

Later: Lynne comes at 8.30 and the two of us go to the Commercial until closing time. She does tend to have 'moods' occasionally but I'm the perfect match in that respect because very few can be as nasty as me when I choose to be.


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Saturday July 17, 1976

Go into Guiseley with Mum & Dad and get a pair of rubber soles for my new shoes. On Otley Road I meet Susan Kirk - my second cousin - with her baby brother Stuart, who is almost 3. He breaks down crying when he sees me & appears to be frightened to death. Mum & Dad laugh with Raymond - who doesn't resemble Dad in any way whatsoever.

(Family tree showing the descent of Susan Kirk & myself from Polly Upton).

See the opening of the Olympic Games in Montreal. The Queen, all in pink, seemed somewhat severe. I bet she was thinking someone was about to take a pot shot at her. These French Canadians cannot be trusted.

Considering ringing Lynne at 8.30 but Chris rings to say I'm too late because she's buggered off with her friend Jean for the evening. Chris comes up at 9.30 and we go to the Hare. John comes in on his own because Maria is feeling off colour, & Jimmy Macdonald and Peter comes too. Move on to the Rose & Crown (Ilkley) and then to a really rough dive, where I meet Barbara Woodhead. She asks me what became of Carole. When I described the events of May 4 she didn't register any surprise and says: "Oh they're all like that in that family". I feel a fool because I never realised they were so unstable until it was too late. Back to Harry Ramsden's where I have fish and chips - twice. Home at midnight feeling angry about Lynne. She shouldn't have pissed off without lettng me know.

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Friday July 16, 1976

Buy a pair of shoes at lunchtime after having spent all morning showing a 16 year-old girl the library & the cuttings and filing system.

That night: Lynne comes at 8.30-9 o'clock & we go to the Hare. I previously presented her with an old pair of jeans I no longer wish to wear & a white rose. We laughed a good deal but once we were in the pub the communications seems to have lagged somewhat. Dave L was out with Sandra and so was Christine & Stuart, who go on holiday to Austria & Italy next week. John & Maria, Andy and Linda, Chris, Pete M, Jimmy Macdonald, &c, all in the pub. At 10 we moved on to the Black Bull in Otley for an hour. Lynne sits with Maria deep in conversation whilst John, Dave, Jimmy, Chris, Pete, stand at the bar.

John bought four New Zealand White rabbits for £4 today from a mate at work who was going to drown them! The soft hearted nit! This benevolent act of reprievement will now boost the rabbit population of Tranmere Park and the launching of John in ther career of breeder extraordinaire.

Home with Lynne to Pine Tops at 11.30 for bacon & egg sandwiches with Mum & Dad. The two of us sit until about 3 o'clock and she drives away into the dawn looking tired and shagged out.

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Thursday July 15, 1976

Out with Lynne to the Scott's Arms at Sicklinghall which I don't like. Why we have to trail all those miles across Yorkshire for flat beer in an even flatter public house God only knows.

Back in Bramhope we devour fish and chips and go up to Lynne's for coffee. Peter is in bed and we are entertained by Mr & Mrs Mather and by Auntie Bertha, a sizeable Schofield's employee, who fancies Demis Roussos. ________. Mrs Mather is nice and watching Mr M it's easy to see where Peter's mannerisms come from. They all leave Lynne and I to it at 12 o'clock & we have a quiet hour listening to Stevie Wonder. I had a whisky and dry.

Lynne drives me home after 1am. I don't like to think Lynne's driving around at all hours of the morning for my benefit. I only hope she doesn't think I'm using her as a taxi service.

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Wednesday July 14, 1976

Bastile Day: Marlene and Frank call to see us at 7pm or so and I play in the garden with Mark & Debbie. They leave at 8 and for the remainder of the evening the three of us sit glued to the TV watching the 'Horse of the Year Show' or something. A sun-tanned Princess Margaret was in the royal box taking a few drags on a cigarette before presenting the King George V Cup and the Queen Elizabeth II Cup. At first I thought Lord Snowdon was with her but soon realised it was Lord Linley. Roddy Llewellyn was nowhere in sight.

A (post)card in Lynn's handwriting from Cala Milor, Majorca. They're having a great time.

Retire to bed at midnight after compiling a long letter to Lynne. Mum mentioned her again tonight. I think she's taken a great liking to her.

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Tuesday July 13, 1976

John and Maria come at 8.30. They like my virtually non-existant sun tan and join Mum, Dad and I in a glass of Bacardi & coke. (No doubt you've gathered I bought some cheap Bacardi in Ibiza). They're having difficulty getting possession of the new house and it seems that Maria has written some vicious letters to people in high places in order to get things moving. Bits of scandal I hear include items as ludicrous as Carole emigrating to New Zealand to become a missionary, and much more.

CB rings this afternoon to tell me she's got the job at Bradford Mothercare, but is doing eight weeks training at Doncaster first. Christine at Mothercare!!!

Dave L has managed to get a job teaching rural studies in Gloucester - Dad heard this today when he visited the Lawson residence in a professional capacity to solve the mystery of Gary's disappearing bicycle. I shall have to ring David shortly.

See 'Bonanza' on TV and retire to bed afterwards.

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