Friday February 9, 1979

_. Amusing day. Delia phoned this morning to thank me for the letter I'd written on the 7th. She found it delightful. She asked me if I fancied going out for a drink at lunchtime and I leapt with joy at the thought of it. ________.

Kathleen was thinking that I was taking a half-day so I held her to it and took one. Kathleen was chewing her hands like an imbecile when I gathered my possessions and left at 12.

Met Delia on Wellington Street and went to Len's Bar which is just around the corner. She must be quite at a loss with Sarah away with the mob of plundering, ravaging crowd of Swedes. Had a few drinks at the bar and then grabbed a Chesterfield settee. She told me that the Pakistanis are responsible for re-introducing tuberculosis into the UK, and no doubt she is right, but I hate to think they are going to take the blame. On the subject of Pakistanis, she says that if they can organise arranged marriages then so can she and that Sarah and I are to be married at Rawdon Church sometime in the very near future. I told her I am very willing to go along with this.

Joined by Barbara Wheeler and morky Marilyn, who sat in a near coma clutching a Martini. She isn't going to speak to me again after the party last Saturday when I 'upset' Jacq. I fail to see what this has got to do with Marilyn though. Barbara was pleasant though and we discussed Margaret Thatcher's hair, and the days of Harold Macmillan. All Tories together. They left Delia and I at 2. We then ate a ploughman's lunch which consisted of an apple and piles of raw onion. We sat on the Chesterfield breathing onion fumes over each other. She talked quite frankly about many things, things she would never dream of telling Sarah. We are a bit 'Margaret and Roddy'. Home at 3.

Sat by the fire tonight. Totally knackered. My back aches from last night's tragedy. Bed at 12.

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Thursday February 8, 1979

_. Phoned Jacq at 12 and met her an hour later for a few drinks. I told her I am on the verge of destitution and she grimaced in that annoying fashion and commented: "What's new?" She showed me John MacMurray's card bearing his phone number, and I told her that John had this very day been asking what her surname is. He made up some ridiculous tale that Jill Armstrong is heading out to interview a guy by the surname of 'Stayte' and was he, by any chance, a relation of Jacq? Why doesn't he just come out with it and ask for Jacq's name and phone number? It is quite obvious he fancies her. I had better not tell Sarah of these sordid developments.

At the office I saw Brian Walters who says the EP Father's Day trip is going to be extended this year. "Perhaps a day at the races?" Since when did gee gees run on a Sunday?

Tonight: Hilda and Tony came at 7:45 and Peter came at 8 and off we went to the Shoulder. Just us two. Chippy was working until 10. I get on with Peter better than I ever have & our friendship has strengthened with these regular Thursday escapades.

I went out tonight wearing a shirt I have made from an old white coat ~ the type which doctors and veterinary surgeons wear. It looks quite good but at Oakwood Hall someone remarked quite unkindly that I look like a chef.

Joined by Chippy at 10 and I took a nasty fall in the ice at Oakwood Hall and just about broke my back. Chippy, roaring with laughter at my plight, also went down with a bump and almost dislocated his elbow. We were grovelling around in the dark like premature lambs on roller skates.

At Oakwood I bumped into Jacqueline Dixon, who was a neighbour when we lived on Silverdale. She is still down there. I have known her since she was about seven. She is quite a little dish now. My chat-up line began: "Hullo, didn't I sell you a rabbit in 1969?" Home at 2:30am. No too pissed up, but semi-merry.

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Wednesday February 7, 1979

_. I feel uneasy. My personal financial crisis will reach its climax tomorrow and I do not know what to do about Stockport at the weekend. I asked Susan and Pete if they want to take me there and unbelievably they agree. We decided to go on Saturday afternoon and return the following afternoon. I phoned Dave at 10:45pm but he didn't sound enthusiastic about my plans. Martyn is now a regular at the Hollywood & they had already arranged to take me to Rotters on Friday night._____________________.

YP: Sarah was off with a cold. She has lost her voice. She spent the whole day yesterday making gestures with those beautiful big eyes. The poor thing is meeting a bunch of guys from Scandinavia tomorrow. They are all staying in a large London hotel for a couple of nights. One large Nordic acquaintance has offered to pay Sarah's hotel bill, but she had declined the offer because she doesn't want to feel that she has to repay him in some way. I quite get the picture, Sarah.

Bumped into Jacq on Wellington Street. I promise to return her Bread LP, Genesis single and the shocking pink tie. I want none of them anyway.

Mum and Dad went to Lynn and David's tonight. I watched TV with Sue & Pete. 'Rebecca', and previous to this we sat through ninety pathetic minutes of England v. Ireland football. We won 4-0. To bed with a mug of Ovaltine at 11, and compiled this diary until 11:47. Bye Bye.

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Tuesday February 6, 1979

_. I have started to collect the coins bearing the inage of George VI that I find in my change because it is said that the Royal Mint is going to begin withdrawing them from circulation. Uncle Albert collected many pre-decimal coins in the 60s. It is hard to believe that in 1971 you could still get coins with Queen Victoria's regal bearing upon them in your loose change. Incidentally, King George VI died 27 years ago today.

Auntie Hilda, Uncle Tony and my cousin Diane came over at 8pm and stayed until after 2am. It was almost as if they had never been away and we all got on well together. Hilda has asked Mum to make Karen's wedding cake. Karen is marrying Steve at Pudsey on August 4. Diane is 15 and no longer the toothless brat. They haven't been here since 1976.

Uncle Tony is as silly as he ever was. He is standing as the Liberal candidate for Pudsey in the local elections in May, but I don't think he stands a chance of getting in. How can the Liberals be expected to get anywhere when the likes of the Rt Hon Jeremy Thorpe are allowed to roam, quite freely, around the countryside worrying sheep and old ladies? No, Tony, no.

We ate supper and drank ale and wine and talked of the days in Cornwall and Pudsey. Grandma Gadsby is in the asylum & so they can come here after visiting her. Mum invited them to her Thursday night orgy. Bed at 3am.

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Monday February 5, 1979

_. I think a thaw is underway. Struggled out to the YP with no enthusiasm at all. Discussed the party with Sarah and Carol J but neither went into great detail about what happened after my departure. Tony took Carol to the cinema at Shipley last night & Jacq was accompanied by Chris Ratcliffe! ______________.

Home at 5. Mum says she phoned Auntie Hilda [her sister] last night and that she and Uncle Tony are coming over here tomorrow night. Evidently, Tony's mother is an inmate of the asylum [Highroyds] and they are calling after visiting her there.

Not a word from Lynn and Dave. _______________________-.

Watched Monty Python's Flying Circus and took to my bed at 11:55pm. Reading 'Majesty' by Robert Lacey.

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Sunday February 4, 1979

_. Up at 11:30 for breakfast. We discuss Lynn _______________________. Peter N came here at 3:30. I watched a programme on the BBC about the Bronte Sisters which was dull and morbid. Also watched a play 'The Voysey Inheritance' at 8. Bed at 1am. Feeling tired and dreary. A full day of TV cannot do us any good.

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Saturday February 3, 1979

_. Peter predicted last night that dear Mama would 'play Hell' with me this morning because of Susan's condition. He was very accurate in this assessment. Susan, very pale and feeble looking, was pampered and spoiled this morning. I cannot help thinking that some grave miscarriage of justice has taken place. According to my mother I am a "lazy, good for nothing wretch". This outburst came about because I said I didn't want to go with Dad to the supermarket to do the weekly shop. How many men my age willingly go out buying tins of beans on a Saturday afternoon?

At 12 John came in with JPH. It was a surprise. We haven't heard from him since the New Year. Maria came round later, looking quite massive but happy and well. Sadly, John had cut his own hair and he strongly resembled a Russian dissident.

At 5:30 Marlene, Frank, Auntie Mabel, Mark & Deborah arrived. Later joined by Margaret & Jim, Chippy and Debbie, and Lynn and David. A late arrival was David Greenwood. Lynn immediately took him into the dining room and they sat listening to a LP of 'The Desert Song'. John Hanson and all that. _____________________________.

At 11pm Chippy, Sue, Pete and I took off to the party at Kirkstall of Jacq's friend, Linda, where Sue & Pete left Chippy and I after only ten minutes. Sarah came over and gave me a big kiss and Carol J informed me that Tony and Chris R were present. Chippy and I had a bottle of cherry wine and we swigged it from the bottle neck like Irish navvies. I gave Jacq a £1 for more booze. ______________. After an hour C and I decided to leave. We were back at Pine Tops at some late hour and Mother's party was still going strong. David Greenwood was still sat there. Lynn was very drunk.

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