Sunday March 2, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

3rd Sunday in Lent

Early start. Samuel seeking his cousins ended up in bed with Gill, who was half dead. Graham, bright and breezy, went out in search of the Sunday Times. I concocted a breakfast for everyone. A 'full-English'. A mammoth task. We all ate in the kitchen. Philip Middlebrough phoned and we arranged to meet them at the Royalty on the Chevin, where a family room is set aside for the poor souls with a plethora of offspring. A brisk, bright and sunny day. We went up to the Chevin for 12. Hustle and bustle but extremely pleasant. All the children piled into a large plastic Wendy House and we big ones hit the drink. I drank pints of Guinness. Afterwards to Philip and Carol's, a shoe-box in a Menston backwater. Tom, the elder son, drags a duvet around as a comforter. Oh dear. Home for 5pm. Liz phoned in sick and so I phoned Maureen who came in with Margaret at 8. We sat downstairs until 9:30 talking about F & B, Andrew & Lorraine, &c. Graham went out and bought us a Chinese-takeaway. We watched a play - "Hotel Du Lac". We wet ourselves laughing  at the quip Graham made to Philip last night: "Hello Philip - still as boring as ever." Aaarrgghhhh.

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Saturday March 1, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

St David's Day

Sunshine. Graham and Gill got here at 12:30, and after all the children had thoroughly inspected each other, Graham and I came down to the tap room to watch the rugby from Twickenham. England v. Eire. Graham is a fan, of course. He hit the Diet Pils with a vengeance and suffered thereafter. He had all the symptoms: 1). Senseless grin, (2) Purple eyes, (3) Legs akimbo, (4) looseness of both vowels and bowels, &c. He drifted hither and thither with his light-blue pullover draped over his shoulders.

Later the children all went to bed. The Dixons together and Samuel in ours. We dined on lasagne, and then went down to meet Philip and Carol (Middlebrough). A fairly quiet night with interruptions from the children who cried at intervals. ____________. Graham was the first to retire. V. pissed.

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Friday February 28, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

Will Prince Andrew wed Fergie? She is of good stock, a brilliant pedigree in fact but her age is against her. 26 leaves her a bit long in the tooth. She has a colourful past and doesn't have the virgin image of Lady Diana Spencer. A couple of nameless EP reporters called in and gasped - they didn't know I was here. When I told them that Fergie has some Leeds ancestry the note books came out and they took down my genealogical information, and a gleam of interest was aroused. They will contact me when an announcement is made.

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Thursday February 27, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

Christopher Paul (Nason) is 4 today. We went over to Guiseley at 1:30 to Thorpe Lane via the cemetery where Mum's grave looked desolate. Dead flowers from January, and the water in the bowl a solid block. Ally and Samuel stayed in the car. We didn't want mud on the boys party clothes. We went on to Sue's where she looked worn out and short tempered, full of cold and complaining of a constant headache. The children were all in a queer mood and uncommunicative. Dad was quiet too. He went to collect Frances from school. She came in looking very grown up in her grey uniform. Samuel and Ben managed to wreck the record player whilst Rod Stewart was in full swing. A gloomy party really. I had a few glasses of wine and asked Dad if he would like to be a casual barman on his visits to the Moorhouse. He says he will have a go. The poor man is in a highly emotional state. He almost broke down when I told him we had been to see Mum. He bleakly said: "I haven't been for some time." We shouldn't consider it a duty to go and should only do so when we feel it's right. It eases the pain to talk to a stone. It's good to have a place where people can go. Lynn was bright. Janette and Charlotte boycotted the party.

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Wednesday February 26, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

The first round of the L. Gledhill Quiz extravaganza when Don Whitfield (Brown Hare, Harehills) and Co. came here. A good turn out. Ally was the quiz master, and we lost by 11 points. A mixed bag of questions. One of their team won 'Sale of the Century' in 1979. Don loved it and played all the ghastly country and western records on the juke box. Rob Piper with one of his barmaids and her husband came in. A queer strangely naive chap. We were busy and all in all it was a good night. No sign of LG. It was interesting to see that Rob had managed to get a by through to the second round. He is LG's pet. Upstairs we watched 'Dynasty' - no, 'The Colbys'.

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Tuesday February 25, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

The video cometh at about 12 o'clock. Not happy with the picture by any means. Ally looked at me as if to say: "I told you so." We recorded Postman Pat for Samuel which he loved and "I, Claudius" which I watched at bedtime. Derek Jacobi. What an excellent actor he is. Haven't I seen him in something at the Bradford Alhambra?

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Monday February 24, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

Full Moon

My phone call to Horton today was distressing. Poor Dad was so distant and vague and uncaring. He seemed totally disinterested. He must be so depressed. 

We have re-started the pool knock-out competitions. Nothing spectacular. Clive won. 

The video player is coming tomorrow. Yippee. After all the years of waiting. 

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Sunday February 23, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

2nd Sunday in Lent

John & Sheila.

My Uncle John phoned from Cambridge wanting to talk to Dad. He and Sheila are over here from the Canaries for five weeks 'enjoying the cold'. He wants to go to Horton on Saturday when Arnold and Dot are supposedly going. I phoned Dad and he seemed a little glum. What can we do to alleviate his misery? He has applied for the position of North Yorkshire road safety officer and has completed an application form. Good luck to him. He cannot live on his police pension and the erratic B & B intake. His car is a rust heap, and he needs a purpose in life. 

Anyway, regarding this video player. We went to Vallance's yesterday where they can provide interest free credit. We snapped up a Fisher Sanyo appliance for £430 or so, paying about £8 a week. I have wanted one for ages.

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Saturday February 22, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

Ian and Jacq.

Bright and sunny. At 12 Jacq and Ian came in and we sat upstairs discussing the coming marriage. They are  having the usual pre-wedding nerves and some family squabbles. ___________. Ian's stag night is on March 20, and I must go. The wedding reception is taking place at the Mercury Ladbroke Hotel in Garforth. Jacq looked very well. They left at 2. To Vallance's where we saw a video player and yes - we bought it! (See tomorrow). We half expected to see John and Janette but they didn't appear. We both agree that a wedding 'do' here will be too much for Ally. Like Hell, in fact. Chris and Liz worked tonight. I went down for a drink.

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Friday February 21, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds, LS11 5NQ

Margaret.

Our recent holiday must have been more beneficial for the pub than we ever thought it would because a more relaxed, warm, and homely atmosphere has descended upon the Moorhouse this week. Ally and I like young lovers, laughter abounding, &c. Such pleasantness. A busy night. Just Margaret and I. Chris was supposed to be working but said he now has a prior engagement, but then he actually came here into the tap room at 8 o'clock slobbering all over Vicky Pearson. I fumed at this. Vicky will eat Chris for breakfast. She has had more prick than a second hand dart board. If the lad continues to refuse to work Fridays he will get the chop. Totally out of order him coming in here as a customer. Later upstairs I read Robert Graves.

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Thursday February 20, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds, LS11 5NQ

Some of the Fleet Street organs thought that yesterday would see Prince Andrew's engagement to Sarah Ferguson. The royal family don't do things like that. I gave Dad a run down on Miss F's family. LG called in at 12:30 and was affable. Ally went over to her clinic in Bradford at 1pm taking in Linfood, &c. Dad and I ate an enormous lunch of steak & kidney pie at 3pm, and then he went off to Guiseley to see Susie. He cannot dwell anywhere or on anything for long and he left in a vague flurry, almost on automatic pilot. I find it hard to describe his demeanour. Ally was back at 4pm in fine form. The midwife is pleased with her progress. She is 19 weeks exactly. Well, yesterday she was. Ally is so very content with the Bradford set-up. 

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