Thursday September 7, 1978

This evening I went down to Esholt with Delia and Sarah to dump flower arranging equipment at St Paul's church and after a gruesome interview with Mrs Smith, the church caretaker, we fell into the Commercial for a little light refreshment. We bumped into Martyn and Pete M.

Alison and John P came tonight and the pre~nuptial celebrations are underway. Presents were torn open, wine consumed and the laughter and merry~making went on into the early hours of Friday morning.

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Wednesday September 6, 1978

Saw the last bit of 'Holocaust' on BBC1.

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Tuesday September 5, 1978

The weather is revolting. Mist and rain. It's a matter of a few hours to the wedding. I'll be so glad when it's all over. Mother is behaving like one of the nastier Third Reich leaders. Lynn and Dave have squabbled more in the past few days than in the whole of the four years they've fraternised.

Interesting conversation today. Dearest Christine phoned this afternoon. She says Chris Ratcliffe told her he's having a party on Friday night IF John & Maria return from Stranraer that is, which isn't definite yet! ____________________________.

The seating plan for the reception took up most of the evening and I spent ages writing the place setting cards for such quaint sounding people as 'Mr Joseph Chamberlain and friend'. Let us hope we have peace in our time. Oops, that was Neville. Never mind.

Watched the BBC's 'Holocaust' drama. Gripping.

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Monday September 4, 1978

At lunchtime I went to Parker's Wine Bar with Sarah. Very amusing too.

Lynn can't stand the excitement and was forced to leave work at lunchtime with pains, nausea, and a general feeling of revulsion. On arriving home Mother calmed her with half a bottle of whisky and after a few obscene phone calls to awkward wedding guests she was fighting fit once more.

Saw part II of 'Holocaust'. The Jews have suffered like I never imagined. Mr Sadat ought to remember this when he begins his 'peace talks' with the Israelis at Camp David next week. For God's sake leave poor little Israel alone.

Did you know that according to the Sun newspaper Victorian society was rocked to its very foundations by the Prince of Wales's affair with Lillie Langtry? I certainly didn't. Certainly, Victorian 'high' society was far from shocked and the prince's 'set' accepted all Edward's mistresses because that was the done thing in those days. The rest of Victorian Britain ~ the coal miners, farm workers, shopkeepers, &c had absolutely no feelings whatsoever on this 'scandal' because they had no idea that anything was going on.

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Sunday September 3, 1978

15th after Trinity

At 12 we went to the Commercial for the traditional 'wet' Sunday luncheon with beef sandwiches too. Back at home we played records, looked at photos and had a constitutional around Greenfield Avenue. Sue and Pete were at home but in their usual state of heavenly, solitary transit rendering them boring and dull conversationalists, except with each other.

Mum, Dad, Lynn and David went to Lawn Road laying carpets, hanging pictures and generally domesticating the interior ready for residence. She (Lynn) sat here later puffing on a cigar.

The Second World War began 39 years ago today. It was a Sunday too. Tonight on BBC1 a new series entitled 'Holocaust' began. It depicts the Nazi genocide of the millions of innocent Jews of Europe. Compulsive viewing. We all watched in silence as the ghastly crimes unfolded.

Bed with Lady Chatterley (still) at 12:30am.

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Saturday September 2, 1978

New Moon 17:09

Sun rises 06:14 sun sets 19:46

Found myself in a sleeping bag at Farthingstone, Old Pool Bank. In a bedroom with Dave and Pete. Trevor is in another chamber deep in slumber. A nice guy is Trevor.

Audrey gave us 'Puffa Puffa Rice' for breakfast (Ugh) and drove us home at 11, or thereabouts. Jacq, Lynn, Sue and the girls look well. They say they spent the night at the Elma drinking 'Jelly Beans' (I believe a conglomeration of vodka, Pernod, blackcurrant, and I think lime juice).

I spent £15 last night and most of us seem to have spent the same. Oh God.

Jacq and Lynn went shopping to Otley just as Mum and Dad returned from shopping with JPH. He's thinner these days, taller and more of a handful. He sat in Mum's coffee sloshing it everywhere and blew up the kettle. He'll be two in a few weeks time.

Tonight Jacq and I went to Leeds to see 'Revenge of the Pink Panther' at Odeon 2. Peter Sellers in undoubtedly the funniest man upon this earth in 1978. Jacq laughed until I thought it was becoming quite dangerous. Tears of laughter cascaded down my face.

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Friday September 1, 1978

David B's 'stag night' in Leeds. Jacq came here with me after work and this evening she went with Lynn and her cronies (including Sue of course) to Shipley and the Elma.

Dave and Trevor (his workmate) came here at 8 and we went with Peter N to the Station Hotel, supposedly for a bus. George Waite's car pulled up and out he came with John, Maria and a long~haired Alec McHarrie. ________________. Heavily pregnant Jayne Waite drove us to Jacomelli's in Leeds where things got under way. On to Cinderella Rockerfella's. All quite blurred. I recall attempting to persuade a young lady to call off her wedding set for next Saturday, and to marry me instead. She wasn't particularly attractive either. In fact she was squat and greasy.

Returned to Pool~in~Wharfedale at 2am where Dave, Pete, Trevor and I did hand stands on Pool Bank, and later at Dave's house we drank Audrey's supply of Creme de Menthe, Bailey's Irish Cream, coffee liqueur, and much more. No idea what time we went to bed.

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Thursday August 31, 1978

The usual visit from the Nasons. Jim says he's going to the Isle of Man next week for a riotous time with his friends at the TT races. Margaret doesn't appear to object to his indulgences.

We saw the final part of 'I, Claudius' starring Derek Jacobi. I do believe that Mr Jacobi is a protégé of Sir Laurence Olivier and it is easy to see why. Jacobi is brilliant and an undoubted star of the 1980s.

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Wednesday August 30, 1978

I have been watching a TV programme about Vietnam and I must say that it seems to be a very boring place these days. Saigon, or Ho Chi Minh City, as it now is, was once Asias answer to Weston~super~Mare, with strip~tease joints on every street corner and with all night hot and cold running tarts. Sadly, it now resembles a Suffolk village hamlet with nothing but rice and with Methodist ministers everywhere. President Carter really should do something about it. Perhaps I should drop him a line?

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Tuesday August 29, 1978

Lynn is playing a Nat King Cole LP over and over again and in a few moments I intend leaping into the dining room brandishing an axe and have every intention of using it on my precious little sister. For one thing it would put a stop to this dreadful wedding mania and it would also end Nat's brave attempt to escape from his tomb once and for all.

Susan and I think ______________________________________.


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Monday August 28, 1978

Late Summer Bank Holiday (UK, except Scotland)

To the YP on this August Bank Holiday Monday. Just Sarah and I in the office with absolutely nothing to do. Sarah always shows her face on public holidays. She says she refuses to celebrate with the masses and prefers to take her time off at her own discretion.

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Sunday August 27, 1978

14th after Trinity

Jacq and Trixie came to Guiseley this afternoon and we all got horribly pissed in the garden. At one point I was incontinent. Trixie told some very filthy anecdotes and sloshed wine all over her Christian Dior gown and half of Hawksworth Lane for that matter.

By 6pm Dad was unconscious, spread~eagled upon his bed and Jacq was flat out on my bed. I've never seen her in such a state. They left after the full works of a 'Royal Albert' dinner at about 1am.

Dear me, it really was lovely if disgraceful. When Dad pulled round in the evening he left for Lawn Road with Lynn and Dave just to avoid us. ________________________________________.


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Saturday August 26, 1978

Sun rises 06:03 Sun sets 20:01

Up at 10. Sarah made me scrambled eggs on toast. I felt slightly worse for wear. Sarah and Delia fussed over me. They went to the Ilkley Antiques Fair at 11 and dropped me at home. A quick change of clothes and I went back to Leeds to meet Jacq and Trixie at the Dragonara. First I went to the Y.W.C.A to pay my respects to Hayden, who begged me to find him a surgeon who might perform a head transplant on him.

Went with Jacq and Trixie to Whitelocks. We sat from 12:30 until 3 in the pleasant atmosphere of one of Leeds's finest and most ancient taverns. Afterwards we went to Trixie's room at the hotel for even more drink, and finally, at about 5:30 we left for Guiseley.

John and Maria had been round in the afternoon but we just missed seeing them. After dinner with the family we took Lynn & Dave to the Drop where we celebrated the coming wedding, minus 2 weeks. Pernod dribbled everywhere. Lynn was quite overcome by it all and had to go sit outside.

Back to Pine Tops afterwards.

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Friday August 25, 1978

Trixie came to stay at the Dragonara for the duration of the Bank holiday. This evening Jacq and I went to meet her at the hotel and we took her to Len's Bar where Sue Tirbutt was having a party. Trixie was in fighting form and looked fit and well while knocking back the usual pints of bitter. I introduced her to (Alan) Macgregor, who served in the Royal Navy with Derek Sate. Hayden came with Jacq. _________________. Jacq, Trixie, Hayden, Sarah, Carol J and I went to the Nouveau club at 11pm from Len's and stayed until about 2:30.

Trixie left for the Dragonara at about 1am but we stuck it out until the bitter end. Sarah was horribly pissed. At the end of the evening Jacq disappeared into the darkness with Hayden and Carol drove Sarah and I to West End Lane, Horsforth. We staggered and fell around in her kitchen and I made some ridiculous adjustments to her father's shopping list on the table. At about 3 I retired to the pink suite at Ivory Towers.


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Thursday August 24, 1978

St Bartholemew

Nightmare of a day. At about 8 this morning I sprained my ankle, or perhaps twisted it, down in Guiseley whilst going for my bus. I tripped on a crooked pavement and fell through the door of Rhodeses Newsagents shop and landed on a revolving Christmas card display, showering shoppers with cellophane, glitter covered robins, and grotesque Santa Clauses.

Wracked with pain for the rest of the day I staggered about the office to the moronic amusement of my colleagues. What with my arse, and now this.

Jacq dissolved when I told her. She came and collected me with a wheelchair and pushed me across to the Central for a quick anaesthetic. She cried with laughter. The swelling worsened in the afternoon and I had to resort to asking Papa to pick me up at the bus stop to ferry me home.

Reclined in the bath later. Found solace with Lady Chatterley at about 10:30. Dave B accused me harming my own ankle on purpose to avoid working at Lawn Road.

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