Thursday March 6, 1980

_. Sweet Lynn is 22 today. I phoned her at her office and I felt the glow coming down the wires.

Tito: sinking fast

We do little else in the office but laugh about President Tito. We've studied the headlines carried in the YP since January relating to the sturdy, little Yugoslav leader. On January 4 he was in hospital having the blood vessels in his leg examined, on Jan 8 he saw his top aides and on Jan 14 he was 'better' after surgery for a blood clot, on Jan 15 'Fears growing after surgery', Jan 16 'Tito alarm puts nation on guard', Jan 18 he was 'Fighting for his life', Jan 19 'Tito fighting gangrene', Jan 21 'Tito loses leg', but looking up on Jan 22 'Tito better', Jan 23 'Tito for comeback', by Jan 25 it was 'Tito back to work', so much so that by Jan 28 we saw 'Tito checking defence moves'. Sadly, on Feb 11 'Tito develops kidney and digestion problems', then on February 12 'Tito's heart weakens', Feb 14 'Tito fading', 'Tito sinking', 'Tito in coma', but February 19 'Tito fighting on', Feb 21 'Battling Tito feels better', Feb 23 'Tito kept alive by kidney machine', Feb 27 'Tito weakening', Feb 28 'Tito still grave', Feb 29 'Tito sinking fast', March 1 'Tito failing', March 3 'Tito still weakening', March 4 'Tito still grave', March 5 'Tito still responding', March 6 'Tito stays stable'. Bloody Hell, at this rate I fully expect the old boy to represent Yugoslavia  in the boxing at the Moscow Olympics.

At lunchtime I went to buy Lynn and David's birthday presents. I purchased a Camel cigarette mirror for £6.50 and an old 'Victor Gas' geyser instructions sign that I know they will appreciate. They'll look very well on the bathroom wall.

Home at 5. Splashed around in a steaming bath. Ally arrived in her rusting sports car. To dinner at Lawn Rd with Mum, Dad, Sue, Pete, Jim, Margaret, and Julie N. Dave looked pale and was wearing his specs. I took up my usual position in the kitchen clutching a glass of Scotch. Lynn has an eccentric and peculiar taste in music and we had to endure Dame Gracie Fields warbling party songs. They all left in the early hours but Ally and I stayed until morning. We did giggle. The beds at Lawn Rd are always freezing.

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