Friday December 26, 1980

 _. Bank Holiday in England, Ireland, Scotland & Wales.

Ally and I had lunch with Mum and Dad. Cold meat and lashings of wine. Sat by the lights on the Christmas tree afterwards waiting for John and Maria. They came at 5. I nursed Catherine. She says 'cup', and 'bye bye' and 'Crackerjack'. Very bonnie.

At 6:30 Ally and I left for Club Street to bedeck the house with Xmas cards and after a frantic tidy round we headed for the Bod to meet Sue [looking flushed], Pete [with a raging temperature], Dave L [a must at any party, a great friend], Jacq, Paul, Pete Sate, _____with a girl called Kay, Chris & Audrey Rycroft, and a dwarf called Christine. By 9:30 Pete N was feeling really ill and so he and Sue left, taking the Rycrofts and the dwarf with them, leaving Ally and I with only a skeleton staffed Boxing Day party. On to Club Street. Great fun. John & Maria joined us late and she played Christmas Carols on the piano, and we all sang and danced in true festive style.

Dave L will always have a niche in my heart, if that doesn't sound too queer. Since 1967 we have been the greatest of friends, and although we can go many months without seeing one another, when we do meet it's as if we have never been apart. A true, brotherly relationship. To bed with Ally at about 5am. Dave had a bunk bed in the spare room. He was the only over night guest.

-=-