Tuesday October 16, 1979

_. An atrocious day at the YP. Kathleen is back and Malcolm Barker [Editor, YEP] has told her that the library has been like a 'tea house' during her absence and that she is the only member of the library staff who does any work. Stupid, ignorant bastard! Such encouragement really inspires one to increase ones output. Oh God, I want a different job ________.

In other news it is reported that the Duke of Gloucester has taken to getting about in London riding on an elephant. But the eccentric antics of the Queen's cousin hasn't aroused as much furore as the announcement that Capt Mark Phillips has accepted a British Leyland sponsorship to use Range Rovers for the next four or five years. I fail to see what is wrong with this, but several Labour MPs are having seizures over it. The rumour is also abroad that Princess Anne is pregnant.

Watched TV tonight. Alec Guinness was on again. To bed with Adolf Hitler at 11:30 after watching Robin Day's new series. Dame Judith Hart is nauseating.

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Monday October 15, 1979

_. Hullo again. I'm just about cheesed off with the news these days. The newspapers are dominated by the Zimbabwe-Rhodesia bore-out conference and the saga of the 'flying delegate' at Lancaster House. Yes, one poor member of Bishop Abel Muzorewa's team, was so bored by the endless squabbling, that he ended his life by leaping from the roof of Lancaster House, leaving a nasty pin-striped mess in central London. Who cares about this pin-prick of a country in the midst of darkest, steaming Africa anyway? I certainly do not.

Sweet Ally came here tonight. To Lynn and Dave's to admire the new chocolate coloured velvet curtains. We watched the film 'For Pete's Sake'. This is a film of dear and sweet remembrance for Lynn and Dave. They saw the film on their very first date in 1974. Barbra Streisand of course is delightful comedy.

Home with Ally at 11:15.

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Sunday October 14, 1979

_. Up at a reasonable hour and ate kippers and drank gallons of tea. Ally surfaced some time later and we decided to go for a romp on Ilkley Moor to freshen up. Off we went, but Ally's clothes, especially her shoes, did not lend themselves to moorland hiking and so we abandoned any serious adventure and found a van selling hot dogs. From here we went to Club Street where I taped some records and the Anne Nightingale Show on Radio One. We are sick of the same old cassette [taped five weeks ago] which includes the 5:30 evening news which we now know by heart.

Ally took a bath and then rummaged through her old letters going back ten years. She found a letter from me, written in March 1978 when Jacq and I were planning a trip to Winchester. A dreadfully pompous letter.

Went to the fish and chip shop at Westfield [Yeadon] then took a camp bed back to Audrey and Henry Baker's house on Old Pool Bank. Poor Ally was nodding off listening to Audrey's monologue on the neighbours. On afterwards to Lynn and Dave's. She is washed out and has a cold.

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Saturday October 13, 1979

_.Up at 11 to find David G and Garry taking breakfast with Mum & Dad. It seems that Stockport County are playing Bradford City this afternoon and they thought a combined visit was in order.  Ally and Sue 'hurriedly' dressed and Pete shot off home to get changed and by 12 we were all in the White Cross. Mum and Dad came too. We were there a couple of hours but then Mum and Dad left because John appeared to say he'd brought the children to say goodbye. Off they went home, and we joined them later. Catherine is beautiful and peach-like.

David and Garry went off to Bradford to watch Stockport lose by 6 goals to 1. We had a family party to bid farewell to the Scottish branch of the family, and the football supporters returned after the match, not in the least dejected by their defeat. I suppose that supporting Stockport you get used to serious humiliation.

We had salad followed by a trifle. JPH went wild about the latter. Especially the cream.

Out at 7:30 to the White Cross. Dave and Garry only had one drink then left to meet Billy at the Armoury in Stockport. Dave's opinion of the White Cross: "a bloody doctor's waiting room."

Ally was in a beastly mood all day and insisted on trailing back to Bradford just to change her shoes and brush her teeth. Mum and Dad were at the Cow & Calf with Jim and Margaret and so we went there before Ally and I went on to the Smith's Arms at Beckwithshaw at 9:30. We were supposed to meet Sarah and Carol J but they didn't appear, and so we went on to Stephanie Ferguson's party at Leathley. Sarah and Carol were there in the kitchen swigging wine. We stood leaning on the sink, and Ally clammed up and had nothing to say to my work mates. Stephanie was disappointed too because many guests hadn't materialized due to the fog. We left the party, to get air, and sat in a ditch in the spitfire in the dark. __________.

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