_. The weather continues nauseating. Blunt, Blunt, Blunt, and more Blunt, and even more Blunt. Blunt in the morning, Blunt in the evening and Blunt at supper time. It's the poor Queen I feel sorry for. She has been used disgracefully by Cabinet ministers down the years. They asked her to retain Prof Blunt after his confession. She really ought to have Sir J. Hobson [Attorney-General in 1964] exhumed and hanged at Tyburn.
The Press pursuit of Sabrina Guinness seems to have died down. As if we were ever going to see Queen Sabrina anyway. Reading Anthony Holden's biography of the P of Wales, serialised in the Sunday Times. I do feel sorry for the future King. He leads a lonely and aloof existence. Just to dine with his mother he has to arrange the meeting three weeks beforehand, and this is with them both living under the same roof at Buckingham Palace. Before visiting Charles in his palace suite the Queen always telephones first to make an appointment.
Bed with Adolf again. The war is now blazing and Dunkirk is in full swing.
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20200330
Tuesday November 20, 1979
_. Ice and treacherous conditions. Freezing. Dear Carole's 22nd birthday, and the first without her father. I do hope it isn't too horrible for her. And to think that two years ago we'd all given her up for dead.
The 'Blunt Saga' continues. He gave an interview today and seemed very calm and collected, in the way that double agents tend to do, whilst attempting to justify his treacherous activities. Blunt denies any homosexual affair with Guy Burgess.
At 8, Sue, Peter and I went over to Ally's and pushed the spitfire up and down the street in an attempt to get the thing moving. Like a scene from that awful TV series 'It's a Knock Out'. Susan is a great comedienne. The offending car eventually fired up and we took it to a garage where it's going to be dealt with at dawn. A bandit is going to charge her £30 just to open the bonnet and peer in at the works. Back to Club Street with Peter and the wheel for a coffee and a warm. Gave Ally a peck and we left for Guiseley at 10. We are going to see a couple of 'Pink Panther' films on Friday.
Mum has had her hair 'flashed'. Dad joked about it saying it's odd she should want to appear grey when in fact she doesn't have a grey hair in her head. This annoyed Motherdear.
To bed at 12 leaving Dad glued to an old film on the TV.
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The 'Blunt Saga' continues. He gave an interview today and seemed very calm and collected, in the way that double agents tend to do, whilst attempting to justify his treacherous activities. Blunt denies any homosexual affair with Guy Burgess.
At 8, Sue, Peter and I went over to Ally's and pushed the spitfire up and down the street in an attempt to get the thing moving. Like a scene from that awful TV series 'It's a Knock Out'. Susan is a great comedienne. The offending car eventually fired up and we took it to a garage where it's going to be dealt with at dawn. A bandit is going to charge her £30 just to open the bonnet and peer in at the works. Back to Club Street with Peter and the wheel for a coffee and a warm. Gave Ally a peck and we left for Guiseley at 10. We are going to see a couple of 'Pink Panther' films on Friday.
Mum has had her hair 'flashed'. Dad joked about it saying it's odd she should want to appear grey when in fact she doesn't have a grey hair in her head. This annoyed Motherdear.
To bed at 12 leaving Dad glued to an old film on the TV.
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Monday November 19, 1979
_. The dreadful Ayatollah Khomeini gave something of an interview on the BBC programme 'Panorama' this evening. He is a disgusting religious fanatic. Misguided, wicked and obscene in his hold over the Persians. A war may well be in the offing. President Carter's popularity has soared following the recent kidnapping of US officials in Teheran.
No chat with Ally today. I am seeing her tomorrow. Sue & Pete went to the Elmer tonight with Janet Simon and her odd boyfriend, a 21st birthday party I think. It's a year since I went to the Elmer with Christine. Jill's party I think. Oh, dear sweet Christine! I really should phone her to see how things are going. Dave L's opinion is that she has washed her hands of us and doesn't want to know us anymore, but surely this distancing is only natural when one is newly married. One day I fully expect her to bring this boy of hers into society. I have yet to sanction the nuptials.
To bed after 11 with my Hitler volume. You'll be relieved to hear the war has now started. Farewell to Poland and all that. I really deserve some reward for following Mr Toland's every word. Mind you, it did take me much longer to finish 'The Count of Monte Cristo' if you remember.
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No chat with Ally today. I am seeing her tomorrow. Sue & Pete went to the Elmer tonight with Janet Simon and her odd boyfriend, a 21st birthday party I think. It's a year since I went to the Elmer with Christine. Jill's party I think. Oh, dear sweet Christine! I really should phone her to see how things are going. Dave L's opinion is that she has washed her hands of us and doesn't want to know us anymore, but surely this distancing is only natural when one is newly married. One day I fully expect her to bring this boy of hers into society. I have yet to sanction the nuptials.
To bed after 11 with my Hitler volume. You'll be relieved to hear the war has now started. Farewell to Poland and all that. I really deserve some reward for following Mr Toland's every word. Mind you, it did take me much longer to finish 'The Count of Monte Cristo' if you remember.
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Sunday November 18, 1979
_. Wet day. In bed again until after 1pm. Ally and I had 'breakfast' and sat with Mama. Papa was out on police business, no doubt truncheoning the youths of Guiseley. Later we went for a walk in the freezing rain and got a thorough soaking. Back at home we toasted ourselves before the gas fire. Ally was persuaded to stay the night because of the cold and the lurking Yorkshire Ripper. We watched TV until 12:30.
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Saturday November 17, 1979
_. Disgusting I know, but the first sign of life we experienced today was at 1:15pm. My head felt like a ton of pig iron. Ally similarly indisposed but brought hot, black coffee to bed. A damp, dismal day.
At 2 I went in search of groceries, but came back with nothing but a bunch of grapes. A pound of grapes costs 40p these days. Ally, in the steam of the kitchen, finds my offerings peculiar. I sprawled upon the sofa, as a Roman might have done, dropping grape after grape into my mouth. It was an afternoon of domestic bliss.
Phoned Mama and invited ourselves to dinner. Phoned Lynn too, who said she and Dave were going out with Sue & Pete and so we invited ourselves to join them. Ally's car is hopeless. She attempted to start the engine, without success. By bus to Guiseley for 6:30. We always titter and giggle on public transport, don't ask me why. Dinner was exquisite. Out at 8:30 with Sue, Pete, Lynn and Dave. We were all subdued, and to make matters worse a fight broke out in the White Cross which upset the girls. On to the Shoulder. Chippy, Debbie and Gus were there [back from Holland]. Lynn in one of her infuriating moods. Home to Pine Tops at 11. Ally stayed the night. Lynn dropped us off at home and called in to see Mum and Dad for an hour. Bed at 1:30.
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At 2 I went in search of groceries, but came back with nothing but a bunch of grapes. A pound of grapes costs 40p these days. Ally, in the steam of the kitchen, finds my offerings peculiar. I sprawled upon the sofa, as a Roman might have done, dropping grape after grape into my mouth. It was an afternoon of domestic bliss.
Phoned Mama and invited ourselves to dinner. Phoned Lynn too, who said she and Dave were going out with Sue & Pete and so we invited ourselves to join them. Ally's car is hopeless. She attempted to start the engine, without success. By bus to Guiseley for 6:30. We always titter and giggle on public transport, don't ask me why. Dinner was exquisite. Out at 8:30 with Sue, Pete, Lynn and Dave. We were all subdued, and to make matters worse a fight broke out in the White Cross which upset the girls. On to the Shoulder. Chippy, Debbie and Gus were there [back from Holland]. Lynn in one of her infuriating moods. Home to Pine Tops at 11. Ally stayed the night. Lynn dropped us off at home and called in to see Mum and Dad for an hour. Bed at 1:30.
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Friday November 16, 1979
_. Mornings are such fun now that The Times has returned from the dark of what looked like extinction.
Something quite shocking has been revealed today. Sir Anthony Blunt, KCVO, Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures, 1952-72, and to George VI, 1945-52, has been exposed in Parliament as the 'fourth man' in the Burgess, Maclean and Philby spy scandal of the 1950s and 60s. The Queen was told of this by the then Attorney-General in 1964, but it seems that the then PM Sir Alec Douglas-Home was not told of the facts. It seems that Her Majesty was asked to retain Sir Anthony in the Royal Household because he, in 1964, was granted immunity from prosecution in exchange for information. In effect he became a double agent. No prime ministers until Mrs Thatcher was aware of this intrigue. Today the Queen annulled Professor Blunt's KCVO. It's going to blow up into something big by the look of things.
By bus to Lidget Green at 8:30. Ally and I went on a pub crawl. She was almost fixed up, at one of the more respectable establishments, as an organist for the Christmas period. An old chap there was amazed that Ally could read 'the dots' on the sheet music. Back to Club Street. We sat on the rug until 6am.
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Something quite shocking has been revealed today. Sir Anthony Blunt, KCVO, Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures, 1952-72, and to George VI, 1945-52, has been exposed in Parliament as the 'fourth man' in the Burgess, Maclean and Philby spy scandal of the 1950s and 60s. The Queen was told of this by the then Attorney-General in 1964, but it seems that the then PM Sir Alec Douglas-Home was not told of the facts. It seems that Her Majesty was asked to retain Sir Anthony in the Royal Household because he, in 1964, was granted immunity from prosecution in exchange for information. In effect he became a double agent. No prime ministers until Mrs Thatcher was aware of this intrigue. Today the Queen annulled Professor Blunt's KCVO. It's going to blow up into something big by the look of things.
By bus to Lidget Green at 8:30. Ally and I went on a pub crawl. She was almost fixed up, at one of the more respectable establishments, as an organist for the Christmas period. An old chap there was amazed that Ally could read 'the dots' on the sheet music. Back to Club Street. We sat on the rug until 6am.
-=-
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