Wednesday December 3, 1980

_. To Ally's after the YP and spent the evening hanging wallpaper in the small bedroom. A job well done.Afterwards we sat eating a very weak, meatless soup, washed down with lager. I ache all over from the strain suffered stretching up the walls. I feel like the victim of some medieval torture, the type frequently deployed in the bowels of Pontefract Castle on unfortunate Plantagenet monarchs.

During dinner we suffered the trauma of a telephone call from Mrs Pinder, mother of the infamous John. She was ringing, she said, just for 'a Christmas chat', and went on to inform Ally that John had married Mrs Susan Say, in November, 1979, and they have since had a daughter, Emma, and that they now have a pub in Dorchester. Poor Ally went decidedly pale, but held her composure. _____. Ally always refers to his woman as 'Mrs Say' - her Christian name sticks in Ally's throat.

Listened to music and retired to bed at 12 feeling knackered.

-=-

Tuesday December 2, 1980

_. In my hideous misery yesterday I failed to mention that the former Christine Braithwaite telephoned me regarding ad advert on Friday's YP. She is now living in Burley Woodhead in a rented farm house near the Hermit pub. Sounds opulent.

To Leeds with with Jim, Muriel, Patrick and Jennie - the whole family no less. He refused to discuss his car accident and bit Muriel's head off when she mentioned it. He is acutely sorry for himself.

Mulley: nodded off.

Merlyn Rees's son has spent the day with us receiving library induction treatment from Kathleen. He laughed when I showed him photos of Fred Mulley, then Labour Defence minister under Callaghan, who nodded off while sitting next to the Queen at an air display in 1977. Rees's comment was that this simple slip lost Mulley the chance of attaining glittering high office. Sarcasm, obviously.

Spoke to Ally a few times and received a lovely letter. I am going over to decorate tomorrow. It's long overdue. She is reading a biography of Sarah Bernhardt, someone of whom I know little other than the fact that she frequently slept with Edward VII. But who didn't?

News: Lady Diana Spencer's mother has written to The Times criticising the press for harrassing her daughter from dawn until dusk. I quite agree with her. It's shameful. She also criticised the ridiculous so-called quotes reputedly to have come from Lady Diana and refers to them as 'lies'. Mrs Shand Kydd also mentions the 'Royal Train incident'. Meanwhile HRH is still in India. It is also announced that he will be visiting New Zealand in the Spring.

In other news: Russia will probably invade Poland within the month, by way of a Christmas present. They did Afghanistan at Christmas last year.