Saturday March 20, 1982

 Out of bed at 10:30 suitably refreshed from my night of tranquil repose.

Had poached eggs and gallons of tea. We do enjoy our breakfasts on a weekend, and they sometimes stretch to an hour or more.

We made a visit to the vast metropolis of Bradford and were disillusioned by the ladies fashions in the shops. Store after store with nothing more than the frilly 'Princess of Wales' look which is no problem if you're 6ft tall and heavily pregnant, but nothing is suitable for Ally. We went to the market for our fruit and veg. Morrison's too. We bottled beer afterwards. _______.

Phoned Peter to offer birthday congratulations. He casually mentioned that Dad is in hospital with a foot problem. I phoned Mum who says David has taken him to Otley hospital with a suspected broken ankle after taking a fall in the dark last night behind Aireborough Grammar School. We have no further news.

On to Sarah and Trevor's at Horsforth. A very pleasant evening. Sarah gushes and flows like Ellen Terry's Lady Macbeth. We had Martinis and Trevor gave us a guided tour of the house. Joined by other guests Sue and Graham. They were very down to earth and amusing. He is very much like the EPs David Riley. They are in antiques. Chicken for dinner. Gossiped. Home at 3am. Did we overstay our welcome?

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Friday March 19, 1982

 Felt buggered all day. Went out at lunchtime and bought Mum a Mother's Day card. Wet. Sarah took a half day and left at 12 swearing on the Official Secrets Act on the subject of our visit to Providence House for dinner. She refuses to have 'the cats' Marilyn and Beverley in her house. They have bought Sarah and Trevor a biscuit tin for a wedding present.

Home at 6 and collapsed onto the settee. Ally was bright and chirpy and all I could do was grunt. We had lasagne and watched Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes on BBC2. I slept afterwards while Ally knitted and read [she's on with Jane Austen's Mansfield Park at the moment]. I only returned to consciousness when something on the telly hit a certain pitch. Heard on the news that the actor Alan Badel has died. I remember him as the Count of Monte Cristo from about 10 years ago.

Went up to bed at 10. I could easily have gone at 6. Ally is such a delight to be with. It's not like being with any other person. We don't have to pretend or force anything. Affinity is what I'm trying to describe. Love too.

-=-

Thursday March 18, 1982

 I do not feel in the rudest of health today. My throat is still playing up, and taking a closer inspection in the mirror I see a terrible abrasion close to my tonsils. All day I felt hot and listless.

I check the Court Circular every day to assess the royal engagements in the summer to pin down when the baby prince/princess is due. President Reagan and the Pope are visiting the Queen in early June, and HM goes to the Palace of Holyroodhouse on June 28, and so the middle of the month appears to be free. I feel sure that the Queen will be in London for the birth of her heir of line. We shall see.

Home to Piggy at 6. Cracked open a couple of bottles of beer and sat watching Esther Rantzen doing a programme on childbirth.

Salad sandwiches. Robin Day's 'Question Time' which always sees me blowing raspberries and shaking my fists at the TV. Silly old Baroness Wootton of Abinger, CH, is one for instance who never fails to draw raspberries and rude gestures from me.

Bed after 12.

-=-

Wednesday March 17, 1982

 St Patrick's Day - Bank Holiday in Ireland & the Republic of Ireland

Bugger St Patrick. A man on the radio this morning stated that St Patrick was in fact Welsh. Very dubious.

Bacon sandwiches and tea for breakfast. The suspense about Ally's condition is on our minds all day. We try not to think about it and promise not be disappointed if a baby isn't on the way. In quiet moments though, supping tea at work and buried behind the Daily Telegraph, my thoughts drift over to Bradford and that litttle woman, without whom life would be pointless and not worth living.

YP: Carol's diarrhoea. Kathleen's mum diarrhoea. Went out and bought waders -just in case. 

James Anderton says the country is being undermined by Marxists and that nothing is safe. I couldn't agree more, Jimmy. I filled in some coupons from the national papers and despatched them to the Police Federation agreeing with them that capital punishment should be restored. Obviously, not a snowball in Hell's chance, but at least I've expressed my opinion. I am all for hanging, flogging, cutting off ears, fingers, toes, noses, anything to bring peace and quiet back to our streets. We've all gone soft in the head.

-=-

Tuesday March 16, 1982

 YP: Carol's diarrhoea continues, and to make matters worse Kathleen's mum is now overcome by the illness too. Kathleen had to go home early to muck out Brooklands Close.

Sarah was amiable and almost like her old self.

On March 11 and March 13 PHS of the Times Diary was speculating about the Garter. He reported that the last occasion upon which the Queen made a single appointment was Lord Ashburton in 1969. This is incorrect. Lord Casey was also appointed a KG in 1969. The last single appointment was Viscount Cobham in 1964. I wrote to this PHS chappie enclosing a list of all Garter knights appointed since 1952. Am I becoming a crank?

Ally and I dined by candlelight at 6:30, chicken soup, bacon, sausages and eggs. The phone rang. It was Sarah asking us to dine on Saturday. Startling. __________.

Watched TV. Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall and Edward G. Robinson. Ally is unimpressed by these old John Huston films and cannot understand my fascination. She says I only like them because I'm supposed to. Sorry, but that isn't me.

To bed at 9:30 with Lord Mountbatten.

-=-