Tuesday April 21, 1981

 _. Miserable day really. I can do nothing right. Dad did nothing but complain about the painting I did in his absence yesterday. I am very annoyed at his attitude. In future he can get on with his bloody work alone. The man is fastidious to the point of insanity.

Back to the YP after my Easter break. Kathleen, in her lengthy absence from us has been thinking up ways to destroy our perfectly good filing system. All the numers relating to files are to go, and we are going all alphabetical, she has announced. In other words Princess Anne will come before apples, and muscular dystrophy will come before music. I've worked with the numbered system for eight years, but now Divorce [2192], Iran [187], Greece [682], Sex[4768], Spiritualism [1063], Sheep [1E], Films [516], the Conservative Government [937H], and such, are to go.

Today is the fifty-fifth anniversary of the birth of Her Majesty the Queen, who is celebrating quietly at Windsor Castle. The Marquess of Cambridge, 85, a cousin of Her Majesty, died last Thursday without a male heir. It is my belief that one day HM will bestow the dukedom of Cambridge upon Prince Edward, a title long associated with the Royal Family over hundreds of years, and cousin George's demise makes this all the more real. Speculation is also growing in the Press that the Prince of Wales is to become the Governor General of Australia after his marriage. I think not. It would never do for Charles to become bogged down in colonial politics, and it wouldn't be right for Lady Diana to bring up a family 'down under'. The future cherubic Wales babies will require Gloucestershire air.

-=-

Monday April 20, 1981

 _. Bank Holiday in the UK [Except Scotland] & Canada

Mum and Dad went off with John at 8:30am to Penrith to tow his car back. I spent the day up a ladder painting the house. Got more paint on myself than the walls. Ally cleaned her car.

Mum, Dad and John came home at 6:30 and Dad wasn't happy with my painting. Bloody charming. Later, watched [for the eighteenth time] 'Where Eagles Dare'. They show this film every Bank Holiday, and every time they think Richard Burton is about to die. Buggered.

-=-

Sunday April 19, 1981

 _. Easter Day. Full Moon

Crippled with a hangover. I switched onto the BBC and watched the Pope's 'Urbi et Orbi' address, in no fewer than forty nine languages, and felt much better afterwards.

Mum made a spectacular buffet. All the family gathered. Catherine calls her brother 'the boy'. Lynn and David brought baby Frances, and Maria held her for hours. Sue and Pete came very late. Pete was somewhat reminiscent of a dummy in Madame Tussaud's. 

The party was over by 6 and Ally and I stayed with Mum and Dad and we watched 'Murder on the Orient Express' from the book by Agatha Christie. I like the book, but the film is dull. Retired at 12.

-=-

Saturday April 18, 1981

 _. Up at 8 and out helping Papa who is painting the house white. He began this ridiculous task yesterday. John and JPH came to breakfast, and Maria followed later with Catherine. Both children looked excellent and although Catherine will be 2 in June she still cannot walk unaided. John found a boiler suit and took up a paint brush to help. It was warm enough for Ally, Mum and Maria to sit on the lawn in deckchairs.

In the afternoon I took an hour off and went with Ally to pay Denise the remainder of our Ios money. Gulp.

Painting continued until after 6. We ate prawn sandwiches with the others. Karen, Steve, Jill and Tim came at 8 and we went to Dave L's 'Christmas' party at Tennyson Street. A successful party, and good turn-out, with far more attending that our miserable nine guests at Christmas. We danced until our legs ached. Hazel O'Connor was perhaps the most played record. John came minus Maria, who was too tired. He consumed vast quantities of whisky. Ally squealed with excitement at the arrival of Jacq and Paul [on a motor bike]. Teachers from Dave's school came in abundance. I sneezed a good deal thanks to the presence of Rowan, the Gordon Setter. The Dibbs came, as did Ian Appleyard, who expects his second child on or around April 27. Joan Lawson, Dave's Mum, wanted to play Debussy's 'Clair de Lune' on the organ, but was out-voted. Shame. Home at 2:30, pissed.  

-=-

Friday April 17, 1981

 _. Good Friday

We had coffee in bed with Cadbury's Creme Eggs.

Spent the day industriously at Club St. Brewing ale, digging amongst the daffodils, cleaning out the cellar, gathering litter. Sunny and warm throughout.

We went over to Guiseley at 6. Mother was in a foul temper. She did improve later. John phoned to say his car has broken down in Penrith and that Jim Macdonald, Snr, had gone to collect them.

-=-