Thursday May 14, 1981

 _. To Club St at 6. Had fish and chips. Ally is going mad cleaning in readiness for Graham and Charlotte's arrival. We watched 'Top of the Pops' and then went shopping to Morrison's. 

Dave G phoned. He's coming May 28-29, and so we have decided to throw a party, a belated birthday party combined with a pre-nuptial orgy.

Bessie, not Mrs D.

Mrs D phoned. I musn't call her Mrs D. I shall have to call her Bessie. Obviously, I could never call her mother. Ally's aunt, Elsie Swire, also phoned. We are commanded to go into the depths of Lancashire to visit her next Wednesday. We will also call on Auntie Annie in Colne. 

Mum and Dad saw Mr Houldsworth at Barclays Bank, Otley. He seemed very interested, but hasn't given the go-ahead as yet. He would like a timber survey.

Church news: the Pope is making very slow progress.

-=-

Wednesday May 13, 1981

Mad Turk shoots Pope.

 _. A mad Turk has attempted to assassinate the Pope in Rome. He failed miserably. Typical of the Turks, don't you think? I was traveling home at the time of the shooting quite oblivious of this anti-papal attack. Caught up with it on the news: crowds of wailing nuns running amok beneath the Basilica in St Peter's Square.

Back to this morning. I forced Ally out of bed at 6:50 because she had to do something with the mounds of bread in the kitchen. Her ears have gone into decline now. She can hear nothing, and as I sat with my humble breakfast looking across the table at her I could hear the wax squelching around in the labyrinths of her gorgeous ears. She left for Bradford at 7:50. Dave B came shortly afterwards with the Oliver, Kitchen and Flynn report [he's been looking at it to make a structural survey]. Jim Rawnsley is on business in London and so I went to Leeds with Dave. A hot day.

Frank D phoned Mum and told her to make an appointment with a Mr Houldsworth at Barclays Bank, Otley. She did as directed. Frank has had a word with him, and they are seeing him at 10:30 tomorrow. It's now in the lap of the Gods. I do not think Frank would have set this up if he didn't think they stood a chance.

Denise has sent me a bill for a further £15 for the Ios honeymoon. I phoned her at 3. She had been to lunch with C. Ratcliffe and Lynne Mather and they'd just been talking about me. My ears were burning.

Had a couple of talks with Ally. We are like Mrs Thatcher and Helmut Schmidt these days. Watched 'Private Schulz'. Bed 12.

-=-

Tuesday May 12, 1981

 _. Mum phoned me at 1:30. Clive Osborne at the Yorkshire Bank isn't prepared to give them a loan to purchase the Stonehouse Inn. Banks, he says, are not lending money on licensed premises.

Later at 8pm Dad spoke to Frank Dixon who says the Yorkshire bank have mishandled the whole thing and assures him that he will find them a a good business manager. Dad was embarrassed contacting Frank, but I do not share his qualms. Doesn't this world function on the lines of who you know, not what you know?

Ally came at 7:30. We had a drive around Menston and Hawksworth. Back at Pine Tops Ally baked three disastrous cakes, and a heap of brown bread. Indigestion. 

Tension tonight after a day of nail biting terror. Ally stayed. Bed after 12:30.

A judge was murdered today. Quite a rare thing.

-=-