Wednesday August 5, 1981

 _. Another scorcher. Up at 6:30.

Worked through lunch, sat at my desk until 5. Gloom. Home for 6. Lasagne. Bobbin looked better and has colour in her cheeks. 

Industrious later. Weeding the garden, then bottling lager. Dave L phoned for news of the honeymoon. He's coming over tomorrow evening to catch up.

News: the Pope has had another operation on his intestines, supposedly successful, but will he regain his old vigour? Viscount Quenington is to marry a Brazilian. Sir Geoffrey Howe says the recession is over.

TV: Elizabeth Taylor and Michael Caine in X,Y and Zee [1972].

Weather: thundery this evening. Tomorrow, cloud and thunder.

Tuesday August 4, 1981

 _. Hot, sticky, and uncomfortable. Up at 6:45 to the radio alarm clock blasting out the rousing national anthem in honour of the Queen Mother's 81st birthday. What will we do without her when the time comes?

To Leeds at 7:45. Phoned Mum from the office. The deadline for the Stonehouse Inn is tomorrow. She sounded depressed. It looks like the end of the line. 

I'm researching Diana's pedigree for something for the YP. Thumbing through the 1956 edition of Burke's Peerage. The new princess has a second cousin, Mrs Foster, of Oswaldkirk, near York, and another cousin is Mrs Robin Compton, of Newby Hall, Ripon. Diana is also related to Bessie's neighbour in Martyr Worthy, old Mrs Seymour.

Home at 6. Fish cakes. Ally is pale and exhausted. To bed .

Footnote: will Michael Heseltine be PM one day?

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Monday August 3, 1981

 _. Up at 6:30. To the YP for 9. Oliver Everett has been appointed Comptroller to the Household of the Prince and Princess of Wales and Private Secretary to the princess. He is her first appointment. It is rumoured that the honeymoon will take them to Kos, ideal for windsurfing and sailing..

Phoned Ally at 11. _________.

The 9 o'clock news: Ronald Reagan seems to be doing very well over in the USA. Er, that's it.

Had a long talk with Dave G, who is twenty seven today and back from San Antonio. He has missed us. Garry isn't the riotous type is he? Ibiza sounds to be more crowded than ever.

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Sunday August 2, 1981

Rachel.

 _. 7th Sunday after Trinity

Hot summers day. We laid in bed until about 10 looking at a map. We were seriously thinking about going to Chatsworth, but the time of day put us off. I suggested driving down to Althorp to look at Lady Diana's bathroom. But no. 

Rachel Judson came knocking on the door at 12. She said her car was 'leaking' and could I possibly put a stop to it? Oh, dear. I went over the road with a bucket of water, and managed to top up the radiator. I think that poor Rachel really just wanted to speak to somebody. She told me that she and Garry have 'finished' and that she was still pissed from last night. Rachel was clad in her black, silky disco gear and clearly had been in them all night. She bombed off in her MG, blond hair flowing. Poor Rachel. She looks at me in that naughty, dangerous way. Nothing can come between me and my precious Ally, not even the blond siren Rachel Judson. 

We drove up to the Goose Inn on the moors above Halifax. Sat with a lager curiously watching the barman. Is he perhaps my long, lost cousin? I went over and enquired: "Are you Graham Rhodes?" To which he replied: "Are you Michael Rhodes?" Great fun. Graham is the son of my Dad's older brother, Arnold. His younger sister, Miss Alison Katherine Rhodes [!!] is the waitress and brought our ploughman's lunches. Isn't it a small universe? We promised to see him again. Ally found him a very attractive youth, carefully addding that he was obviously of the same gene pool as her attractive husband. On at 6 to Haworth and then to the George & Dragon on Apperley Lane for a steak. The bill came to £14. ______.

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Saturday August 1, 1981

 _. Up at about 9. We had breakfast watching the royal stuff on the telly. The departure for Gibraltar of the Prince and Princess of Wales. Rain at Broadlands but the crowds were dense and good humoured, as they have been all week. The public interest shown to this couple must make them the most popular pair in history. The prince piloted the Andover of the Queen's Flight to Oporto[for refuelling], then on to the rock of Gib and eventually to the peace and quiet of HMY Britannia for 2 weeks.

The Commercial, Esholt.

To Guiseley at 12. With Mum, Dad, John, JPH, Catherine, Lynn, Dave, Frances, Sue & Pete to the Hare and Hounds beer garden. Back to Pine Tops at 3:30. JPH went next door to Richard Eccles's third birthday party. At 8 we went out with Lynn, Dave, Sue & Pete to the Commercial. Dave & Elaine Allinson were there. The girls were put out by this. You have to be in the right mood for an evening with Elaine.

Ally was feeling clammy and uncomfortable and so we left for home and bed. She gnashes her teeth in her sleep, you know.

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