Tuesday February 8, 1983

 Snow on the ground though nothing drastic. I was laughing about something and Ally said I look like Jimmy Tarbuck. Oh dear. To the YP. I was summoned to the office of Mr Malcolm Barker _________. He wanted all the details on the Earl of Halifax and his offspring. (The Princess of Wales was last night at Garrowby to attend a charity function). I filled him in with the facts and he said, of the princess, "she is of course a cousin of Halifax, isn't she?" I said yes, but went away frowning. All the top aristocratic families can of course be linked somewhere. I snatched up Burke's (Peerage) and found that HRH and Halifax are 6th cousins both having a common ancestor in a Duke of Gordon, and in the 2nd Earl Grey, prime minister and KG, &c.

Mrs Slocombe came in after lunch and sat frantically humming. She only does this when in a highly nervous state. Her face-lift is planned for March 1. The humming is always without rhythm and completely void of musical sensitivity.

Tonight I asked Ally to take down Burke's from the shelf and I asked her to select a peer at random and then I would find a relationship with that random peer and the Princess of Wales. She selected Earl Nelson. He is descended from the Duke of Marlborough, and so too is Diana. She then picked a Munro baronet, who has an Ogilvy up his tree back in the 13th century. That's enough for me.

Ally stood ironing and we watched a prehistoric science fiction film about worlds colliding. She grumbles that my taste in films isn't up to much and wanted to tune into 'Brookside' Channel 4's answer to 'Crossroads'. She may well win. When it comes to squabbling about the TV I always give in.

Talk about Saturdays party at Waltergarth _______.

Ally, still with iron in hand, says the Princess of Wales isn't as pretty as she once was. She has lost 'that' look. I think I know what she means. The Sun has a large photo of one of Prince Andrew's so-called aquaintances flashing her tits. It's just too much. The paper also states that the prince is to visit Koo Stark in the states very soon. Awful scandal mongering. Princess Margaret is still going about town with Derek Deane, principal dancer of the Royal Ballet, but this doesn't create the storm it would have done 5 years ago. Funny how things change?

Off to bed. Ally is reading Nancy Mitford and I nothing. I lay watching the damp creeping down the walls. Hurry Mr O'Connor (the roofer). We need you.

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