Thursday June 16, 1983

 Sunny start, but dull later. Andrew is a problem. Bessie cannot manage him. By the look of things he gives her a real hard time. Ally says Bessie blames herself for having him so late in life (she was 42) which has resulted in his apparent 'slowness'. We do not thing he is slow at all. It is all pretence. He has his parents under his thumb. The only problem with having children late in life is that they take advantage. A child of mine would have been soundly battered before reaching Andrew's age and size. Alas, it is too late now.

After breakfast with Ally and Bessie to Winchester where they spend two hours buying, or rather looking at baby clothes (for Matthew) and row after row of ladies underwear. I was bored sick and in no mood for trailing around the shops. I wouldn't mind if Ally bought things, but she rarely does. She tried on a green thing in Laura Ashley and emerged from the changing room looking like the prize vegetable marrow at Otley Show. Laura Ashley it seems caters for the giant. At 1pm the three of us went to the Bush at Ovington and sat in the murky depths. Quite my favourite haunt in Hampshire. A pair of Americans were going on and on for all to hear on the subject of children from broken marriages and people with drug problems.___________. Ploughman's lunch again. I look like a bloody ploughman. 

Overcast afternoon. Back at 3 for tea and cake. Andrew phones from Bishops Sutton and has to be collected. Poor B spends her life chasing around for his benefit. Ally and I went and sat under the cherry tree and as I write this she is reading Women's Weekly magazines from 1976. 

A Tory MP has criticised the PM for reviving hereditary peerages. I will write to Downing Street giving Mrs T my support for the move. We sat in the garden until after six. Bessie went in to watch 'Crossroads' and 'Emmerdale Farm'. She is a keen follower. Frank was home before dark for once, but no Andrew. Ally, looking better, stayed up until 10:30 and went off leaving us watching Sir Robin Day's 'Question Time'. Willie Whitelaw made mincemeat of the upstart Michael Meadowcroft, a new Liberal MP. Tony Benn is not the ideal thing to go to bed on and we did so looking pained and restless. Frank stayed up to quiz Andrew on his weird activities.

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