Thursday June 9, 1983

A historic day. The General Election. Ally and I were up at 8 and after breakfast we went out and voted for Graham Hall, the Conservative candidate. At 11:30 we left for Leeds and then went on to Tadcaster for 1:15. We had a basket meal and a drink at the Bay Horse, a Sam Smith's pub, and then we went over to the HQ where Mr Tyne saw us in a tiny rabbit-hutch of a room. He was quite taken aback when we announced Ally's pregnancy and said it would be most 'inhuman' for him to reject us because of it and told us to begin our training as planned and see how it goes from then on. Tyne added that if we don't get a pub while Ally is expecting he can see nothing wrong with a 12 month wait. 

We came home jubilant. We got home for 5 and prepared for our general election party. Polling has been brisk, according to the news. Mum and Dad came at 8 and we told them both our items of news. They were thrilled but I don't think they fully approve of pubs and babies combined. We opened a bottle of bubbly. Hilda, Tony, Jim, and Margaret came at 9, and we told them our news. ___________. Margaret was dull worrying about Pamela being bed bound. Her child is to be Andrew or Rebecca. Jim looked at me, winked, and said in a whisper: "well Michael you've done it". Jim prefers the beers of John (Smith) to Sam. Margaret, watching the election unfold, asked a shocked room: "I wonder what Cyril Smith is like in bed?" It was quite clear from the start that Mrs Thatcher had achieved victory again. It was well worth sitting up until 5am to see Wedgwood Benn defeated by the Tories and similarly Shirley Williams at Crosby. Labour held our seat by 110 votes and Tom Torney collapsed afterwards from the shock of it all. The SDP failed and Labour remain the opposition. Hilda, Tony, Jim and Margaret left at 2am.  Hilda had been to cousin Stephen's 18th birthday party on June 3 but didn't mention it. Mum was the only aunt not to be invited. Dad snored in an armchair and was awakened with a start when our cheers at Benn's defeat shook the building. Ally stayed up until 3am and when she went to bed so did Mum and Dad leaving me clearing up and watching the TV until 5.

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