Monday November 14, 1983

 The Birthday of the Prince of Wales

The Why Not, Hemlington

A dark start to the day at 7am. We stayed abed listening to BBC Radio 4. It is the Prince of Wales's birthday. He is 35. Ally gasped when I said that when Diana is 60 the prince will be 72. I went downstairs and scrubbed the cellar, re-hung the curtains, 'bottled up' - all this for less than £80 a week. I must be a madman. We had breakfast at 10. Creamy porridge, eggs for Ally, but I abstained. It is ten years ago today since Ally scaled Pen-y-Ghent with Martyn Cole. Ten years ago today I was squat in front of a smouldering TV watching Princess Anne marry the young army captain. The cleaner, Gail, asked me for a £2 sub and I refused. If bar staff cannot have subs then why should the cleaners? Sunshine, but cold. When Miss Smarty Pants came in at 12 we went off to Thornaby and banked the takings. In Woolco we were nauseated by the sight of Christmas decorations and we shopped to the piped music of 'Hark the Herald Angels Sing'. Too early for this sort of thing don't you think? Back at the Why Not Ally made a chicken stew and dumplings. Felt sleepy and sprawled on the bed after dinner listening to the news. Cruise missiles arrived at Greenham Common today. A jolly good thing too. At 9:40 I was in the lounge downstairs talking with Lol Wilson about the Clissold pub in Muswell Hill when Ally phoned down for me to go up. Upstairs we have a bullet hole through the kitchen window which cracked the double glazed panel. Ally was on her way to the kitchen at the time of the gunshot. I shudder to think what could have happened. I am quite convinced that many people in our society are unfit to live. Cocoa in bed at midnight.

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