Monday March 21, 1983

 Thunder, lightning, snow, hail, and rain. What a start to the first day of Spring. Ally went out to the bus stop and stood in the deluge. I stood at the window watching her. It was a heart rending sight, looking at her bedraggled and forlorn form.

The YP rotten. Sarah came down from her brainwashing course upstairs. Carol showing Margo how to classify the YP. ______.Carol was received in audience by Austin-Clarke this afternoon and she told him in no uncertain terms that she had been shoddily treated re her forthcoming departure. She is going on Friday and doesn't know whether or not to bring a wheelbarrow for the money. 

Didn't speak to Ally. Remiss of me. Left at 4. Bitterly cold. Snow fell this evening and when I looked out at 11:30 it was thick, white, and Christmas-card-like. Ally loves it.

News: Saw the Waleses 'down under' on the news. Prince William's favourite toy is a stuffed Koala. I am so cynical. When they go to India it will be a cuddly toy elephant, and in China a panda, and in Barnsley a red toy Arthur Scargill that shoots himself at the throw of a switch.  The Queen Mother and Princess Margaret arriving for a film premiere. PM looking trim and well. Other royal news: I have been reading the serialised memoirs of Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester. She skirts around important events with barely a mention and is bogged down with trivialities.

To bed at 11:30.

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Sunday March 20, 1983

 Passion Sunday

Peter N celebrates his silver jubilee today. I phoned him and he was enthusiastic and pleasant, quite unlike the typical Mr Nason. A rotten day. Ally in a furious, blazing mood that made the going uneven. It was a day of activity. I moved the furniture around in the bedroom and Ally cleaned and polished like a ____. I ran up and down the cellar steps, bottling wine.

King Umberto of Italy has died in Geneva. The Italians have come out of this very badly because he wanted desperately to die on Italian soil, but was prevented from doing so by the constitution. He only lost the 1946 plebiscite by 2,000,000 votes. It was 12m to 10m I think. The Prince and Princess of Wales have arrived in Australia with Prince William. Alighting from the plane blinking in the sunshine. No royal prince has ventured so far from home at such an early age. I am in two minds about it. Australia is renowned for child-killing germs. 

Steak and kidney pudding tonight. We both sat with a drink first to cool off after the trauma of the afternoon. TV dismal. The series about the occupants of No. 10 has been ghastly. Tonight was Disraeli. Totally laughable. I have yet to see a convincing Queen Victoria on TV. To bed at 10 in our new styled bedroom. ______Exceptionally cold. A fight for survival for the hot water bottle. She won.

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Saturday March 19, 1983

 Lay upon our bed until after 11. I took a bath and Ally prepared breakfast. My hair is looking good. Not a grey hair in sight. The milk person retreating down the garden path clutching £8 stood on a slug and skidded in the entrails leaving the garden path looking like the field after the Battle of Bosworth. I later went out with a spade to remove the corpse. The spring flowers are coming up, but only just. Our garden looks good in Spring, but at no other time. 

For the first time we walked from home and into town to do some shopping. Ally looked a treat in my large red pullover. The first time since autumn that I have been outside without a coat. In years gone by, when I was a robust youth, I went through winter after winter without the protection of any outer garments. We bought oddments for the bedroom and a 'get well' card for Audrey. Home for 4.

Lynn & Dave arrived from hospital looking gloomy. Audrey is on the mend but will be in hospital for three and a half months and is behaving differently, or perhaps I should say uncharicteristically. Audrey said  that S______M______ had once been found 'pissed' in his motor car, and Audrey never swears. Frances looked like a little lady in a maroon velvet dress and white tights. Ally corrects me and says it was 'plum'. They went away dumbfounded that I am quitting the YP. I phoned Mum and told her. She was shocked and seemed disapproving, but didn't say so. She was the one who was always wanting me to pack it all in, and now seems to be having doubts. Ally's mum phoned and talked about someone they know who is retiring and Ally saw this as an ideal opportunity to tell her that I am going to take redundancy. She was surprised but said that we should go out and do what we want whilst we are young. The idea that we might have a pub isn't her 'cup of tea' but says 'it is your life'. Relieved that we have told everyone.

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Friday March 18, 1983

 Up at 6:15 feeling beastly - it's my new name for her. Had a steaming bath and made breakfast for my slumbering companion. _________. Eggs, toast, &c.

Deposited Dave at his spot in the interchange. F24 actually. Wind my way to Leeds. Dull Day. Kathleen offensive. She's finding me all sorts of things to do before I go. Had a long chat with Geoff Hemingway. He is off next week and wants me to ring him when our application forms are ready to post. Jim (Rawnsley) is holding up this process. 'Before you piss off' he said 'can you find me the name of the caves where the first primative drawings were found?' Aren't they in France? Home, tired out.

Ally like the walking dead, and vicious. She is always vicious when she's tired. We ate and went off to bed reasonably early. Before crawling away I watched the thing on Channel 4 that I've been watching for four weeks. I had no idea that the French had invaded Ireland in 1798. I thought they were still in the caves daubing paint everywhere. Bisons, I think the cavemen painted bisons. To sleep serenaded by the dog at Mary's.

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