Tuesday June 21, 1983

 At 10:30 I phoned Geoff Hemingway. He was chuffed about the job. I arranged to meet him at the Town Hall Tavern at 2. A postman arrived, fat and sweaty, who handed me a letter without a stamp and asked me to cough up 22p. It's from Sam Smith's telling us we are to train at the Linthorpe Hotel, Middlesbro'. Phoned Ally who was excited. Lynn phoned to ask about Winchester. She tried to assure Ally saying that once the first 12 weeks (of pregnancy) are over it's a doddle. I went to see Jacq ______. She has been going out with a shoplifter who specialises in videos. To the Town Hall Tavern for 2. Sat with Peter Lazenby, Roy Holland and Nicola Gould. Geoff followed. Sank a few pints and some whisky. Geoff, delighted about the job, asked if the baby was a mistake. Staggered back in the hot sun to the YP and found the library dull and gloomy. All were tearing up photographs in that unpleasant, thick atmosphere. Kathleen doesn't like Capricorn people and hopes that our baby is late and born after January 21. Home to Ally. Pork chops. Prince William is one today. We didn't see him. His parents are in Ottowa.

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Monday June 20, 1983

 Warm, sticky. Wash day. I went to 'sign on'. A 17 year-old with punk eye make-up tells me they won't pay me for the last week when I was on holiday because I wasn't prepared to return mid-week. I have been unemployed for 10 weeks and haven't received a penny piece. Went to Vicar Lane and got Ally the relevant maternity forms. We are told that Jean Watts is expecting a child in February. Met Ally at 12:30. She was with Patricia. We went to the building society and the bank and then to the Traveller's Rest for a drink and a beef sandwich. (We disposed of Patricia after the bank). Ally looked bonnie and sweet ____. Went to the Co-op and spent a mere £11. Home in a sweat at 2. Is Sir Harold Wilson going to receive an earldom in the prime minister's dissolution honours list? It would be typical of the old boy I must say, and I wouldn't blame him accepting. It would be one in the eye for the lefty element, eh? Earl Wilson of Huyton, KG? The Queen Mother is in Ulster inspecting the TA - it was the lead on the 6 o'clock news and rightly so. Ally was in at 5. Lasagne. She doesn't feel bright tonight and feels nauseated. The heavy Italian nosh cannot help. No TV. Ally reading aloud from her maternity allowance booklet. One needs a degree in gobbledegook. After studying the text she decided she will get a good whack and that by changing jobs she won't be done out of any cash. Mama phoned enquiring after Ally's health. She is sunburned after yesterday and is sore. Dad is painting everything in sight including Pen-y-Ghent by the sound of things. Upstairs at 9:30.

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Sunday June 19, 1983

 3rd Sunday after Trinity

Father's Day

Hot. Mum and Dad's 29th wedding anniversary. We had breakfast in the cold, dark kitchen and then went out into the heat and sat with B, who was knitting furiously. Bought a Sunday Telegraph and read about George V's so-called bigamous marriage with a Miss Culme-Seymour in Malta in 1890. Ridiculous, and of course if he'd married in 1890 then it would not have been bigamous, albeit illegal (under the terms of the Royal Marriages Act). His 1893 marriage to Mary of Teck would have been the 'bigamous' union.

Ally put on a tight, black swimsuit and looked like a seal, but a sexy one. We lay on the lawn with iced lemonade. Gloomy about going home. Frank was more civilised today and he chatted about our new life. In fact he was jovial. Andrew came home this afternoon, white, from an all night party at Ovington and after a sleep he was off out again. Bessie says he has bought a piece of jewelry costing £6. She found the empty box in the bin. Presumably it's a gift for Lorraine. Bessie debates what it might be at that price. Not the Spencer tiara. We lunched at 2. Just the four of us. Pork.

Bessie & Frank

They drove us up to Victoria for 6. Still hot. Frank and Ally went off to the loo and Bessie and I stood on a windswept corner. Her dress inflating in a Marilyn Monroe moment (The Seven Year Itch). We departed at 6:30. Bessie looked tearful. Our 'Rapide' coach was far from rapid. Home via Sheffield and Huddersfield and we staggered in at 11. We had trouble unlocking the door. A letter awaits us from Younger's brewery asking us to go for an interview on the A1 at Darrington on June 27. It feels so good that we do not have to go. Piles of bills. The house stank like a mausoleum. Bed after 12. Hot and sticky. I phoned Horton this morning. They were having a family gathering and all were there.

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