Friday September 24, 1976

Lynne comes over straight from Burley [in Wharfedale] to stay for the weekend. Not a drop of alcohol passes my lips all night -except for one glass of 'Clan Dew' supped at home on our return from the cinema. Yes, we actually went to the pictures for a change. Lynne, Peter, Susan and self, that is. 'Squirm' was the film. A so-called horror movie, but only Lynne found it so. The film on the TV on our return to Pine Tops was far worse. Bed at 1.30 - 2oclock.

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Thursday July 22, 1976

Lynne M and I go into Burley-in-Wharfedale to the Red Lion for a drink and then motor down to Ilkley to the Stoney Lea for further alcoholic refreshment. Lynne and I get on famously. Very similar sense of humour.

We go to Oakwood Hall where drink gins and tonics and a quick prance about on the dance floor make it all the more of an enjoyable night. I wore my 'El Capone' T-shirt which was eyed with a certain amount of curiosity by the other patrons.

The ruddy Olympic Games are getting me down. If watching them hour after hour at home on the TV isn't enough it is just the bloody limit to go into a discotheque and find crowds of people in the bars and on the dance floors watching an under-nourished Olga Korbut leaping around a stadium as if her arse is on fire. TVs in discos must be a bad idea. Anti-social and bloody diverting they are.

Home at 1.30am.

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Friday April 30, 1976

Carole, Chris, Christine, Martyn and I escape from the Hare & Hounds quite early and head for the Red Lion at Burley-in-Wharfedale which personally I don't like, but I'm not driving am I? We have a good laugh and Martyn and I discuss the events of last Friday. He was violently sick on Saturday too - which makes me feel a lot better. I loathe being the odd one out.

Carole was happy enough in the pub but her temperament changed dramatically on the way home and she left me without so much as a 'goodbye'. Miserable lady, that's what she is.

Cannot help raving about Elton John. He was the sole topic of discussion the whole day at work and we are all now confirmed EJ addicts for life from now on. Even Carole enjoyed it. I expected the usual bitchy comments from the library staff of their first sighting of my girlfriend, but received none whatsoever.

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Saturday March 27, 1976

Dave L is back in our midst. He took Carole, myself, Sue & Peter up to the Cow & Calf pub this evening after a dead hour in the Hare with only Andy and Linda in attendance. Peter M came in and he accompanied us to the Cow in his own vehicle. The astounding thing about the whole evening was the free juke box!

People were marvelling at Dave's beard. He certainly has given himself a Biblical touch. To a fish & chip shop in Burley-in-Wharfedale where we gorge and feast ourselves in Dave's car. Back to our place for coffee and Mr Lawson took Carole home.

Meanwhile: Earlier that day. Carole and I went to Bradford where she collected my bomber jacket and whilst I was rooting for Mother's Day cards she went and bought me a gold crucifix on a gold chain. I know she likes buying me things, but somehow it gives me a feeling of uneasiness. We didn't argue once - unusual for us when shopping, because Carole is never the same as when she's dragging me round those sweaty, hot department stores.

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Wednesday March 10, 1976

Mum woke me at 6am while she was struggling to the bathroom on one leg like Long John Silver. Of all the times to be rendered crippled! I can forsee her being carried down the aisle on a stretcher on Saturday which, if nothing else, will raise a few laughs from our sadistic, insane family.

It rains slightly as Jim and I drive to Leeds but it clears up. I hate rain.

It is rewarding to see the Union Jack hoist up outside the YP because I am responsible for supplying Tom Lambert with the up-to-date list of flag flying days. Today is Prince Edward's 12th birthday. If I hadn't stopped him Tom would have had the flag fluttering on the mast on March 31 for Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester. When Tom asked me why we don't fly it for Henry anymore I had to answer in very simple terms: 'He's dead Tom, that's why.'

Home for chicken which was cooked by Dad. John is still behaving strangely and is very bad tempered. Must be his way of showing he's just as nervous as the rest of us.

The wedding rehearsal tonight at Burley-in-Wharfedale, but when we get to the church it is all in darkness. John comes tearing down the road to say it's all off. We think he means the wedding is off, but it's only the rehearsal. Father Scannell has forgotten all about it and has gone off with his brother. The silly old boy is over 70 and seems to be on the verge of senility.

John, Lynn and I go in the spitfire to the Hare. We are all nostalgic. Lynn says it's the last pre-wedding drink we'll have together. The three of us then went to Maria's and chat until 11.30 or so.

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Sunday February 29, 1976

Quinquagesima. It's the first time that February 29 has fallen on a Sunday since 1948, and it won't fall again on the Sabbath until 2004. Aren't I a walking encyclopaedia then? If you think I'm going to divulge just where I found this item of information you'll have one Hell of a wait because I'm not going to tell you until 2004. See you all then.

A nice day and John and I go for a drive in the spitfire with the roof off to Burley-in-Wharfedale. We get Mum a plant from a garden centre and heading home for lunch we see Carole at the bus stop waiting for the bus to come up to ours. John goes down to pick her up whilst I have lunch and she sits in the dining room with great expectations of going for a walk afterwards. Maria comes round with Prinny (spaniel) and she chats with Mum about the flowers. I can't believe my eyes when I look at Maria. She's getting enormous, and the heir to the Rhodes Empire isn't due until September.

Carole and I walk round Tranmere and call on Molly. She talks for hours and we don't get out until after 4 when it starts to rain.

Dad and John are decorating Maria's bedroom and I almost feel sorry for them both as they peep at us from the Georgian-style windows of 14, Ridgeway.

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Tuesday January 27, 1976

I despatched a letter to David in Worcester on the John/Maria subject. I hope he'll get home for the celebrations this coming weekend.

Work was quite busy and I'm still doing the YP indexing with Sarah, who tells me, incidentally, that her father has been promoted and sent to Sheffield. Is this goodbye to Sarah Collis? If it is I won't bother coming all the way to the YP from Ripon, because she's the only decent person in the place.

I come home from work to find Dad in bed completely taken over by 'flu, and Mum isn't in a much better state, and is making dinner.

John rushes in and has a bath and then goes straight to see the priest (Father Scannell), with Maria, at Burley-in-Wharfedale. John hob nobbing with Roman Catholic priests in the dead of night! Who'd have thought it? You could knock me down with a feather, you really could.

It came to me today that my life with John is more or less over. For twenty years we have seen each other every day, and it's going to be hard getting used to not having him around. For 20 years we've shared a bedroom, and in just over six weeks he'll be gone forever - sad really.

Molly Macdonald rings at 8.30 to confirm that the wedding day is March 13, and it will take place at Burley, and that the reception will be at Acacia House, and that each family can have 25 guests each not including the principal participants. I am confimed as best man, and Lynn, Susan and Elizabeth will be bridesmaids. I'm having a nervous breakdown.______________.

Bed at midnight after no sighting of the -happy couple'. _________.

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Friday January 16, 1976

I stay in bed until after eleven and wake up feeling greatly improved from my two days break from toiling at the office.

CB rings to discover the nature of my indisposition and I joke with her about going out with Chris again. They went out together last January-February and I remark on the coincidence.

Ring Denny about the holiday booking and she says she and Tony will come up tonight to collect the deposit money.

Denny and Tony come up at 9 and Carole arrives minutes later. I give her the £30 for the deposit and they then took C and I to the Hare for a few drinks. We move on to the Red Lion at Burley-in-Wharfedale where I cut my finger on Tony's car door and at closing time we nip back to Tony's bachelor pad in Burley.________________.

Girls are funny things really. Maria asked Tony when he was going to make a honest woman of Denise & I could have crawled under the carpet. ________________________.

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Saturday May 17, 1975

Hilarious day. Mum got me out of bed at 12 to accomapny her to Morrison's for the weekly pile of nosh and general necessities. In unbearable heat we chase about the shop for the best part of an hour, picking Sue up at the hairdressers on the way home.

A 2pm Gillian comes round with 'Diamond Dogs' by Bowie, and after half an hour the two of us decide to pay a call on Chris, who is messing about with his guttering (roof guttering and all that) with the aid and assistance of John of course. After messing about on a couple of buses Gillian and I arrive at Horsforth at about 2.30 to discover Mrs Ratcliffe pottering around in the rubble of what was once 21, Victoria Drive. She was all covered in paint saying things like: 'Oh, Chris and John disappeared half an hour ago down Town Street'. We sat about waiting for the two workers to return and when they do we follow them outside and clown about on the lawn, eating ice lollipops and making foolery and merriment. John dangling about at the top of a ladder just didn't look safe, and Gillian felt quite sickly just watching him. Home at about 6 in a mild drizzle to have tea.

Mum and Dad are at Leeds General Infirmary visiting Auntie Mabel, and therefore I make the tea consisting of fish fingers and peas. Very nice too, although I say it myself.

Out to the Hare & Hounds at about 8 and Gillian more or less tags onto me for the night. After a disagreement in the Malt Shovel, Burley-in-Wharfedale, the happy family splits up and Laura takes her mob to Ilkley and John, Gillian, Christine Dibb and I go to the White Horse in Burley to see Cousin Dorothy. We leave at about 11.10 after exchanging reminiscences with Dorothy. Played dominos for the first time in years.

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Monday December 23, 1974

YP all day. Nearly Christmas once more. Doesn't seem ten minutes since the last one really.

Go with John, Mum and Dad to see cousin Dorothy at the White Horse in Burley-in-Wharfedale. She is not really like any of the Wilsons I know. My calculations show she's the daughter of my grandfather's elder brother, Edward Wilson. Mum says he was a typical local character whose vocabulary consisted of little other than swear words and uncouth language. 'The salt of the earth' as Dad would say. We have a few drinks at Burley before coming home for supper. On arriving home I call in on the Blackwells with a bottle of rum which Mum bought for them. They keep me for ages talking about the weather of yesteryear. Evidently, 1933 and 1947 were the worst Christmases they have known.

Pork sandwiches for supper with Lynn, Sue, Peter and Dave. See a cronic ghost story before coming to bed after 12.

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Friday September 13, 1974

Last day at the YP before Windsor. Janice leaves today. Thank the Lord she is gone.

Go to the Hare and Hounds in the evening where we see the photographs of our Grassington weekend which Dave B's had developed so soon. Dave Lawson is also a member of the party and it's the first time I've seen him since last weekend._______.Mum and Dad join us for a drink and we bid farewell to them because when we get in tonight it will be too late to make any farewells of any kind. Dave, Chris, John, Denny, Carol, Phyllis Whitethighs, &c, go to the Tudor Bar at Burley-in-Wharfedale. Good laugh is had by all.

On to Wikis, all except Dave L who refuses to patronise the place, though he promises to come on Friday September 27. Home at 2 after a thrilling evening. I think that John and Carol are going out again, but you know what the "happy family" are like. Far too much of this 'here today, gone tomorrow' attitude. I think John and Carol make an attractive couple.


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