Showing posts with label cecil woodham-smith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cecil woodham-smith. Show all posts

20090414

Friday April 27, 1973

Get up at nearly 10 o'clock. Have a bowl of cereals. It's unusual for me. Have a cup of coffee while glancing at Queen Victoria in the lounge. Much more interesting than George III.

Oh, I must do my Economics. I keep putting it off and putting it off. It will be too late if I leave it any longer. I MUST DO MY ECONOMICS AFTER LUNCH!! Grief, it's 11 o'clock and I have to ring June. She will be waiting. Oh no! Lynn is on the phone. I'll tell her to get off the line and then I'll ring June.

I rang her but no one answers. I will keep ringing until I am satisfied that she has forgotten. On reflection, did I promise to ring her today, or was that yesterday?

Deep in sorrow I continue with my Economics. Work all afternoon.

Go to the CW at 7 o'clock. Sue fell off Polo this morning. She feels as though she's broken her back - Poor Girl!

Very busy evening. Bored and tired by 12.30. Come home and read Mrs Woodham-Smith's Queen Victoria Vol. 1, 1819-1861. Marvellous! The Lady Flora Hastings Affair is so interesting - how can one imagine in these days of the 1970s that idle gossip at court in 1839 could bring down a government? Queen V is such a character. My heroine in history. If ever I have a say in the naming of a daughter of mine - she will be called Victoria.

Come to bed at 2.

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Thursday April 26, 1973

Got up at 10 o'clock. Had a terrible boiled egg which was under done. The hardest thing in the world to cook must surely be a boiled egg. You can't tell whether it's cooked or not until you cut the top off - when it's too late.

At precisely 11 o'clock I ring June at the Horsforth phone box. She sounds so much younger on the telephone. We decided to meet at Rawdon Library at 3 o'clock. Ring off at 11.30. Lynn is in the bathroom which prevents me getting washed. Go downstairs and find a card waiting for me from Rawdon Library. They have a book reserved for me which I requested in November: Queen Victoria by Cecil Woodham-Smith. Should be interesting.

After lunch I prepare for my journey to Rawdon. Go on the 2.30 55. Arrive 2.50. Go to Cleggs and buy some sweets. June arrived 5 minutes later. She's such a darling. Go to the library where we sit for nearly ninety minutes. I look through an electoral roll for 1853 and find my great-great grandfather who owned a draper's shop in the Marsh, Pudsey. I collect Queen Victoria and a book of horror stories. We go into the park. The day is brilliantly sunny with a fresh, excited breeze. We sit until nearly 5 o'clock. We go to the Post Office. I put £22 into my account. My birthday money plus £4. We walk to the bus stop. Go at 5.20. Kiss goodbye until tonight.

Have tea and look at some more Economics. John has decided to come out with me. We leave at 7.50. Mum walks with us on her way to the hairdresser. Arrive at the Emmotts at 8.25. June arrives simultaneously. Chris, Mick Lea, Denny, and MM arrive. They later go down to Esholt to see Mum and Dad. June and I have a serious talk. She asks me whether I think 3 months is too long for us to carry on. I am dumbfounded and disagree. I ask "what will happen in September?" She replies: "I will write to you every day." It must be love if we can plan 5 months in advance! At 10.40 we bid farewell to Ivy and go for the buses. John goes to the chippie. Our bus comes at 11.10. Kiss goodbye again. Home by 11.40.

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Friday November 2, 1984

 Chillandham Cross, Itchen Abbas I got up with Samuel at 7 and took him down and gave him a Weetabix and toast which he ate with gusto. He d...