Showing posts with label christine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label christine. Show all posts

20090429

Monday September 24, 1973

Boring morning at Benton. Christine and MM went to David's at 42, Tennyson Street, where I joined them at 2.0 o'clock. We played records and drank some cheap sort of sweet sherry until 5 o'clock. Christine angered me by say Chris 'influenced' me. What absolute rot!

Arrive home at 5.30. Salad for tea. Mother argues about my job again. I am determined not to leave school until November 27. What's seven weeks anyway? See 'Coronation Street' at 7.30.

--==--

Friday September 21, 1973

Groves today discovered that I do not wish to go to college next year. Christine told him in Current Affairs - which seems and appropriate time and place to tell him - but I was so surprised by Christine leaking my news that I had no satisfactory explanation for him. He was not upset and wants only what is best for me.

MM wants to know what is happening this evening. It's all in the air. Christine wants me to go out with a certain Helen Taylor, from the lower 6th. The poor girl fancies me, so I'm told. I cannot go out with any girl so soon after my broken affair with June - my only love. MM even offers me the keys to his house for tomorrow night so that I can take HT back there. I decline. However, I did accept his offer of a seat in the west stand at Leeds United. How could I refuse such hospitality?

Chris rings at 7 and says that Marita and he are going to the Tudor Bar at Burley. I ring Dave and he takes John and me. MM, Linda S, and Christine W also arrive. A very pleasant evening. We decide to go to the Pentagon in Bradford, but MM, Linda, Christine and Dave go home, leaving the five of us to fit into Marita's car. We all sit in the back singing 'Glory, Glory, Leeds United' - Andy wearing Marita's tin helmet. We stop off at our house so that I can put on a tie, and everyone settles down in our comfortable lounge and we remain there until nearly 2 o'clock. Playing records - yet again.

--==--

20090428

Friday September 14, 1973

Awake at 7.30. Everyone leaves at 9.0 either for work or school. Uncle H going back to Wakefield.

I sit preparing my monarchy discussion until 11.30. Get the bus to school arriving at 12. I argue with Stott about funerals and the whole subject of people dying - he really is an uncultured brat.

Later: Christine and I hold our 6th form debate on the monarchy. Everyone dissolves when I say that the monarchy is good value for money compared with, say, the advertising for Kraft cheese slices - on which £7m per annum is spent. We cannot look at the monarchy is terms of tax payers money.

Later: John and I go to Chris's again. Find Andy preparing Chris's evening meal. Evidently, poor Chris is going on a pub crawl from work so before he even joins us he'll be stoned out of his tiny mind.

Another drunken escapade follows in the Fleece and we arrive back at Chris's house at 10.30 - after buying about 20 pints of beer at an off-licence. Very much like last Friday but minus Christine and Philip. Andy and I get awfully pissed and we both go buy some cigs at the machine outside Grandways at 4.30am. Whilst leaping over the large concrete plantpots Andy falls and hurts his ankle. I carry him back to Chris's - against his will. Chris and I bandage him up and then Chris makes John and I eggs and chips. Fall to sleep soundly until the following morning. Dave, the lucky blighter, was in a warm bed. I had the floor.

--==--

20090427

Saturday September 8, 1973

John and I go to Bradford in the morning and he buys the LP 'Never a Dull Moment' by Rod Stewart. The day is very hot and Bradford is sweltering. Rush home for lunch.

At 1.15 John and I walk down to Silverdale where Geoff Saxton gives us a lift to watch Leeds United play Birmingham. A 3-0 victory for the boys! We go immediately to Chris's and let ourselves in whilst he's at work. He is home by 6.15 and we have a meal together. Andy joins us at 8 and we all have very large Bacardis. When Marita arrives at 8.30 we are well on the way to getting drunk. Chris drinks his in the bath. John, Andy and me move on to the Fleece 8.45 where the rest of the gang awaits our triumphal arrival.

Later: the party at the Ratcliffe residence begins at 10.30. Andy and I are stoned already. We make a few practical jokes and Linda throws his clothes out of the bedroom window. Dave got drunk tonight for the first time in his life! He, along with Christine and Philip, played strip pontoon in the lounge. Philip had his trousers off before even his shirt. Why? Why? Wh? I ask myself.

At 3.30 Andy, Chris and me walked to Grandways for twenty cigarettes. We finished up dancing in the large concrete flower pots outside one of the shops. At 4.0 everyone went to bed leaving me with a Tamla Motown LP -what a terrible effect it had on me.

--==--

Wednesday September 5, 1973

A letter arrives from Middleton St George confirming just what I expected - they do not want me - this year anyway. Revise Napoleon I all day in the library. I took in a pile of records dating mainly from 1971. At leat they are more interesting than Donovan, etc.

Sit at lunchtime sharing my sandwiches with Christine. Oh, remember the days when I spent lunchtimes with June? Christine saw June in Horsforth the other day. She asked about me but is still enjoying herself deliriously. She went to the Mecca and Hoffbrau with Sue Bottomley last week. I would love things to revert to how they existed only several weeks ago. Michael Stott does not mention her name, although he must still be calling on her with Paul Tasker. I hold no grudge against the boy. Why can't she forget about the past? What can I have possibly done wrong anyway? I will write yet-again, begging her to reconsider. When I look back in the diary I realise what good times we used to share. Now it's all over. No wonder I cannot worry about my future career. What is to be enjoyed in life without June?

--==--

Monday September 3, 1973

A very important day for the USSR and for me. They had a visit from Prince Philip and I returned to Benton Park. I cannot decide which is the more important of the two.

Go to Benton at 9 and discover, to my horror, that I am now the oldest pupil in the 6th form and thus in the entire school. How horrid. I am the sole survivor from last year's upper 6th. I now know just how Lord de Courcey felt in 1936 when he found himself the last survivor of the 'Charge of the Light Brigade': ANCIENT!

Spend the day planning the timetable and listening to Groves rambling on. See Mrs Lane and Mr Ayling. Both unnecessarily sympathetic. Sit with Christine, MM, Liz Clap, and Maggie Edwards.

Prince Philip, God bless him, became the first prince of the UK to visit the USSR since before 1917. I suspect that he's gone ahead to plan a state visit by the Queen in a couple of years time. Prince Philip was certainly in his element with all that informality. Princess Anne is already at Kiev and Mark Phillips is going either tomorrow or on Wednesday.

Spend the evening watching the television. Bed by 12.0.

--==--

Saturday September 1, 1973

Get up at 11.55. Christine rang at 12.0. It tell her that at 4 o'clock this morning Dave and I flattened the battery of his car due to parking on the moor with the headlights on full beam in a sorry attempt to locate her bracelet. I assured C that we revived the car successfully.

At 1.0 I went to Leeds to be photographed for the college of education bods. The photos look groggy. Home by 3.0 after buying the 'Amateur Photographer' which contained royal photos of, and by, the Royal Family. See film - 'The Barretts of Wimpole Street'. Beef for dinner.

Later: John, who is now very attached to Christine White, accompanies me to the Queen's, where we are joined by her, Philip, Christine, Mick and Lynne. They stay until 10.0. John, Christine W, and I go home on the 10.30 bus. After depositing C at Yeadon, John and I go on to the nicest fish and chip shop in Guiseley. Walk home with Dobby - an old friend of Johns. Home by 12 o'clock. Seee a rather thrilling film. Bed for 1.15. An early start tomorrow.

Christine was very amused at last night. Thank Goodness, because she was so upset at the time.

--==--

Friday August 31, 1973

Woke at 8.15 with the terrible realisation that I had overslept again. But it all fits my plans admirably. I decide to stay at home until 10.0 when I go into school with Christine and MM to see Groves.

Have a little breakfast and read my book about the Duchess of Portsmouth.

Arrive at Benton simultaneously with MM and Christine. They bring the new cups for the 6th form. Don't see Groves until 12.0. He advies me to wait until I have heard from the college, but to go into school until I do. Term starts on Monday. Go back to see Bill and tell him I'm going back. He wishes me good luck - again. Mess about with the bus shelters until 4.30.

Later: Dave picks John and me up and we go to the Fleece. Christine and Philip are saving seats for us. MM and Linda Smith arrive later. We go to the Intercon at the Cow and Calf at 10.30. Christine, in answer to the call of nature, visits Pine Tops for the first time. She thinks it's extremely cosy. Andy and I make attempts to get very drunk - successfully. Poor Philip went through £8. A very bizarre occurrence took place at 2.30am on Saturday morning. Dave and Christine decided to go for a walk on Ilkley Moor whilst Philip and I slept in his car. Ten minutes later I'm awakened by Dave laughing but minus Christine. To my horror we find Christine unconscious in a four-foot pot hole in the heather. I thought at first that she was dead. After a ten minute struggle we have her back in the car - bruised but alive. Alas, she had lost her bracelet, and in her drunken state, she began to cry. Philip slept on. We take her to Pine Tops for a strong coffee. At 3.35 Dave and I take C home and then return to Ilkley Moor in search of the precious bracelet - sadly, to no avail. Bed by 4.35am.

--==--

20090424

Thursday August 30, 1973

It all became official today. June notified me. Got up at 6.45. Bill sends Andy and me to do the bus shelters at Rawdon traffic lights - horrid job indeed. After break he sends me to Henshaw to paint all the clothes posts. Laughable day. Brian Jilkes is such a scream.

The weather reminds me of April. Too wet to paint (fantastic). Do not finish my task by 4.0 which means I will have to complete it tomorrow. However, I intend going into school tomorrow at 10.30 to see Groves. MM and Christine are also going in. At White Cross on the way home, I see Dad in the car, and so I left my bust to accost my chauffeur. Mother is with him. She tells me of a letter awaiting from June. As I imagined, she never wants to see me again.

Lynn and I go to Bradford Library at 7.30. She joins in order to obtain suitable literature for her CSE projects. By coincidence, I joined the library one year ago today. Home at 9.15. Sit with a martini reading a biography of Louise, Duchess of Portsmouth, a mistress of King Charles II.

Feeling horrid about June. But I cannot beg her to take me back. What wrong have I done?

--==--

20090423

Saturday August 11, 1973

Awake at 10.0am. John awakes and realises he should gave gone to work at 7.30. June rings at 10.30. She has a guilty conscience and wants to go to Leeds with me this afternoon. We meet at 2 at the bus station. John comes along too.

June is very apologetic about last night - wearing a pretty blue coat with a belt (1940s style).

I buy 'Raphsody on a theme by Paganini' by Serge Rachmaninov - very moving; and 'Roll over Beethoven' by the Electric Light Orchestra. Coming home we decide to meet outside JCT600 and walk to the Queen's on Apperley Lane. Arrive 8 o'clock. Very warm, typical August evening.

Arrive at the pub at 8.30. Christine and Philip are inside with Philip's brother, Mick. The Knowles family are disgustingly generous - Mick even paid my bus fare back to Rawdon.

June and I spend an hour in Rawdon Park - very romantic. Evidently, June's mother's first husband died on a British ship in World War II - and yet she cannot understand why Christine (Hobson) is bitter about Germans!

Home by 11.30.

--==--

Thursday July 12, 1973

June comes to school at 3.30. At 4 we walk down to the bus stop at Greenacre Hall. She goes at 4.20. Feeling very strange I walk back to the 6th form where Christine and Michael Stott are larking around. Go home on the 5 o'clock bus.

Christine and I are the last people out of the block, leaving Mary to her devices.

Sad, quiet evening.

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20090421

Wednesday July 4, 1973

Independence Day, USA. Prince Michael of Kent, 31. Go to school for another terribly boring day. Christine and I sit listening to the Sgt Peppers album by the Beatles. Totally sick of it after a week of the same old thing.

Came home at nearly 5 o'clock after getting a new book entitled: 'The Princesses Royal', which is a biography of all the six women who have held this title. The title can be created at the discretion of the Sovereign and it has always been bestowed on the eldest daughter. The title fell abeyant in 1965 with the death of Princess Mary, Countess of Harewood. I expect that the Queen will one day make Princess Anne the Princess Royal. In fact, it would not surprise me in the least if Her Majesty did this on the eve of her daughters wedding in November. I suspect that Nov 13, 1973 will be the date that Princess Anne becomes the Princess Royal.

See 'Coronation Street' - Bette Lynch is found attacked at 8. Have to wait till Monday to see what happened to her.

Bed at 10.35.

--==--

Monday July 2, 1973


Got up very thirsty at 7.0. My throat feels as though it's been cut! Leave for school on the 9 o'clock bus. Forget Denny's material for Italy. Arrive 9.30. What an exceedingly boring day it was which followed. Played "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band" by Beatles (1967) - all day! Christine was nearly driven to insanity.

Go to Rawdon library at 2.15. Get a biography of the Duke of Edinburgh by his cousin Queen Alexandra of Yugoslavia - it's supposed to be a family portrait - but one comes across the same old material in all his biographies. Indeed, Booth gives more details of HRH's private life than does his own cousin, Her Majesty the Queen of Yugoslavia.

See Bill Dixon, Brian Jilkes and Andy Dale at Micklefield. Have a laugh. Back at Benton at 3.30. Christine has made butties for the cricket tournament - I have a salmon sandwich.

Talk with Mary, the good-old cleaner - what a girl she is! Christine and I spend half an hour with her.

Home at 5.30. Go to the Fleece at 8. June and Susan arrive. Sit with an old man who buys us drinks and shows us old photos of his school class. Move on to the beer garden at the Brown Cow. Sit under a shaky looking umberella - June and Susan argue about their sister and her bad-tempered hubby, John. Walk around Horsforth, arriving at the main road at 11.30 - missed the last bus. Ring Mama who subsequently rings Dad at work and he picks John and I up in the police car at 12.20. Home by 12.30.

--==--

Sunday July 1, 1973

2nd after Trinity. Dominion Day, Canada. June is still away with Christine and John. So I'm spending a bachelor night out with Dave, John, Philip and Christine.

Another beautiful day. Get up at 10.0am. Have meagre breakfast - sit on the back lawn from 11 till 1.30. Too overpowering. Go read Mabell Airlie's memoirs in a darkened lounge. Lynn goes red as a lobster in the direct sunlight. Even John now gives the impression of being permanently embarrassed. Dave rings. I then ring Philip at 3.45. Speak to Christine - promise to meet at Yeadon at 7.30pm.

Dave collects us at 7.25. Mama and Papa go off to Wakefield Theatre Club with Joe and Anne Grunwell to see Fame and Price - return at 2am rather disappointed. Collect Philip and Christine at 7.40. Go to the Tudor Bar, Burley. Have a pint and then go to the Stony Lea - where I walk out with pint glasses - do the same with two glasses at the Vesper Gate at Kirkstall Rd, Leeds. A very enjoyable evening. Christine was on vodka and blackcurrant. Philip is great to get on with. Arrive home 11.05 very intoxicated. Dave is very amused by my predicament. Dale rings at 11.30 with some message for Kim Dean about Mondays cricket match - pupils v. staff. Bed at 12.

--==--

Thursday June 28, 1973

Sleep until nearly 12 o'clock. Mother still ill with the infernal cold. Sue also has it now, and I feel slightly nasal.

Go to school in the afternoon. Mr Ayling has been pulling Dave through to bits over his attitude to the 'A' level. The trouble with Ayling is that he puts economics above all other things in life. Oh, he's such a pompous snob!

Walk to the bus stop with Dave and Christine - who almost wets herself laughing. Home by 4.50.

Read the memoirs of Mabell, Countess of Airlie, granny of the Hon Angus Ogilvy, which I collected from Rawdon library this afternoon.. It throws a very interesting light on the aura of austerity surrounding the court of George V and Queen Mary. And in fact Queen Mary was not the prim figure she is often portrayed as by biographers. Also have a book about Princess Beatrice, Queen Victoria's youngest child - haven't touched that one yet.

Come to bed and read until midnight. Poor June is being dragged off to Appletreewick with Christine and John until Sunday night. We will not see each other until Monday night. I'll write her a letter tomorrow.

--==--

Wednesday June 27, 1973

Mum still ill with cold -Susan is also "under the weather". Get up at 9 and go to Benton on the 9.30 bus. Very quiet at school. Christine, MM, and Dave turn up after lunch. Quite nervous at the thought of going to Christine Hobson's for tea - I loathe having to meet complete strangers whose sole intention is to 'eye you up' and see whether you come up to the standard required for the courtship of their female relation.

Sit and "flirt" with Fat Irene until 4.05. Get the 4.15 55 bus. Arrive at Christine H's at 4.30. Little Karen is playing in the sandpit on the drive. June comes to the door and is surprised to see me so early. Sit with a cup of tea until 5.40. June is very nervous. Play with baby Karen building lego models - such a sweet, good natured child. John H arrives at 5.30. Over dinner John discusses holidays - he thinks Italy is somewhat 'dirtier' than Spain and France. His generalisation astounds me. Clearly he's a geographer of note. Sit with them until 7.30. Karen asks me: "Are you Auntie June's friend?"

Having no money we walk round Guiseley - a beautiful evening. We walk until 11. I take her back home.

--==--

Tuesday June 26, 1973

Aaaarrghh!! I can't stand it! TENNIS is back at Wimbledon! Another fortnight of boredom, misery and petty nonsensical sport. A good cartoon in the Daily Mail this morning. A baby is throwing a screaming tantrum on the beach, mother turns to father and says: "I'm sure he'll be a tennis star when he grows up, because he's such a horrible little boy."

The weather is really terrible once again. But humid and uncomfortably warm. Stay in bed until 10.30. Mother is still unwell. Clear up the breakfast things and so the housework for her. Have a bath at 11.45 and make a bit of lunch - Mother waits to have hers with Father. She gets up at 1.30. I walk down the lane and catch a bus to Rawdon at 2.30. Drop in at school. Christine is bored to death. I go to the library and come back to school at 4 and see Groves about a special police grant. He's very helpful. Sit with Christine, Andy Graham and Irene until 4.30. See Mrs Capstan-Fullstrength. Walk down for the bus home in pouring rain - Christine has her raincoat on her head. Get the 4.45 55 bus. Home for dinner. And yes, tennis on the tv. Come upstairs in disgust. I'm too bored for words. Never did I think I would be wishing Sue and Toffer a hasty return - but I need the money and the work will occupy my time. Roll on Friday.
But at the same time I miss the idea of going out on Friday and Saturday evenings - hate to think that everyone is enjoying life whilst I slave over a hot sink. See tv and read until bed.


--==--

20090420

Friday June 22, 1973

Get up at 8.30 and leave for Benton on the 9.30 bus. Arrive 9.50. Janet Roots is the only person there. Sit about until 10.30 when Christine arrives. Play consequences with them until 12.30. Very hot day indeed. Sat outside for 10 minutes but found it overpowering. Went to the chippie by myself. Came back and sat and ate them with Christine and Janet.

Christine and Philip are not coming out tonight - they want a quiet weekend. Played my new card trick until 2 - only Steve Tiffany could guess it. Dave arrives in the car at 2 o'clock. Andy Graham and Co. go out for a spin with him - Christine thinks he's mad in doing so. Dale and Willie are starting off at the Fleece at 6.45 - much too early for me. June arrives at school at 3. We go to Rawdon Park and on the way I bump into Bill Dixon - he cannot promise me the painting job but he's going to battle it out with his senior officer.

Go back to school where we collect our gear. Go home on the 4.15 55. Wash hair and ready for 7. Dave picks up John and I at 7.45. June, Dale, Willie, Jeff Hogg, Tiff, etc are already at the Fleece. We work our way up Town Street. By 10.30 no one is in any fit state to do any sane action. Geoffrey Hogg is violently sick in the beer garden at the Grey Horse - so badly that it puts everybody off drinking. June, Hursty, John and I go to the Intercon at the Cow and Calf in Dave's second trip. Arrive there at 11.30. John begins dancing immediately and again he never leaves the floor. A great evening. Tiff, Dale and Willie get absolutely stoned. John seems to get on very well with them. Very good discs are played and I drink only eraticly - do not get drunk. John and his mates go home in the first trip. Willie, who is sick, Hirtsy, June and I sit on Ilkley Moor until 3.15am. June and I sit alone whilst soft dew falls. Very romantic. Dave collects us at 3.15. Home by 3.35.

--==--

Thursday June 21, 1973

'O' level Economics exam. Got up at 8.10 and left on the 8.30 bus - arrive at 9 at Benton. Louise and I go to Biology. A rotten exam - finish it at 11.30. Go down to Rawdon with Louise afterwards.

Sit with Dave, Christine and Martin V-B looking at the slides we took a couple of weeks ago. MM makes us all very nervous by trying to do last minute revising for Economics. At 1.30 Christine shows me how to calculate elasticity of demand - which, luckily, appeared on section A of the exam paper. Section A was dreadful. Section B fairly straight forward. August 27 here we come! Once again it's in the lap of the Gods. It's all over!They're finished with at last! No more exams until at least November.

Collapse in relief in the common room afterwards, Have a very funny do with Christine. But feel mad that June did not come to school as she promised. Dave and I fight with Malcolm Thomas and struggle down for the 55 bus at 4.55. Wait until 5.15. John gets on the bus at Henshaw Lane.

Have tea at 6. Read Albert and Victoria until 7.30. June rings me from her sister's in Guiseley - speak with little Karen on the phone. June's coming tomorrow afternoon. Feeling very tired. Read until I have a bath. Bed at 11 o'clock.


--==--

Friday June 15, 1973

'A' Level History Paper II. Another hot day. June is busting out all over! Get up at 7 o'clock AM. Have only a grapefruit and go to Benton Park on the 8 o'clock 55 - arriving 8.25. Sit revising Bismarck until 9.10. Carol and Sheila arrive - both looking very pale. Enter exam at 9.25. Napoleon III did crop up - but in a round-about sort of way. Write more than yesterday, but yesterday was definately a better paper. Anyway, it's in the lap of the God's now, as it were.

See June, who I fear I have neglected this past week. We're going to the Emmotts on Sunday for the first time in weeks. She's really fantastic. She and Christine go in to Yeadon at 2.30 to see about jobs as 'home helps' in the summer recess. I laugh at the thought of it. June and Christine as char women cleaning around for 6 weeks looking like Hilda Ogdens - some folk will do owt for brass!

Go to CW - play 20 questions and charades - hysterical!

--==--

Friday May 18, 1984

 Moorhouse Inn 'Big Mick' the pot bellied darts player with Hells Angel tendencies went to bed last night and died. His wife regular...