Friday September 21, 1979

_. To the YP from Burley wearing the clothes I'd been out in last night. Sarah has invited me to a function at Delia's on Sunday October 7th. I told her that if Bill North is attending then I will be wearing asbestos underpants and be armed with a pair of bull-castrating shears. Horrid, but necessary.

Tonight: a gathering at Club Street attended by Mum, Dad, Sue, Peter, Lynn, Dave, Jim, Margaret and Julie N. We sat in deck chairs due to the lack of furniture. Lynn told me that the week before her miscarriage she had a terrible experience in a light aircraft which almost crashed when the pilot went to pieces in a panic attack. She sat there as he screamed and flapped and told her they were going to die. _______. Peter and Jim played cards for vast sums of money, and this drew most of the attention. We danced until almost 5am and had to push David's car out of Club Street. Lynn fell and banged her head on the road. I stayed the night.

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Tuesday August 21, 1979

_. Kathleen has engaged a Chilean exile to work nights as Ursula's replacement. He fled Chile in 1973 after the coup d'état which overthrew the Communist Mr Allende. He is a university graduate with a wife and two children.

Maria has had a letter from Dr Mellor re Catherine's heart. She may require surgery at some time in the future.______.

Cut the lawns. Re-potted a pot-bound palm.

Watched an awful film on the BBC. A good film if you are a member of the Arlene Dahl fan club. Played more 'Monopoly' with Susan. She beat us again. Ally may name 5, Club Street 'the Ponderosa'. Laugh a good deal.

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Wednesday August 1, 1979

_. Still wet today. It's so-called Yorkshire Day. I refuse to have anything to do with such a parochial celebration. A nauseating white flag is hanging limply over the YP building. It looks as if we have surrendered to one of the larger national newspapers. Have we perhaps under siege from the Morning Star and the Socialist Worker?

The Queen Mother was today installed as the 160th Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports at Dover Castle. I viewed the ceremonial on TV. The gale force winds and driving torrents of rain failed to wipe that beautiful smile from Her Majesty's face. She must have been water-logged. The Queen Mother was accompanied by Prince Edward, Viscount Linley and Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones. Lady Sarah looked plump and sad, no doubt thinking about her father and new half-sister. The Snowdon's new baby is to be Lady Frances. Princess Margaret, stricken by 'flu, is confined to her cabin on the Royal Yacht Britannia.

Ally is depressed tonight. She went to Club Street with Susan and Peter and returned half an hour later down in the dumps. Sue and Pete had gone on and on criticising the place, pulling it to pieces. Ally, being the person she is took it all to heart.

Karen phoned to say that she and Stephen are having some sort of function tomorrow and would we all like to attend. I said yes, but Susan and Peter made no response. __________.

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