Tuesday June 25, 1974

YP all day. Nothing much happens, but I can say that Sarah is growing even more beautiful. I could quite fall for her.

Walk home with Judith Rushworth after reading in the EP that the disturbance on the train this morning was due to the fact that we killed two cows in the Green Bottom Tunnel. Not very pleasant I must say. What the Hell were cows doing roaming through tunnels in Guiseley at rush hour?

At lunchtime I went round Leeds trying to find a Royal Albert teapot to match Mum's tea service which we bought in Windsor. Schofield's had no Royal Albert of any description, and Lewis's had every kind of Royal Albert except for 'Country Roses'. That's life I do suppose.

Home at 6.15. Judy rang at 6.30, and in a roundabout sort of way she wanted to know why I hadn't phoned her last night. The darling said she'd been late due to the fact that she'd waited until 9 o'clock for me to ring her. I asked her out on Friday but she says she's staying in. My future with Miss Beevers look somewhat dim. Do nothing all night. Looking forward to having the day off tomorrow.

-==-

Thursday June 20, 1974

Ring Denny in the evening as she wants to go out somewhere. I say the Emmotts because we don't often go these days and besides, it's very handy for Denise to travel to and fro. John comes back from tech at 8 and we leave on the 8.30 55. With Denny we sit on the wall outside, where we are joined by Marita, MM and Keith. A very enjoyable evening really, though Chris looked slightly miserable when he came at 9.30 in HIS CAR. Marita looks quite nice with her hair flashed - not flashed in a tarty way, but in a very nice sort of way. They go at 10. We go inside where, to our amazement, Judith and Jackie are inside. They behave very bitchy towards Denise, and I tell them I don't like it. They go at 10.20 and so does Denny, whose Papa comes to take her home. Have a laugh with Keith, Chris, John and Martin V-B, who is on the bar. Go across the road for fish and chips and find Judy and Jackie inside. Keith pinches the TR6 which doesn't amuse them very much, and at about 11.15 they bring John and me home. I was in the back and John and Jackie crushed together in the front. They come in and see the last half of 'Cinema' with us, and Judy spills a cup of hot, boiling coffee down the front of my shirt - not a very pleasant exsperience.

-==-

Wednesday June 19, 1974

Today marks twenty years of happy marriage for Mum and Dad. She receives a large bouquet of flowers from Dad, and I think they are both happier now than they have been in years.

Go to the Emmotts at about 8. Joined by Chris, Andy and Laura, who is much improved since she's been having regular sex again with Martin. Ring Judy and she says she'll come up. I wait until 10 and stand at the bar drinking on my own, because John and the gang had moved on. The girls, Judy and Jackie, come at 10.15 - and I feel as though I shouldn't have bothered asking them to come. Feel quite fresh, and they think that my drinking so much is shocking. Home in a TR6 after fish and chips - and bed immediately. Not with the girls, but quite alone.

-==-

Monday May 27, 1974

Bank Holiday in England, Northern Ireland & Wales. Poor Lady Jane Wellsesley is not going to be the next Queen Consort of England after all. In yesterday's papers the Prince of Wales is reported to have made comments about his so-called relationship with her Ladyship and he said he had never had any romantic interlude with her, adding something about all the publicity being: "awful." Getting Britain's heir to the altar is going to be more difficult than I imagined.

Back to the YP. Leeds looked dead, almost as if a nuclear war is about to take place. Felt sick seeing people standing about with suitcases waiting to be rushed away to holiday retreats - not that I wish to go anywhere in particular, but anything is better than sitting in the office all day. Just Sarah and Carol in - Anne is off and Kathleen is still on holiday & I don't care where the hell Janice is. Feel sick with work and get headache with the heat.

Home at 6. Ring poor Denny who says she finished with her latest love on Saturday_____. Judith rings and says she'll come to the Hare and Hounds for a late drink, but I don't really know whether she will or not. Chris says he'll also be at the Hare. John and I go at 8.15. Sit near the juke box with George and Jane having a tremendous time. Chris and Laura eventually join us, Laura being very charming for a change. Keith and Christine sit in another part of the pub. Judy and her friend Jackie come in at 11.30 and we stay at the Hare until 12.15. Back to Pine Tops for coffee and whatever else you, dear reader, thinks should have happened.

-==-

Sunday May 26, 1974

Sunday after Ascension. A very hot day. Lynn, Mum and Susan sit on the back lawn with Christine Dibb and John and I prepare to be carried off to Apperley Lane by the young 'get up and go' girls. They collect us the Alfa Romeo at 2.30 - Mum and Sue couldn't resist coming onto the drive for a quick nosy. We sit watching tv - a horrible film - then listen to records. Judith and I take Louis for a walk and I get covered in filthy horse-flies in the woods at Esholt. Having had no lunch you can imagine the starvation which I was subject to, and this prompted me to make a suggestion about fish and chips. Judith and I went to the nearest fish and chip shop in the Alfa Romeo and we came back laden with that greasy delicacy which has sustained the working classes for about two and a half centuries. Those females are certainly a pair of poor liars. They must imagine that John and I are demented or something. However, we are going to play them at their own game - should be rather fun. They bring us home at 7 and refuse to join us this evening for Andy's birthday celebrations. Meet at the Yorkshire Rose again. Andy is 18 today and he must have been drinking for three or four years now. The law breaking swine. On the whole it was rather a hysterical night out - we did all the pubs in Otley and surrounding areas, coming back to Wikis to find it closed. Carol S and Bruno make a good couple, much to the heartbreak of Chris, who fancies Carol far too much. All back to Keith Brown's. Horrrible. Laura made the coffee which was quite nice. Bed at 2. -==-

Saturday May 25, 1974

Wake at 8.00am. Feeling quite lively and in very good spirits. Decide to go to the YP immediately before having time to change my mind. Arrive at 9.15 to fins Sarah quite surprised because in my note last night I said they'd see me when they'd see me, or something. Janice was her usual silly self. Nice seeing Carol again. Never did I think for one minute that the day would dawn when I'd be missing her, but I must admit she is very likeable and quite motherly, and most unlike Sarah, who arouses quite different emotions within myself - if she only knew! Think of Judith last night and hope to God we'll see each other again. But I see no use in worrying about it - I've done far too much worrying over females. The papers are full of Marcia Williams becoming a life peeress. God! Wilson will be knighting his tailor next! Meet Chris at the Hare and Hounds at 8.30. Ring Denny who tells me she is going with her lover to the Stone Trough. I am horror struck when she says she is going to Bridlington with him for 2 days. I tell her not to go and she sees the light. She says that tonight she will finish with the blackguard - she's only known him since last Saturday! Judith rings and invites John and I to Apperley tomorrow for a record session in the flat. Of course we'll go. I can hardly wait. Meet at the Yorkshire Rose. We all go on a pub crawl taking in the Royalty, Malt Shovel, and the Hare and Hounds. Bruno brings John and I home at 11.30 - due to the extension because of the Bank Holiday, and I must admit I was rather drunk. -==-

Friday May 24, 1974

Quite a memorable day romance-wise. Lounge around all day and do sweet sod all until I go into the YP. Quite a good evening, which I discover to be my last on night duty for a while, other than Ray's day off of course.

Tony Kelly, my drinking companion, suggests we try the Wellesley, which is on Wellington Street, and unless you know anything about famous nineteenth century personages you won't have made the connection between Arthur Wellesley and Wellington. Of course, Arthur was the 1st Duke of Wellington.

Go to Wikis by taxi at 12. All the mob are therein, and Bruno is also amongst the crowd, making passes at Carol Smith, much to the disgust of poor Chris, who is quite infatuated with her. Chris goes at 12.30 - having a lift from Raymond. John is with Judith B and I soon take my rightful place. At 2 she brings us home and I invite them in for a coffee, which they willingly do, remaining until 3.45. We sit about reading our LP covers and arguring about pop singers in general. Then it happened, at about 3.45, outside Pine Tops, leaning on the Alfa Romeo - we kissed & for a brief minute or two I was in paradise. She says she isn't going to Wikis anymore and when I say she is 'nasty and evil' for not coming to the party at Pontefract next Friday she agreed, adding: 'I don't like parties.' I now realise just how easy it is to become infatuated with someone.

PS - saw dear Helen, who was once the property of Keith Brown, at Wikis, with another man. We exchanged niceities but that was all.

-==-

Friday May 17, 1974

Woken up by Dad at 1.15pm! Mum comes home expecting to find the lunch prepared but is sadly disappointed by the sight she receives. Dad is working at 2, so you can imagine the hurry he was in. A boring afternoon and go to the YP as usual. Hear on tv whilst in the office that 30 or so people have been blown to bits in Dublin. Kathleen worked until 10 - and I'm sick of writing about work.

Taxi at 12 to Wikis. Groping about in the subdued lighting I stumble upon Chris and John at a table and then saw Peter Mather, who bought me a drink, Andy and of course Linda, Christine W and Laura. To my surprise I see dear Denny, and we, that is Chris and I, have fun playing with the large zip on Denny's suede jacket. On my way to the bar I bump into Judith, of Apperley Lane fame that is, and we drift into a corner with a couple of glasses and laugh at Philip C and Paul, who come over to try and 'break us up'. At 1.30 she takes me back to her place where I drink coffee and play with a little dog. But no 'goings on' if you know what I mean. Lift home at 3 and she doesn't even let me kiss her goodnight, but we exchange telephone numbers and she says she'll ring me next week. Bed at 3.10.

-==-

Friday May 10, 1974

Wake up at 10.45 with the alarm clock ringing merrily.(Excuse the handwriting but I am sitting up in bed resting the volume on my knees - not a very satisfactory method at all). Doing nothing until Mother comes home for lunch, then she surprises me by saying she is having a driving lesson at 2 - which means this is the second one this week. She gets so nervous about drivming, so much so that she makes everyone else petrified too.

Go to the YP by train at 4.20. Arrive early as all the girls are just leaving. I have a very good night and finish all my routine work by 8.20! Judith Rushworth rings at 9 and we talk for 15 minutes about nothing in particular. I ring Mum but Sue tells me they're out and I joke with her and Lynn for a further quarter of an hour or so.

Read through the Duke of Windsor's file and am especially interested in the abdication period. The poor Duke of York hated the idea of kingship and from newspaper accounts it seems as though the king and his brother finished up deadly enemies. The refusal to give the duchess the style and title of 'HRH' stems from this rivalry. Anyway, I was very glad to see that Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon, now visiting Canada, found time to call on the old Duchess of Windsor, who is visiting New York. Margaret and Edward VIII have a lot in common.

My taxi came at 12 and I was in Wikis at a quarter past. Meet dear Denny at the top of the stairs and she is worried about John, who disappeared about ten minutes before my arrival. I go check the lavatory but he is nowhere to be seen. Have a good deal to drink and have fun with Denny. Judith, the Alfa Romeo girl, comes over and sits with me and I act with great civility considering the way I have been treated. She gives me a lift home and we cry with laughter to see John staggering up the lane at 2.30. Where had he been? I follow him in and discover he'd slept on a wall behind Wikis, after going outside to get some fresh air. A likely tale, but it must be true. Bed at 3am.

-==-

Thursday May 9, 1974

Quite a nice day actually. Poor Judith R was rather downhearted this evening after undergoing a distressing scene at the bank. Anyway, I soon got her out of it, and we had a hysterical walk home. Tomorrow, when I am working nights, I intend compiling a list of eligible bachelors, purely for fun of course, and send it to Judith. The poor girl wants to settle down with a fat account and a peer of the realm, and knowing Judith, she'll do it. Home at 6.30. Dad tells me a good story about Prince Philip. Jim Barton, a local policeman, was on duty at Leeds City Station when the Queen and Prince Philip were in the vicinity; anyway, Barton was standing guard all alone in a siding as the Royal Train slowly pulled out, passing within yards of the PC. Feeling very much embarrassed the policeman stood to attention and saluted. To his amazement the prince, standing at a window and sporting one of his famous grins, raised his hand and thrusted two fingers into the air, leaving poor Barton stunned on the windswept siding. Of course, I don't believe it. It seems very much in character with the prince, but would he do such a thing to a policeman? Besides, one cannot believe anything a bobby says, especially in the Leeds area anyway. See tv in the evening and toy with the idea of ringing Philip Cartwright about the incident last night. Read 'Mrs Fitzherbert' by Anita Leslie. Very good. -==-

Wednesday May 8, 1974

Nothing at the YP. At 8 John and I go to the Emmotts where we sit with Laura, who is unusually cheerful and she manages to speak to both John and myself. Keith comes at 8.30, and we talk about films until Chris finally decides to walk in at about 9 o'clock.

Philip Cartwright comes up and says the bird with the Alpha Romeo, Judith or something, really fancies me and wants to see me in the Queen's tonight. John, Laura, Keith and Chris all leave at 9.30 and Philip and I go to the Queen's, where the two girls are assembled. We spend about an hour, the four of us, and at closing time they sod off with a couple of blokes leaving Philip and myself looking like a pair of silly buggers. I hate bloody stupid women, and especially women who make decent chaps look like idiots. We both shoot off and Philip drives like Hell let loose. Home at 11. Poor Philip apologises for wasting my evening. Judith, one of the tarts, rings me at about 11.15, but I act very cool. Wounded pride and all that. Must ring Philip tomorrow to see what further developments have occurred. John comes in not long after me and says he's been at the Hare and Hounds. Bed at 11.30. Interesting evening. Women make me sick.

-==-

Friday May 3, 1974

Off all day. Go to Morrison's with Dad and get the weekly supply in. Poor Mummy is still ill and remains in bed until lunchtime. A warm afternoon, but do absolutely nothing at all. Go to the YP on a 33 bus, but do not get to the office until 5.15 and Kathleen, who is chatting with one of the lads, doesn't seem too pleased at my lateness. She goes at 5.30 and I carry on until midnight. An excellent evening and hardly no interference from any of the lads, except one who wanted pictures to illustrate an article on alcoholism, which I couldn't find anywhere.

At around 11 a party of ladies came inspecting the place on a guided tour and I displayed a large selection of coloured photos of Princess Anne's wedding on my desk to give them something to rave about. I never fail to satisfy these visitors, and the guide never suspects that I am only doing these things in order to make his tour all the more exciting.

At 12 I get a taxi on account and get out near Wikis. Find John drunk inside, and see Chris being pestered by Helen, who immediately accosts me and makes me buy her a drink. I pick up two girls and at 2 they take me to their flat on Apperley Lane in a white Alfa Romeo, if that is how one spells it, and Philip Cartwright and Paul also come. At 3 Philip brings me to Hawksworth Lane. John was mad at not being invited.

-==-