Wednesday March 3, 1976

Ash Wednesday. Mum and Dad went to Kirby Malzeard yesterday and offered the owner £28,000 for the place. He's had an offer of £32,000 from a York family and £30,000 from an unknown person or persons. Despite all this Dad is still confident that we might get the Henry Jenkins.

I have done nothing about John's stag party which is set for March 11. No doubt we'll end up at Cinderella's, but the mini bus wants booking, &c.

It will be weird when John is no longer at home and a bedroom all to myself for the first time in twenty years will take some getting used to.

Home at 5 o'clock. A letter from Denise awaits my attention. She has confirmed the cancellation of John and Chris's booking for the holiday and has put quite a funny letter together. The thought of having to pay up for the holiday at the end of next month is horrifying. I have saved up £10 so far which, if nothing else, is a beginning. Lynn rings Denise at about 8 o'clock and I also have a quick word with her. She's coming to Lynn's party on Saturday & is thrilled at the prospect of meeting Uncle Harry once again. She hasn't seen him since September '74 in Windsor.

Carole rings. She's having more bother with Mrs Phillips. Evidently, the old cow went visiting a neighbour who is sick and offered to do all her washing and ironing. The saintly Lady Phillips returned home weighed down with fiflthy underwear and other sundry items of a laundry nature, but instead of doing it herself she dumped the lot on Carole's bed and made her wash and iron it before giving her any tea. Carole says, quite rightly, that she doesn't mind washing her own knickers, but she cannot see the fun in laundering old Mrs McCaffrey's - especially on an empty stomach.

See the Barry Humphries Show on BBC2 at 9.10 which is hilarious. Come to bed at 10.30 or so in order to avoid the 1976 US Presidential Election campaign on the BBC. It seems likely that Jean Harlow and Shirley Temple will be running for the Democratic nomination and the late Walt Disney is becoming a worry for President Ford.

-==-

Thursday February 12, 1976

A wet bright day. At the YP Kathleen has a phone call to say the 1975 edition of Burke's Peerage is waiting to be collected at WH Smith's. I'm round there like a shot and return with the bound volume where, to my horror, I see that it is in fact a revised edition of the 1970 volume, andf even smaller because the royal section now forms a separate book. I think it's a disgrace, and at £38 it certainly isn't worth it. However, before taking it back I photostated the supplement in the front of the volume listing all the peers who have died since 1970, and proceed to amend our tatty volume myself. I then re-wrapped the book and took it back to Smith's. Devious I know.

Elton John is coming to the Grand Theatre Leeds on April 29-30 and Sarah, with her boyfriend Alan, Carol and her sweetheart, Eileen and Michael and Carole and I are going along to lend our support. Tickets are £3 each and we all payed today to get it over with. I'm not an absolute Elton John fanatic but I am curious to see how he performs on stage. The girls in the office will be clamouring to see Carole, because she's always been a mysterious voice on the other end of the phone. They'll be more interested in Carole than in Elton John.

Get home at 5.30 for fish and chips and chocolate cake and gallons of tea.

The Henry Jenkins deal is going through with great promise. Barkers accountants and valuers are working around the clock and we'll have a decision in two weeks.

John and I go down to the Hare at 7.30 and when he goes to Maria's half an hour later I go to Carole's. We have a romantic evening in the Hare and spend an hour in the tap room where all the locals seem to know us now. She really is cheerful and happy.

-==-

Monday January 19, 1976

I'll be glad when Wednesday is over and done with and the 40,000th edition of the Yorkshire Post is out of the way. Sydney Burton and I have been buggering about with the old files now for what seems like months.

The 40,000th edition is on Wednesday which is the day before the 75th anniversary of Queen Victoria's demise, and the day after the 40th anniversary of the death of George V. It's a pity really that King George couldn't have hung on for an extra day, or on the other hand it's a shame that Queen Victoria didn't die a day earlier.

From 3pm until 5 I helped Sarah go through the YP birth columns for 1975 to discover the most popular christian names. James and Elizabeth are in the lead at the moment and I'm surprised really. Elizabeth doesn't seem particularly popular to me at all.

Kathleen says that she's been to the Henry Jenkins pub many years ago and remarks how nice it is and that it's a typical country pub.

Later: Carole rings me to say she thinks I want to finish with her and that I'm just being 'nasty' to make her finish with me first. Being a typical coward I cannot end it and say nothing when she keeps asking me if I want to stop seeing her. I inform her that I soon become bored and that I'm a restless, roving soul. She understands and concludes: "Oh, I am relieved that it's all settled and worked out for the best". Nothing is settled or worked out at all, as far as I can see.

-==-

Sunday January 11, 1976

1st Sunday after Epiphany. Wake up at about 11.30 for a cooked breakfast with the family and Carole, who passed a peaceful few hours sleep on the lounge sofa.

At 12 o'clock we (David B, Peter, Carole and Maria included) set off for Kirby Malzeard and the Henry Jenkins Inn. I feel a bit wheezy sat in the back of Dad's car and have the windows well wound down thus to encourage the ice cold moorland air to blast against my sickly, hungover-ridden face. Arrive about an hour later and fall in love with the place immediately.

We all want Mum and Dad to get the pub with the exception of Sue and Peter, who keep insisting that it's too far away. We leave at 2.30 after having a stroll round the village and go on to Ripon and then home.

Maria went home to hear that her grandfather (Savage) died at four o'clock this afternoon. He's been in a coma for a few days and I'm sure that it's a blessing really. Nobody should have to suffer like that at 86.

Carole goes home at 7pm and I'm just about sick of our relationship. (Sentence deleted.)

Chris and Peter come at 8pm and we choose some holidays.Ibiza seems to be the likely spot and July 3-17 the dates. At 10 we go down to the Commercial with Dave B for a quick one, two or three.

Home at 11 to discuss the Kirby Malzeard move. Sue and Peter will just have to get used to the idea that they can't live in one anothers laps for the rest of their lives.

-==-

Thursday January 8, 1976

I have a half-day and go into town with a Barclaycard that is £1.36 overdrawn. Buy a new suit from Samuel Pepys and get home at about 2pm.

Dad goes out to see his accountant and then takes Mum off to see the Henry Jenkins pub at Kirby Malzeard.

I have the stereo at full blast until John comes in for his tea at 5.30. Mum and Dad are back at 7.30 and are greatly interested in the Henry Jenkins, though they think it's too far away really. Dad is doubtful about our chances of getting the Craven Heifer and besides, they both think the Henry Jenkins is pounds better. We are all going over on Sunday to see it - even Carole and Maria.

I go down to Carole's at 8.30 after meeting Denny in the Hare & Hounds. Tony left her to go off for a meal, and so John befriended her for an hour or so. Carole's Dad's birthday today and he came into the Hare with Mrs P.

Carole and I get the 9.30 bus to Leeds. We're in Cinderella's by 10.30 and have a great time until after 2am. The music was good, and it wasn't crowded at all. We came home by taxi (£3.50) at 2.30 and all was well with the world. Carole wore her new red dress and looked gorgeous. We will have to do this sort of thing much more often.


-==-