Thursday January 4, 1979

Money. It seems an eternity since I saw a wage packet.

A Cold day, but the snow held off. To work with Jim {Rawnsley} who tells me that Muriel's mother is to be cremated tomorrow. Obviously, she must have died. In fact she departed this life last Friday. The poor old thing was only 68 and had a tumour as big as a tennis ball on her brain. Nauseating thought, eh?

Tonight: out with Pete (Nason), Chippy, Gus, Frank, Dave W, Micky Hebden, Kathryn Chaffer, &c, &c to the Shoulder of Mutton, Highroyds social club and then Oakwood Hall. Had a good dance and didn't get horribly pissed for a change. It is the last Thursday night out for Gus and Frank who are heading out to the Sinai Desert or the Golan Heights, next week. I suppose Gus will disrupt Mr Begin's peace talks and a flare up of the Middle East war must now be on the cards. General Dayan is definitely in for a rough time.

Actually I am not too sure how they will get on in the middle east and my wish is that they stick it out and benefit from the experience.

Chippy _____________________________.

He (Chippy) looked pained when I suggested that the manic Thursday nights will capsize now two prominent members are departing. He almost wept and said that he and Peter will still be out and about. Just the three of us? He says Dave W isn't really a member of the gang, but he always seems to be there when I am around. Chippy always has to be right.

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Thursday October 24, 1974

William Wilson born 1875. United Nations Day. 

My half day. Arrive late at the YP after seeing Sue Crosby on the bus. She's now at art school studying the structure of fungi and broken chimney pots. At about 11.20 somebody tells me that the Duchess of Gloucester has given birth by caesarian section, but they leave me guessing as to its sex. It's either the Earl of Ulster or Lady ___Windsor.

Meet Mum at Moon's Mill at about 1. She informs me that her car key is broken in the lock. After about half an hour chasing around Guiseley Papa arrives in a police car with a spare key on his person. Home at 1.30. Mrs Rawnsley is having difficulty with her lawn mower and Dad goes round there for half an hour to mend it after taking Mama back to Moon's for the afternoon.

2 hours later: I have just realised that all the horrible things people are saying about this country are quite true.It is a sign of our decline towards oncoming communism when the BBC fail to report the birth of a baby in the Royal Family - nay, a baby who is now tenth in line of succession to the Crown of the United Kingdom. The BBC places greater importance on the price of coal.

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Tuesday October 1, 1974

Sick of the YP at the moment, which is far too busy for my liking. Am getting on quite well with the new girl called Eileen (Byram), who is quite a pleasant __, though I found myself working much harder when Mrs Beaumont was sitting at the other side of the table. The Old, or pehaps I should say, Young Witch thought she was Catherine the Great of Russia. Eileen's got far more intellect.

Ring Denny at about 11. We are both having a day off on Oct 4, which should prove amusing. It think I'll taker her the tent back which has been hanging around in one of our out-houses since the Grassington weekend.

Mum is in a rotten mood when I arrive home, and think she doesn't like the idea of working full-time. However, Dad says she had a nasty experience with the bank manager this morning, and this must be a contributing factor to Mama's moody, explosive temper.

If my calculations are correct, the Duchess of Gloucester should have given birth by now. She's not been seen in public since the end of April, and I thought the baby was due at the end of September.

On the subject of gorgeous women, of which the Duchess of Gloucester is one, I'm looking forward to seeing Sarah Jane at Wikis on Friday. Dave B won't let it drop about me taking her off him last week, but I can seriously say she was MINE after about ten minutes of chatting up. Bloody awful boring evening. Help Sue with her homework, then go leap into the bath, purely for the want of something better to do. By the way, saw Judith Rushworth at the bus stop this morning. She's at college after all, and seemed to be in a much better mood than when I last saw her. Dad says that Mrs Rawnsley's been walking around today dressed completely in black, and he suspects a family bereavement.

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Tuesday January 15, 1974

The whole nation is hysterical. Today no trains ran anywhere in the United Kingdom, and the general feeling is that the General Election will take place before February 14. It seems as though the Three Day Week will last into the Spring, and it was announced on the 9 o'clock news that a massive toilet roll shortage will make rationing inevitable. From Thursday everyone in Britain with the surname beginning with A and B and ordered to attend their local Post Office in order to collect toilet paper rationing books. Each person is allowed three 5in squares of paper per week. However, many people with foresight who realised that legislation was inevitable have made ample provision for the coming 'Three Day Shit'. Mr Heath, for one, had 7,000 rolls of Kleenex toilet paper delivered to Chequers early this morning. And by the looks of things he's going to need every single sheet before the winter is over.

By this time next month 10, Downing Street, my have a new occupant. I wonder whether Mrs Gormley will re-decorate the Cabinet Room? I wouldn't be surprised to find she's already chosen the curtain material.

Go to Leeds on the 33 bus. Arrive YP at 8.30. Lousy day. Miss Went yelled at me for forgetting that certain pictures should have been returned, and I'd filed them. Janice was on half day. I'm having Thursday again. Intend having my beautiful locks removed - haven't had a decent haircut since July!

Chose 2 pairs of shoes from Muriel Rawnsley's catalogue. Bed at 11.0.

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