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. __________.

-=-

Thursday March 10, 1977

Half dead all day after the excesses of last night. Buggered is the word.

News: Gough Whitlam said some ill mannered things about the Queen at a banquet in her honour. What can we expect from the Aussies? Culture? Manners? Prince Edward is a teenager. President Carter has been making strange phone calls to lots of weird people in America.

To Batley Variety Club with Tony and Martyn. Madeline Bell sang. Absolutely brilliant. Why she hasn't been more of a success I will never know. Blue Mink, the group with whom she was the singer, were good in their day but she's a star in her own right. She has a good sense of humour too. I only spent 60p or so. Yes, it was one of my first attempts to 'pull in' as Denis Healey would say.

Tony says I've become subdued over the past couple of weeks. Why? He tells me that Carole and Fogarty are not contemplating an engagement. _____propaganda machine must be failing, eh? It's Tony's birthday next Wednesday and he's taking Martyn and Carole to Batley. I'd like to go but with £3 left it's impossible. Besides, with Miss P attending I'd only spoil things.

Thank God no work tomorrow. I feel as though I've been slaving away non stop for weeks on end. Should I perhaps change my job? I do need the cash desperately  but I'd miss the mob at the YP and the dear old news cuttings.

-=-

Monday March 10, 1975

A filthy day. Rains non stop and to make matters worse I had to go up to the Merrion Centre with Mum's Mother's Day present and swap it for one more in keeping with her size.

The noise in the YP building is becoming much worse, and our nerves are on edge and cracking up. Sarah looked pale all day & Eileen is still under the influence of flu. A sad state of affairs indeed. Nothing in the news other than the grim details of the Lesley Whittle murder. The Prince of Wales has returned to the (HMS) Hermes for a further 6 months at sea, and the little, cherubic Prince Edward is eleven years old today. Revolting Denis Healey is to open his tatty Budget box for all to see on April 15, and Alison Dixon's dog, Frisky, passed away into the great unknown over the weekend. It's amazing what one can dig up by way of news when one tries hard enought.

Home for tea at 5.15. Mess about in the lounge for an hour or so afterwards, and decide that my hair needs washing. (You all wanted to know that). Tonight is the final episode in the 'Likely Lads' series. It will be the end of a fantastic set of programmes.

-==-

Sunday March 10, 1974

2nd in Lent. Edward VII married Alexandra, 1863. Prince Edward born 1964. Wake up at 8.20 on the sofa in the dining quarters of a strange house. The mother of my host thrusts a weak, milky coffee onto my lap and laughs at my apparent lack of awareness of time, place, month or year. Vic piles me into a car and at 8.45 and I am standing in the bleak bus station at Ilkley. One of Andy's pals joins me on a 63 and I stagger home to be in time for breakfast. Mum thinks I am mad and Dad simply laughs at my obvious vitality.


'Jealous Mind' Alvin Stardust.

-==-

Wednesday August 1, 1973

Get up at 6.55. Chid stands smiling whilst I grope across the room towards the door. Waking John up, I grab my bag, bid farewell to the assembled guests and chase to the Old Ball where a 55 bus arrives seconds later. Arrive at the paint store at 7.25. Andy arrives at 7.50 - very late.

We do nothing until Bill Dixon arrives at 9. Spend the remainder of the day doing spouts at the store. The weather is very fine, but far too hot for working in. Roll on rain.

Hear on the 3.30 news that Princess Anne is to have only the one bridesmaid, Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones. Prince Edward will be the only other attendant. The Royal couple leave for Barbados on Nov 15 and return to Britain on Dec 16, after doing the Caribbean on Britannia.

See 'Coronation Street' and retire to bed after viewing tv all evening.

--==--

Saturday March 10, 1973

The Queen's youngest child, Prince Edward, is 9 years old today. A very beautiful, clear, crisp, bird-singing, lung clearing morning! Got up at 10.10. Dad went to work at 11. I decided to go with John to see Leeds United play Everton at Elland Road. John couldn't believe it. I've only been 3 times before with him.

I spent an hour in the garden pruning the roses and then had lunch at 12 which consisted of pancakes which I should have devoured last Tuesday, but Mum had forgotten it was Shrove Tuesday.

At 12.30 Mum and Susan went down the lane to meet Lynn from work and go straight to Bradford for a shopping spree. At 1.15 John I went down to Silverdale Rd to get a lift to Leeds from Geoff Saxton - and we sat with Kathryn and Margaret until he was ready to go at 1.50.
John and I went into the cheap stand at Leeds Utd paying 50p each - phew! I thoroughly enjoyed the match, Leeds winning 2-1. I stood next to a drunk who was shouting: "West Brom for Kings!" If would not have been so funny if Leeds had not been playing Everton! We were home at 5.40 just in time to see 'Dr Who'. Mum and the girls came in ten minutes later. There had been a bomb scare in Darley Street and they had been evacuated out of a shop. Mum came home with something for a change.

At 6.45 set off to work. It was not really busy until 9.30. What a rush! Pauline seems to have recovered from her mad passion for me which is a great relief. We sat with a couple of beers each until nearly 1.30. Toffer brought me home. Everyone asleep in bed. Good night all! Excuse the blob! (Splodge of ink between paragraphs above).

--==--