Friday January 4, 1974

Awake at 11.30 feeling very much better. The morning in bed's done me a lot of good. Slip into a robe and go downstairs for lunch. Mum comes home at 12.20 absolutely frozen solid due to the electricity and heating cuts in her office. This 'Three Day Week' will give everyone pneumonia. See a George Formby film in the afternoon - not very funny, but hear all the unusual, out-dated swear words like 'twerp', which I think means a pregnant fish or something. At about 7.30 John goes to the Emmotts whilst I sit by the fire. See a 35 minute programme on the Royal Wedding - very impressive. The BBC must be showing it to cheer everyone up in the present crisis. A cartoon in the paper the other day said what we now want is either a royal wedding or a royal birth. That ought to be the green light for the Prince of Wales. -==-

Friday December 21, 1973

The coming joys of the festive season have yet to take hold of me and all I think about is June. She's driving me crazy. I think I'll go and see her tomorrow.

Now that Princess Anne is truly established as a married woman I think it indelicate to retain her portrait in a prominent position in my bedroom. I have therefore replaced her by Miss Bottomley. The most angelic portrait I've ever seen.

At 5.0 I decided to ignore the EP editor's party and come straight home. Chris rings at 8.05 and says I can get a lift to Farsley if I'm at the Emmotts by 8.30. This is impossible. Sue and I remain indoors and see Stanley Baxter imitating the Queen's Christmas message - quite authentic.

Tonight was the first Friday since November 2 that I didn't enter a place set aside for the consumption of alcohol. It made a change.

I put up some mistletoe for Mother and sit by the light of the Christmas tree feeling generally sorry for myself.

-==-

Monday December 17, 1973

Princess Anne and Mark Phillips return to desolate Britain. 

Chaos reigns in all places. Mr Barber announced his Christmas budget in the Commons this afternoon. A typical 'election type' budget, which gets only at the rich. Obviously, Mr Heath is planning an early general election. Some sources are going so far as to suggest January 24! My resources as a voter may be required sooner than I imagined. 

 An Aide-de-Camp to the Queen has been injured by a letter bomb in London this morning. Brigadier O'Cock is his name. It goes to show that this can easily happen to VIPs. The Queen herself is unaffected by letter bombs. Her mail will be thoroughly checked before it is placed before her and if it isn't, Brig O'Cock is a good example of what might happen. The tv today closes down at 10.30. I go to bed at 10 o'clock to avoid the humiliation of seeing everything black-out at such an early hour. --==--

Monday December 10, 1973

Abdication of King Edward VIII, 1936. Miss Went is away for two days and a relaxed atmosphere prevails at the YP. Little Janice is far too domineering in her attitude to me - I'll put her in her rightful place before very long.

Praise be to God in Heaven! It's happened. The Burtons are back together again. Poor Liz was wheeled out of hospital by a jubilant Richard, and the couple flew to Rome to spend Christmas with Sophia Loren. This really does go to show that true love always finds a way. Liz said she'd separated from Richard because 'we love each other too much'. Eh?

Poor Mark Phillips is in bed and not with Princess Anne it seems. The poor boy has gastro-entiritis. Must be all that South American food he's been getting. Poor chap.

-==-

Wednesday December 5, 1973

The train to Leeds is getting hideous. More and more people have to stand, and when petrol rationing comes in it can only get worse. The train will be even worse on Tuesday, when the railworkers go slow. What a state this nation is in.

See in the YP that Sir William Worsley, father of the Duchess of Kent, died at Hovingham last night. The new owner of Hovingham Hall is Sir Marcus Worsley, 5th Baronet, who is 49. I do not pretend to be a keen admirer of the Worsley clan, but the late Sir William was born on April 5, and for that reason alone he deserves a mention.

At 1.0 I meet Chris and Laura at the Jubilee, near the Town Hall, a pleasant half an hour. For lunch I had 2 egg and cress sandwiches.

The honeymoon of Pcss. Anne and Capt. Phillips ended today and they began an official visit to Ecuador in South America. The couple were all bronzed with the sun, and Mark looked quite pleased with himself. I am afraid to say the princess looked somewhat sullen.

Tv boring all evening. Bed 11.0pm.

-==-

Thursday November 15, 1973

With the wedding of the year over, what do we have left to live for? No coal. No electricity. No gas. No heating. No June. No fuel. No cars. No turkeys. No meat. No bread. No unmarried princesses, and sexy with it. No oil. No lights. No fairies. No 18th century mahogany chamber pot covers (£75 from any mahogany chamber pot stockist). No bacon, sausages, or canned tomatoes. No electric tooth brushes, etc. Britain will come to a grinding halt by next week. And what's more, statistics just out show that by 1984 Britain will be polluted beneath a blanket of 800m back dated copies of 'The Guardian'. The roads, fields, sewers, and woodland areas of rural Britain will be buried beneath an 18ft rotting heap of Guardians - not including the colour supplements. The thought is quite nauseating really. But Anne and Mark won't be bothered. Nobody reads the Guardian in the Caribbean...

--==--

Wednesday November 14, 1973

Let the bells ring out the joyous news! Princess Anne and the captain are wed. And what a day it has been. Awoke at 7. It was a brilliantly sunny but icy cold day. Hear on the 7.30 news that thousands of people have spent the whole night on the wedding route, and even the rain of last night could not deter them all. I dash into Guiseley feeling very happy. The union flag was flying (in honour of the Prince of Wales's 25th birthday and not the royal wedding).

The journalists are still on strike, and a total of seven pictures were waiting for me at the YP. The lights in the office are all off to comply with the rules of the State of Emergency declared by the government yesterday. However, who#s bothered about the miners when a royal wedding is in full swing?

By 11 o'clock nobody can concentrate and Kathy leads the charge across the office to the small black and white tv. We see the blurred silhouettes of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips exchanging marriage vows. A subs girl wept tears of emotion. It really was beautiful. The princess has never looked more radiant and beautiful. Spend a quiet afternoon with Kathy and Sarah.

Home at 6. The wedding is condensed and shown again at 7. The crowds outside the palace were fantastic. Anne obviously loved every moment of it and seemed thrilled by the exuberance of the singing and chanting crowds. The poor Queen Mother quite broke down in the abbey. Prince Philip was unusually pale. The Queen was very collected and looked radiant when leaving the abbey. The Prince of Wales looked embarrassed and Prince Andrew bored. Edward, with his cherubic face, enjoyed himself immensely. At 4 the couple left by open landau for Thatched House Lodge, the home of Princess Alexandra and old Ogilvy. They leave for the Caribbean tomorrow. Even Auntie Hilda had enjoyed it. She rang at 9.30.

Princess Anne succeeded in getting through the day without becoming Princess Royal - and I am relieved.

--==--


--==--

Sunday November 11, 1973

21st after Trinity. Remembrance Sunday. After about 4 hours sleep we all awoke at about 8.30, and my feet felt like a couple of blocks of ice. Chris's bedroom window had been wide open all night, and all I had was a thin blanket and a pillow case wrapped around my feet.

Andy, Chris and myself sat around until 9 debating the point that a bus was outside Grandways at 9.05. By the time we had decided that a bus was due it was too late. Anyway, it was a beautiful, crisp morning, and Andy and me walked to the crematorium where we boarded a bus at 10am.

By 10.25 I was home. Mother made me a cup of tea and we both sat in front of the tv to watch the Queen laying a wreath at the Cenotaph. A two minute silence followed. It was the eleventh hour of the eleventh month. Princess Anne was on the balcony of the Home Office along with Capt Phillips, the Queen Mother, Prince and Princess Richard of Gloucester and the Duchess of Kent.

--==--

Wednesday November 7, 1973

The last week of freedom for Capt Phillips is now upon us, or him. I do suppose that Princess Anne will become 'HRH The Princess Anne, Mrs Mark Phillips', following the precedent set by Princess Alexandra in 1963. I think it is silly. How can a princess be a Mrs at the same time? No logic at all. The chappie who came up with this idea must have been on the ale the night before.

--==--

Wednesday October 31, 1973

The Earl and Countess of Harewood have not been invited to the wedding of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips. Cousin George and Pat have been out of favour with the true royals for years. In fact 'Pat' was never 'in' with her old man's relations at all. I believe that Harewood's dirty goings on with his secretary killed the Princess Royal, who died 28.3.1965. The old girl had only just discovered that her son had an illegitimate son. The thought of divorce was too much for her. Even worse, the poor old Duchess of Windsor or the 'Unknown Queen of England' is also uninvited. But the sweet old thing is said to be 'looking round for a present'. Poor soul, it is scandalous the way she's been treated by her own family. She never shows any animosity towards them, although she's got every right to do so.

After a good days work I decide I want to stay in. John and Chris go to the Yorkshire Rose where Chris is asked his age by the staff. They walk out. Andy joins them. They come here with a supply of large cans of ale. We sit playing records and chatting until nearly 11. Andy goes for his bus. Chris rings his Dad but decides to stay the night. We look at photo albums until 1.30. Chris sleeps in the girls bedroom. A very enjoyable evening.

--==--

Tuesday October 30, 1973

Receive a letter from Christine in reply to the one I sent her over the weekend. She is hilarious! Go to work after being dropped off in Guiseley by Dad, who is taking Mum, Lynn and Sue to Norfolk from today until Sunday. Auntie Hilda, Uncle Tony and the girls have been in Norfolk since Saturday. They are all freezing to death. I don't really like being separated from Mum - the invisible umbilical cord holds firm. Mother really is a fantastic person. Fog is nationwide today. I love fog. It reminds me of June and my memories of last winter. I still love her. She is the only girl I ever want. We only had seven months together, beautiful seven months, and the happiest of my life. See in the Evening Post that the Queen opened Parliament in State this morning. HM was accompanied by the Prince of Wales and Princess Anne. Meanwhile, the wedding of the year is drawing closely near. TWO WEEKS! The poor captain will now be beginning to feel uneasy. After all, it's not every day you marry the Queen's daughter. The UK will soon have no unmarried Royal adult females. My chances will have gone! Go to typing classes again. Even worse this time. Kathy, Sarah and I are almost killed on Wellington Street by a swerving lorry. Then minutes later I stepped out in front of a motor cycle. Sarah was a nervous wreck by the time we arrived at the station. Come home to an empty house. --==--

Sunday October 28, 1973

19th after Trinity. (Cartoon of the Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Edward Heath).

The Sunday Express today published an article which said that the Queen and Mr Heath are not on very good terms. The reason for this is that the old boy made no gesture to the Queen concerning a title for Captain Phillips. Utter nonsense! The Queen could make Phillips Duke of London if she wished, and old laugher boy could do nothing to prevent her. Titles in the Royal Family are conferred by the Queen - they're her prerogative. Anyway, it isn't the captain who concerns me at the moment it's poor Anne. Will she become "Princess Royal"? I do hope so.

--==--

Sunday October 21, 1973

18th after Trinity. Awoke at 11 when my camp bed collapsed. My throat is too dry to describe. Take no breakfast.

Mr & Mrs Ratcliffe go to Leeds leaving Chris, his little brother, and myself with a full tea-pot and plenty of unwanted toast and the Jimmy Savile Show.

Darling Denny rings and asks us to pay her a visit this afternoon - we both agree. Ring Mum at 12 who is disappointed that I won't be home for lunch. I do suppose that John will be home for the communal meal.

Mr Ratcliffe takes Chris and I to Denny's at 1pm. We sit about listening to 'Pink Floyd' (Ugh) until nearly 5 o'clock. Get a lift home from one of Denny's gentleman friends at 5-ish. Mum is slightly disgruntled.

Auntie Hilda and family arrive for tea. Pleasant evening. Not particularly nervous about tomorrow's step forward in the history of British civilization - yes, me starting work with Yorkshire Post Newspapers Ltd.

P.S. A certain young lady was christened 23 years ago today. Yes, our very own Princess Anne.

--==--

Tuesday October 16, 1973

Believe it or not, Mum woke me at 7.30 bringing me out of a dream where I arrived for my interview at the Yorkshire Post a whole four hours late! Also, in the dream, Len Fairclough of 'Coronation Street' was in a lift with a machine gun! What a ridiculous dream. Quite frankly, I don't know what's come over me lately.

Arrive in Leeds at 9.40 having travelled for one and a quarter hours. One would think I had come from Arabia, and not lil' ol' Guiseley. On my arrival at the Yorkshire Post I go see a Mr Austin-Clarke, the boss. He gives me the job immediately and asks me to start on Monday! The pay is £17.50, and with four weeks holiday per year that can't be bad. Leave the building jubilantly at 10.34.

To go to the city centre. Spend half an hour in WH Smith's. Get a 55 bus at 11.10. Home by noon.

Mr Blackwell rings me and asks me to pass on a message to Mrs Blackwell. The old girl isn't in residence.

When Mum arrives home I tell her of my joyous news - she thinks it's great. So does Papa when he arrives home at 2.0. I don't bother going into school, and clean out my room instead.

The Daily Mail is, this week, publishing colour photographs of Princess Anne. A build up to the wedding which is to be televised from 7.30am to 3pm. No previous royal wedding received such lengthy coverage. The last really big royal wedding was Princess Margaret and Snowdon, but Princess Alexandra had a fair sized one in '63. Blimey, don't talk to me about the Gloucesters! An anti-social lot that bunch are. Prince Richard didn't even have St Margaret's, which is the next best thing to the abbey. Oh no! He had a rotten old village hall in Barnwell, Northamptonshire.

--==--

--==--

Tuesday October 9, 1973

Another rainy day. I think it's shocking the way that Princess Anne and Mark Phillips have had to give up Oak Grove, near Aldershot, simply because everyone in Britain, except me that is, is opposed to them paying only £8 a week rent. So what? Why can't the couple live more like the ordinary Briton? We only pay £8 rent in our council houses. Why can't they? The British do have a wicked and cruel streak in their character which I cannot tolerate. Cheer up Anne and Mark! Keep your royal chins held high....

--==--

Tuesday October 2, 1973

Go to school on the 9.30 bus. Sit the whole day with Christine and MM._______________. Last term Mrs Butler made a film starring MM and Judith Lea - I saw it today. Quite remarkable indeed, and it looked extremely professional. It seemed so odd to be watching two friends on the screen. Jackie Petit stood very near me throughout the showing - and I enjoyed it very much - Jackie is so attractive - with fair hair. I would love to go out with her just to make ____jealous. How is that for wickedness? A stamp is to made made on November 14 to commemorate the Royal Wedding. A rather pleasant looking thing it is too. Princess Anne can certainly be a beauty when she tries. Her mouth is the only thing which lets her down. Her royal teeth are so prominent! Captain Philips's grandmother died over the weekend. Princess Anne accompanied him to the funeral which was, I think, in Wiltshire. It's a pity that the old girl didn't last out for the wedding. His other granny, Mrs Tiarks, is still battling on. Believe it or not, I remain at home tonight. I have not been isnide a pub since Friday. How have I survived these four days without drink? --==--

Tuesday September 4, 1973

Get up at 7.45. Arrive Benton 8.55. The new lower sixth certainly look like a bunch of cabbages. Christine is horrified by them. See Mrs Lane for ten minutes. She is determined to see me pass the 'A' level in November - whether I like it or not!

Later: Ring Chris and tell him that Mr Sefton died on Saturday. (Mrs Sefton is senior mistress at Benton Park). He is shocked. The poor old boy had cancer and knew he was dying last Christmas.

See the 6 o'clock news. Mark Phillips flew to Kiev this afternoon. Before the week is out all the Royal Family might be on Russian soil! Mum says that Phillips seemed terribly shy when he was interviewed on tv last Saturday. He stutters badly. Poor soul, he may turn out to be another George VI - and if he has his qualities the Royal Family will not go far wrong.

Go to the Emmotts at 8.30. Andy Graham, Chris, Christine W are there. Andy brings his 'love metre' - very amusing. MM arrives at 9 & remains until 10.40. Go to chippie. MM brings everyone home except Chris and Andy - feel rotten about them being left out - but MM insists that only 5 people can travel in the Datsun. Bed by 11.30.

--==--

Monday September 3, 1973

A very important day for the USSR and for me. They had a visit from Prince Philip and I returned to Benton Park. I cannot decide which is the more important of the two.

Go to Benton at 9 and discover, to my horror, that I am now the oldest pupil in the 6th form and thus in the entire school. How horrid. I am the sole survivor from last year's upper 6th. I now know just how Lord de Courcey felt in 1936 when he found himself the last survivor of the 'Charge of the Light Brigade': ANCIENT!

Spend the day planning the timetable and listening to Groves rambling on. See Mrs Lane and Mr Ayling. Both unnecessarily sympathetic. Sit with Christine, MM, Liz Clap, and Maggie Edwards.

Prince Philip, God bless him, became the first prince of the UK to visit the USSR since before 1917. I suspect that he's gone ahead to plan a state visit by the Queen in a couple of years time. Prince Philip was certainly in his element with all that informality. Princess Anne is already at Kiev and Mark Phillips is going either tomorrow or on Wednesday.

Spend the evening watching the television. Bed by 12.0.

--==--

Wednesday August 29, 1973

Terrible day. I failed my Economics - grade 7. Why, why, why, must I always mess up my examinations? I needed them so much. Mother and Father are very disappointed, but we 'celebrate' with a bottle of wine over dinner. MM, whop got grade 2, rings at 6.30. He and Christine found my result this morning. Christine was horror struck.

John and I go the Emmotts at 8.30. He meets Christine White. Chris and Marita join us at 9.30.

I am totally undecided about what to do. Should I pack up with further education and find a job? I just do not know. MM brings everyone home at 11 after fish and chips. Bed by 11.30.

PS - Princess Anne is now in Kiev for those horse trials. She is the first member of the British Royal Family to visit the USSR.

--==--

Tuesday August 21, 1973

Poor old Princess Margaret celebrates a birthday today. Bless her. It's hard to believe that 18 years ago this month she and Peter Townsend were at the climax of their pathetic romance. I suppose she should have married him, but the family ties and the interfering Archbishop of Canterbury persuaded her to do otherwise. The princess is not popular these days. People seem to think she's idle. But who wants a 43 year-old photographers wife opening the local municipal swimming baths when Princess Anne is available?

In twenty years time when Prince Charles is himself a daddy, Princess Anne will also be cast to one side and only brought out onto the balcony on very rare occasions. That's the way it goes.

--==--