Wednesday May 2, 1973

Get the 8.30 bus. Revise in the library until Mrs Lane arrived at 9.45. We start immediately with the two essays. I tackled the British one first which was: "Discuss the view that Appeasement was a policy which was bound to fail". Very good. I quoted both Randolph Churchill and Lord Avon. The European question was: "The decline of democracy in Germany was inevitable by 1930. Discuss." Finished both by 11.15.

June still away. Last night I wrote her a letter which I posted today. She should get it by tomorrow. Anyway, she's got to be back by Thursday. Sue has asked me to work tonight because Moody Martin has exams all week and he wants to revise.

Go down to the bus stop with Dave again. Home by 4.40. Go to work at 7.30. Sue also asks me to work all day on Sunday! This means I'll be working: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Think of the money? Go home at 12.30. Immediately to bed and sleep.. Please June, please come tomorrow.


--==--

Tuesday May 1, 1973

Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones is 9 today. June still not at school. Get up at 7.40. Weather beautiful again (or perhaps I should say, beautiful as Sunday). The Glorious 1st of May! (or is that June?) Oh June, why aren't you at school? Life is hell without you.

Read Eden until 10. Then do "Balance of Payments" with Christine. Two and a half hours! What a mess we get into! She re-writes her essay 6 times. Get into a mess with the maths. Run down for the lunches alone. Have soup, crisps and sandwiches with Louise, who goes home at 1.30. Things aren't the same since she finished with Chris.

Read through Eden again until 2.30. Tomorrow is Mrs Lane's timed question and so in the afternoon I devour several important paragraphs of Randolph Churchill's "The Rise and Fall of Anthony Eden". Have a laugh with Christine. Walk to bus stop with Dave at 4.05. Awful without June. Miss the 55 and get the 35 with Dave. Get off at Yeadon. Dave goes to Ray and Marian's. I go to the record shop until the next 55 bus comes at 4.50. Come home and have tea.

Read Queen Victoria until 7.15. Go to CW. Sue and Toffer went to see some pubs yesterday but the state of them quite put them off. They are staying at the Chuck Wagon after all. Not a very busy evening. Toffer brings me home at 12 o'clock. We sit for ten minutes in the car talking about buying pubs. Come in and have some eggs. Go to bed and sleep immediately.

--==--

Saturday April 28, 1973

Get up at 10.0 and go to Leeds with John. I buy another jumper. He gets a "lumber jack" type jacket - £7.

Continue with Queen Victoria by Cecil Woodham-Smith. Victoria and Albert was one of the greatest romances of all time, others include (to quote Frankie Howerd) "Anthony and Cleopatra, Romeo and Juliet, Nelson and Lady Hamilton, Robin Day and himself...." etc.

Oh what a darling Victoria was! The more I read about her (and I've certainly seen a lot) the more I believe she was the greatest person flung-out by the 19th century. Prince Albert was responsible for lifting the monarchy above politics. William IV was a rabid Tory and Queen Victoria was an equally keen Whig - but Albert soon put a stop to her involvement in politics. The raised the Royal Family far above the vulgarities and cunningness of politics. This was his greatest achievement. Since then no sovereign has ever identified himself/herself with one particular political body. Therefore, why do certain people shun the Queen and Royal Family simply because they are socialist? Such persons are purely naive. The Queen represents EVERYONE, and not simply the well-to-do and Conservative classes.

Go to work at 7 o'clock. Sue is still in pain following her fall from Polo yesterday morning. Had a laugh with Pauline - we devoured soup followed by ice cream with butterscotch sauce and several beers. Toffer played his Woodstock LP. A HATEFUL recording indeed. Pauline agreed that it was completely lacking in taste. She sat reading until 1.30. Came home at 1.50. Lynn was alone. Her boyfriend, Chris, had been here until 11.30. Mum and Dad were at Auntie Hilda's with John and Susan. The Gadsbys go to the Continent tomorrow. At 2am they arrive home. Have coffee then go to bed.

--==--

Friday April 27, 1973

Get up at nearly 10 o'clock. Have a bowl of cereals. It's unusual for me. Have a cup of coffee while glancing at Queen Victoria in the lounge. Much more interesting than George III.

Oh, I must do my Economics. I keep putting it off and putting it off. It will be too late if I leave it any longer. I MUST DO MY ECONOMICS AFTER LUNCH!! Grief, it's 11 o'clock and I have to ring June. She will be waiting. Oh no! Lynn is on the phone. I'll tell her to get off the line and then I'll ring June.

I rang her but no one answers. I will keep ringing until I am satisfied that she has forgotten. On reflection, did I promise to ring her today, or was that yesterday?

Deep in sorrow I continue with my Economics. Work all afternoon.

Go to the CW at 7 o'clock. Sue fell off Polo this morning. She feels as though she's broken her back - Poor Girl!

Very busy evening. Bored and tired by 12.30. Come home and read Mrs Woodham-Smith's Queen Victoria Vol. 1, 1819-1861. Marvellous! The Lady Flora Hastings Affair is so interesting - how can one imagine in these days of the 1970s that idle gossip at court in 1839 could bring down a government? Queen V is such a character. My heroine in history. If ever I have a say in the naming of a daughter of mine - she will be called Victoria.

Come to bed at 2.

--==--

Tuesday April 24, 1973

The alarm clock sang its merry song at 10 this morning. The sky was overcast but it was dry! My prayers have been answered. Had breafast at 10.30. Mum made John and I some sandwiches and I rang Dave at 11. He said he would meet us at the Station Hotel at 12. The same time as June and Sue B. John and I prepared for the fishing expedition. At 11.30 we set off for Guiseley. We sat on the seat outside the Albion Fisheries.

June and Sue came at 12.03. We all sat together waiting for Dave. Mum and Dad with the girls went passed in the car at the same time that Dave arrived. Bidding farewell to mother and co. we piled into the car and set off for Otley.

To cut a long story short, after driving for 2 hours around the wilds of Wharfedale (with June on my knee) we arrived at Bolton Abbey at 2. We had ice lollies at an old cafe, then walked alongside the river and played tig and made several attempts to push each other into the water - unsuccessful ones. We tried to walk to the Strid, where Dave had not been before, but an old man on a gate said it would cost us 4p each. It seems that the very air we breathe will cost us money before long! To register our protest we crept up a bank and walked to the Strid avoiding those little sentry-box type green huts where OAPs lurk with ticket machines, etc.

Dave accidentally smashed his spectacles in the loo - I can't think how. And poor Sue fell in some filthy mud and had to bathe - fully clothed - in the Wharfe in order to cleanse herself. She looked very self-conscious and uncomfortable. June was delightful, wearing green denims and my bush hat. We picked wild flowers together. The countryside was too perfect. We didn't fish once. No one bothered. At 4.30 we set off regretably for home. June and Sue got out at Grandways. I gave her a letter which I wrote on April 19. She's reading it tonight. Dave brought John and I to Guiseley. I hate leaving June who is becoming very attached to my knees. What a girl she is!

Went to the CW at 7. Busy as a "poor Saturday" which means very good for a Tuesday. Depressing evening and an anti-climax to the day. Came home from the CW at 12.30. Had supper and retired to bed. Toffer paid me £2. So it was a Saturday after all!!

--==--

Monday April 23, 1973

The smell of Dad's breakfast awoke me at 10 o'clock. Mum was surprised to see us all up at such an early hour. At 10.40 everyone, much to Dad's disgust, went into the lounge to watch a Tarzan epic. Wot a load o' rubbish it was.

The weather is really terrible. All those poor Easter campers will be sick to death - typical Easter weather conditions. Mum made my lunch at 12 in order that I could be at the CW by 1 o'clock. I had turkey again - highly delicious. Walked down Thorpe Lane in the drizzle arriving exactly on time at the CW. Not many people in. Pauline arrived at 1.15 - we had a laugh together. She complemented me by saying that I worked better than Martin, who, If I understand correctly from Sue, talks down to Pauline all the time. She's a real nice girl really. Sue is offering my job to Lynn or Sue when I depart in September. Keeping it in the family. Sue seems interested. Two Sues working will certainly confuse things. By 2.30 everyone had gone - we staff drifted into the restaurant and devoured several cheese and onion sandwiches. Pauline sat knitting. It got busy again at 3.30. Worked until 5.55. Sue gave me £1.50 and I walked home in the rain. Had tea and sat waiting for June and Dave to ring about tomorrows goings on. I hope and pray that Mr Lawson will not need the car tomorrow. And with these terrible weather conditions I think they may decide to stay in, but all I can do is wait patiently. She rang at 8. We talked for three minutes but still undecided she promised to ring again at 9 o'clock. We decided to meet with the fishing tackle outside the Station Hotel at 12 o'clock. She's buying some maggots in Rawdon. What a wet, yet exciting day we are in for. Dave rang at 9.10. He may be able to get his Dad's car, but he's not sure. He says he'll ring back with the news at 11 tomorrow morning. Saw "Mutiny on the Bounty"with Marlon Brando - such an anti-climax at the end! Came to bed at 12.30am. John and I rumaged for suitable clothing. I can hardly wait.

--==--

Friday April 20, 1973

Good Friday. I feel really terrible. My conscience will never let me rest. And all because of the BBC.

Yes, the BBC put on a film which stirred my religious feelings. Dad frowned when I told him that I believed St Bernadette really saw the Virgin Mary at Lourdes. He went on to query why it was only Roman Catholics who have these visitations. Poor man. He must think that all the people in the Bible were Roman Catholics too - when of course they were Jews. I was so interested in the film that I was half an hour late for the CW. Sue was having eggs - thinking I wasn't going to turn up. Toffer merely laughed. Sue was in an awful fluster at about 9 o'clock. She hardly spoke for the remainder of the evening - unlike Sue altogether. I was in a daze for the largest part of the evening - due to the fact that the film was tearing at my conscience. What pain I was going through. At least my faith in God was boosted, which can never be a bad thing.

Came home at 1.30. Had 2 boiled eggs and retired.

--==--

Wednesday April 18, 1973

Mum got me up at 8.50. Dad gave me a lift to the CW at 9 o'clock. Sue and Toffer were still in bed. I knocked them up - Sue yelled from her bedroom window, telling me to let myself in. Webby and Worthy made a fuss over me and I cleared last night's greasy dishes away. Toffer came down half naked and told me to get a step-ladder fom the garage. To cut a long story short, Toffer went to the cash-and-carry for an hour whilst I polished the tables, and set them. Sue was hoovering upstairs. Toffer came back and cleaned the frier. I didn't begin my cleaning until nearly 11. Worked like a Trojan until 1.30 - when we went up to the Chevin Inn for lunch. I had a delicious salad and one and a half pints of ale. I never expected to be swilling ale on a Wednesday afternoon. At 3 we went and caught Sue's horse - a massive white brute - very nice really. Toffer with Worthy, Web and I drove back to the CW and I started on the walls again - with industrial grease remover. Worked until 5.30. Sue came home and paid me £3 and then gave me a lift home. Had dinner. Mum said I looked awfully pale.

They went out to Auntie Hilda's to see a concert - Mum hates these so-called concerts. I had a bath and washed my hair at 6.15. Emerged at 6.45. Ready at 7. Had a coffee then left and caught the 7.30 55 bus - it was raining. Arrived at the Emmotts at 8 o'clock. June hadn't arrived. I sat alone with half a lager. She's still not here by 8.30, and at 8.45 I go outside and wait in the bus shelter. I could not beleive she had not come. June would never break a promise. Sure enough, she arrived on the 8.50 bus with Sue Bottomley. She was full of apologies. Evidently, her leg had cramp and she had missed the 8 o'clock 55. They had walked most of the way up.

At 9.30 Chris, Denny and MM came in. So did Keith Harrison - and he finished up with Sue Bottomley for the evening. She must like him really. Sue and Keith walked down to the bottom, June and I waited at the bus stop. Left at 11.10. We are meeting tomorrow.

--==--

Saturday April 14, 1973

It must have been nearly 12 when I awoke. John and I decided to go to Leeds. Mum was in a rather terrible mood - we were relieved to get out of the house. We hope she'll be back to normal by tea time. She wanted to give me the £1.30 she owed me, but I protested and said I would wait until next week. John and I got the 2 o'clock 55 bus. Arrived at Leeds 2.50. We go to the predestrian precinct where we find Harry Fenton's. I buy a pair of trousers for £6.75 and a jumper for £4.50. John lends me £2 until next week. We next went to Ray Allen's where John bought a pair of (Oxford) bags for £5.50 - very similar to my latest bags. At the bus station I bought Mum a box of plain and milk chocolates for 20-odd pence. Leave Leeds on the 55 at 4.50. Home by 5.30. Watched Dr Who and had a salad. Prepare for work. Walk down Thorpe Lane arriving at the CW at 7.10. Pauline, Sue and Toffer sit in readiness for the hungry mob. Pauline gives me a piece of chocolate. Not a terribly busy evening. Sue feeling very tired went to bed at midnight. Pauline and I have a laugh with Toffer until 1. A "lovey-dovey" couple keep us waiting. Pauline and I think of ways to get rid of them. Toffer looks on at us in horror. P and I have a bowl of soup and a roll in the restaurant at 1.15. P being very giggly. Come home at 1.30. John watches the television. Lynn and Sue come home ten minutes later from babysitting. We drink a glass of sherry. Dad comes home for supper. Lynn and I say goodnight and go to bed. Sue comes up not long after Dad departs for work. --==--

Friday April 13, 1973

Christine and Jacko are away. Louise and I go to Economics where Christine Jennings and Irene sit with Mr Ayling. What a boring lesson it is. At break Louise pretends to be sick so that she can avoid the second Economics lesson. She is a lousy actress. In the next lesson we discuss the 6th form with Mr Ayling. He asks me whether I think it's been a success. I pause, but then say "yes". He wants to know if we think there is enough authority in the block. I say "no". He and Irene then discuss where staff and pupils must draw the line. We all agree that the situation is very difficult. I sit with MM, Louise and Denny until lunchtime - June being in lessons. We laugh at the ridiculous letters in Louise's magazine. People worrying about ejaculating on the bed linen. June and I go to Rigg's at 12.30 where he, Mr Rigg himself, tells us that June and I are the only people from Benton Park who actually talk to them in the shop. His assistant said that the majority of the kids are morons and 'thick.' The Riggs are nice old souls really. In current affairs Groves left us to prepare for the lecture which is being carried out by Dave Kerfoot, June Turner and Vicky Kellett. They arrive at 2.30. The talk is really interesting, and deals with the problems facing bods who go away from home to live in colleges and universities etc. Dave Kerfoot is at polytechnic living in digs, June Turner is at college of Education living in halls of residence, and Vicky is at university but living at home. Therefore, a varied selection of opinions. They all put there cases very well. Collected my gear together and left with June for the bus stop - having now broken up for Easter. On the way down to Rawdon we decided to meet at the Emmotts at 8.30 on Sunday. Departed for home waving wildly at June from the window. Went to the CW at 7.30. The evening was rather a drag. Toffer and Sue were arguing again. Came home at 1. John was watching Anthony Quinn is some sort of Western thing. I did not take too much notice of it. John went to bed about 1.15 leaving me reading. Dad came home for supper at 1.30. I said goodnight and came to bed. --==--

Thursday April 12, 1973

Awoke at 8.30. Mum bids me goodbye and goes to work. I sit with the Daily Mail and a coffee until 9.15. Have a hot bath. Prepare a urine sample for my medical - pissing into a bottle. I sit laughing to myself at the latest crisis occurring in the Rhodes family since we cut off diplomatic relations last September. It seems that my Auntie Dorothy fell down an open man-hole at work, and a poor hospital worker was impailed on the end of her boot. She suffered severe damage to one of her feet. Her husband has contracted his imaginary rash again. He uses this in a variety of excuses. This time it was used to get rid of Grandad Rhodes. Aunt is now undergoing treatment at her home in Crawshaw something or other in Pudsey. My grandfather is now sponging on the hospitality of Uncle Harry at Wakefield - much to Harry's annoyance. My Grandad tore one of Uncle Harry's best white shirts to bits in order to create a dish cloth. I can see he won't last there for very long. Cousin Sam broke out of his cell on Mother's Day and went to make Auntie Mavis her breakfast in bed. While he was downstairs rolling up newspaper for the fire, Auntie Mavis was quietly dialling the police who arrived on the scene with a strait jacket. Sam - "Dr Jekyll" went without force. What a family the Rhodeses are.

At 9.45 go with my urine sample to see Dr Murdoch in Guiseley. After 15 minutes he says that my x-ray was perfect and the remainder of me is in absolutely great form. Come home rejoicing at 10.45. Write a letter to June. Mum comes home at 12.30 with lunch. After lunch Sue plays the Supremes LP whilst I made some attempt to start my Economics essay. At 3.30 Mum, Dad and I went up to Hawksworth School to vote. Because it is a secret ballot I am not obliged to write down for whom I voted. But I suppose you can guess. Had a nice tea. Then watched television until 7.15. Set off for work where Sue and I had a set to with the greasy cooker and cupboards. I also accepted the proposal to de-grease the kitchen on Wednesday for £3. I am going to be a wealthy man in my own right before the year is up. Came home at 11.30. Browsed over my Economics essay until 12.45. Retired to bed after smoking a cig.

--==--

Tuesday April 10, 1973

Go to school on the 8.30 bus. Go straight into the corner booth and continue with my Napoleon III essay and do not move until 11.45. June keeps making fleeting appearances but is otherwise kept busy by Mrs Telford in the FE Department. At 11.30 after finishing 20 sides of Napoleon III I begin my Suez esssay which I finish precisely at 11.45 - how's that for knocking on! Mrs Lane comes across and goes through my essays. I am the only one to have completed the two. She likes them both but thinks that I am too kind to Napoleon III. She doesn't believe he did anything for the working classes, but I rather think he was a hard-working bloke, not as mysterious as Napoleon I. Go down to lunch at 12.30. At 1.50 Mrs Lane begins once again on my essays. She laughed at the comment made by Randolph Churchill that no aspect of the Suez Crisis can be considered until one remembers that "Sir Anthony Eden was a very sick man at the time." We also argued that Eden did not "fall" as Churchill says in his "Rise and Fall of Sir Anthony Eden". Eden never fell. He simply resigned his post as Premier. June gave me a wonderful photograph of herself taken by her brother-in-law. She looks really terrific. Mum says she looks serene and Sue said she was the image of Queen Victoria in her youth. June wouldn't like to hear that. What an insult to a rabid Marxist. Went to work at 7.30. Quite busy. Sue asks me to work on Thursday. I said I would. I must be raving mad! -==-

Saturday April 7, 1973

After breakfast I went into Bradford with the £2 gift voucher from Auntie Mabel and Uncle Jack, etc. I intended buying the 50th celebration recording of the BBC, but Boots did not have it. Instead, I went to the Library where I met Michael Attenborough in the History Room. We both stood for about half an hour looking for something suitable on the Suez Crisis 1956. Very little was to be had. However, I did manage to lay my hands on a volume of Harold Nicolson's diaries and letters which covered the Eden administration. Nicolson was obviously a brilliant writer, but he approaches his diaries in a somewhat peculiar way, for example: where I would say "Sue went at 2 o'clock, and John came in moody at half past 3", he says: "The Queen dies at 10.20am and Winston announces it to the House in sobs at 10.40". Almost as though he's writing his diary there and then as the events occur! Most unusual.

Came home at 3.30 and had a late lunch. Went into the lounge and watched the annual Oxford-Cambridge boat race on tv. Cambridge won for the 4th year running and Oxford were 12 lengths behind at the end. Poor Blighters. Watched "Dr Who". Had tea at 6.30 and made a mad dash down Thorpe Lane to be at the Chuck Wagon for 7. Sue and Toffer spent the largest part of the evening arguing with one another - Pauline and I merely looked on. We were not too busy for a saturday night. Sue R had her hair tied up in some kind of head scarfe - and resembled some peasant from the French Revolution - really very amusing. We were home by 1.15. Lynn and Susan were still out babysitting, and I sat reminiscing until they came in at 1.45.

-==-

Tuesday April 3, 1973

You simply would not believe that the change in the weather could be so swift as it has been today. The sun was shining and a pleasant breeze blew the trees into a mad frenzy.

It was announced today that the Duke of Edinburgh is to visit the USSR in September. It's happened at last. I realise they would either send him or the Queen, because anything seems possible these days. To think that the Russians murdered Prince Philip's relations back in 1917. But the Russians will not be embarrassed. Princess Anne is also going, with Mark Phillips, for horse trials there. By the way, my view that the princess and the lieutenant will become engaged at Easter seems unlikely.

At school I continued battling through King George III which is very interesting and readable. Mrs Lane nearly broke down in complete hysteria when I told her of the way in which George II died. He was taking his morning cup of chocolate in his bathroom when he fell, and to quote Brooke: "delivered himself insensible on the corner of a bureau."

Mum today went to London to collect her £50 worth of clothes won in the newspaper competition. On my arrival home from the Chuck Wagon I found Mum in bed with her offerings hung upon the door. She enjoyed the day itself more than the actual gifts - which to me seem a little over-done and gory. She saw Eamonn Andrews with his wife in a London restaurant. According to Mum the man looks much better off the screen. I think he is a proper idiot. Work was nice. Sue R gave me a bottle of gancia "champagne" for my birthday, plus a card and a pair of paper doilies, not forgetting the brillo pad. What a sense of humour she has! Went to bed at 12.30.

--==--

Friday March 23, 1973

Got up at 8 o'clock. Very late. The sun shone brilliantly throughout the whole of this truly marvellous day. Somehow I feel as though I want to write down everything that passes through my mind due to the fact that one day I might be a lonely old soul in need of something to remind me of the past.

The day was remarkable. I ate 2 oranges, fish and chips, and a bag of potato crisps for lunch and then bade farewell to June who is going to Hawksworth Hall to visit a mob of spastics.

At every available opportunity such as breaks and lunchtime we rushed out onto the field - Chris, Louise, Denise and MM were ___in a made passionate orgy of fun and Spring-like frolic.

However, the sun lost its appeal for me and Dave and Christine plus a a mob of lower 6th scum and we chased into the groggy smoke-filled common room where we had a few hands of knock-out whist.

Louise and I had a hysterical double lesson of Biology, and we had our usual "Italian half hour" coming out with phrases like "Tia Maria" and "Santa Maria" with more and more affectation.
A 4 returned to the 6th form where June, Cowie, Janet, Dave, Christine, Louise and I played a few hands of cheat. June and I went down to the bus stop. Mournful due to the fact that I am working Sunday and we won't be meeting again until Monday morning. A very, poignant, tearful parting!

Before leaving for work I had the idea that Janet Roots lived near June and so I rang her and asked her to pass on the message that I'd be at Guiseley Swimming Baths on Sunday morning at 10.30. Janet agreed to be my go between.

Went to work, where Sue R told me that Martin, the Sunday washer-up, was now able to work on Sunday evening after all. I was furious. My Sunday evening is going to be free after all!

Came home completely fagged out. Immediately to bed.

--==--

Saturday March 17, 1973

Got up at about 11. Mum told me that she would treat me today and give me some money for a pair of trousers!

The weather is absolutely remarkable for March, and only last night Sue R was saying we had had no winter with very little ice or snow.

Dad, who took to bed with a terrible cold on Thursday, is unable to enjoy this good gardening weather, being tucked up in his bed - sneezing like hell all day long. Because of Dad's illness Mum asked me to walk down to the shops in Guiseley to get her some bare necessities. Flour, eggs, bacon, cheese, etc. Came back and had lunch at 1. At 2 Mum gave me £7 - not counting the £2 I had given the girls to get me a jumper in Bradford. I made my way to the bus stop which fulfilled its purpose of providing me with a bus at 2.30. Arrived in Leeds at 3.15 making my way to Harry Fenton's. I found a pair of Oxford Bags for £3. Bought them almost immediately.

After looking round the very busy Leeds I caught the 33 Ilkley bus at 4.30. Back in Guiseley for 5.10. Mum was surprised to get £4 change. It isn't like me!

After tea of salad I went down the lane to work which was extremely busy all evening. Sadly, at midnight we altered the clocks again to 1am which means I will lose an hour in bed tomorrow. We sat with our beer and lager until 3 (2 in old time). Pauline was too fagged to stay any longer. Toffer gave us a lift home, and I obliged Pauline by lending her my Rachmaninov's 2nd Piano Concerto played by Maura Lympany - she will enjoy it, being a romantic. Got home at 3. Had no supper and came to bed 1 hour later after messing around with my diary (yes, you!).

Oh it's been an awful day without June on the scene. Roll on tomorrow. Night, night all. I'm so damned tired.

--==--

Friday March 16, 1973

My Grandad Wilson was born in 1890. Christine B is 17. Dave passed his driving test! First time as well! I found out at about 1pm when June and I rang Dave's house from the phone box in Rawdon to be told by Mr Lawson that he had passed - we were over the Moon!

Got up at 7.30 and had breakfast, coming to school at 8.30. We should have had a 6th form meeting but nobody had put anything on the agenda. In Economics we did more ruddy essays on monopoly. I gave him his £1.60 first in order to put the old boy in a good mood.

At 11.45 we all sat about in the common room praying for Dave. I was convinced that he would pass. June and I crept out for the lunches at 12.30 determined not to be the muggins and get everybody's like yesterday. Coming back from Rigg's I stopped off at the telephone box, much to June's annoyance, who didn't like the idea of me ringing Dave. Benita was in the box talking to her boyfriend and we had to wait for several minutes. Mr Lawson seemed thrilled to bits, saying that Dave was up at Marion's.

We rushed back to school where Dave was sitting calmly and glum - pretending to have failed - but I soon made it known that I knew the true result.

After a very quiet lunch several of Groves Current Affairs group, including me, prepared the common room for a talk to be held on East Germany in the project periods. Louise and I went to Biology instead. Anything is better than listening to some pro-communist maniac banging on about some crap eastern Russified power as though it was God's gift to civilization - no thank you!

It was genetics again with Mrs Stancliffe - quite interesting.

June, Graham, Linda, Benita, Janet and I went down to the bus stop at 4.15 and I deposited £2 in my Post Office savings account. June nipped across the road and bought 2 juicey, green apples, instead of the divine cream eggs. It was enjoyable. I wrote "Mick=June 16/3/73" in the dirt and grime on the big black door next to the bus stop. My bus came at 4.50.

The Queen today opened the new London Bridge with the words: "it is closed for the first time ever - so that I can open it." She certainly has a sense of humour.

Went to the Chuck Wagon at 7.30. Sue gave me a piece of apple pie and cream. Quite busy. Home at 12.45. John was watching the end of a film. I sat listening to the 1812 Overture but sadly played very low owing to the time and fact that everyone was in bed. Came to bed at 1.30.

--==--

Friday March 9, 1973

John woke me at 7.20 when he was getting ready for work. But I was quite pleased to be up in good time. Had a little breakfast and came to school on the 8.30 bus. Benita was the only other person there. Christine Braithwaite arrived shortly after and she helped me put the finishing touches to my 'demand and suppy' essay - the mathematical bit. Ughh! She went out last night and didn't manage to start her essay (Monopoly) until 12 - finishing it at 2.30am! I'd have still been scribbling at 4.30 if I'd gone out first. Double Economics was quite enjoyable - believe it or not, and Groves must have told Mr Ayling of my acceptance into college - because he suggested that I do extra economics, much to the amusement of all the others.

At lunchtime June and I went for a walk in the park. Very romantic. The weather is absolutely beautiful. Spring is with us at last. We walked hand in hand back to school. Saw Chid.

In the afternoon Christine and Maggie Edwards gave one of their OAP orgies. June and I were doing nothing for the first lesson and we therfor decided to entertain the old dears. Anyway, it was a good excuse to knock back a few cups of tea. Louise and I were then dragged off to Biology by Mrs Stancliffe. It was a great 2 lessons! We did a question on heredity and disease and the haemophiliac line of the Royal Family. I knew more on this than Mrs Stancliffe did! It was very interesting and made a change from the usual clap-trap about plants and gas.

June and I walked hand in hand to the bus stop at 4.50. I will not be seeing her until Sunday! How awful!

Back to work at 7.30. A terribly long night. Even Sue R admitted that she had never known a night drag on so long. She has asked me to work on Tuesday nights as well as Friday and Saturday - pushing my weekly wage up to £5. They were very pleased to hear I had got into college - so I therefor gave them 4 months notice! Toffer brought me home at 12.15. Watched the end of a film and came to bed at 12.40.

--=--

Saturday February 17, 1973

John got me up at 11. I was surprised to see him. He usually works Saturdays but he has slept in. He tells me he wants to go to Otley or Bradford. We select Bradford catching the 12.20 bus to the city centre - 14p each way!
John bought an LP - Diana Ross's Greatest Hits. I would have preferred the Monty Python record, or the BBC 1922-1972 record - but it was his cash. After spending an hour in the record shop we went for lunch to a small cafe - sausages, chips, peas and tomatoes for 20p - can't be bad, can it? We then set off on the near impossible task of finding a hairdresser for John. We did find one, but after a search of 45 minutues. It was in a tiny back street miles from anywhere. He was only in for 10 minutes and charged 40p. That's inflation for you. We then went down to the Library and sat for nearly an hour browsing through Debrett's Peerage 1973 and Burke's Peerage 1970. John was very bored and eventually dragged me out at 4.30. We arrived home and had dinner at 5. Mutton, roast spuds, turnip, etc. I then collapsed into an easy chair in the lounge to watch "Dr Who" - my very favourite programme. Arrived at work at 7. The usual rush at 10 o'clock. We went through the usual rigmarole sitting about waiting for them to go. At least I got paid. Sue (Riley) is now very excited about the extension which is to be done in October. The CW will hold twice as many people as it does already. Saints Preserve us! It's bloody big enough already.
Lately I feel terribly restless and unsure of everything. I arrived home at 1.30 and sat feeling untired until 2.40. Dad, who is on nights, got home at 1.40 - and I had some supper with him. He says work has been dead since Christmas. He cannot understand why everything is so quiet. We have only had a murder, a rape, and several indecent assaults in Guiseley in the past few weeks.
June and I are of course going to the Emmotts on Sunday. You may have already guessed my main reason for going there - yes, Ivy (Ha Ha).
Byee!

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Saturday February 10, 1973

Philip Knowles is 17 today. On this day in 1840 Queen Victoria married Prince Albert. Got up at 11.30 the cold winter sun was shining brilliantly. After a small but adequate breakfast I drifted into the lounge and played all the records until nearly 2 o'clock. Mum, who had been at the hairdressers, brought fish and chips home for luncheon. After lunch Mum suggested that Sue, Dad, me and herself should drive down into Otley to do a bit of shopping. However, I put forward the idea that Dad and I could drop Mum and Sue in Otley, and I could then go off for a driving lesson with Dad. All agreed to these suggestions and we set off at 3. I had a most enjoyable lesson and made only one major fault - whilst going up a steep hill on the Harewood road I quite forgot to change gear and stalled the car. However, after an hour in the beautiful countryside Dad could happily say that I had improved greatly on last time - which was sometime in November. I would love to take my test before my 18th birthday. After all, not everyone can say they have passed while they were only 17 years-old.
Home at 5. Had a good tea and watched TV until 6.45. Walked down to the Chuck Wagon at 6.50. Pauline arrived at 7.15. Sue and Toffer were in very good moods all evening, which was the most quiet Saturday I have experienced. Alas, at 10 o'clock the place began to fill up, and bloody drunks - greedy drunks at that - were pouring in at 11.30pm. Pauline was feeling unwell at 11.30 - reduced to tears with a cronic stomach ache. However, by 1am she had recovered quite satisfactorily. At 1am we sat down at the usual table. I had my usual beers (3 in all) and Sue played Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture on the stereo. At the same time Toffer was chopping T_bone steaks to the rhythm of the music. Sue also played the Warsaw Concerto, Dream of Olwen, Cornish Raphsody, and Murder on 10th Avenue. I received my usual £3.50. and retired home in the back seat of Toffer's comfortable car. Mum and Dad arrived home simultaneously from Mum's works orgy at the Troutbeck Hotel, Ilkley. They had enjoyed it very much. They went straight up to bed leaving me alone in the kitchen to make an adequate supper for myself.
I settled on cheese and biscuits and a cup of tea. I sat in the lounge eating my long-awaited supper and reading my Queen Victoria book. I rang Bradford Library this morning in order to renew my books. They were unable to trace my tickets, and told me to bring the books in next week cancelling the fine.

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