Friday August 6, 1976

Carole rang me at work this afternoon to say the usual things about feeling the same way about me, &c, and that she's written a letter and wants me to reply.

Dave L rings at 7 o'clock and says he'll give me a lift down to the Hare at 8.15. Ten minutes later Lynne rings and says she has arrived home a day early and we meet at 8.30 and go to the Hare. Everyone at the pub except Peter M and Christopher. Carol Smith says she saw Peter with Carole outside at about 8 but they didn't come in.

John & Maria, Jimmy and Elizabeth all come in together. A pleasant enjoyable evening. Jimmy tells me he's making a pond in the garden at Ridgeway, and I'm enthralled. I tell him I'll go round tomorrow and investigate. He's quiet all night and when I enquire: "What are you pondering about?" He replied: "My pond."

Maria is massive. Dave L says that when you walk past somebody it's over in a flash, but walking past Maria takes some time. One could read several chapters of 'War & Peace' and still be negotiating her bump. She is a big blue mass.

Home at midnight to watch a 1941 Ingrid Bergman epic. Not very good really. Make coffee for Lynne and she disappears over the horizon at something like 1.30.

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Thursday August 5, 1976

Pleasant day. Sarah is back - Thank God. Another day alone with Kathleen would have finished me off. Go have another session with Hough (dentist). It costs me £3.50 - the first time I have ever had to pay.

Carole rang this afternoon for some sort of chat. When I got home Lynn's first reaction was that she knew Carole would contact me this week knowing that Lynne is safely exiled in Wales. I never think of things like this - but I suppose it's the female mind at work. Miss Phillips did not say anything spectacular but I hate her ringing me. I put down the phone feeling happy, which is disturbing. I can never go out with her again - but knowing it would be wrong to do so makes the temptation, in my wicked mind, even stronger. I feel sick inside because she is so nice, and she has such hope in her voice. Please don't take this is a my bragging about having an attractive girl wasting away because I do not love her. The thought of it revolts me intensely, and until the day I die Carole will always mean a Hell of a lot to me. She says she'll write, and I promise to answer. She sounded nauseated at the idea of me going out with Lynne and spoke her name a few times in sentences punctuated with shudders. She must be a bit of a masocist ( I can't spell it).

Home at 5.15. Lynn is ill with something not unlike Lassa Fever. David comes up at 8 to keep her company. We get a bottle of booze, and with Mum the three of us discuss morals and why ________ shouldn't fornicate with married men. I say Lynn and Mum are ridiculous and melodramatic about the whole thing, and suggest to Lynn that perhaps she should be a candidate for the archbishopric of Canterbury when a vacancy next crops up.

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Wednesday August 4, 1976

Get a postcard from Lynne M in Wales. It's a place I've never had any desire to visit really. I do suppose it has its nice parts - just like most boring places do if you look hard enough. The Welsh people don't do a lot for me either. Harry Secombe and Richard Burton are supposedly Welsh. The pubs don't open at weekends, or on Monday or Tuesday, or when the month has "R" in it. So, it puts me right off. See Wales, and die. I hope Lynne likes it anyway.

The good old Queen Mother is 76 today. I cannot help thinking about what Edith's opinion is of her. Does the Queen Mother really 'fancy herself' ? I don't know, but I'll tell you this - if anybody deserves to fancy herself it's the Queen Mum. 53 years of service to the Crown as a member of the Royal Family. If the adoration of eight billion people hasn't turned HM's head, then she wouldn't be bloody normal. Goodnight.

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Tuesday August 3, 1976

Begin a mammoth task. Spend the evening going through Burke's Peerage tracing the descendants of Charles II in this weighty volume. From the 2nd Duke of Grafton alone (a grandson of King Charles II) I've so far traced 19 or 20 peers alive at the moment ranging from the Earl of Longford, the Marquess of Hertford, the Duke of Newcastle, & Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede, to worthies such as Lord Harlech and Katie Boyle's ex-husband, the Earl of Shannon. Charles II certainly has a lot to answer for.

Sit with Dad at midnight and read to him the proclamation by George V establishing the Royal House of Windsor in 1917, and three minutes later he's aslseep good and proper. It's my personality folks! But really royal proclamations are not what I'd term suitable bedtime reading. They make very nice reading for Kings and Queens, who had a hand in the wording, but shagged-out 42 year-old policemen want something a little more exciting. Lady Chatterley, probably.

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Monday August 2, 1976

Bank Holiday in Scotland & Irish Republic. A thoroughly miserable day at work. _____.

See two articles about the Prince of Wales and Davina Sheffield in the Sunday papers. One of them told of an incident in Devon a few days ago when the prince and Davina went down to a beach with a crate of beer accompanied only by one detective. The other was concerning an event which is alleged to have taken place on the same occasion. The prince had changed into bathing gear in a changing room and Davina went up later to change, using the mens room by mistake, and was caught in a naked state by one of the local clotted cream manufacturers who received a right eye-full. It will be a nice tale to tell if the couple ever marry.

Home at 5.15 and have a good argument over tea with Lynn, Dad and Mum. They argued that it was wrong that immigrants can get away with not wearing crash helmets because of their religion. My argument is that ones religious beliefs are more important than a ridiculous law that's been cooked up in Westminster one rainy afternoon just to pass the time. The same applies to the wearing of car seat belts. If a chap wants to risk his own life then why can't they let him get on with it? The sooner Roy Jenkins goes the better.

Mum handed in her notice this morning. Moon's Mill will certainly miss her because she's a brilliant worker and so efficient. Nothing can make her change her mind once it is made up. Prospective grandmothers shouldn't have to go to work anyway.

I was rendered speechless when, after taking my bath, I went downstairs to find Mum & Dad watching the Olympic Games on TV. When I exclaimed: "I thought they had finished yesterday?" Dad responded: "Oh yes, but now they're showing the hilights."
Oh My God. I quickly departed back to my room to read Burke's Peerage until the 9 o'clock news. Later watch Faye Dunaway and Kirk Douglas in a film until after 11, and then watch that last hour of 'Billy the Kid'. I'm addicted to the TV at the moment. The book by Trollope just does nothing for me.

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Sunday August 1, 1976

7th after Trinity. Arise at quite a decent hour and make my way to the bathroom. The stench of vomit outside Karl's bedroom is revolting, but after further investigations I see he is the only casualty.

Peter says CB and Roger appear to have had a good time in the lounge and Chris tells that they (CB & Roger) look to have been 'up to things'______________________.

Denise and I take a vaccuum cleaner each and start on the downstairs rooms. Even Roger had a duster in his hand. Lynne was most uncommunicative and surly much to the amusement of CB who kept grinning at me across the lounge. By 11.30 we've done all we can and Chris takes Romeo & Juliet home (that's Christine & Roger by the way).

Denise, Peter, Lynne and I sit in the dining room chatting until Mr & Mrs Mather get in at 12. I can see Mr M casting his gaze around the premises looking for cases of vandalism. I shudder when I see him mounting the stairs because I know just what a dreadful smell will assail his nostrils when he reaches the top.

At12.30 - Lynne who is all packed ready for her holiday - brings me home.We kiss and part until Saturday night. Have lunch with Mum, Dad, Sue & Peter and then spend a couple of hours with the Blackwells. We talk about Vic Feather, the Duchess of Windsor, the Queen and Queen Mother and other sundries. Edith had some unsavory comments to make about the old duchess and she says that the Queen Mother 'fancies herself'.

Back home I watch TV all night with Mum & Dad. A good programme about the history of the BBC with bits of programmes all bunged together. After Dad goes to work Mum and I watched a sad, morbid film with Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift. Don't get me wrong, Elizabeth and Montgomery didn't watch the film with us - they were in it.

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Saturday July 31, 1976

Climb out of bed at 1pm and after eggs and bacon for breakfast Lynn and I go into Otley on a shopping expedition. I take Peter's present with me so that I can go straight on to Bramhope afterwards. Have a laugh with Lynn who is debating what to buy Peter for his 21st. I leave her still thinking about this having bought a few bottles to take with me. Arrived at Bramhope at 4.30.

Lynne is there with her friend Jean unpacking crates of Schofield's sandwiches and other delicacies. Chris and Andy are just leaving ____________. He's like a big girl at times. Or even a little girl. Peter is thrilled with his 'Silver Convention' LP and we played it about 75 million times while going through the holiday photos together. The girls take about three hours to ready themselves and to kill time Peter I go for a quick drink to the Fox & Hounds (Bramhope). Chris and Denise come back at 8 or so. Jean is in hysterics. She plays a ridiculous game touching my bum, knees and elbows. Just a general grope really. Go to the Dyneley Arms where everybody meets. Sing 'Happy Birthday' and 'Twenty One Today' for the host and at about 9.30 or 10 we go back to the house and party. Don't really see Lynne all night, and when I do (see her) she's off hand. I drift round having social intercourse with everyone and distinctly recall devouring a vase of carnations (with Dave L) from the dining room table much to the horror of Mrs Maria Rhodes.

All the usuals attended - far too numerous even to mention. Carole didn't come and people kept telling me she's gone to London for the weekend. I don't believe it. She'll be out with Chris, Pete and Denise tomorrow night. CB was pissed up. We kissed and it was stimulating and pleasurable and entirely relieving. Does this mean I should do away with Roger and take CB for myself? Or does it mean all girls excite me other than ______? Watch this space.

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