Sunday June 14, 1981

 _. Trinity Sunday

Spent the morning pottering in the garden. Weeding, &c, to the sound of the church bells summoning Anglicans to church.

Ally: weak at the knees

To Delia's lunch party at 12:45. Ally in her yellow shorts, brown legs, white shoes. We had not been informed that it was an engagement party for Sarah and Trevor, and stood by as guests handed over spice racks, wine racks, heavy glass tumbers, &c.____. I spent some time in the kichen chatting to a young David Hirst about Benton Park School. Geoff Slater, the undertaker, cornered me and talked about official 'flag flying days'. Evidently I provided him with a list in 1975. Other guests included Jill Whittington, Olive, Olive's husband, Delia's florist, Delia's hairdresser, Barbara, Marilyn and Beverley Wheeler, &c. Just as the food was being served Ally began to feel dizzy and we went outside and propped up a coal bunker. She became weak at the knees. For us the party was over. I helped her to the car and set off down West End Lane, and had driven no further a mile when the accelerator pedal snapped beneath my foot. I pushed the car into a lay-by, Ally now unconscious, and walked to Horsforth roundabout and phoned Susan and Peter. They arrived at about 4 and brought us back to Pine Tops and we put her to bed. I spent the evening keeping vigil.

Mum and Dad dined at the Prachee.

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Saturday June 13, 1981

 _. Shopping in Bradford. Ally bought some yellow shorts and matching shirt and now looks like a sexy canary. I bought a couple of pairs of socks.

Sarjeant: firing blanks.

Back at Ash Tree Cottage at 3. Hear on the radio that someone fired six blanks at the Queen as she was entering Horse Guards Parade this morning for the Trooping of the Colour ceremony. HM was unhurt and performed splendidly on her horse, Burmese. A 17 year-old youth, Marcus Sarjeant, from Kent, has been charged with offences under Section 2 of the 1848 Treason Act, and could face a prison sentence of up to seven years. At the Birthday Parade in 1936 a Scot threw a loaded revolver at King Edward VIII on Constitution Hill, and did a years 'hard labour' for his treacherous deed.

To Guiseley at 5. Stayed until after 12. Had fish and chips. Sue and Pete came at about 10 just as Ally was dishing up the food. Sue thinks she might be pregnant, and the baby due in February. Surely, this cannot be right? It means she's only two days pregnant. She's seeing a doctor on Wednesday. Much laughter. Peter took all the banter with his usual Nason composure. To Bradford after 12.

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Friday June 12, 1981

Pine Tops: soon to be sold?

 _. Mum and Dad are inundated with enquiries about the sale of Pine Tops. People are flocking to view. No doubt the old place will be sold at the weekend. I phoned Mum this afternoon.

At the office I did point out to the [news] desk that Princess Anne's lady-in-waiting, the Hon Shan Legge-Bourke, also has a daughter, Zara, born in 1966.

To Club Street at 6. Another evening of tidying up in readiness for the visit of the duke and duchess on June 26, or is it June 25? Ally was in a highly emotional state tonight ___________.

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Thursday June 11, 1981

 _. To the YP. Had my hair cut at Carlo & Jeffrey's  - £4. Princess Anne's daughter is not going to be called Tracy. Instead they've gone for Zara Anne Elizabeth. 

To Ash Tree Cottage for 6. We went to Morrison's and spent £7 on virtually nothing at all. Just a few provisions for tea and a tin of Heinz Ravioli 'in rich tomato sauce' for our post-honeymoon food supply.

Grayson: mantlepiece

At 8 I left Ally [yes folks, she's still 'Spring cleaning'] and walked up to St Wilfred's Church to collect a completed Banns certificate from the Denis Price-like Mr Nudds. He guided me into his study where he filled out the certificate. I was startled by the portrait adorning the chimney breast over the mantlepiece. A framed and signed portrait of no lesser person than Larry Grayson, the homosexual tv quiz master. After last Sunday's 'high church' experience I would have expected to see Pope John Paul up there. It was warming to see Robert Lacey's 'Majesty' on Mr Nudds's well stocked bookcase.

Back at Club St Ally was sneezing [because of the dust]. Phoned Dave G. He is going to collect us at Manchester Airport on July 12. Dave L phoned to ask about the 'stag night'. Bessie phoned Ally and spoke for hours on end. Wedding talk. I made a large tissue-paper shroud for the wedding dress hanging in the Flying Pig Suite. Obviously, I haven't seen the gown.

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Wednesday June 10, 1981

 _. The 60th birthday of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. 

Took a half-day and left the office at 12. I lingered in a book shop in town and then wandered to Pronuptia Bridal where I met a glowing Ally, in pink trousers, and white blouse. Like an ice-cream sundae in fact. We collected large boxes containg the bridal dress and bridesmaid dresses and paid out £200 [half the cost].

Charles in Bradford.

Ally saw the Prince of Wales in Bradford this morning. He drove past her in his magnificent car, with crest fluttering, as she sped up Squire Lane, on the third day of her fake stomach upset. We went to Bradford and saw the prince leaving the Town Hall [where he'd lunched]. The immense popularity of the P of W is made very clear by the shear numbers who turned out to catch a glimpse. The city centre was at a standstill. HRH then drove to Yeadon where he flew home at 4:20. Officials at the airport say they cannot recall such a crowd massing to see someone fly out. 

Home to Pine Tops at 5. Saw Lynn and Frances. Mum and Dad were entertaining a couple of prospective buyers, and so Ally and I went to Burley, and came home at 11.

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Tuesday June 9, 1981

Diana: 

 _. To the office. Ally, the naughty girl, coninued with her mock-illness and remained at Club St 'spring cleaning' in readiness for the wedding of the year. On the subject of the wedding of the year I'm slightly put out. Driving to Leeds with Jim today I remarked that 'the wedding is getting near now', to which Jim immediately replied 'oh yes, I'm dreading all that hideous TV coverage, their faces splattered all over every newspaper and magazine in the Kingdom for weeks on end ....' clearly thinking I was talking of the Royal wedding and not mine. Ours is quite lost in all the royal build up.

Sarah was missing yesterday at the YP too. Tummy upset. So, yesterday 'Mrs Slocombe' was left to do everything.

I'm having trouble sleeping you know [have I mentioned this before?] The wedding [ours] must be playing around, creeping upon my subconscious. I am not in any way frightened. Indeed, I long for it, the home life, and everything it entails.

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Monday June 8, 1981

Haworth.

 _.Up at 8. We phoned our respective places of employment pleading illness. We took a leisurely breakfast, and phoned Mum at 10. I didn't want her phoning the office to be told I was at home in bed. We packed a picnic of egg mayonnaise sandwiches and went to Haworth at 12 for a tranquil afternoon at the 'Bronte Waterfalls'. A peaceful walk on the moors with my love disturbed only by schoolchildren squealing at the falls. We looked at the shops, and returned to Guiseley.

To Rawdon at 5:15 for a session with my bearded, garlic smelling dentist. Just a clean and polish and it cost me £3. Ally, sat in the waiting room saw Mr Miller, one of the AHA bosses, and so hid behind a four year old edition of Horse & Hound. On to Guiseley.

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Sunday June 7, 1981

 _. Whit Sunday

To St Wilfred's Church, Lidget Green at 10:30 to hear the Banns on our marriage spoken by Mr Nudds, the vicar. He preached very solemnly from the pulpit, booming through his microphone of the perils of drug abuse and a tale of a Thalidomide child. Home at 11:30 for bacon and eggs.

Rachel, Anne and Penny.

After a soak and a change of clothes we walked to Chellow, armed with a bottle of Papa's apple wine, to Rachel Judson's afternoon party. Her live-in boyfriend Garry is a caterer and the display of food looked like something from the Savoy. A large salmon, turkey, &c. Some bitchiness enused between Rachel's Halifax friends and YP ladies. The Halifax girls all resembled desert island castaways, in shorts, with lots of tanned, bare flesh. Penny Wark likened the tans to 'gravy browning'. Evidently I provided some musical accompaniment to an old, scratched Abba LP, but this was after 9 when everyone seemed to be staggering drunk. Rachel was quite overcome by it all. I've always said she is a little girl at heart. This afternoon for instance she was in her kitchen sobbing because she thought nobody was enjoying the party. Eileen and Steve Burnip were fun, as was Gavin Summers. We staggered back home after 10, and in pouring rain, and sat by the fire in a state of undress listening to Dohnányi's 'Theme on a Nursery Song'. Hot toast and tea, and decide to skip work tomorrow.

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Saturday June 6, 1981

 _. Because I am so rarely at home I find that compiling this journal is becoming more and more difficult. 

Ally and I had a fruitless day in Leeds drifting aimlessly around the shops. Saw 'Mrs Slocombe' and her sister Wendy. We went into the Ostlers chiefly to allow Ally to answer the call, or perhaps the scream, of nature. Obviously, we didn't leave the pub without sampling its excellent ales.

The afternoon was a catastrophe from start to finish. I had no enthusiasm for spending money, or more correctly, the bank's money. Ally took exception to my reticence. I did succumb to a pair of trousers costing £26 in Primo's. They're a bit military looking, not out of place on Moshe Dayan.

Back to Club Street. I made a Spanish omelette. First though I had to march down the High St looking for red peppers and onions. We went to see the Rev Calvin Ward at Esholt at 7. We had a full-scale wedding rehearsal - quite beautiful. He was so enthusiastic and cheerful, as if it was his first wedding. Back to Pine Tops. Mum packed me up with bacon and eggs, &c, and at 12 we returned to Club St.

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Friday June 5, 1981

 _. Boring day at the YP. I cannot go on much longer. I am quite wasted doing what I'm doing. Thoroughly wasted. Sarah was so very happy about her invitation. I chastised her for not telling me sooner of the canceled Scottish trip.

Home at 6. No sign of Mum and Dad. They were out all evening at the Stonehouse compiling an inventory. This afternoon they visited an accountant in Harrogate.

Ally came for tea. Just beans, eggs, &c. To the Cow & Calf Hotel to discuss a few minor details with the management. You know, table flowers, wine &c. Took the wedding cake to be iced at Mrs Rusby's. She has a poor spastic daughter who must be my age. An only child too. Visited Lynn and Dave too, and baby Frances was frantically sucking upon a dummy.

At the office I picked up some free tickets for a late showing at the ABC Cinema, Leeds tonight, for 'The Exterminator' starring endless obscure actors, and Samantha Eggar, an almost obscure actress. I phoned Dave L and told him to be outside the cinema at 10:30. He complied with this request. It was a very poor film but amusing in places where probably it shouldn't have been. Would have felt robbed if I'd payed money to see it. Back to Bradford at 12:30.

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Thursday June 4, 1981

 _. Feeling frivolous I bought two rump steaks and went to Bradford at 5. I now have my own key you know. I let myself into the empty house. Ally was at the hairdresser having her hair permed in readiness for the wedding. She was back looking extremely bonnie at 6:30, and we dined at 7. 

Bessie: 59.

My future mother-in-law, Bessie, is 59 today. It's a year since we had a mad four or five days in Winchester. The trip to Windsor and the t-bone steak there still makes my mouth water. And I'll always remember a sun-tanned Ally on Itchen Downs, a poppy arranged sexily behind one ear.

Afterwards we watched the increasingly snowy TV. Sarah has announced that she and Delia are not now away in Scotland on our wedding day. Communicating this to Ally she immediately phoned Bessie to add them to the guest list. I phoned Delia, who almost burst into tears saying she and Sarah had been quite 'heart broken' at the thought of missing the wedding. Obviously, Trevor is now on the list too.

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