Wednesday July 4, 1984

 Moorhouse Inn

John & Sheila.

Hot. To Horton we go this afternoon to see Mama, Papa, John & Sheila. They are the same as ever, but Mum was in a queer mood, and antagonistic at times. No amount of persuasion will make Mum fly. Sheila tells us she'll be 47 on August 16. We told them we want to go (to Lanzarote) in January and John says he has a good villa near the beach at Puerto Del Carmen. How about January 17? Dad went into his 'clown mode' which entertained his brother, but annoyed mother. He isn't a clown by nature, and really should be an MP instead. It's Charlotte (Smith) birthday and of course American Independence Day. Think of Ios in '81. We dined at 8 after an afternoon in the garden. Chicken salad and meringue with strawberries. Hikers staying at Waltergarth were watching TV and I pretended that they were disturbing me. Sheila says that I am sensitive. Home very late. Samuel was disturbed and refused to sleep, and was awake until dawn.

-=-

Tuesday July 3, 1984

 Moorhouse Inn

LG phoned again to discuss the incident of last Thursday. He says he has every confidence in me and that we could do the job standing on our heads. I told him that I regret losing him. He says we will meet again. Very Vera-Lynnesque. 

Completely dead. The pub that is. Jane is a miserable little tart. Can't think why we ever employed her. Big Brian was in. Frank refers to him as a 'shit-pusher', which I take to mean homosexual. Come to think of it Brian is always in with spiky haired youths barely out of school. It's been very hot, but obviously not hot enough to give the buggers a thirst.

-=-

Monday July 2, 1984

 Bank Holiday in Canada

Moorhouse Inn

Very hot. Brewery meeting. I decided to keep a low profile and despatched Ally instead. Ordinarily I'd have gone with Rob (Piper) but he's in Portugal. Ally went off at 5 and came back at 9:30. It was the usual event. Ally was placed between Colin Black and Fran (O'Brien). She says F.O'B was disgustingly cheerful. No sign of LG. We are blessed with a pay rise. I now get £7,440 per annum. The group adjourned to the Angel and White Horse where Ally was stuck with Pirie and Chris Wills. She was back at 9:30 cheerful and 'full of it'.

-=-

Sunday July 1, 1984

 2nd Sunday after Trinity

Moorhouse Inn, Leeds

Club Street.

Diana is 23. News: Prince Andrew has been eating in a kinky restaurant where the waitress 'spanks' naughty customers. What a novel idea. The Bishop-elect of Durham has decided that Jesus was not the son of God. I suppose this had to happen. By 2063 we'll have our first Soviet, atheist pope. 

To Club Street at 3. We dug the garden and cleaned the car and gave Samuel a push around Lidget Green. Eat salad. Very relaxing and a change from 'living over the shop'. Ally spoke to Bessie who was 'off hand' with her and complaining about the christening. I think that she thinks we are not getting on with the organising. Graham and Gill were at Martyr Worthy for the weekend. Home at 7 to the hurly burly of pub life in Hunslet, Leeds.

-=-

Saturday June 30, 1984

 Moorhouse Inn

Phew. Oliver Smith didn't phone. Mind you, I steered well clear of the telephone all day. Ally, looking dinky in dungarees, opened up at 11 and I didn't see her until 2pm. She was merry-making with the customers whilst I fed Samue,l and played with him. He now enjoys throwing toys onto the floor and he sucks everything. He is a cheerful little soul and chuckles heartily. What a joy he is. 

We went at 3:30-ish off we went to Otley market. We bought nothing. On to Number 23 (West End Terrace) to see Susie and Benjamin who came home today. They are moving into Jim's on Fieldhead Rd next when Jim & Margaret go to Pamela's at Shipley. What chaos. The midwife came and so we went to Lynn's. The girls were eating in the dark, prison-like dining room with the blacked out windows covering David's extension. Lynn was like a ferret on hot bricks and ironing whilst we talked. A bag of nerves. She saw Benjamin for the first time today. Back to Leeds for 7.

-=-

Friday June 29, 1984

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds

Roy Barnes phoned me at dawn reeling about the LG-F.O'B brawl. I had to relate to him the smallest detail. He ruckled down the line. We are going to Middlesbrough on July 11. He wants us to stay the night at the Linthorpe, but this might be awkward. Later, Leslie Gledhill phoned and seemed distressed. He says the news has been leaked to the brewery. I feel very low because I told him that my lips have been sealed, and yet I have already blabbed to Rob and to Roy. If you want my opinion, Fran O'Brien has been telling everybody at Tadcaster so to discredit poor Les. At 5:30 David Tyne was on the phone asking for the whole story. I did my very best to be kind to LG and show him in a favourable light and when Tyne asked if F.O'B was 'provocative' I said a definite 'yes', and when he asked if either of them had been drinking I said a definite 'no'. He left saying that the the episode was 'disgraceful' and that he could 'knock both their heads together', but then added 'No, Knock both their heads off'. Tyne instructed me not to speak to Oliver Smith or to Mr Askew until I have first spoken to him again. Blimey, I'm at the centre of a major earth-shaking drama which could brings the Sam Smith empire crashing down. Bloody Hell.

The health visitor visited Sammy at 3:30 and pronounced that he is a perfect specimen.

-=-

Thursday June 28, 1984

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds

A most traumatic day. Leslie (Gledhill) and F.O'Brien came here at 7 o'clock and the tension and the sense of over hanging evil became immediately apparent. Fran O'Brien was his usual gloating arrogant self and Leslie quite the opposite looked quite sad as we went around inspecting the pub. LG obviously shocked by FO'B's attitude. Ally and I are of course quite used to it. The little shit even inspected the contents of our fridge. Poking around in the blocks of cheese and slices of gammon. Downstairs the two area managers disagreed over the price of our Planter's Dry Roasted Nuts and FO'B, still gloating, accused LG of fiddling. That was the final straw. LG hit the roof and grabbed Fran by the throat and dragged him outside onto to the green. I stood open mouthed, aghast at the brawl. They came back in afterwards and LG bought a lager for me and downed one himself. Fran stood near the clock like a frightened rodent. They then left separately. Rob (Piper) walked in and I told him of the fracas. He was gleeful. I shouldn't have told anyone. He says Kath is pregnant. Later I spoke to Roy Barnes and told Marie of the events of the evening. LG phoned me at midnight to apologise. 'Two wrongs don't make a right', he said. He added that we have a good pub and are good managers and that Fran O'Brien will not get away with treating him in such a way. He seemed half cut.

-=-

Wednesday June 27, 1984

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds

Bright sun. The third anniversary of our marriage. At 7am my phone was ringing and my head was aching. It was Mum to say Sue is in labour. Today's the day. Back to bed - alone - for a bit more eye shut. (Auntie) Mabel phoned at 9 to say happy anniversary. By now I was supping coffee and shoveling paracetamols. Ally is awake and cheerful. The call came again at about 12:30 in the middle of lunches. Mum says Sue had a baby boy at 12:12pm  weighing 8lb 8oz, and he is Benjamin James. How fabulous. Later we went to Guiseley but found nobody at home. Shopping in Yeadon and Guiseley. To West End Terrace tonight. Mum continues to be tetchy and I suspect  she has had a difference of opinion with Lynn, though nothing was said. Peter was quiet as ever. They all baby sat at 7 and Ally and I took Peter to Leeds and had an hour with Sue and Benjamin, a clone of Christopher and every inch a Nason. ___ Afterwards we went to the Emmott Arms, plush yet lifeless. We were spotted by the relief manageress, a Diana Dors look-alike. On to the Station Hotel. Back at No. 23 (West End Terrace) the place was packed with Rhodeses and Nasons. David B in his suit. No Lynn. Samuel was fed and then Ally and I - just the two of us - went to the Hare & Hounds. What a day.  Home late.

-=-

Tuesday June 26, 1984

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds

F.O'B phoned to ask about our Gaston competition and Ally aksed him when he intends to come and he replied Thursday evening. Good. Now it won't be a shock and we can look prepared. Today was the day my tap room mob saw me as a human alcoholic with murderous tendencies. Yes, we went in a mini bus to the Red Lion with Taffy at the wheel. Seventeen of us. What fun. Not one driving licence between us, but we survived. It was all in aid of a pool competition, but I took little notice of it. Our man, Cliff Wise, won. I was pissed. Brandy, brandy, brandy. The hideous Elaine said she'd swap Les Gledhill for F.O'B any day. Silly cow. Back very late. Poor Ally. All alone at the Moorhouse. Samuel screamed blue murder and I hiccoughed my way in and took the poor mite in hand whilst Ally escaped to the spare bedroom, at her wits end. Alcohol took hold and I slept.

-=-

Monday June 25, 1984

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds

Waiting. We expect Baby Nason and Fran O'Brien any day and the expectancy is eating away at us. I am permanently on guard and on the look-out for F.O'B, and the place is like a new pin. Poor Leslie. We shall miss him and his casual approach. He has given us such help since we left the Why Not.

-=-

Sunday June 24, 1984

 1st Sunday after Trinity

Midsummer Day

Moorhouse Inn, Leeds

Midsummer Day. Didn't see much of it. Marlene and Frank appeared at lunch with Mabel fresh from Eastbourne. They sat outside and Ally joined them with Samuel and they coo over him. Back to the Clarendon Wing we found Mum and Dad, Peter and Christopher at the bedside. Samuel played for them on the bed and pulled Christopher's hair. Susie is bigger and more weary, __ We gave Mum the top tier of our wedding cake to take to Mrs Rusby at Guiseley - to re-ice it as Samuel's christening cake.