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Monday July 9, 1984

 Moorhouse Inn

York Minster has burned down early today. - No doubt an act of God following the consecration of David Jenkins as Bishop of Durham in that fine old erection last week. The place will now be covered in scaffolding for the next 300 years. On the news we saw Dr Runcie, in a tin helmet, knee deep in debris.

Liver and onions. Busy. Ally came down to the bar at 10 o'clock. Jane seemed happier but I tell Ally we'll be saying goodbye to Miss Tudor soon. 

Sammy sits on his own - his sturdy back bolt upright.  He also holds his own spoon and rubs apricot mush into his face.

-=-

Sunday July 8, 1984

 3rd Sunday after Trinity

Moorhouse Inn, Leeds

An afternoon at Club Street. Went to see Annie Whincup in her garden and then to Mary's. She's 70 tomorrow. Samuel sat farting upon her settee. Dog tired. Our little house looked well. We phoned people. Bessie was much happier than last week. _____. Graham has been promoted to the London area and wants to commute from Basingstoke. At least they'll be closer to Bessie. Phoned Mama and then Susie. They leave West End Terrace this week. Peter was watching Wimbledon - Connors v. McEnroe. 

Tonight: Jane was morose.

-=-

Saturday July 7, 1984

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds

Hot. They (the mad punters) were all out in force. Didn't go downstairs in the afternoon and Audrey and Margaret ran around like idiots. Our busiest night tonight. 

News: The miners stroke goes on. Matthew Dixon (the alcoholic Scot who hails from Blairgowrie) says that Scargill is ordered by Russia to disrupt British industry. He (Scargill) won't get the better of Mrs T, I'm sure. Dixon says he was the 'under gardener' for Lady Fitzwilliam but resigned in a fit of boredom. 

Deceased: Lord Adam Granville Gordon, KCVO.

-=-

Friday July 6, 1984

 Moorhouse Inn

Too hot. Worked flat out all day and in the tiny gaps in between we sat panting upstairs. A girl posing as a police woman, we've seen her before, came in tonight causing trouble. Undoubtedly a lesbian. Fisticuffs on the moor, &c. She will have to go.

-=-

Thursday July 5, 1984

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds

Excessive heat. Stocktake by Ronnie. We have a £41 surplus, but Ronnie says it should be more now that we have the smaller pint glasses. Samuel screamed all day and we were frantic with lunches. The kitchen was like an inferno. Our customers were all sat around naked outside. The grass on Hunslet moor is all dead, &c. We read of drought and famine in the Daily Telegraph. Ronnie the stocktaker doubled as a babysitter during the mad furore over the lunch period. He says that the brawl last week is now common knowldege at brewery, and that both will be reprimanded. Oliver (Smith) has been informed. He thinks I will come out of it badly because I know too much, but Ally disagrees. FO'B was 'nice as pie' at the meeting at the brewery on Monday. We shall see. 

To the dentist at Rawdon at 4. No treatment necessary again. Yippee. On to Sue's afterwards to discuss Lanzarote. She was very agreeable. Benjamin, overdressed, was sweltering in his pram. Lynn and Dave go to Wales tomorrow with Chris and Julie. Home at 6:30 Busy. Karen phoned in sick. Ally came down to work too. Samuel flat out after yesterdays nightmare.

-=-

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.

-=-

Friday August 10, 1984

 Moorhouse Inn Sandy (left) and chum. My first guinea pig, Sandy, was born 20 years ago today. Blimey, what a brain I have. What a memory. O...