Thursday September 6, 1984

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds

Samuel was weighed yesterday at the clinic on Beeston Hill, and weighed in at 16lb 4oz. He is a tiny, but well put together chap. He is fattening out but shows no signs of sprouting teeth. He regularly claps his hands, and rocks backwards and forwards as he moves around the flat, but will not crawl. He may decide to move backwards (JPH did) because he tends to plunge backwards for his toys, &c. He topples and bangs his head countless times a day, but cries about this less and less.

World News: Canada has a new prime minister. The Prince of Wales is to feature on the BBCs 'Jackanory' telling the tale of 'The Old Man of Lochnagar'. I do hope that HRH isn't lowering the monarchy too much. Sometimes I wonder. I avoided the Laitner murder trial today because I wanted to enjoy my tea.

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Wednesday September 5, 1984

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds

I rarely look at crime articles in the newspapers but today I've been reading of the Laitner murder trial and feel quite sick. Three people were viciously butchered in Sheffield last October, after a wedding. The beast who did this should die. Until we decide to 'do away' with these animals I see no future for civilization. In other news the Daily Telegraph carries obituaries of a VC and a GC holder. 

Neil Kinnock addressed the TUC yesterday and was pathetic. Of course he had a standing ovation, but Oh dear, he was messy. The Rt Hon Len Murray goes this week. No doubt he'll be Viscount Murray by the New Year. There's been a comical accident in the moorland heather. Lord Whitelaw has accidentally shot a boring industrialist on Lord Strathmore's grouse moor.

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Tuesday September 4, 1984

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds

We are very cross about Peter Nason. Like lots of people - he has an aversion to credit. I see nothing wrong with accepting a loan from a relative, do you? I was putting on no charges or added interest and didn't expect to be paid back until 1987, or even early in the next century. But oh no Peter has to afford and to pay for everything himself. Pride. It's a tiresome thing. Will 21 Thorpe Lane become theirs? Ally thinks the holiday is now spoiled because Samuel would have had the company of his cousins, and now he'll be the only child there.

Ally and I worked tonight without staff. Karen is away in the Lake District. We annoy our customers because we are so unpredictable in our actions. The OAPs are nervous and edgy.

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Monday September 3, 1984

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds

Labor Day, USA & Canada

Very wet later on. Torrential in fact.  Who cares about 'Labor Day'? It's also the anniversary of the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 and of the marriage of Eileen Byram and Michael Robertshaw in 1977. We spoke to (uncle) John in Lanzarote. Everything sounds quite marvellous. Afterwards we  fret about Sue's decision not to join us. As one last act of desperation we went to Guiseley to see Susie. She gave us coffee and trimmed my hair and spoke of Peter's nightmare that he is going grey. I offered to lend then £340 for the flights to the Canaries and accomodation (Christopher and Ben go free) and she sounded willing, but on phoning Peter he grumpily declined my offer. We went away dejected. Bugger them, anyway.

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Sunday September 2, 1984

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds

11th Sunday after Trinity

Sunday again. Disorganised as usual. We sat upstairs not knowing quite what to do with ourselves. Ally in a vitriolic mood, pacing around like a puma. From the window we spied Marlene, Frank, Mabel and the children drinking in the car. They assumed we were out because our car was nowhere to be seen. (It was locked in the garage). They came up. Samuel showed them his tricks and how he can now clap hands, &c. Auntie Mabel dotes on babies. Marlene invited us to a barbecue tonight and we went over to Hough Side Road at 6 to partake in the outdoor feast. (Auntie Mabel was at at home at St Lawrence Close). We sat in the garden until 8:30 and then returned to to the busy pub. We saw the wilting staff afterwards.

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Saturday September 1, 1984

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds

We went shopping to town which was revoltingly busy. What fools we are. Afterwards we drove to Guiseley to see baby Thomas. I was close to collapse with hunger and stopped for fish and chips en route. We bought some (just for me) and Ally drove along whilst I ate them in the car. Samuel began to yelp with hunger too, and Ally was swerving all over the road helping herself to chunks of my hot, tempting fried fish. At Thorpefields we were herded together in the dining room. The lounge, or sitting room, is now declared 'out of bounds'. Frances and Katie were having hysterics about having to wear matching kilts, presents from Chris and Julie. I don't blame them. Kilts should only ever be worn by Scotsmen. I am very clear cut about this. They gossip. John has bought a £4,000 car. I hope this doesn't affect our Lanzarote plans. I held the baby. He makes Samuel look like a giant. You should see Samuel sitting in his car seat. Hi sits like the Queen Mother in a state landau. Enchanting. Just Mavis in tonight. So tiny, like the figure on a wedding cake.

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Friday August 31, 1984

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds

Cousin Reggie is 18 today.

Once again Ally played darts with Dave the Grave - it's a feature of Friday evenings now.  Edna, upon her bar stool, says she is depressed because she is dying of cancer. How morbid can you get? Why come out drinking with all that stress and worry upon your shoulders? 

We have decided to have a 'tramps convention' fancy dress. Nobody will take a blind bit of notice of it, I'm sure. We'll send invitation postcards to Sarah C, MM, &c.

Aristo news: 

Dead: Lady Eileen Crichton-Stuart, daughter of the Marquis of Bute, killed by a man from Leeds driving a stolen car. Viscountess Chelsea is deceased too ~ a daughter of the Earl of Portsmouth, or Plymouth?  She's a Wallop anyway. Her brother Viscount Lymington died recently.

-=-

Thursday August 30, 1984

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds

Ally was banging around with a face like Arthur Scargill. Donna Lea phoned to say she is visiting us and in she came at 7pm. A casual approach to be sure. She is all for promotions and silly evenings and us having some sort of 'do' in the near future. We ponder on this one. Ally recovers this evening and mellows after her day of violence. We stood downstairs. Our beer prices increase net week. Old Brewery Bitter goes up from 57p to 60p a pint. My God. How they will moan.

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Wednesday August 29, 1984

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds

Lynn is home from hospital. Ally phoned and Lynn was croaking down the line. A cold. Dave L rolled up at 8:30 and we - he and I - headed to the Blooming Rose and then the Junction. Incognito of course. It was disco night in the packed Junction. People were not drinking though. Hundreds of teenagers gathered around one pint of Tetley's. Back to Ally at 10. She was entertaining Brian. Consuming wine. David is as weird as ever, and he doesn't 'booze'. I am unsure what his aim in life is. Teaching bores the pants off him, and yet he doesn't want to give up. At the same time he fancies a pub tenancy in a town centre. He left at 11:30. __________.

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Tuesday August 28, 1984

Moorhouse Inn, Leeds

Trixie.

Jacq Sate and dear Trixie came in at 9pm followed by Rob and his minder. We congregated in the lounge. Trixie looks much the same. She has quit the BBC because they have migrated from the Alexandra Palace to Milton Keynes. She continues to drink pints of bitter, but this no longer looks outrageous like it did in the sheltered genteel days of 1977. Rob left at 10:20 - and in the quiet of the night we had more pints and gave Jacq and her mama a guided tour and went upstairs to listen to records ~ Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Boy George, &c. Trixie says that the Queen will abdicate and that Charles will be Britain's last sovereign. I told her not. We discussed death. Poor Pete Holroyd croaked on a Lancashire golf course on the very day I met Jacq in San Antonio.__________. How hospitable we are.

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Monday August 27, 1984

 Bank Holiday in UK (except Scotland)

Moorhouse Inn, Leeds

Bank holidays are a non-event here, as you know. As soon as it was decently possible we escaped and drove to Otley (hospital) to see our nephew, Tommy Baker. Otley was packed with vomitting juveniles and people without their trousers standing on street corners, &c. The river, as we passed over the bridge, looked like the Ganges at bathtime. In other words, Otley is a place to be avoided on bank holiday mondays. 

We found a congregation around Lynn's bed. The baby is very wrinkled with knees like an elephant, and incredibly tiny. Lynn, as usual, looked like she has just spent a day at the beach. David reserved, as ever. Back to Sue's afterwards. They are backing out of the Lanzarote holiday because of the house on Thorpe Lane. We spoke to (uncle) John only this morning and he has found us the perfect villa at Puerto Del Carmen. We are disgusted at Susan's flippant attitude, and now because they are letting us down the cost of the holiday has increased from £170 per head to £210. This his still a bargain though. Ibiza in the old days cost us £200.

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