Monday October 29, 1984

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds

Dawn rise. In the bath like a rhinoseros at the zoo. Mick Thompson (stocktaker) and Richard Tully (relief manager) arrived simultaneously. A quick stocktake showed a £5 surplus and after giving the disinterested Mr Tully a run-down of our business we went off to Bradford leaving Maureen, who is to be the cook in our absence. We have no recriminations about taking a three week break and fully intend forgetting the Moorhouse Inn for the period.

We collapsed at Club Street at 2 after unpacking the heaped car. Samuel, snoring in the back, buried in luggage. We looked like refugees. We came home via the clinic because he was due a jab, but because of his cold this is now delayed until Nov 21. We unpacked. Watched 'Dallas' (repeat) and a Charles Laughton film. To bed indecently early. Samuel finds Club St a huge joke nand giggled as he crawled around investigating. We are going to have some fun.

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Sunday October 28, 1984

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds

British Summer Time ends

19th Sunday after Trinity

A day of ferocious activity. Ally likes to have everything spotless when we go on holiday and so she went about like a galley slave from dawn until dusk. Samuel and I had to endure the constant noise of the vacuum cleaner. We went to Club Street at 5 taking Sam's cot to erect it there. Tonight he slept in the bed with us. It is, thankfully, a very roomy bed. Can hardly believe we go on holiday tomorrow. Never have I looked forward for one so much. I have never seriously worked anywhere until I came here, you see. The YP was a holiday in itself. Bed very late but the place is like a new pin.

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Saturday October 27, 1984

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds

Our Halloween party. Quite a good response. Edna came as a brilliant witch. Kevin - the Hunchback of Notre Dame. John didn't come, but Marlene, ,Frank, Jacq, Jill, Tim, Sam Rhodes Snr, all did. I was Count Dracula, and Ally a particularly scruffy witch. Busy. Ran around all night with my plastic cape flapping. No more. Please see the appropriate photo album. Bed at 2am, but then the clocks go back.

(Photos to follow)

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Friday October 26, 1984

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds

Samuel is right as rain. We are still shaken though. Ally stayed upstairs cleaning tonight in readiness for the relief manager Richard Tully, who first came here years ago. Sam Rhodes Snr, returned tonight. He filled me in on ten years of family history. He says he is not a schizophrenic, but manic depressive. He married a girl called Christine in February, 1981, who grew from a size ten to a size twenty in as many months. She had herself sterilized, behind his back, and then took off to the divorce courts. My Uncle Harry is still with us, and living in Whitehaven, and according to Sam he doesn't drink quite as much as he did. Cousin Megan lives in the Dordogne, in South west France, with lover Roy. She hasn't worn shoes since 1973 (he says) and lives the life of a vegetarian farming peasant. Mavis lives in Ripon. Cousin Helen is in a home in Harrogate. Edward lived with a lady, fathered a child, and lost them both and is cut up about it. David is doing well in the United States, an 'American tycoon' says his brother. Lawrence is with the Leeds Permanent Building Society, a deputy manager in Middlesbrough, married with a daughter Alicen Frances Rhodes. Sam puts his 'insanity' down to a thwarted love affair in his teens, and we discussed everything from family, education, ancient Greece, and poetry. Bernie cast him funny looks and thought Sam might be a gipsy. Samuel has so much intelligence but his life is in ruins. Things look bleak for him. He will be 34 next month.

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Thursday October 25, 1984

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds

My cousin Sam.

A terrible thing has happened. We cleaned the beer lines this morning and let Samuel play in his baby-walker down in the lounge bar. I was up and down to the cellar at regular intervals and closed the door behind me each time, except once, when the boy decided to investigate and he came down the stone steps in his walker landing with a bump at the bottom. He cut his head. Ally and I were in hysterics and took him to the LGI. He needed no stitches - Thank God - but they x-rayed his head and checked his limbs, and sent us away shaken, but relieved. I kept bursting into tears and was rendered useless for the rest of the day. Samuel recovered and played as he usually does but looks so pathetic with a bandage above his eye. Phoned Mum who had a good cry. I must have looked bad because Audrey bought me a Remy (brandy). Feel ashamed at our negligence. My cousin Samuel appeared tonight, quite out of the blue, and he sat at the bar on a stool looking like Ringo Starr. I recognised him immediately. He is a sad figure housed in Shaftesbury House until he can find a place in Leeds. He says he is tired of Cumbria and wants to return to his roots. We had a good natter. That Rhodes humour is very much at the forefront of his personality.

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Wednesday October 24, 1984

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds

United Nations Day

New Moon

Samuel crawled and in a forward direction. Historic occasion. World News: NACODS cannot decide about strike action. The Mitterrands are here with the Queen. She's seen more French presidents that she's had hot dinners. The late Earl of Warwick has left £61 in his will. Of course he was filthy rich. How very clever of him. The Treasury must be fuming. The Earl of Ulster is 10. 

Rain, cold, &c. Autumn leaves. Late up. In fact I woke up to find Samuel in the bed looking at me. Ally was cooking curry and lasagne, after counting the tills. We breakfasted with Mum & Dad. Porridge, sausages, crumpets, &c. They left at 12 with Samuel's portrait wrapped in newspaper, for Pudsey to go see Auntie Hilda. It's always sad saying goodbye. 

Who cares about United Nations Day?

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Tuesday October 23, 1984

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds

Up early with a slight hangover, though I drank little. It's lack of sleep. We discussed Christmas last night. They are definitely coming here for the festival and we'll ask them to come after dinner. I don't suppose Lynn will budge from Thorpe Lane. I suggest that for Mum's 50th birthday we should have a child-free 'do' at a restaurant where we can all talk and laugh away from the pack of offspring, just for a change. They think this is a good idea. What about the Hare and Hounds? 

Ally went off to Tadcaster for a food hygiene seminar, no doubt very dull. It is Samuel's first day without his mother. Dad took the boy to the park and Mum and I did the pub lunches, and I think we did very well. Afterwards Dad and I took our recumbent angel to Grandways. Horrible children were outside collecting for Guy Fawkes and Dad fell for the scam and coughed up. I had none of it. Ally was back for 5pm and the tea time conversation was centred on germs. Crumpets. The couple from the Duncan called to see us. A busy Tuesday minus staff. Mum and Dad came down for a 'quickie'. Later, watched the news. The state dinner for the Mitterrands at Buckingham Palace. Bed at 12:20. Mum and Dad stayed here again.

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Monday October 22, 1984

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds

Busy. Marlene and Frank appeared for lunch when our food supplies were virtually exhausted. we managed to feed them. At 2 we went upstairs where they inspected Samuel who was tootling around at great speed in his baby-walker. They left after an hour promiosing to attend our Halloween extravaganza on Saturday. Marlene is a very sweet 'Wilson' and has something of Motherdear about her. 

Tonight the pool players gave Ally flowers and a card for the sandwiches which was nice of them. We had a busy, lively evening for a Monday. Mum and Dad arrived at 10:20 and we sat for a few quick ones. Mum did look fresh and healthy and consumed tomato juice. We gave them a portrait of Samuel which seemed to delight them both and we went upstairs happy and friendly as in days of old. Dad went to bed and we talked with Mum until nearly 3am.

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Sunday October 21, 1984

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds

18th Sunday after Trinity

Horatio Nelson died this day in 1805. Bacon sandwiches for breakfast. A sunny, blustery morn but we didn't venture out because of Samuel's cold. The poor boy has a runny green nose. I made a roast chicken lunch, but we didn't attempt to eat it until after we closed at 2, in case we might have marauding, hungry visitors. I sometimes think that certain family members (the Bakers) must believe that Guiseley is behind the iron curtain or somewhere where the borders cannot be crossed unless one does it through the sewers or by hot-air balloon. We ate at 4. Samuel demolished four small Yorkshire puddings. He has a vast appetite for one so lean and tiny. We love him to distraction. An evening in front of the TV. Robert Lacey's 'Aristocrats' is just awful._____. Margaret Lockwood in a 1940s spy film drove us to bed.

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Saturday October 20, 1984

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds

Susie phoned to say that she and the Nason progency will visit us this afternoon in Jim's automobile. Ally struggled out to the shops and I played with Samuel. He is fascinated by vinyl records. We went downstairs together to 'bottle-up' and he watched from his baby-walker. He smiles for Maureen. A honour indeed. The Nasons rolled up at 2:30 for a couple of hours. Christopher is especially naughty. Obviously, he takes after Peter. Ben is big, fat and blonde, not unlike the late Jayne Mansfield. They are no nearer moving to Thorpe Lane. They left at 5. We ate pizza. Both in the bar tonight. Quiet and stuffy. We are tired.

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Friday October 19, 1984

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds

Re centenarian peers. The late 5th Lord Penrhyn lived to be 101. 

So, it's Friday, again. The schools have broken for half-term and so we were not bombarded with hungry teachers at lunchtime as we usually are. Ally's cold worsened and she took to her bed after Samuel. I repaired to the tap room to sup ale. The locals tend to go a bit mad on a Friday. __ Andrea has had the banns read and is to marry toothless Scottish Dave on November 16. It should be the wedding of the year, and I am told that Andrea does indeed go through matrimony every year.

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