Friday December 27, 1985

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

Peter & Hilda.

A bloody kindergarten this place is. Sue is a slave to her children and they were up at dawn running rings around her. Pete was laid, legs akimbo, beneath his duvet. Samuel delights in other children and plays excellently. Roll on July. Dad took the Nasons back to Guiseley at 11. We were left alone. What a tremendous help Dad has been this week. He is such a good, brave man. Hilda looked sad yesterday watching all the children play. I know what she was thinking. ___________. We collapsed this afternoon. Three hours of 'Ben Hur'. Charlton Heston won the chariot race, yet again. Seafood pancakes. Chris Mawson worked PM. I put on sandwiches and things for Cliff, who was 70 yesterday.

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Thursday December 26, 1985

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

Ally and Samuel.

Boxing Day. A family party. Ally feverishly cutting up left-over turkey and pork pies. I opened up. Dad drove over to Guiseley for Sue. Hilda and Tony came at 11:30. She has had a new car for Christmas. A Fiat tied up with a bow outside No. 6 St. James's Crescent. Dad went on and on about Colonel Gadaffi owning Fiat. It was news to me. But then I have become a 'news no go' area since quitting the YP. At one time I would have known instantly just who was chairman of the CBI, and prime minister of Iraq, but now it's all awash. The Bakers came for a few hours. Lynn and Hilda are not on the same wavelength as we are. John and Janette didn't come until about 7pm. Janette was slightly 'off-ish' and announced that they would not be staying the night. I was news to John. ______. Ally, not feeling too good, stayed upstairs. Sue was fun. She continues to have nightmares about her baby, and debates the name he'll be given. A daughter is to be Samantha. Peter was great fun. He mixed cocktails. It was a late night but not one of over-intoxication. Jayne Waite phoned asking Janette and John to go back to Menston to finish the night. ______.

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Wednesday December 25, 1985

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

Dad in his tatty pyjamas, and Sam.

Christmas Day. Oh, what memories. We woke at 8, and lay abed with cups of tea. Dad joined us in his tatty pyjamas. Down to open Samuel's presents. It was the start of a magical day for him. He was as good as gold throughout. He found a large Postman Pat car from Winchester, and we gave him a wooden tool kit with a hammer, pegs and spanners, &c. Dad put the turkey in the oven. A 15lb thing. We opened between 11am and 1pm. The usual faces. We took £140. Audrey worked and I relaxed my 'no staff drinks' ban. Large whiskies abounded. It was all a very pleasant atmosphere though. Will Christmas mean anything at all to me when I'm old and grey? I think we should love the magic of Christmas even when one has experienced it seventy or eighty times and not be cynical about it. We closed at 1 and went upstairs. A long, happy lunch with Ally, Dad and Samuel. The TV only went on at 3pm for The Queen. This year we saw no scenes of family life at Windsor with the royal kiddies, which was sad. But HM knows what she is doing, no doubt. We lounged and played. I hung Ally's amethyst earrings in a cracker on the tree and she didn't discover the gift until later. We put on records and danced to Wham and Boy George. Dad washed up. Sam to bed. TV at night. No tears or overwhelming sadness. Mum wouldn't have wanted that.

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Tuesday December 24, 1985

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

Ally very poorly. Vomit, pains, &c. When Samuel went down at noon she went too. I was alone making seafood pancakes. Dad was late. He didn't get here until 6pm. Sue had been having a soirée at Thorpe Lane. Dad looked tired. Chris here tonight. Worked like stink. Not over festive. Dad went to the Station (pub) for gas. Upstairs for 12:30am. Had a large stiff drink by the large stiff Christmas tree. 

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Monday December 23, 1985

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

Busy. Stocktake. Good old Ronnie came. He gave us a £140 surplus. I do not like surpluses. The next one will be £140 down. Baked mince pies and played Christmas carols on the stereo. Samuel thinks carols are dull, and says so. He prefers Feargal Sharkey. LG appeared with a calendar for '86 and a smile. I told him of Ally's condition and off he went giggling saying "it's nice to get them all over with early". Little does he know that this is only the beginning. He didn't want to discuss figures or be gloomy at this time of festive rejoicing. Silly prat. We rushed into town at 3:30 and the place was mad. Ally was feeling bad and couldn't buy anything but I went to Dyson's and Denton's and bought a pair of amethyst earrings for £65 and a bottle of Diorissimo for £15. I do love pig so very much. She looked faint. Samuel didn't like the experience of a packed Leeds Market. Laura Ashley was stripped of contents - panic buying. We should buy shares.

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Sunday December 22, 1985

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

4th Sunday in Advent

Crisp & cold. A pink and yellow sky as JPW Turner would have splodged, or was he JWP or JPM? We went over to Guiseley at 3 and sat in Harry Ramsden's carpark eating chips. Sam enjoyed the adventure. Then, to the cemetery to see poor Mum with some carnations and Chinese orchids. It was biting cold and I had no coat. Stood mutely looking at the slab of stone. Lynn had been before us with some unopened daffodils. On to John and Janette's for whisky, and a nurse of Charlotte. JPH and Catherine were there watching 'Ghostbusters'. JPH wearing a gold chain. __________. On to Lynn's. The scrubbed kids were watching a Dickens serial. Lynn called it "Twist". ______. Liz phoned in sick at 6:50pm, and Chris, an angel Gabriel to be sure, worked instead at a moments notice.

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Saturday December 21, 1985

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

Shortest Day

Dear Brown.

A juvenile bastard smashed a window in the tap room last night at 12 as we were locking up. Not a customer of course. Dad went home. It's always sad to see him go. Samuel watched from an upstairs window and sobbed. Michael Brown and his father, old Harold, appeared at 1pm and remained until 4:30 or so. We argued about religion. Old Harold claims to be an atheist and he became very heated when Michael spoke of Christ and 'God incarnate' &c. Harold taunted his son. "Do the 12 million turkeys slaughtered this Christmas have souls too?" "No. Only humans go to heaven" explained Michael. "Well", said Harold, "heaven must be an awful place for a) St Francis of Assisi, b) Barbara Woodhouse,  and c) the Birdman of Alcatraz". Old Mrs Brown phoned and was fuming. They had spent too long here. I took Samuel down to see them. I do like Brown. Such a fun person.

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Friday December 20, 1985

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

Do Christmas dinners. Pathetic really. We give food away. Later, hung pictures. Quiet tonight. Dad and I sat in the pub lounge by the Christmas tree, joined by a bespectacled Punjabi grandfather who asked me if he could possible hold a family party here with curry and Punjabi music. I readily said yes and giggled. Imagine Albert Taylor's face.

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Thursday December 19, 1985

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

Uncle Peter appeared this afternoon with a pile of Christmas cards for the family.

We had a Christmas fuddle. We surprised Dad at 3:30 and took him to Da Mario's on the Headrow for a spot of Italian fayre. Panzerotto. Samuel was an angel and looked a little dot with his head peeping over the top of the round marble table. He ate minestrone soup, a lasagne, and an enormous multi-coloured ice-cream topped with a sparkler. He was so proud. We returned home at 5:30, very bloated. Maureen opened up at 5:30. Ally went to see Dr Sykes. ________. He tried to book her into the Clarendon Wing for the birth, but she refused. He was good with her but thinks she is an awkward customer. Why can't she be bloody awkward? Too many people around here are led these days like paraplegic sheep.

John, Janette and Peter Mather came and stayed for an hour after closing. They argued about love and marriage and John would not be drawn on the subject of a 1986 wedding despite Janette's constant reference to it. Only when I told them it would be quite improper for me to be his best man for the second time did John comment. He was emphatic. "Oh yes, you are going to be my best man". Dad burst into a smile. John had committed himself to matrimony. They left at 12 leaving Dad and I puzzling. Janette was unhappy at my coolness and at my criticism of March 14 for the wedding. She exclaimed that she had no idea that John's previous walk down the aisle had taken place on March 13.

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Wednesday December 18, 1985

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

Brief writing because of Christmas. Full coverage will return in the New Year. We did Christmas lunches. Ally phoned her old Bradford doctor who refused, via his receptionist, to take her back for maternity care only. Ally was livid, but the medics there haven't won yet. She phoned Dr Sykes at Beeston Hill, and made an appointment for tomorrow at 5:40. Bloody Hell. We pay rates in Bradford, own a house there, and can see no reason why we cannot go to hospital there. We will lie and cheat in future. It doesn't pay to be honest. Ally phoned Sister Matthews at 5:30 who agreed with us and told us to transfer to a Bradford GP at an early date in the New Year. Busy night. We made food for a visiting choir who didn't appear until late and then were depleted (no tenor).

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Tuesday December 17, 1985

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

Daddy came in at lunchtime as we were cleaning up after the decorators who came and finished daubing gloss paint in half an hour this morning. We hung pictures and curtains and made the room look lived in. Then, I drove Dad down to Morrison's where I bought a seven foot Christmas tree  and squashed it in the back of the car with him and Samuel. I had some difficulty with the gear stick and the tree trunk. Back at the Moorhouse we erected the tree in all its finery. I have always had an obsession with Christmas trees. They have to be just right.  Maureen opened up at 5:30. Spam sandwiches, &c.

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