Wednesday April 23, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

St George's Day

Stocktake. The bearded twit came and gave us a £40 deficit but we don't worry. It is 40 days since the last stocktake. What's £1 a day?

Recent stiffs: Glubb Pasha; the Earl of Haddington, KT; Sir William and Lady Fellowes; Dickie Henderson, OBE; Morecambe and Wise, OBE; John Lennon, MBE. Oh, go away, Michael.

-=-

Tuesday April 22, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

Ally is washed out. The newspapers are full of royal trivia. A birthday is always a good excuse for the rags to fill 500 pages with old pictures of HM. The Daily Star has a centre spread "60 things you didn't know about the Queen", and the only reason we do not know them is that some journo in an office has sat with a typewriter and made them all up. Despite my misplaced cynicism I do think that the Queen is more popular today than at any time in her life. Most of us cannot remember any other sovereign. Charles would be unthinkable at the moment even though his princess is beautiful and photogenic. Give me Elizabeth II any day. The King of Spain is here in State. A banquet at Windsor. Of course Juan Carlos and Sofia are close family of our royals and so it's a cosy family occasion.

-=-

Monday April 21, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

The Birthday of Queen Elizabeth II

Waltergarth.

Over to Guiseley for 9:30 and found Sue ready and waiting. Her washing blowing on the clothes line. A bright, blustery day. We arrived at Dad's at about 11, but by this time we had drizzle. Dad is so morose. It's difficult to have any conversation with him. He has lost interest in the children  and looks utterly finished. Neighbour Frances called in. We watched TV and although Dad doesn't approve of daytime viewing we insisted because it is the Queen's birthday and the media has gone to town. Daffodil waving schoolchildren singing on the Mall, &c. Andrew and Fergie on the balcony at Buck House. Later a service at St George's and tonight - when we were back at Club St - an appreciation of HM by Ludovic Kennedy and a gala at Covent Garden. Phew. We are knackered after our exertions and had a Chinese take-away tonight. Returned here at 12. We left Dad's at 10 by which time everyone was hysterical. Poor Dad. His reason for living is gone.

-=-

Sunday April 20, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

3rd Sunday after Easter

Very quiet. Bev worked 12-2. Later we took Bev to Pudsey dropping her off on Richardshaw Lane, and then went on to Guiseley. Looked at Lynn's festoon blinds. Called on Sue and in a flash decided to go up to Horton taking her with us tomorrow - with the children of course. It might be her last chance of seeing Waltergarth before young Samantha/Joseph appears.

-=-

Saturday April 19, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

Peter, Jean and Penny came at lunch after shopping in town and we went upstairs where they played with Samuel. Wilsons have a way with children. The new girl Karin worked tonight. It was deathly quiet. Ally and I stood with Mavis Adams talking about books which was interesting. We left Karin to get on with it. She seems quite good and doesn't need 'standing over'. Harold  is right though. She does have a nervous twitch, and interestingly a small hyper-active son aged 7 who is a chorister at Leeds Parish Church.

-=-

Friday April 18, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

Not feeling ill, which is miraculous. Up at 8. So strange and quiet without Samuel. We went early to Hilda's. Samuel was playing with Hayley. Hilda is a brick. We returned to the pub via Fulneck. What is this Moravian denomination?  Do they avoid pork and blood transfusions, &c? Susan Bottomley came in for a sandwich and half of lager, and was horrified when I recognised her. She puzzled over me for ages. Have I changed so much in thirteen years? June has been married to an accountant, called Brook, for 8 years and lives off Cemetery Road, Yeadon, and has two sons. "Wait until I tell her I've seen you?" said Sue. Ally went out for bread and accidentally locked me in the flat!

-=-

Thursday April 17, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

Ally to the clinic. Furious that she still isn't booked in to to the BRI. She has no intention of going to St Luke's. Tonight we went to Scorpio's Taverna. Meeting at the Pig & Whistle. John, Janette, Lynn, David, Sue, Peter, George & Jayne, and a whole company from our lounge bar. A good evening, but I sat next to Janette who is so faddy and left a perfectly good steak. John and I shared a meze (£12 each) which was gigantic. Ally looked beautiful in blue. Had a good dance but felt terribly out of shape. I used to dance all night. Home at 2:30am.

-=-

Wednesday April 16, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

Dad and Bessie phoned re their letters. Both were touched. Phoned (Auntie) Hilda who is having Samuel tomorrow. She is always willing to help. "It's what your mother would have done", she said.

-=-

Tuesday April 15, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds, LS11 5NQ

Very wet day. President Reagan has bombed Tripoli, much to the chagrin of the world with the exception of the UK. Planes from US bases here launched the attack and for some reason the yellow-bellied Lefty bastards are up in arms about it. We really should have flattened Libya in 1984 when they murdered that poor London WPC. Samuel and I wrote letters to Dad, Bessie and cousins Matthew and Simon. All on Postman Pat writing paper. Children should be encouraged to write. The telephone is a rotten invention. This area has some good independent schools. Leeds Grammar, Bradford Grammar, and Fulneck.

-=-

Monday April 14, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

Pool Knockout Night. A dead loss. Thank God for Pakistanis. Ours is Karma. Or is Karma an Indian? Cold. We are seriously thinking about independent schooling for Samuel. I'm no snob but I'll be damned if I'm going to send him to a left state school where 18 people share one battered text book and a portrait of Lenin adorns the headmaster's study. In my day it was Leslie Hore-Belisha, or Disraeli. Where the money for this venture will come from God only knows.

-=-

Sunday April 13, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

2nd Sunday after Easter

Cousin Bev.

A pushy girl came in for a bar job and did nothing but moan about her previous, nay current employer. We immediately smelled trouble and shut the door behind her with a sigh of relief. No more interviews. Quiet lunch. To Guiseley later. Beverley came tonight. A tall, striking girl. A real brick. She pulls a good pint. Much whispering about my appointing a kinswoman. I love it.

-=-