Saturday May 10, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

Karen and Steve appeared tonight, at 7pm. Steve never changes. We expected a pregnancy announcement but were told the opposite.

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Friday May 9, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

Two parliamentary by-election misses for the government. I am not in the least bit surprised. Re the royal wedding. Have I become somewhat lethargic on this topic? Pages and bridesmaids have been announced, &c, and following the precedent of the 1981 wedding all are godchildren or infants.

Peter & Zara Phillips, Lady Rosanagh Innes-Ker, Andrew Ferguson, Alice Ferguson, Seamus Makim, Laura Fellowes and Prince William of Wales, himself. Lady Rosanagh is a daughter of the Roxburghes, of Floors Castle, where Prince Andrew allegedly got down on one knee in February to propose to Miss F. The Duchess of Roxburghe was a Grosvenor.

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Thursday May 8, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

Ascension Day

Horse & Jockey.

New Moon

Back to the Horse and Jockey at Ossett to return the Diet Pils. Ally weary. It was polling day in Leeds. This afternoon Samuel and I walked over to the school where we went behind the screen together and made a cross on the ballot paper for the ill-fated double barrelled Tory candidate. Ally stayed home with her feet up and she asked me to vote on her behalf. I explained that the rudiments of our democracy prevents this.

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Wednesday May 7, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

Rain. The Princess of Wales fainted somewhere in the colonies and everyone on Fleet Street say that a). she is pregnant, or b). she is dying over exhaustion caused by over work, or c). the anorexia nervosa is back. It is almost silly season. The Daily Star of course says she is a, b and c. 

Afternoon off 3 until 7. Watched "Eye of the Needle" with Donald Sutherland. We saw it years ago with Lynn and Dave. No staff. Just Pet and myself.

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Tuesday May 6, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

Edward VII died in 1910, and Princess Margaret married that little photographer named after a Welsh peak, 1960 &c. Warm. A day off of sorts. The rush yesterday means we have to go to Tadcaster today for beer. Samuel's dream came true and for a few hours he was a drayman. On to Club St - decorating. Sam, still in drayman mode, spilled a tin of white emulsion over our green carpet and for a few minutes it was like Hell on earth. Ally, heavily laden, on all fours scooping up hand fulls of paint. John, sombre, came to tile the bathroom. Lord Shinwell is about to die.

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Monday May 5, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

Rain. Bank Holiday. To Guiseley this afternoon to see Susie and Samantha who is only to have the one forename. She is following the precedent set by mother who gave the boys two names and the girls only one. The boys all fell upon her with bear hugs and kisses. The poor little bugger (Samantha) will have to grow tough or die. Like the boy named Sue in the song by Johnny Cash.

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Sunday May 4, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

Rogation Sunday

Yorke Arms.

Up to the Dales at lunch where Frank bought us lunch at the pub in Ramsgill. Frank is always munificent with his lunches. Lamb. Samuel was slightly over-boisterous with his cutlery. Home, tired at 4. Frank and Bessie left for home almost tearful. John and Janette came this evening.

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Saturday May 3, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn Leeds LS11 5NQ

Overcast. To Ossett for a nine gallon of pils from the Horse & Jockey. They are supping with a vengeance here. Frank took us in his car. Later to the Harewood Arms for a pub lunch. Samuel looked angelic and the waitress addressed him as a little girl 18 times, even after we'd said he is a boy called Samuel. Silly cow. A passable meal. On to Otley to see Susan and the baby. She is so tiny and unlike the others. Dad was there and in the Doldrums. David and I took the vast gathering of children into the grounds. He confided in me that he is still fertile and despite the vasectomy he continues to fire live ammunition. I almost fell over an ambulance. Salmon sandwiches and Agatha Christie tonight. Cosy.

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Friday May 2, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

The phone trilled at 7:30am. It was Sue to say she had been delivered of a daughter, Samantha, at 6:40am. We are thrilled, and a little peeved that Dad or Lynn hadn't bothered to tell us she had gone into Otley hospital yesterday. Thank God they have had a daughter at long last. It was a perfectly normal birth. We can go over to see them tomorrow. Hot. Busy pub. Frank and Bessie arrived here at 8pm laden with gifts. We all had a gin and tonic and Samuel stayed up to see them and was deliciously well behaved plodding around in his pyjamas. Our lager supply is going to run out, and I will have to get an emergency supply from somewhere. I got a one and a half litre of Dry Martini from the Junction.

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Thursday May 1, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

May Day. Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones is 22. Carol Johnson (who?) is 33. The lads from the Craven Gate came here. Pool Knockout. They linger over every shot like some of the boring professional snooker millionaires. How serious these sportsmen are. They played until 11:30. Ally took to her bed before the thrilling sporting climax.

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Wednesday April 30, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

Leslie Gledhill came this evening to moan about our takings. The slump in barrelage, &c. "Do you want a move?" he asked. Is it perhaps our personalities that have turned our tap room into a mausoleum? We mentioned that we liked the Menston Arms and he raised his eyes to the heavens. The pub will be much sought after next year and will not be handed to us on a plate. We opened and up and I think said too much. Other less aesthetic managers would have told LG to fuck off. Tonight the quiz team from the Albion at Wakefield came here. Unbelievably, we won. Of course I was in the quiz team.

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