20260407

Monday May 19, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

Sunshine. At 2:30 I accidentally buggered up the till locking all the money inside and incapacitating the business of my public house. I phoned Yorkshire Cash Registers who sent someone out to get us up and running again at 5:30. A slight panic.

-=-

Sunday May 18, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

Whit Sunday

Sue is fine. They operated, found nothing and so stuck her together again. That's what they have told us. A day filled with horrible memories. To the cemetery this morning with a bag of peat and a spade. Tidied around. The flowers there are all spectacular and the little corner looked beautiful. To Club St in the afternoon. Dad stayed up at Horton. He told Lynn he didn't see today as an anniversary to go to the grave, as it was a day of no importance to him or to Mum in the years before.

-=-

Saturday May 17, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

I opened up at 11. Lynn phoned to say Sue is back in hospital. A wet day. We arranged with Lynn to go to Club Street at 3. We met there and David installed the festoon blind in Sam's room. They are going on to see Sue this evening and we handed over some presents - just chocs, magazines and some wilting daffs. Dad is very worried.________. 

-=-

Friday May 16, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

Susan is poorly. __________. We phoned and she was stoic as ever. A little brick. 

-=-

Thursday May 15, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

Zara Phillips is 5. Lady Joanna du Breuil (sic) daughter of Countess Mountbatten of Burma has named her infant daughter after the Caribbean island owned by the Knatchbulls. I've forgotten the name. It's a good job she wasn't brought into the world in Scunthorpe. Ally suggests that the child must have been conceived on the island. Lady Pamela (Hicks) named her daughter India in honour of Dickie's viceroy connection.

Ally to the clinic.

( The Caribbean island is Eleuthera) 

-=-

Wednesday May 14, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

We are in a quandary about the name of our unborn child if male. A girl will be Clementine Nora Levinyer Rhodes ..... but, a boy ....? George, Frederick, William, and yes old Joshua has re-emerged after three years on the list. Joshua Michael Albert perhaps. Ally will not even consider it (the name) and has asked for a delay. I like to have these things nicely tied up beforehand.

-=-

Tuesday May 13, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

Club Street. Mother's cousin Elsie Basham died at the end of Feb. Have I already informed you of this? Please delete where applicable. I have been on the bathroom scales and quivering in horror at my reflection. I weigh 13 stones. My eyes droop with heavy bags. I stoop. I look mid-thirties and (indecipherable) . Gone is that buoyant, zestful youth. And to think you have have watched my decline here without even a word of warning. I thought you were my friends.

-=-

Monday May 12, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

Coronation Day 1937. I suppose that now only the Queen Mother can remember this.

We are in the week of that awful anniversary. God knows how we've all lived through the 12 months without her. She had that magical exuberance that dominated every gathering. 

-=-

20260406

Sunday May 11, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

Sunday after Ascension

Mother's Day USA & Canada

We went over to Club Street to continue decorating. John and Janette came late with JPH and Charlotte (Catherine is at a party). They had lunched at Mother Hubbard's and the bath panel for us on John's roof rack had snapped on Hollins Hill. John and I upstairs. Downstairs Janette told Ally that she had recently squabbled with Lynn. Dad being the topic of the argument. ___________.

-=-

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.

-=-

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.

-=-


Thursday July 24, 1986

 5, Club Street Sunshine and midwives, &c. Samuel and I went up to Duckworth Lane in the car for an hour and spent it amongst the frozen...