Monday June 16, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

Hot. Summer's here. Yesterday was the hottest day of the year. 81F in London. Bill Foggitt says we will enjoy good weather for the rest of June based on the high activity of ants in the gardens. 

Duke of Kent: KG

Samantha has a middle name. It's Kay. They picked it out of the blue.  This afternoon we walked up to the nursery school or kindergarten thing on Hunslet Hall Road where we were told Samuel is no nearer getting a place. One would think it was Millfield. Sod them. Bessie phoned. 

News: the Duke of Kent was installed at St George's Chapel as a KG wearing the robes that belonged to his father and have been packed away in a box for half a century. Prince George was appointed to the order in 1923 on his 21st birthday, but his son has had to wait until he is 50. Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson attended the wedding on Saturday of the Hon Peter Pleydell-Bouverie, son of the Earl of Radnor, to Jane Gilmour, daughter of Sir Ian Gilmour, and a descendant of the ducal Abercorns, from whom Fergie and Diana also stem.

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Sunday June 15, 1986

  Moorhouse Inn, Leeds, LS11 5NQ

3rd Sunday after Trinity

Father's Day

Up for my Sunday papers and sat over breakfast reading about the Prince of Wales who has expressed serious concern about the discrimination against blacks in the Guards regiments and the Household Cavalry. ___________. Dad moved on. We went to Sue's and drank beer in the garden. Jim and Margaret are queer. They took the boys on the moor at Burley Woodhead leaving Sam wit us. Busy tonight. We took £400. It was Father's Day.

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Saturday June 14, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

The Queen's Official Birthday.

Twooping the Colour. Sunshine. That old horse called Burmese. Fergie. What joy. Ian MacGregor is knighted. Bill Deedes of Private Eye's 'Dear Bill' is a peer. Thank God Dad was here. Samuel is devoted to his grandad and off they went to the park. Fergie on the front page of the DT watching the tennis at Queen's Club where Boris Becker was beaten 6-7, 7-6, 6-2, by Tim Mayotte.

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Friday June 13, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds, LS11 5NQ

Hectic. A retirement buffet at 12:15 for 50 folk or so. Very successful. Kenmar came and removed the fruit machines and in came Bell Fruit. The papers are full of Olivia Channon. Sex and drugs and rock and roll. Dad stayed today and was invaluable. He is staying on tomorrow when Margaret Young's 21st bash will dominate our tap room.

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Thursday June 12, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

Fox & Hounds, Starbotton.

Ally to the clinic and me to Dr York re my allergies. He is not happy about the effectiveness of injections (50/50) and yet he is sending me to the BRI to see a specialist. Once allergic to animals, always allergic to animals, he says. We spent the morning at Club Street. At lunchtime we went to Starbotton, where the pub is for sale for £160,000. Dad phoned from the Moorhouse where he had landed on impulse and was in the bar nattering with Audrey and Ann (Wilkinson). We came back to join him and had a few drinks together.

Olivia Channon, daughter of Paul Channon and a Guinness heiress, has been found dead at university. Her step-brother recently became engaged to a Rivett-Carnac from Martyr Worthy.

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Wednesday June 11, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds, LS11 5NQ

The Bakers flew to Majorca yesterday for 2 weeks. Here: World Cup - England 3 v. Poland 0.

The Duke of Edinburgh became an OAP yesterday. Bus pass, &c. And on June 9 the Queen Mother attained the great age of 85 years and 304 days, and became the oldest lady to have been the Queen Consort, and indeed she is already older than our oldest sovereign (Queen Vic) by 4 years. The Queen Mother has now surpassed Queen Mary in age.

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Tuesday June 10, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

Beverley Wilson, 19 today, called in at 3pm in response to the birthday card I despatched to her. She is to have her job back. She has argued with Peter _____________. Oh dear. She starts on Sunday. LG came in 8 to 8:30 and was joviality itself. Poor Samuel still sick. It is announced that Bob Geldof is to become KBE, but won't be 'Sir Bob' because of his Éire nationality. Over the top, I think, but a popular gesture. It will please the masses.

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Monday June 9, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

Took Samuel at 12 to see a doctor who didn't seem worried and sent us away with some powder for his tummy. Poor little mite. He is so rarely ill and has been knocked for a six. John and Janette came back at 8 looking subdued after the events on Saturday night. They say that Jayne Waite will now provide the wedding buffet even before I had the chance to cancel the buffet here. John had £600 in his wallet intended for me. _________. John had Jack Collett in hysterics discussing John's plans for a four-day orgy in Majorca for the stag party.

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Sunday June 8, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

2nd Sunday after Trinity

Over to Guiseley this afternoon to sit in the garden with Lynn and Sue. Discuss the events of last night. ______. We left hurriedly at tea time when Samuel was taken violently ill. Vomit everywhere. Poor boy. Ally had a terrible night with him. Vomit all over his bed, &c.

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Saturday June 7, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

New Moon

Ally went to her dentist at Shipley for 10am taking Samuel along. He sat as quiet as a mouse in the room as the white coated Mr Roberts (?) probed around in his mother's mouth. It was a shameful evening. Janette phoned to say they would be coming across to discuss the forthcoming wedding and Ally and I waited all night. Sure enough John and Janette came in with George and Jayne at 10:30. After closing we sat in the tap room where the plan emerged that they want 70 guests here for champagne and smoked salmon, guests including ________________. We blew up. No way am I entertaining that cow in my home. I explained it wasn't the done thing.

(The evening ended in chaos and ill -will. I say things about living people not suitable for publication).

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Friday June 6, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

Poor Ally. What a dreadful time she has had with this baby. For months now I have been up before her, often grumpily and grudgingly to bring her some morsel of food to bed to try and quel her nausea. She is large, and stretched. My God, the things we inflict upon our loved ones.

Lt.-Col. Sir Peter Farquhar, 6th Baronet, has kicked the bucket along with David Colville (see Colville of Culross), a brother of Sir John Colville, whose 1939-55 diaries I am desperate to read. I believe Ally has ordered the volume from our book club.

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