Thursday July 10, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds, LS11 5NQ

The Wellington Inn.

Morning off. We went snooping to Knaresborough to look at a pub called the Wellington Inn, on Briggate. Having not made an appointment we did not introduce ourselves to the tenant, Mr Thompson. Instead we wandered around the streets and sat on a park bench near the ruined castle, admiring the view. We would like to live in this direction and decide to petition LG for a move. We have spent two and a half years at the Moorhouse. A new baby. A new pub. Back to Guiseley where we took luncheon in Harry Ramsden's where Samuel refused to eat. Chandeliers and grease. Very popular though.  To Susie's after. Dad was making an impromtu call. In the garden. Ally left me and went to the clinic. She phoned the Wellington. Home at 7. LG had been. No message. Hilda phoned to ask about Ally's progress. 

Wednesday July 9, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds, LS11 5NQ

An afternoon and evening at Club Street. I did the motoring. My driving test falls next Tuesday. I have ignored tuition since February. I have no properly instructed lessons since I ditched Karen Hudson after my failure in August '85. I do drive with confidence. Over confident, probably. My wife is a poor passenger and becomes heated. 

Before leaving today someone phoned from YTVs 'Calendar' re the Fergie New Grange Hall story. They are considering re-hashing it for their royal wedding coverage next week and I may be called upon once again to endure Mr Whiteley. I explained my holiday situation. Now even this has changed. We understood that a relief manager would come whenever we requested in July, but Ken Gilbertson at the brewery says we have to go on or before July 22, which puts pressure on Ally to have our baby before this date. Baby will come on time, hopefully.

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Tuesday July 8, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

Monday July 7, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

New Moon

Lord Stockton is very much better. 

Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson attended the nuptials on Saturday of Harry Cotterell and Carolyn Beckwith-Smith, a former flatmate of Miss F and a bossom pal. Taking down my ancient, worn, copy of Burke's I detect numerous family connections between Mr Cotterell and the future Princess Andrew.  Harry's great-grandfather married Lady Evelyn Gordon-Lennox (d. 1922), daughter of the 7th Duke of Richmond. Sarah descends from this ducal house and eventually from Charles II. The Beckwith-Smiths evade me because they are landed gentry and not peerage and I haven't yet acquired any LG volumes. Carolyn is a cousin of the Princess of Wales's lady-in-waiting  Anne B-S, and of the Duchess of Kent's lady-in-waiting Jane Napier (nee Pugh). 

Sunday July 6, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

6th Sunday after Trinity

Auntie Annie is 81 today. (My great-aunt). She phoned this morning to thank me for the birthday card and sounded as robust as ever. Uncle John she says is nervous and cannot go out because he is too frightened to cross the road. I know how he feels. We went out at 12 for an afternoon of peaceful solitude at Club Street, our haven from the insane boozing world where our olives revolve around opening and closing times. Bev phoned tonight to say that she and a friend gave a hitch hiker a lift from the pub into town this afternoon and he proved to be a pervert. He stole a bag of the girls underwear, frilly knickers, &c, whilst leaving other valuables, and is no doubt now wandering around south Leeds clad in Bev's under garments as I write this. Horrific.

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Saturday July 5, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

We had a family gathering. An impromptu one. Sue, Pete and the kids cam, followed by Lynn, Dave and Co. We all repaired to the tap room where the children were able to run wild together. Crawling on the pool table and chalking on the blackboard with all the aplomb of budding Picassos. I was a bit pissed really. Lynn shed tears over mother. Both she and David dreamt recently that she was talking to them. We are all cut up. We will never mend. Hungover, evening working.

Lord Stockton has overcome his pneumonia infection. Rudy Vallee has died singing 'The Whiffenpoof Song' at the age of 84. Noel Edmonds has married Helen Soby, 24, in the village church at Luss.

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Friday July 4, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

Independence Day, USA

The ban on the movement and slaughter of sheep was lifted from midnight in parts of Cumbria and North Wales. Chernobyl. We'll be hearing from this you mark my words. 

In other news: Lord Stockton is improving, What a constitution he has. It was heart warming to see the front page of the DT as it fell through my letterbox today. The Princess of Wales is pictured arriving at the German embassy (President von Weizsacker is here on a state visit). The princess wearing a stunning gown. A romantic creation. What a beauty she is. What a Queen she will be. But not too soon I hope. She is to be godmother to Prince Philippos, the 2 month old son of King Constantine, next Thursday.

The music for the coming royal wedding has been published. Sarah is to walk down the aisle to Elgar's Imperial March. Arlene Auger, the American soprano will sing Mozart's Exsultate Jubilate whilst the couple are signing the register.

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Thursday July 3, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

At 9 I went to see a large, ____ ear, nose and throat specialist at the BRI. Flared nostrils and white coat.  I was led into his room by a nurse whilst another one stood behind the chair as if to catch me on swooning. Immediately he asked why I had bothered coming, and sneered when I told of my allergies to dogs and cats. He says he can do nothing for me and advises me to stay away from our furry friends. Any injections are worthless. Ally saw Dr Duck at 9:50. 

Lord Stockton is stable. Lord Howard of Henderskelfe, of Castle Howard, who died last year left £25,529,220. He was a big, flamboyant chairman of the BBC.

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Wednesday July 2, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

Sunshine. We went at 9:15 to St Edmund's Hall and North Leeds Prep School on Gledhow Lane to see a Mrs Lynch, who gave us a guided tour of her little school while Samuel played unperturbed in the nursery class. It was a good old fashioned school. Mrs Lynch walked us to the gate and patting Sam on the head said: "well, we'll see what we can do about getting you in." This will not happen until September, 1987. We'd like earlier. Back to the Moorhouse until 3:30. To Bradford where we all have our hair 'sorted'. Sam had to hold his Teddy Bear for his trim.

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Tuesday July 1, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds LS11 5NQ

Bank Holiday in Canada

Busy, frantic pub. Leslie Gledhill came in this evening when only Ally and I were in the bar and he stood quizzing us as to why we have suddenly become so popular. The taking are going up and up. We had a wedding anniversary party for Pat and Tony.

The Princess of Wales is 25 today. God bless her. 

Social: Lady Fairfax of Cameron gave birth to a son on Friday in London.

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Monday June 30, 1986

 Moorhouse Inn, Leeds, LS11 5NQ

Up bright and early. Liz in. For God's sake, I'm going to go on about the weather. People tend to do at times like this. After a cold start to the month, it has been the warmest second half of June over central England since 1976. During this month every kind of weather has been reported ranging from snow and hail and thunder to cloudless skies and temperatures reaching 90 degrees F. Over the five days from June 25 to June 29 the temperature in England was 8.8 degrees fahrenheit above average. The month started with a pretty gloomy day across most of Britain. It was muggy, misty and drizzly. Brighter weather spread from the north on the June 3rd ... Many areas had sunny spells but showers and a cold wind on northern and eastern coasts meant temperatures here were well below average. Cape Wrath in the north of Scotland failed to get warmer than 45 degrees all day on June 5.The next few days were variable. On June 9 it rained most of the day in parts of North West Scotland with mild afternoon temperatures... Continued on Page 94.

Lord Stockton is still not well. Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark has gone off to the Gobi Desert and mountains of Mongolia filming for Channel 4. He is 18.

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