Tuesday July 9, 1985

 Moorhouse Inn

Me and a rusting Mandy.

MM & Marita came at 5:30 with Samuel's mattress. We sat at the lounge bar swilling lager until 10:45. The Matthewses talk of buying a nine bedroom hotel at Scarborough for £90,000. This seems reasonable. They are driving a Maestro. Ally wants one. Our car, Mandy, is very old now. She is an X-reg and is beginning to rust. She will have to go. Karen Hudson suggests I take my test in my own vehicle, but the (mini) metro is too pokey and box-like. I'd prefer to be in Karen's. Besides, Mandy's speedo has packed in. All this mechanical talk must be stunning you after years of silence on the subject of our transport. Janet worked. To bed pissed. Goodnight.

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Monday July 8, 1985

 Moorhouse Inn

Very warm. Went driving at 4:30. I went for it like a bull at a gate. She (Karen H) is forever asking me to slow down.

Ally went to see Janette who told her she might be out of hospital tonight. We expected John, but he didn't appear. 

Phoned Ken Gilbertson to finalise our remaining holidays for '85. We are taking twelve days from September 19 and a week from November 21. No plans about destinations as yet. 

The decorators are booked for next week to do the outside work. MM & Marita are bringing Samuel's single mattress tomorrow at 5:30.

Graham J. Dixon appeared at 5:30 and Ally brought Sam down to see his uncle. He stayed an hour before bombing off to see Anthony.

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Sunday July 7, 1985

 Moorhouse Inn

5th Sunday after Trinity

Warm. Very Busy. Bruce Springsteen was singing at Roundhay Park and we had a few concert goers in our midst at luncheon. How they found us God only knows. He has a large following, so they say (Springsteen that is, not God). I am not one of them. I cannot name a single thing he has 'crooned'. Come back Al Bowlly, all is forgiven.

John appeared at 2pm with JPH and Catherine. Ally and I did the lunchtime session without staff and managed well. J fixed a leaking pipe and then they went to see Janette. We had roast beef, Yorkshire puddings, &c. Samuel is fatter of late. He has the appetite of a small bear.

Dad phoned from Tenby. Pleasantly surprised with the place. He took himself off for a pub crawl on his own.

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Saturday July 6, 1985

 Moorhouse Inn

Warm. Sun. Dad has gone to Wales with Lynn, David, Chris B and Julie B. I was late up at 8am watering my hanging baskets. Splashed in the tub afterwards. Ally and Samuel left and went to Club St, Linfood, &c. From 10:30am I worked. Marjorie came in, grumpy, and told me she cannot work tomorrow but will do if I insist upon it. She complained about not receiving a rota last week. I told her to have the lunch session off. We can manage. _________. Ally yesterday had a fracas with Teri, the cook, over some trifle, and it looks like we'll be on the hunt for a new assistant next week. Teri said she doesn't like Ally's attitude! _________.

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Friday July 5, 1985

 Moorhouse Inn

I now have a hanging basket watering ritual to go through on a daily basis. Hose pipe trailing everywhere. Sam is attempting sentences: "Go down now", "Go see Katie". Dad appeared at 12 . Looking pale. He'd had a two hour drive from Horton. He had a car full of flowers. He gave Ally and enormous bunch, and is taking the rest of them to to cemetery later. He said that Hilda and Tony's visit had been horribly weepy ....___________. 

We had lasagne. Dad, looking forlorn, said he isn't looking forward to his Welsh sojourn. Lynn has banned him from taking bottles of 'home brew' to the caravan citing lack of space. The headstone will be ready for August. The mason is posting Dad a photo of the memorial before it is erected because seeing the lettering can be distressing. 

Janette has been re-admitted to the Clarendon Wing. She went in at 6:30pm yesterday after having had a good telling off from Mr Glass. She is now resigned to it. Ally and Dad went to visit her 3-4pm. I relaxed listening to Santana's 'Abraxas'.__________. 

It was a busy evening again. The third consecutive day of taking over £400. John came here at 8:30 after seeing Janette and stayed until 1am. We stood in the tap room. It's his usual night for going out with Chris and Peter M but they leave for the Lake District tomorrow. Later watched a Hammer horror. To bed. __________.

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Thursday July 4, 1985

 Moorhouse Inn

Independence Day USA

Very hot. We erected hanging baskets. Ally took Sam over to Guiseley for the afternoon to see Lynn & Co before their Tenby extravaganza. All the babies played in the nude with buckets of water. Samuel delights in the companionship of other children, especially Katie. His eyes light up at the mention of her name. I spent the afternoon in the flat, stripped to the waist, eating quiche and watching the tennis on our panoramic screen. Ally was back at 5pm with a 'nappy-less' but soggy Sam. Full of fun. Very busy downstairs. None stop from 5:30. If only we could be similarly employed every night. 

Princess Michael of Kent is in hospital in a collapsed state. Some evil rag is suggesting that HRH is having an affair with a Dallas oilman. Prince Michael is 43 today.

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Wednesday July 3, 1985

 Moorhouse Inn

Hilda phoned me at 11am to give an account of last night's visit to Waltergarth. It was very weepy she says. All Mum's remaining clothes have gone to Pudsey and Lilian Gaunt is now the possessor of Mum's finest gowns. Tony was so drunk that they had to stay the night, a boozy affair.

Naughty Janette discharged herself from hospital and returned to Menston against the advice of her doctors. She is a wilful girl. Susan is under the impression that Mr Glass has given Janette the 'all clear' but when Ally phoned the Clarendon Wing a nurse expressed surprise that 'Miss Drysdale' was leaving. Confusion. John had to leave the Tay site at Yeadon to collect his wailing mistress.

We had an evening off upstairs, and lay in our bedroom after watching 'Dallas'. The noise rising up from the tap room below was awful. Dogs, hysterical women, breaking wood and glass, &c. And yet, a peaceful evening.

Tuesday July 2, 1985

 Moorhouse Inn

Full Moon

Hot day. That brat of a tennis star has been knocked out of Wimbledon. What's his name? We went to see Janette at the Clarendon Wing. Leeds is horrible in the heat. Hilda and Tony are visiting Waltergarth this evening. On Saturday we received a wedding invitation for Diane & Paul's nuptials on August 31. Nobody else in the family have yet to receive one. We suspect that Hilda doesn't know John or Susan's address. We have a visit to the brewery on July 11. Must ring Marlene to grab Debbie for babysitting.

Lunches here have fallen off. Nobody eats. We take £5 on average these days when before Mary Theresa Collinson's appointment to the kitchen £20 was more the norm. 

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Monday July 1, 1985

 Moorhouse Inn

Di Wales is 24. The worst June weather since the turn of the century, they're saying. It's bound to be a scorcher next week when Lynn goes to Tenby. She always has it tropical. Lynn phoned to say that Janette is in the Clarendon Wing after some twinges over the weekend. We went with Samuel to visit our would-be-sister-in-law . She looked perfectly well to me, but is awaiting a scan and is under the famous consultant, Mr Glass. Ally went back to see her at 7 and met John there. He only found out at 6:30 when a neighbour went over and reported that Janette had been carried off in an ambulance. He had been working on his kitchen. They drove back to the Moorhouse at 8, and John came in for 'one' drink and stayed until 2am in the tap room. Ally played pool. We had a good chat. John is squeamish about being present for the birth of his next child. I strongly suggested he must be there, and he chewed it over. Ally says I should not try and persuade him and that the decision must be his. It's a highly personal decision. Glynnie phoned at a late hour. The Hollywood is doing a roaring trade. It's the first time I have spoken to him since I phoned him about Mum. 

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Sunday June 30, 1985

 Moorhouse Inn

4th Sunday after Trinity

John, Sheila, Me & Sam, Dad, Janet, Arnold.

Early start. We got to Horton for 10:30. Dull, overcast. Dad, John, Sheila, Arnold and Janet were having breakfast together. We joined them for coffee laced with whisky. We discussed Ruth Upton's birth certificate. ________. My Uncle John bronzed and handsome as ever. Very 1950s Hollywood. Uncle Arnold is a deep sort of chap, peculiarly likeable. They all refer to him as 'Our Bill' for some reason, The brothers would all make very good MPs. Great orators. We walked to the newsagents and both Dad and John came out with a Sunday Telegraph. At Waltergarth we had lashings of wine and a late dinner, three chickens in fact. It was odd and disconcerting seeing Sheila and Janet pottering in the kitchen with Mum's things. Lynn, David, Thomas and Katie appeared (Frances was at a kid's party). (Uncle) John has always been obsessed with Lynn. He idolises her. Samuel did a lot of showing off. Lynn left at 6, followed by Arnold and Janet at 9. We sat chatting until 11. The wine left me with an enormous headache. (Uncle) John going on the rampage about the British banking system. 

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Saturday June 29, 1985

 Moorhouse Inn

Mr Humphrey Smith married Miss Julia Gladstone today and we were surprised to receive an invitation from his mother 'Mrs Geoffrey Smith and the Directors of Sam. Smith's' for lunch at the family home at Oxton Hall, Tadcaster, on July 24, to celebrate this great dynastic occurrence. It is so good of the company to do this. That is what is so good about working for a family business. So personal, &c.  Tonight we 'taped' 'Dysentery' (as I call the series Dynasty). It is the last episode until September. Blake Carrington's dad has died in Indonesia. To bed with books. I am plodding through 'George V'. Very entertaining. Didn't phone Dad because he is entertaining his brothers in Settle.

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