My Dearest Heart is 17 years old today. Feeling really terrible that I haven't yet given her a birthday present.
A pleasant, brilliantly sunny day. Walk down the lane at 7.15 with John to collect June from her sister's. June in red trousers and red blouse. Sue B is attired equally attractively. June decides we are going to the Emmotts.
A pleasant evening until nearly midnight. Eat fish and chips twice. June actually eats something too. Keith 'Chinny' Harrison comes into the chip shop and has the cheek to call john a 'ugly bugger' - he's obviously too jealous to hold a sane conversation with us. June and I are not going out again until next Wednesday and after that it will be a four week gap until August. Arrgghh, etc etc.
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20090423
20090421
Saturday July 7, 1973
Get up at 8 o'clock. The rain is too terrible. Poor Brian and Valerie! Mother goes to the hairdressers I have no breakfast and prepare my suit ready for wearing. By 9.45 everyone is prepared. Leave for Pudsey at 10. Arrive at Auntie Hilda's at 10.20. Auntie H is in a large black hat decorated with tiny flowers - Dad laughs.
We leave for the church almost immediately. Service begins at 11. Valerie walks down the aisle on the arm of her father - she looks beautiful. Service over by 11.35. Auntie Eleanor wept as we sang the 23rd Psalm. The reception was at Horsforth. See Jackie for the first time since New Year's Day - she has always been my favourite cousin and always will be. Along with all the children we decorate Brian's car - rude things written in lipstick all over the doors, windows and roof. Auntie Mabel and Frank removed the caps off the wheels and filled them with stones. It began to rain.
At 2.30 Brian and Valerie left for Manchester. The car looked fantastic. We all stood in the rain to see them off. We went to see the wedding presents at Valerie's parents house, and then went to Marlene and Frank's and drank home-made beer and wine until nearly 5. Uncle T was quite fresh. Very enjoyable afternoon indeed.
Go to Auntie Eleanor's until 8 when we went across to the Prospect pub until 10.45. All the family except Uncle Peter, John and the children assemble. Uncle Jack Paine is especially funny. Jackie and John come across at 9. Sandwiches are specially made and brought in - wonderful. Uncle Jack Myers opened a kitty to which I contributed £1. Frank and I got the last round of drinks.
Go back to Auntie Eleanor's where she and Dad did the usual 'Spanish dance' party piece. But they got a bit carried away and brought handfuls of soot from the chimney - by 1.30 we are all blacked-up like 'Black and White Minstrels'. Auntie Mabel missed all the fun again. Home at 2.30, black, after a fantastic day.
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We leave for the church almost immediately. Service begins at 11. Valerie walks down the aisle on the arm of her father - she looks beautiful. Service over by 11.35. Auntie Eleanor wept as we sang the 23rd Psalm. The reception was at Horsforth. See Jackie for the first time since New Year's Day - she has always been my favourite cousin and always will be. Along with all the children we decorate Brian's car - rude things written in lipstick all over the doors, windows and roof. Auntie Mabel and Frank removed the caps off the wheels and filled them with stones. It began to rain.
At 2.30 Brian and Valerie left for Manchester. The car looked fantastic. We all stood in the rain to see them off. We went to see the wedding presents at Valerie's parents house, and then went to Marlene and Frank's and drank home-made beer and wine until nearly 5. Uncle T was quite fresh. Very enjoyable afternoon indeed.
Go to Auntie Eleanor's until 8 when we went across to the Prospect pub until 10.45. All the family except Uncle Peter, John and the children assemble. Uncle Jack Paine is especially funny. Jackie and John come across at 9. Sandwiches are specially made and brought in - wonderful. Uncle Jack Myers opened a kitty to which I contributed £1. Frank and I got the last round of drinks.
Go back to Auntie Eleanor's where she and Dad did the usual 'Spanish dance' party piece. But they got a bit carried away and brought handfuls of soot from the chimney - by 1.30 we are all blacked-up like 'Black and White Minstrels'. Auntie Mabel missed all the fun again. Home at 2.30, black, after a fantastic day.
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Friday July 6, 1973
A hazy, warm day. Go to school at 10.0. Sit with Vilma Crossfield and catch two horrid bluebottle flies in a coke bottle. They are repulsive little creatures. June arrives at 10.45. Fantastic being able to see her again - sit together until 11.30 Walk to the bus stop and have a romantic interlude in the bus shelter. Catch the 33 bus at 12.10. Arrive Guiseley at 12.20. Not seeing June again until Sunday evening when she will be 17 years old!
Meet Mother at 12.30 outside Guiseley Railway station. See Mrs West leave on a Leeds train. Catch a train to Bradford at 12.45.
On arrival we have a good lunch - fabulous piece of steak. On leaving the restaurant a torrential rainstorm is let loose upon us. I am in shirt sleeves and Mum is a sleeveless-dress. Shop until 4.15. I find no decent shoes. Mama gets fitted out in a pretty outfit including a large hat - Mother never wears hats!
Arrive Guiseley at 4.45. Mr Melville gives us a lift home. Go to CW at 7.30. Les is once again playing at chef. Sue goes out leaving us to the job.
Home and in the bath by 12.30. Feeling really sorry for Brian and Valerie who, by the look of things, will be marrying in pouring rain. Sit in bed reading until my hair dried.
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Meet Mother at 12.30 outside Guiseley Railway station. See Mrs West leave on a Leeds train. Catch a train to Bradford at 12.45.
On arrival we have a good lunch - fabulous piece of steak. On leaving the restaurant a torrential rainstorm is let loose upon us. I am in shirt sleeves and Mum is a sleeveless-dress. Shop until 4.15. I find no decent shoes. Mama gets fitted out in a pretty outfit including a large hat - Mother never wears hats!
Arrive Guiseley at 4.45. Mr Melville gives us a lift home. Go to CW at 7.30. Les is once again playing at chef. Sue goes out leaving us to the job.
Home and in the bath by 12.30. Feeling really sorry for Brian and Valerie who, by the look of things, will be marrying in pouring rain. Sit in bed reading until my hair dried.
--==--
Thursday July 5, 1973
June and I today have been going out for 22 weeks. We should be celebrating this tonight. Go to school for 10 o'clock - take in a pile of 'ye olde records' - very enjoyable. Christine, Maggie Edwards, Liz Claptrap, Michael Stott and I sit about grooving to such classics as 'Sunny Afternoon' by the Kinks. A rainy, humid day.
Home by 5. June rings at 7 and says she is very tired having worked all day and would like to be excused from the arduous ordeal of going out tonight - I sympathise. John, who is already in the bath, insists on going out and we go up to the Emmotts on the 7.30 bus. After spending half an hour in the local we decide to walk to the Queen's Arms down Apperley Lane. Arrive 8.45. John doesn't like the place much. The walls have portraits of Queens all over them - both regnants and consorts - we stand near Anne Boleyn, Mary of Teck and Queen Victoria.
Set off at 9.45 for Guiseley, walking through the sewage works, and after a long walk we have fish and chips in Guiseley. Come home at 11.50. See 'Jason King' on tv. Come to bed at 12.35.
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Home by 5. June rings at 7 and says she is very tired having worked all day and would like to be excused from the arduous ordeal of going out tonight - I sympathise. John, who is already in the bath, insists on going out and we go up to the Emmotts on the 7.30 bus. After spending half an hour in the local we decide to walk to the Queen's Arms down Apperley Lane. Arrive 8.45. John doesn't like the place much. The walls have portraits of Queens all over them - both regnants and consorts - we stand near Anne Boleyn, Mary of Teck and Queen Victoria.
Set off at 9.45 for Guiseley, walking through the sewage works, and after a long walk we have fish and chips in Guiseley. Come home at 11.50. See 'Jason King' on tv. Come to bed at 12.35.
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Wednesday July 4, 1973
Independence Day, USA. Prince Michael of Kent, 31. Go to school for another terribly boring day. Christine and I sit listening to the Sgt Peppers album by the Beatles. Totally sick of it after a week of the same old thing.
Came home at nearly 5 o'clock after getting a new book entitled: 'The Princesses Royal', which is a biography of all the six women who have held this title. The title can be created at the discretion of the Sovereign and it has always been bestowed on the eldest daughter. The title fell abeyant in 1965 with the death of Princess Mary, Countess of Harewood. I expect that the Queen will one day make Princess Anne the Princess Royal. In fact, it would not surprise me in the least if Her Majesty did this on the eve of her daughters wedding in November. I suspect that Nov 13, 1973 will be the date that Princess Anne becomes the Princess Royal.
See 'Coronation Street' - Bette Lynch is found attacked at 8. Have to wait till Monday to see what happened to her.
Bed at 10.35.
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Came home at nearly 5 o'clock after getting a new book entitled: 'The Princesses Royal', which is a biography of all the six women who have held this title. The title can be created at the discretion of the Sovereign and it has always been bestowed on the eldest daughter. The title fell abeyant in 1965 with the death of Princess Mary, Countess of Harewood. I expect that the Queen will one day make Princess Anne the Princess Royal. In fact, it would not surprise me in the least if Her Majesty did this on the eve of her daughters wedding in November. I suspect that Nov 13, 1973 will be the date that Princess Anne becomes the Princess Royal.
See 'Coronation Street' - Bette Lynch is found attacked at 8. Have to wait till Monday to see what happened to her.
Bed at 10.35.
--==--
Tuesday July 3, 1973
Benton Park is terrible without June. Spent the whole day doing absolutely nothing. I can hardly wait to start my job with the council - and all those evenings absolutely free!
The weather is very changeable, but who cares? Where I'm going next week I don't care if monsoons sweep across Yorkshire.
At 7 o'clock go down to the Chuck Wagon - see the new chef - and after being told that he was a queer I imagined to behold some gigantic fairy, prancing from griddle to sink. He didn't look odd at all! In fact, he seemed quite a good sort of bloke really. Work until nearly 1. Read Prince Philip's biography and come to bed at 1.35. Before retiring, I write a letter to June.
--==--
The weather is very changeable, but who cares? Where I'm going next week I don't care if monsoons sweep across Yorkshire.
At 7 o'clock go down to the Chuck Wagon - see the new chef - and after being told that he was a queer I imagined to behold some gigantic fairy, prancing from griddle to sink. He didn't look odd at all! In fact, he seemed quite a good sort of bloke really. Work until nearly 1. Read Prince Philip's biography and come to bed at 1.35. Before retiring, I write a letter to June.
--==--
Monday July 2, 1973
Got up very thirsty at 7.0. My throat feels as though it's been cut! Leave for school on the 9 o'clock bus. Forget Denny's material for Italy. Arrive 9.30. What an exceedingly boring day it was which followed. Played "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band" by Beatles (1967) - all day! Christine was nearly driven to insanity.
Go to Rawdon library at 2.15. Get a biography of the Duke of Edinburgh by his cousin Queen Alexandra of Yugoslavia - it's supposed to be a family portrait - but one comes across the same old material in all his biographies. Indeed, Booth gives more details of HRH's private life than does his own cousin, Her Majesty the Queen of Yugoslavia.
See Bill Dixon, Brian Jilkes and Andy Dale at Micklefield. Have a laugh. Back at Benton at 3.30. Christine has made butties for the cricket tournament - I have a salmon sandwich.
Talk with Mary, the good-old cleaner - what a girl she is! Christine and I spend half an hour with her.
Home at 5.30. Go to the Fleece at 8. June and Susan arrive. Sit with an old man who buys us drinks and shows us old photos of his school class. Move on to the beer garden at the Brown Cow. Sit under a shaky looking umberella - June and Susan argue about their sister and her bad-tempered hubby, John. Walk around Horsforth, arriving at the main road at 11.30 - missed the last bus. Ring Mama who subsequently rings Dad at work and he picks John and I up in the police car at 12.20. Home by 12.30.
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Go to Rawdon library at 2.15. Get a biography of the Duke of Edinburgh by his cousin Queen Alexandra of Yugoslavia - it's supposed to be a family portrait - but one comes across the same old material in all his biographies. Indeed, Booth gives more details of HRH's private life than does his own cousin, Her Majesty the Queen of Yugoslavia.
See Bill Dixon, Brian Jilkes and Andy Dale at Micklefield. Have a laugh. Back at Benton at 3.30. Christine has made butties for the cricket tournament - I have a salmon sandwich.
Talk with Mary, the good-old cleaner - what a girl she is! Christine and I spend half an hour with her.
Home at 5.30. Go to the Fleece at 8. June and Susan arrive. Sit with an old man who buys us drinks and shows us old photos of his school class. Move on to the beer garden at the Brown Cow. Sit under a shaky looking umberella - June and Susan argue about their sister and her bad-tempered hubby, John. Walk around Horsforth, arriving at the main road at 11.30 - missed the last bus. Ring Mama who subsequently rings Dad at work and he picks John and I up in the police car at 12.20. Home by 12.30.
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