Sunday January 13, 1974

Get up at 3pm. Beautiful sleep. Awake feeling very refreshed. Nearly tea time, and light is already fading. Have lunch and see a film starring Gregory Peck - a western. A very quiet evening and nobody rings at all. Last night's party was very successful, and I enjoyed it much more than New Year's Eve. Sue is still wearing her engagement ring. Such a darling child she is - very good at keeping a joke. Whilst listening to Tom Brown and 'Solid Gold 60' Lynn tells me that Nigel Smith wasn't even at Martyn Cole's party - but I don't let Sue know this just to keep the joke rolling on. The girls go to another party tonight and John, Mum, Dad and me see a Bette Davis film - not equal to her usual so-called 'thrillers'. Bed at 11 after seeing a pantomime Princess Margaret on Monty Python's Flying Circus. Hilarious. I'm going to scribble the number 1 record in the corner every Sunday to create a record of the top records of 1974. 'Merry Christmas Everybody' by Slade. -==-

Saturday January 12, 1974

Up with the larks at 7.0. Love working on Saturday mornings. Not at all as bad as Sarah makes out.________________.

See the film 'Spartacus' in the evening. John goes to the Yorkshire Rose, where he meets the gang. Mum and Dad go to Bradford with Auntie Eleanor, Uncle Jack, Auntie Hilda and Uncle Tony. All the gang come back here at 10.30. Everyone has a great time until 2.0am. Have fun with Denny. Sue comes back from Martyn's at 10.30 saying she's engaged - wearing an engagement ring. Everyone is over the moon. I cannot believe she'd become engaged to Nigel Smith. But it's all fun. Mum and Dad home at 2. They all leave at 2.30. Andy and Linda have got off together again. How long will it last?

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Friday January 11, 1974

Very busy at YP. Rushed like Hell all day. Have a laugh with Anne. Make photostats of a mining accident at Morley in 1872. The detail of the reporting was fantastic - makes todays reporting look very shoddy indeed.

Catch the train at 5.20 - absolutely exhausted. Undecided whether to go out or not. John persuaded me to go the Emmotts, where we sit quite alone until 8.30. Philip Cartwright comes in, followed by Chris and Pete. Andy arrives last of all. Despite all the misery Chris felt about the London trip, it was a tremendous success, and he actually paid a visit to the Tiger Bar (see Oct 1973). Linda and Christine W come in with MM at 9.0 o'clock and we sit telling jokes for the remainder of the evening. MM goes to talk with a foul looking female. Very pleasant evening. Peter takes us all back to Linda's for coffee. Home at 1 after a weird experience with Pete. He kicked us out of the van, in the rain, in Park Road. He's a very sadistic little beast at times.

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Thursday January 10, 1974

Leave the YP at 12.0. Makes a nice change having a half day. Get soaked to the skin again travelling to Rawdon. Arrive at Benton Park at about 12.30. MM calls me "immature" over the 'Mud on the Datsun' escapade. I tell him the whole incident had nothing to do with me, and besides, he is the one who enjoys practical jokes. I suppose he thinks it's different when the jokes are directed at him. Did I complain when he threw my continental quilt from by bedroom window onto the lawn?_____________.Spend the afternoon with Christine and Maggie playing guessing games. See Pamela 'Sex Mad' Barlow who insists she is descended from Robert the Bruce - a relation of our own Royal Family no less.

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Wednesday January 9, 1974

Uneventful day. The weather persists in being a complete bore. Nothing but rain all day. Looking forward to tomorrow's half day. Should be a laugh at Benton Park.

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Tuesday January 8, 1974

A most efficient day at the YP. By 3 I had completed all my usual work. Janice was on half-day and to celebrate Miss W's birthday we all had a large cream cake each - really sickly. The afternoon tea was revolting and resembled hot water.

Since midday rainstorms have lashed West Yorkshire, and by 4.0 we, or should I say the girls, we panic stricken about getting wet on the walk to the station. Sarah, Anne and I leave at 5. Within 10 minutes I am soaked to the skin. Dive onto the train and sit next to Helen, who repremands me for not attending her New Year party. I make my apoligies. Mr & Mrs Saxton are on the train and little Kathryn and Margaret keeping shouting my name. "Bye bye Michael", when I exit the train on a desolate, monsoon-hit platform, which was of course Guiseley. A terrible walk home was endured, and I fell through the door at 6 absolutely soaked to the skin. Have a hot shower and grab something to eat. See tv in the evening. The close-down at 10.30 is such a ridiculous bore. Mr Heath doesn't deserve my loyalty at all.

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Monday January 7, 1974

Interesting day at the YP. Now that I've finished typing I find I can plod along with the work much more efficiently and I find I take more interest in what I'm doing.

See some new pictures to file of Lady Jane Wellesley, and quite an attractive thing she is too. File the obit. of Lord Nunburnholme, who died on New Year's Day. The files will be completely taken over by the peerage before I'm finished.

Poor Chris went to London today for one week on a banking course. The poor blighter will simply dissolve without his usual ale at the Emmotts.

Dave went back to Worcester. He rang late yesterday to see if I was going out - however, I decided to remain indoors. I must remember to write in a few weeks time - he gets horrid fears that we will lose touch completely.

Miss W was in a foul mood today, probably because it's her 60th birthday tomorrow, and she must be feeling older.

Generally a terrible day weather-wise. Rained constantly.

Walk home with Judith, that vivacious creature from Fieldhead Rd. I can't understand how she manages to be so lively.

See tv all evening. Mum and Dad go to Esholt. Retire at 12.15 and have a shower. Bed 1.30.

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