Monday September 3, 1979

_. The Second World War broke out on this day in 1939, and thankfully nothing broke out forty years later. I suppose you could say it hasn't quite finished yet.

At the YP Eileen announced that today is her second wedding anniversary, and bought us all a cream bun to celebrate. ___________.

Maria made her weekly pilgrimage from Ridgeway to Pine Tops this evening with the children. JPH is incredibly funny and I had to accompany him outside to supervise his bicycling endeavours on the drive. He misses the company of other children and his gaze is forever drifting next door to Richard, who is only slightly older.

I hear Molly creeping into Maria more and more. How will things be in twenty years time?

-=-

Sunday September 2, 1979

_. 12th Sunday after Trinity

After lunch we went off to Club Street for a clean-up session. Joined by Lynn and Dave who kindly donated a chair and a rug to Ally's charity fund. Lynn leapt from the mini armed with buckets, sweeping brushes, and bottles of cleaning fluid. I escaped into the patch of garden to dig amongst the weeds. ___________.

Home at 5:30. Mum and Dad came home from John's at about 9 - and both were subdued. Mama is positively morose. She was distressed at leaving John alone at Lochans amongst the rubble and heather. Bed too late.

-=-

Saturday September 1, 1979

_. Went with Ally, Lynn and David to Bradford to assist in the move to 5, Club Street, Lidget Green. Not many possessions to move in. A cooking pot and a few knives and forks. Vietnamese refugees have more items of furniture than Ally.

Tonight we sat in Ally's barren lounge having a few drinks and inspecting her photograph collection. She became very nostalgic, which isn't good, and to make matters worse Lynn persuaded her to phone Mrs Dixon, and within minutes the tears began to flow. _________.

We persuaded her to lock up and return to Pine Tops for the night. Pouring with rain in Bradford and at about 1:30am she ran out of petrol. Fortunately David had his gallon can with him.

-=-

Friday August 31, 1979

_. My grandmother Ruth Rhodes would have been 79 today. The poor woman died 20 years ago. A ridiculously early age.

Mum and Dad drove up to Lochans this morning to see John, who is lonely. They'll be gone until Sunday. Obviously, Peter has taken up residence here. He and Susan always manage to turn Pine Tops into something resembling a third rate Brighton guest house, where the beds are creaking late into the night.

Out at 9:30 with Ally, Sue & Peter [all in the Spitfire!] to the White Cross. Very busy and boring. Sue was quite witty, but it was wasted on the dull assembly. Saw Christine Dibb [now Airey] and Graham.

Back at home Sue and Pete continued re-enacting all of D.H. Lawrence's books rolled into one.

-=-

Thursday August 30, 1979

_. Mountbatten was brought home from Ireland and met at Southampton by the poor Duke of Edinburgh and Prince of Wales. Very sad.

Out tonight with Ally at 10 to the Woolpack at Yeadon and then Oakwood Hall, which was packed with strangers. We didn't dance, and spent a fortune. Home at 2:30, Ally driving like Carlos Reutermann. We played Johnny Mathis records at high volume, and woke poor Sue. [Mum and Dad were at Lynn's with Jim, Margaret, Tony and Hilda]. Ate boiled eggs and toast and went to bed at 3am.

-=-

Wednesday August 29, 1979

_. Warm and sunny. We chopped down the hideous lilacs in the garden and watch the suffocating conifers breathe a sigh of relief. Dad loves nothing more than hacking away in the undergrowth. He has several very 'Yorkshire Ripper-like' instruments, varying from heavy hammers, to butchery utensils and the usual tools associated with a journeyman joiner. Although I consider myself a tree conservationist I am happy with the result.

Went to the YP at 5pm. Had mounds of filing to do. Saw Charles who didn't seem too bad after the orgy last night. I do not envy him going off to Borneo with Linda Shaw. The YP was a waste of time.

Home in a taxi at 12. The driver was insignificant and lacking in colour. Obviously Jewish and addicted to tobacco. We discussed the weather and the current performance of Leeds United, which left me as cold as Karl Marx. I don't give a damn about Ray Hankin or John Hawley, or whether Adamson should sell them or not.

-=-

Tuesday August 28, 1979

_. To Charles and Linda's farewell party at the Victoria pub [Leeds] and then on to Belinda's.

Earlier at the YP it was Mountbatten news all day. Lord Brabourne's mother, the Dowager Lady Brabourne died today from her wounds received in the explosion. She was 82. Meanwhile, Patricia Brabourne, Lord Brabourne and their son Timothy [twin of the dead Nicholas] are critical.

The earl is to have a state funeral at Westminster Abbey next week. Surely, this is the hardest blow to the Royal Family since the sudden death of King George VI in 1952. The Duke of Edinburgh was brought up by Dickie Mountbatten and cast in his mould.

Nothing will come of this assassination. Humphrey St John Atkins will lay his head on the chopping block and visit Belfast, but no legislation will be introduced. A couple of MIG fighters and a battalion of Household Cavalry would have the IRA fucked within the hour, if the PM would give the word.

-=-