_. Disappointing evening. Glynnie had arrived at 4 and was entertaining Mum and Dad when I came home from the office. At 7:30 we went to the Hare & Hounds for drinks before dinner at 8:30. Ally arrived at 7:30. Judith and Tim were nowhere to be seen and at the Hare we were immediately set upon by Robert Griffin, the assistant manager_____. We sat down to a dinner of hideous proportions. Abominable small steaks. They really ought to have provided magnifying glasses with our plates. We all laughed about it a good deal. We went into the pool room afterwards, and Mr Griffin bolted the doors and dimmed the lights as though we were heading for an after hours drink, but none came.
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20200430
Wednesday March 19, 1980
_. Pete came this evening to sample the latest home made lager in celebration of his birthday tomorrow. We watched a marvellous, grizzly murder on BBC2 - 'Therese Raquin', by someone called Émile Zola, who I am sure will go far if he keeps up to this remarkable standard. The pils lager must have taken hold because afterwards Mum, Dad and I had a heated argument on the subject of death and funerals and the hypocrisy of it all. Émile Zola was also partially to blame. Mother has had terrible experiences at family funerals and this has coloured her whole attitude. _______. Mum just wants to be kicked around, after death, until we have lost her, with none of the flowers she loved so much in life. I cannot understand this. Such a sombre topic of discussion.
-=-
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20200427
Tuesday March 18, 1980
_. Kathleen arrived at the YP this morning and calmly enquired as to whether I was sufficiently recovered, and made no snide remarks, voiced no suspicions as to the severity of my ailment, &c. I am well and truly 'off the hook'.
Blustery day today but no more snow. Ate sausages in the canteen with Sarah and Carol and escaped at 4:30 armed with a copy of the EP bearing an article on page 1 which owes its existence to me. Philip Naylor-Leyland, the Fitzwilliam heir, and eldest son of a baronet, today married Lady Isabella Lambton, daughter of the naughty Lord Lambton, who was central to the Norma Levy call-girl scandal in May, 1973. Geoff Hemingway has promised to pay me for this morsel of high society news.
Phoned Ally at the AHA. She was miserable and 'put out' by my enquiries, distracting her from the Catherine Cookson novel she's reading. I was thoroughly depressed by her sombre tones, and dismal outlook, and really wish I hadn't bothered. Such a melancholy baby. On the bright side I did receive a letter from her which was sweet. The pen does tend to make things sweeter, don't you think? On Saturday Chippy advised me to move to Bradford and live with her. He is always very blunt, but objective. ___________.
Pete came up tonight to complete the quintet. How quiet will it be in July when Sue is gone?
A Charles Bronson film at 10:30. Bed at 12:35.
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Blustery day today but no more snow. Ate sausages in the canteen with Sarah and Carol and escaped at 4:30 armed with a copy of the EP bearing an article on page 1 which owes its existence to me. Philip Naylor-Leyland, the Fitzwilliam heir, and eldest son of a baronet, today married Lady Isabella Lambton, daughter of the naughty Lord Lambton, who was central to the Norma Levy call-girl scandal in May, 1973. Geoff Hemingway has promised to pay me for this morsel of high society news.
Phoned Ally at the AHA. She was miserable and 'put out' by my enquiries, distracting her from the Catherine Cookson novel she's reading. I was thoroughly depressed by her sombre tones, and dismal outlook, and really wish I hadn't bothered. Such a melancholy baby. On the bright side I did receive a letter from her which was sweet. The pen does tend to make things sweeter, don't you think? On Saturday Chippy advised me to move to Bradford and live with her. He is always very blunt, but objective. ___________.
Pete came up tonight to complete the quintet. How quiet will it be in July when Sue is gone?
A Charles Bronson film at 10:30. Bed at 12:35.
-=-
Monday March 17, 1980
_. St Patrick's Day
Out of bed at 7:10am and to my horror the lane is shrouded in a blanket of snow. Ally woke up with a glowing nose, heavy eyes and a cold. I gave her a cup of tea and a couple of asprin, and she disappeared into the blizzard driving a car with next to no petrol in the tank. I went out with a spade and cleared the drive before moving on to Jim's to perform my good deed of the day for my chauffeur.
At the YP I expected a raging, screaming mob, but was thrown into confusion by the silence and complete lack of interest in my so-called sudden illness on Friday. I phoned Ally at 12:30 and she says Derek Jenkins has been similarly quiet on the subject of her absence.
The Daily Mail this morning reported that the Queen is to pay a state visit to Liechtenstein in May primarily to organise a marriage between the Prince of Wales and Princess Nora of that pin-prick of a principality. This is outrageous. Princess Nora is 30 years old, far too old for our Wales, because his bride must necessarily have many years of child bearing years ahead of her, and of course Nora is a Roman Catholic. The Prince of W has said that if he marries a RC he is technically 'dead' and no way will he rock the apple-cart. Just imagine 'Queen Nora'. Mum would be ecstatic, I do suppose. They, Mum and Dad, returned from snow-bound Grassington at 9:30 looking bedraggled, but healthy.
-=-
Out of bed at 7:10am and to my horror the lane is shrouded in a blanket of snow. Ally woke up with a glowing nose, heavy eyes and a cold. I gave her a cup of tea and a couple of asprin, and she disappeared into the blizzard driving a car with next to no petrol in the tank. I went out with a spade and cleared the drive before moving on to Jim's to perform my good deed of the day for my chauffeur.
At the YP I expected a raging, screaming mob, but was thrown into confusion by the silence and complete lack of interest in my so-called sudden illness on Friday. I phoned Ally at 12:30 and she says Derek Jenkins has been similarly quiet on the subject of her absence.
The Daily Mail this morning reported that the Queen is to pay a state visit to Liechtenstein in May primarily to organise a marriage between the Prince of Wales and Princess Nora of that pin-prick of a principality. This is outrageous. Princess Nora is 30 years old, far too old for our Wales, because his bride must necessarily have many years of child bearing years ahead of her, and of course Nora is a Roman Catholic. The Prince of W has said that if he marries a RC he is technically 'dead' and no way will he rock the apple-cart. Just imagine 'Queen Nora'. Mum would be ecstatic, I do suppose. They, Mum and Dad, returned from snow-bound Grassington at 9:30 looking bedraggled, but healthy.
-=-
Sunday March 16, 1980
_. 4th Sunday in Lent - Mothering Sunday - Summer Time Begins
Up at 9:30 to make a leisurely breakfast only to discover that it is 10:30, and poor Ally is already late for her shift at the Belfry. She discarded the breakfast and left the house in a frenzy.
Sue and Pete spent the day 'courting' in the sitting room, and so I took the typewriter into the dining room and bashed out a feeble letter to Allykins, which took a chunk out of the afternoon.
My grandfather was given life 90 years ago today. Born at the height of the British Empire, he died long after it's demise and yet the span of Britain's change in fortunes affected his life in no way whatsoever. Born near to poverty, he laboured for over 50 years to make ends meet and died in 1961, leaving no money, property - but seven children and numerous grandchildren. He smoked a pipe, wore a flat cap, and always took to his bed at 9:30pm, you know. John Wilson 1890-1961 is probably condemned to obscurity, as if he never existed. Perhaps writing about him here helps to prevent this somewhat.
'Cromwell' on the telly - Richard Harris. Out with Ally to the White Cross.
-=-
Up at 9:30 to make a leisurely breakfast only to discover that it is 10:30, and poor Ally is already late for her shift at the Belfry. She discarded the breakfast and left the house in a frenzy.
Sue and Pete spent the day 'courting' in the sitting room, and so I took the typewriter into the dining room and bashed out a feeble letter to Allykins, which took a chunk out of the afternoon.
My grandfather was given life 90 years ago today. Born at the height of the British Empire, he died long after it's demise and yet the span of Britain's change in fortunes affected his life in no way whatsoever. Born near to poverty, he laboured for over 50 years to make ends meet and died in 1961, leaving no money, property - but seven children and numerous grandchildren. He smoked a pipe, wore a flat cap, and always took to his bed at 9:30pm, you know. John Wilson 1890-1961 is probably condemned to obscurity, as if he never existed. Perhaps writing about him here helps to prevent this somewhat.
'Cromwell' on the telly - Richard Harris. Out with Ally to the White Cross.
-=-
Saturday March 15, 1980
_. Don't worry. I didn't tell the staff at Bradford AHA that Ally has VD. Just to put your mind at rest.
Peter phoned me early on and said that he, Chippy and Dave W were going to Menston to inspect some morning suits for the July wedding, and did I want to join them? I readily agreed, but suggested that perhaps we should meet in the White Cross to discuss the cut and style of the proposed suits. I fried eggs and bacon before Pete and Chippy appeared at 12 o'clock. Ally phoned and I told her to come over and meet us at the White Cross, with Sue, at 1:30. The usual afternoon piss-up followed with only a fleeting visit to the tailor, who told us to return in May. Chippy Came back to lunch at ours [flat Yorkshire puddings] because Susan used the wrong flour. Afterwards we sat watching a film starring Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable. It was so old, Clark Gable was in short pants.
This evening to the Shoulder of Mutton where we sat next to the juke box shovelling in money. The youngsters had never heard of Sarah Vaughan and Billy Eckstein, two nineteenth century vocalists. A good laugh was had by all. At 10 we moved on to the White Cross, full of yobs of varying degrees of nastiness. This Punk Rock craze seems so old fashioned already, but they cannot seem to see this. Gus told me a very funny joke about Jackie Onassis, but the details are vague. Afterwards, just Ally, Sue, Pete and I back to Pine Tops for a wild supper of baked beans [with garlic] and friend luncheon meat. To bed reeking like French peasants.
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Peter phoned me early on and said that he, Chippy and Dave W were going to Menston to inspect some morning suits for the July wedding, and did I want to join them? I readily agreed, but suggested that perhaps we should meet in the White Cross to discuss the cut and style of the proposed suits. I fried eggs and bacon before Pete and Chippy appeared at 12 o'clock. Ally phoned and I told her to come over and meet us at the White Cross, with Sue, at 1:30. The usual afternoon piss-up followed with only a fleeting visit to the tailor, who told us to return in May. Chippy Came back to lunch at ours [flat Yorkshire puddings] because Susan used the wrong flour. Afterwards we sat watching a film starring Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable. It was so old, Clark Gable was in short pants.
This evening to the Shoulder of Mutton where we sat next to the juke box shovelling in money. The youngsters had never heard of Sarah Vaughan and Billy Eckstein, two nineteenth century vocalists. A good laugh was had by all. At 10 we moved on to the White Cross, full of yobs of varying degrees of nastiness. This Punk Rock craze seems so old fashioned already, but they cannot seem to see this. Gus told me a very funny joke about Jackie Onassis, but the details are vague. Afterwards, just Ally, Sue, Pete and I back to Pine Tops for a wild supper of baked beans [with garlic] and friend luncheon meat. To bed reeking like French peasants.
-=-
20200426
Friday March 14, 1980
_.We were out of bed at 8 o'clock to launch our devious plot to cheat our employers out of our daily labours. I phoned Ally's office and she phoned mine. Both workhouses were very suspicious. I decided my ailment was Legionaries disease, and that Ally had an unfortunate STD.
Took cups of tea up to Mum and Dad, lounging in bed. My mother disapproves of my 'Dai Llewellyn-like' lifestyle, but couldn't help laughing at my cheek.
At 10:30, with the car roof peeled back, we took off in the direction of Ilkley, on to Kettlewell and to Starbotton. I felt under the weather, but Ally was bright and cheerful in a borrowed hat from mother. We sat by a log fire in the pub and Starbotton [the Fox & Hounds]. The place was far too quiet and we spoke in whispers. Lynn Lally [a girl who works with Sue] gave birth to a Mongol child about a month ago, and the poor thing died the other day. _____. At 2 we drove back to Skipton, market day, and sat in a pub where the proprietor strongly resembled a hedgehog and the atmosphere was eerie. It was as if everybody was watching us. Our guilty consciences perhaps? We soon escaped the beady-eyed hedgehog and came home.
Ally left at 4:30 to work at the Belfry. Mum and Dad went off to a cottage in Grassington with the car laden with booze.
-=-
Took cups of tea up to Mum and Dad, lounging in bed. My mother disapproves of my 'Dai Llewellyn-like' lifestyle, but couldn't help laughing at my cheek.
At 10:30, with the car roof peeled back, we took off in the direction of Ilkley, on to Kettlewell and to Starbotton. I felt under the weather, but Ally was bright and cheerful in a borrowed hat from mother. We sat by a log fire in the pub and Starbotton [the Fox & Hounds]. The place was far too quiet and we spoke in whispers. Lynn Lally [a girl who works with Sue] gave birth to a Mongol child about a month ago, and the poor thing died the other day. _____. At 2 we drove back to Skipton, market day, and sat in a pub where the proprietor strongly resembled a hedgehog and the atmosphere was eerie. It was as if everybody was watching us. Our guilty consciences perhaps? We soon escaped the beady-eyed hedgehog and came home.
Ally left at 4:30 to work at the Belfry. Mum and Dad went off to a cottage in Grassington with the car laden with booze.
-=-
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