Monday February 16, 1981

 _.Washington's Birthday Observance

Sunny and bright, &c. At the YP I telephoned my great-Aunt Anne to thank her for her engagement card. She sounded quite chirpy. She must be almost eighty I'm sure. I then phoned Denise to inform her of my 'news' and asked her to fix us up with a honeymoon on the island of Ios. She said I would be distracted by the nudity there but that Ios is one of the most unspoiled Greek islands. She was thrilled about the wedding and sought permission to tell MM the news. It seems I am now a celebrity.

Home at 6. Mum and Dad are very dull and do not enthuse about Scotland, which is odd. Normally I'd be listening to tales for weeks on end. I expected a visit from Ally at 8:30 but she phoned much later to say Graham and Charlotte Smith had phoned her and kept her for ages and then her mother had phoned afterwards and so didn't see the point in coming over for just a couple of hours. Evidently, her brother Graham had bumped into the Smiths in Winchester and told them of our news. They [the Smiths] are coming to stay with Ally in May.

To bed with the Peter Sellers biography at 11:30. Feeling groggy.

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Sunday February 15, 1981

 _.Septuagesima

Andrew Dixon, my future brother-in-law is 17 years old today. A Spring-like, warm day. Ate fried and grilled things again for breakfast. Ally, armed with buckets and cloths, headed out to car and spent and hour cleaning and polishing. She also took all the grime off Dad's ailing car, which surely cannot last much longer. I am never good in situations like this. Washing cars has never been at the top of my list of favourite pastimes. I would do anything to get out of it. Fortunately, Ally didn't expect me to help.

We later watched Spike Milligan in 'The Bed Sitting Room' or something, which was hilarious. Mum, Dad, Hilda and Tony came in after tea looking wan but pleased with the visit north. Hilda and Tony very impressed with Corner House Cottage. To bed at 1am.

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Saturday February 14, 1981

 _. Valentine's Day

Ally and I exchanged cards. Up at 6:30 splashing around in the bath before making scrambled eggs and bacon for my precious Ally. She spent hours dressing, and by 8:30 I was a little concerned. I wanted to be at the office on time. We went to Burley-in-W to collect Lynn and then on to Leeds where they deposited me at the YP and then went off on a shopping expedition. The little turquoise car disappeared along Wellington Street and for some minutes I could hear the girls squealing with delight and glee at the prospect of a whole day in the metropolis, buying up the contents of the shops therein.

Boring at the YP. I made my escape at 2 and joined Ally and Lynn at Jacomelli's where we had a couple of drinks. Ally pulled out a brochure and showed me pictures of her dress and the bridesmaid dresses. I know it's very bad luck to see a bride in her wedding dress before the ceremony, but does this count? On to Burley to deposit Lynn. We called on Sue and Pete and Ally showed her the dress she'll be wearing. Back to Pine Tops for 5.

We had liver and onion gravy with Yorkshire puddings, by the flicker of candle light. Snuggled like lovebirds watching TV afterwards. To bed by 12.

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Friday February 13, 1981

 _.To Leeds from Bradford. Very busy day until 5:30 when I left and met Dave B on Wellington Street. He brought me through to Guiseley to collect some step ladders. I opened an anonymous Valentine's day card which had been left by Ally on her way to Burley. Dave is very quiet these days. He sat, almost glum, on the drive home. It might be the pressure of business which, thank God, I am totally without. 

At Lawn Road I painted a bedroom ceiling a pale green. Ally was painting in a cupboard so I didn't see much of her. We had fish and chips with Lynn and Dave and left at about 10 o'clock. They wanted me to carry on and put gloss paint on a window but I chickened out. Felt buggered. 

Back to a deserted Pine Tops with Ally. Mum and Dad had left for Scotland with Hilda and Tony. We watched TV and went to bed at 12:30.

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Thursday February 12, 1981

 _. Lincoln's Birthday

A trying day. Ally came here at 7:45 looking pale and confused. She sat next to me and announced that she'd accidentally left her engagement ring on a shelf in the bridal shop in Bradford whilst trying on a wedding dress this afternoon. She looked very close to tears. I didn't help the situation by looking like thunder, muttering dreadful expressions and oaths. Papa immediately took on his police constable mantle and phoned through to Bradford police who gave him the name of the key holder of the shop. Within minutes Ally and I were heading out to Haworth in search of her engagement ring, which we located with great relief, at about 9 o'clock. 

To the Bod for a few well deserved drinks. Back to Club St for 10:30 where I installed by portable TV, with a very snowy picture, but better than nothing. Our first telly programme in our home is 'Kojak' with Telly Savalas. Ally, buried beneath a mountain of bridal catalogues. She wants something sensational and 'off the shoulder'. To bed at 12.

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Wednesday February 11, 1981

 _. I am disgusted by the publishers of this journal, and all at WH Smith Desk Diaries Inc. On the next page, beneath the date, is clearly printed 'Lincoln's Birthday', a detail I find most acceptible. However, for the entry on June 23 I see no mention of Edward VIII's birthday, and where, on May 24, are we told it's the birthday of Lincoln's contermporary Queen Victoria? Most disturbing. It seems that Smith's now turn out desk diaries purely for the likes of Ronald Reagan and his counterparts. A very sad reflection of our times.

Busy day at the YP. Carol J suggests that Kathleen's absence will take it's toll on us before long. We shall see. Saddened that Sarah says she and Delia will be in Scotland on June 27, and will be unable to do the wedding flowers or attend the reception as I would have wished.

Lady Diana speculation confusion: her family deny that she is in Australia, but Aussie officials say she's definitely in that vast, sparse continent. The Shand Kydds are near Canberra, but no sign of her there.

Sue and Pete came to dinner at 6. Ally came at 7:30, cheesed off. She says an estimate on repairing the Citroen comes in at £125 plus VAT. Obviously, the offending and seemingly 'blind' driver of the other offending vehicle is going to receive the bill for the damage.

We watched TV. 'Sons and Lovers' part 6. A depressing little production and I find Paul Morel a nauseating little character. Sue and Pete left at 10:30 and Mum and Dad drifted off to bed leaving Ally and I watching 'Puppet on a Chain', the film based on the book by Alistair MacLean. I first saw it at Yeadon with Dave L.

Ally saw at wedding dress in Bradford yesterday, and it going to try it on tomorrow. Lace, frills, and all that. Bed at 12:30. Peter Sellers is a dismal little biography.

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Tuesday February 10, 1981

 _. Sun. Spring-like. Wrote something on the Vyner family [Studley Royal] for Derek Foster. Hickey in the Express says Lady Diana has been at Highgrove for a romantic tete a tete with the Prince of Wales and is now on her way to Australia with her mother. Things are looking up, aren't they? 

Home at 6 to find Mum and Dad entertaining Maria and the babies. Catherine has a streaming cold. She refers to her brother as 'the boy', and sat gasping and coughing over a framed photo of her daddy. Chaos. I had to deflate several balloons so that JPH could make vulgar farting noises with them in true slapstick tradition. We may have another Charlie Cairoli on our hands. Maria, all nice and sisterly, took the band home at 6:30. Jim is driving them all to Carlisle early tomorrow morning and John is collecting them there.

Phoned Ally at 7:30. A silly bitch rammed the Citreon in the AHA carpark this afternoon. One of the headlights was squashed and the chap at Jack Andrews [garage] says it will cost £25 to repair. She was going to phone Frank re the car insurance.

Dave G phoned. He and Garry are going to Ibiza on June 30, and will stay at the Pisces Park Hotel. Lily had a word and called me 'a dark horse' [re the engagement]. Mum thinks it would be nice to invite Jim and Lily [Glynn] to the wedding, but could they take time off from the Hollywood? Oh God, it's 19 weeks on Saturday.

Took to the bath at 10 to avoid a programme on the BBC - Robert Key in Ireland. I am not overly fond of our fiendish, gaelic cousins. Mum looking very colourful in a new kaftan. They are going to the Stonehouse Inn on Thursday. Bed at 11:35pm.

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