Thursday November 19, 1981

 _.Busy at the YP. Sarah was a away at a funeral. Just a great-uncle. Margot was back, limping, but looking very well. She is in fact a very nice girl, who always seems to say more when the other girls are away. Mrs Slocombe is in fact a very Mussolini-like figure. I suppose I play Neville Chamberlain in the office, or perhaps Count Ciano. 

Gave Bob [Cockroft] a tip. Lord Deramore's daughter, the Hon Ann de Yarburgh Bateson, 31, is engaged to an Irishman. With a surname like that I don't suppose she stacks shelves in Tesco.

Home to my 're-designed' wifelet at 6:15. Cousin Diane is 18 today, and in Gadsby tradition she became engaged to be married. Ally went out at lunchtime and had her fuzzy hair re-styled and considerably shortened. Bit of a 'Peter Pan' creation. Tonight she was clad in canary-yellow plus-fours and woolly socks. We had a curry and watched 'Top of the Pops' and looked at our money. 

The Pakistani family have quit the corner shop here at Club Street. The children used to watch us, from a perch in an upstairs window. 

Lynn phoned at 8:30 to see if we want a lift to 'the ball' tomorrow. With a bit of luck Audrey will be back with us by then. We brewed some lager. Blissful domesticity.  Bed after 11.

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Wednesday November 18, 1981

Ally and 'Audrey'.

 _. Spoke to Mum. She was bright and chatty. Ally spoke to Adolf Broadhead at Jack Andrews. He says Audrey is repaired with a new floor, seat-belts, and a headlamp, and all for £122 [including VAT]. They are bandits, but what more can we do now other than pay up? We can soon get the money together and it will certainly be a joy to see that tiny blue French thing again.

Home at 6. Ally is knitting. Later she was buried behind a Daphne Du Maurier book. I finished the flower painting for Bessie. Very happy with it. Went to bed early because, you've guessed it, we were very tired. Missed 'The Borgias', but we can catch up with it on Sunday.

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Tuesday November 17, 1981

 _. Rain. Out of bed at 6:30. We sat eating porridge, bananas on toast, washed down by coffee. We enjoy our little breakfasts together. Life is very cruel, isn't it? We have breakfast together and then endure 11 hours apart until we dine together. Is this meant to be the pattern of our lives? We need to find money, and find it now so that we can be together day and night. As I left she referred to me as 'my little wood spurge', which I believe is a flowering plant. 

Home at 5:30. Phoned Dad and told him that Jack Andrews still have the Citroen. He too is 'off the road' with car trouble, but enjoying the walking. 

News: James Prior was attacked by a heaving mob at the funeral of Robert Bradford MP. The Prince of Wales was in Bristol without the Princess, who is suffering from morning sickness. In a speech he said he accepts full responsibility for her condition. The crowd seemed dreadfully disappointed. Charles will have to get used to his demotion. Diana is the one everyone wants to see.

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Monday November 16, 1981

 _.YP busy. I worked through lunch and left at 4:30. I phoned Allt this afternoon and got through to Derek Jenkins. 

Mr Speaker Thomas.

Ulster is in turmoil [just for a change]. The Unionist MP Robert Bradford was assassinated by the IRA on Saturday and today three Ulster MPs including Ian Paisley were expelled from the House of Commons for abusing the government and referring to James Prior as a 'traitor with blood on his hands'. I do sympathise with Mr Paisley. What has the government done to combat the increasing IRA menace? ____. The Speaker of the House of Commons is a wonderful man. If we can go on producing men like George Thomas we cannot be all that bad. 

A fried pastiche this evening. Then bottling wine and washing, &c. Ally says she resembles a witch with her hair standing on end. The Good Witch of Lidget Green. She is resolved to have her hair 'done' later in the week.

Watched a gloomy Mrs Thatcher on 'Newsnight'. Bed at 11 after Ovaltine.

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Sunday November 15, 1981

 _.22nd Sunday after Trinity

Hungover at first but a few pills and a gallon of tea and a heap of breakfast pulled me round. Ally was very tender too. We were in bed until noon. 

We slumped on the settee all afternoon watching two dreadful films, unable to move to switch over. Eleanor Parker as an archaeologist in Egypt and Robert Taylor and Sophia Loren as Greek sponge divers. This duo of film classics took us through until 6:30.

We had chilled Martinis followed by pork cooked in cider. A delicious candle-lit nosh. 

Watched an episode of The Borgias. Pneumotelevisionitis undoubtedly.

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Saturday November 14, 1981

 _.We lounged in bed until after 10:30 and took a leisurely breakfast and discussed the days proggramme. Dry, bright, crisp and sunny. We made our weekly pilgrimage into Bradford and were soon weighed down with fruit, vegetables and meat. The shops were packed out. The festive season looming. Collected my painting from the frame shop. We tired of the bustle and made for home. 

The oil paining is now hanging on the landing. Lynn, Dave and Frances came at 3:30 and spent a couple of hours drinking apricot wine and 'Clan Dew'. 

The baby has wonderful dark eyes and a head of fine, punk-rock like hair. They left at 5:30 and we were left amongst the cushions, clutching our sticky glasses and looking for some excitement. We phoned Susie but they are going out with Pamela and Pamela's Peter. Phoned Dave L, Jill, Tim, Karen, Steve, Diane and Paul, and all agreed to come over. Catherine and David were conned into coming too. They arrived thinking they'd be our only guests. A jolly gathering which included a dancing competition. Steve, Tim and Dave did a remarkable impression of The Chiffons singing 'Sweet Talking Guy'. Diane and Paul are getting engaged next week. Things fell through at about 1:30 when Dave left and Steve had a ferocious attack of wind. We ended the night using the cellar as an  'anti-Steve fall out shelter'.

At 3:30am we made eggs and chips.

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Friday November 13, 1981

 _.Friday the thirteenth. Ally has spoken to Jack Andrews garage. The reply this time is that they are waiting for a new seat belt to arrive from the dealers. A simple three day job has escalated into three weeks.

YP: photographs of the royal progress in York yesterday show a pale and wilting Princess of Wales. Should HRH be carrying out such a bstrenuous 'meet the people tour' in these early and crucial weeks of a first pregnancy?

A cosy evening on our settee with our books [Stanley Baldwin and Daphne Du Maurier] with the tv droning on in the background. At 10:15 I shamefully went over the road for greasy fish and chips. We seldom have supper. We watched the tv until it disappeared into a dot. Adam, of Adam and the Ants, was the star on a late night chat show. He's obviously a boy with big and burning ambitions.

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