Monday March 29, 1982

 Dismal day. Nervous. Ally and I had boiled eggs and I left her at 8, waving my hand with fingers crossed. She grinned through the tiny window of the door.

[Large gynaecological/medical omission]

Jonathan Margolis phoned and asked me to research some royal lineage for the Daily Express magazine. [No, it was the Daily Mail]. He put the question: 'who would now occupy the throne if Michael English's succession bill had been passed into law in 1910? My answer: Elizabeth II. Victoria was the last monarch to give birth to a first-born girl, followed by a boy, and that was in 1840. Jonathan says he'll pay me £30 [or at least that's what I think he said because the line was bad]. Spoke to Mark Parry about my family tree destined for tomorrow's EP. He says it's too big. Bastard. 

Home to Ally at 5:30. She is reclining upon a cushion. She is brave and beautiful. We had spaghetti and at 8 watched a concert of Sir William Walton's music, in his presence, to mark his 80th birthday. Can't say I've ever listened to his music before. Balthazar's Feast was noisy. Princess Alexandra was in the royal box with the old boy who seemed to be having trouble with his balance. We will just have to lay back and think of Sir William Walton or Edith Sitwell's 'Facade' when we go to bed. Cast out any thoughts of conceiving a child. God knows we can't afford one anyway. And where would we put a pram?

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Sunday March 28, 1982

 British Summer Times begins - Passion Sunday

Woke up to a confusion about the time. Do we go forward or backwards? I don't suppose it matters really - with it being Sunday. Ten o'clock is very much like eleven o'clock on the sabbath. ____________.

Another day reclining. Bacon and eggs. We laid like Romans upon our couch looking out at the grey Bradford rooftops. I am very much a nosy neighbour. Mary [Moore] comes and goes. Next door I debate, to myself, why Miss Whincup hasn't pricked her tulips below the head to prevent them from wilting. Why does Mrs O'Brien's sunday dinner always smell putrid?

We dined on ox liver at 6:30. Ally looks washed out. She's visiting a lady doctor tomorrow, a Dr Duck [?], a Walt Disney character if ever there was one. Watched the drama 'Nancy Astor'. A ghastly woman.

_______ [large gynaecological ommission].

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Saturday March 27, 1982

Day of idleness. Ally sat with her feet up on a cushion all day. I did too. _________.

Watched Flora Robson in 'The Sea Hawks', and then an 80th birthday tribute to her on BBC2. She seem a sweet old thing but is dreadfully ugly. Ally took to her bed and I sat in a lone vigil by the telly. OTT is diabolical.

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Friday March 26, 1982

 To market for vegetables. Nothing at the YP. The Duke of Norfolk's daughter, Lady Marsha Ryecart, has been brought to bed of a daughter. I passed on this tit bit to Frank Metcalfe on the EP newsdesk, but whether he'll use it is open to debate. 

Home at 6. The bus was a sod. Ally reclining looks beautiful and chic - as if she's stepped out of a Noel Coward play. But slightly gaunt. _________.

Mummy and Daddy came in just after 7. They visited a pub near Todmorden last Tuesday with a view to buying it, but decided against it - £25,000! Hilda phoned at 7:45 to say Tony has yet to arrive home from a colliery near Selby where he's prospecting. They eventually walked in at 8:45, just as we finished the first bottle of sherry. Hilda bearing a flower arangement. We dined on tomato and celery soup, scampi and salad, then beef Catalan cooked in tomato, peppers and beer; Jamaica banana, &c. The conversation ranged from cousin Diane's career in radiography, the SDP by-election, David Steel's driving ambition, and the monarchy. Tony insists that the Queen is nothing but a useless puppet and I argued furiously. He answers everything so glibly. _________. To bring a halt to the squabbling and lighten the proceedings Ally took to the piano, and we sang 'Jesus Bids Us Shine' and other rousing hymns. All were delighted by the dinner and everything went perfectly. Ally hates taking all the credit for the repast, and looking at me said: 'All the credit is Michael's'. Totally untrue. I only ever assist. They left after 2.

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Thursday March 25, 1982

 New Moon

I went back to the YP while Ally remained at home. God bless her. Her insides haven't been quite right since we married. Gynaecological traumas.

YP dull. Geoff Hemingway is off. My royal family tree looks doomed. 

Walked into town at lunchtime and bought [Auntie] Hilda a birthday card. I passed Jacq - we just waved.

Home at 6. Out to Morrison's. We spent almost £10 on absolutely nothing. Most of the provisions are for tomorrow's civic dinner for Lord and Lady Gadsby. Home at 7:20. We watched 'Top of the Pops' and the Kenny Everett Show. But then came a knock knock at the door and in came Dave L with two 'skinhead' youths from South Elmsall. A great giggle. Very naughty of Dave to fraternise with his pupils. One had a history exam paper. 'Which of the following Russians was the communist prime minister? a) Catherine the Great, b) Kerensky, c) Hereward the Wake, d) Arthur Scargill, d) Oscar Peterson, e) Sir Oswald Mosley, f) Trotsky. We listened to the gramophone and our latest 'top twenty' tape singing along to Soft Cell and Bow Wow Wow. We put back a fair amount of ale and a plate full of sandwiches, and then Ally, as a climax to to the evening, played 'All Things Bright and Beautiful' on the piano. Dave took the youths to the railway station at 11. They were heading to Plymouth trainspotting. They looked monstrous, but were nice lads. They studied my paintings very objectively.

Saw the by-election results. Roy Jenkins has been elected as the SDP MP for Glasgow Hillhead. The Tories came second and Labour in third place. Sir Roy, the old fool, is now PM in waiting, or leader of the next opposition at least.

-=-

Wednesday March 24, 1982

 Sunshine. Another day with Ally at Club St. I now see that the housewives lot isn't the day of idleness I always imagined it to be. Washing, cleaning, ironing and cooking, dear God. By lunchtime I was longing to be back in the solitude of the YP library amongst my newspapers and spider plants.

I ventured out only briefly to buy a loaf of bread, the staff of life. A young man, in the shop, purchasing his luncheon, had great pink teeth marks all over his neck, and I guessed that he lives with the local Countess Dracula up at Clayton Heights. Love bites have never held any appeal for me. In truth, I do not recall ever having had one. The idea of a savage female setting about me with snarling affection isn't my idea of a way to pass a romantic evening.

I concocted a lasagne. Flying pasta, onions, &c. Dined at 6 and collapsed afterwards. Watched 'Minder' at 9pm with the genius George Cole and Dennis Waterman.

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Tuesday March 23, 1982

 Was in the bath at 6:45am. Ally pale and ghastly and violently sick. I decided to take the day off and look after her which brightened her mood greatly. Besides, the YP owes me a day from the day in December when I was prevented from working because of the heavy snow. Ally sat, feet up on a pile of cushions, bathed in sunshine. I daubed a few strokes onto the still life I started in November. I suppose Mrs Rembrandt watched her hubby going about things in the same way.

Walked out and bought a Daily Telegraph. Bought Piggy a Cadbury's Creme Egg, a loaf, &c. At lunch we had a pile of salad sandwiches and watched 'Pebble Mill at 1'.

Two great actors have died: Alan Badel and Harry H. Corbett.

Later I did the ironing and made fish for dinner at 6. Watched Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn in 'The African Queen', and by 9:30 we were back in bed. I am taking tomorrow off too. I phoned Sarah this morning citing a sore throat which was received with the usual disbelief.

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