Friday October 1, 1982

 Cold, even frosty. Margo went off at 4 on a 2-week holiday with a mystery friend. Sarah and Carol were almost purple with inquisitiveness. That is if in fact inquisitiveness does make one purple. Mauve perhaps. 

Corn on the cob and a luscious lasagne. [Ah, but first we walked to Comet, in our matching plum coloured jackets, to look at freezers, without actually buying one]. Felt tired. Watched TV. Bruce Forsyth either dyes his hair or wears a hideous wig. 

Have I told you about Andrew? _________________.

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Thursday September 30, 1982

 John P.H. is six today, God Bless him. Mum and Dad came home from Scotland and phoned this evening. Baby Hannah is beautiful, but add little else. Maria bumped into Janette in Stranraer _____________.

Ally was slumped upon the settee looking very weak. Ate fish and chips. Brewed beer. She made a cushion cover from an old skirt. Looks good. I shouldn't refer to her as 'she'.  Watched Robert Powell in the film 'The 39 Steps' - poor. Give me Robert Donat any day. Life is so busy. I love this journal but do not think I am giving it my all. No time, you see.

At 10 the phone rang and I thought it was Papa but no it was his brother, John, in Lanzarote. [Sheila too was on the extension]. They asked Ally and I to go stay with them. All we need is a flight. It was so good hearing him. He has fond memories of my visits to Windsor, and I have the same. It's ten years since the Duke of Windsor was lying-in-state and I paid my first visit to Clewer Fields. To bed excited. I'm sure Ally will love them.

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Wednesday September 29, 1982

 Sunny, yet blustery. Refused to climb out of bed. Ally did. Odd how we take turns 'lying in'.My bus to Leeds was full of trendy students and it irked me having to queue to get on. YP brisk and efficient. Said very little and packed in at 12.

Was Lady Mary Lygon a friend of Evelyn Waugh? She's dead anyway. 

Home for 12:40. The traffic lights had failed all over Bradford. Ate a bit of cheese and spent the afternoon 'glossing' the radiator and skirting board. I'm unhappy about it. I was distracted by the ghastly Labour party conference from Blackpool, on BBC2. As I daubed paint I spat with rage at the likes of Dame Judith Hart and Arthur Scargill. The conference is a complete and utter farce, and to think they seriously believe they will form the next government. Ally phoned and we agreed about nothing. She came home at 6 and we ate dreaded macaroni cheese. A gas man came and cut off our non-approved gas fire. It's leaking somewhere. It will cost us £15 to have it mended. Mary Moore, over the road, was having a Tupperware party, and later we watched old ladies doing a conga dance down the street.

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Tuesday September 28, 1982

 What you want is good solid details of Yorkshire life in 1982, but I cannot remember anything worthwhile to record today. A cosy, pleasant evening with my precious wife. Watched an Agatha Christie play on ITV and supped cocoa.

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Monday September 27, 1982

 Up and out leaving John and Janette in bed. Phoned Mum. _________________. They are going up to Scotland in the morning. ___________. 

Sunday September 26, 1982

 Bacon and eggs for breakfast. Didn't feel too bad considering. Over to Burley in W in John's gleaming car and had drinks with Lynn and Dave at the Malt Shovel. Janette is too quiet, but sweet.  _________.

Wine at Lawn Rd, and then back to Bradford at 4. John went to bed and Janette sat with Ally and I talking. She told us that Maria is furiously saving to marry Alec, and that the wedding will take place in the garden at Corner House Cottage, if a licence can be obtained. Janette is of course Alec's niece. __________.

Out at 8 to the Old Ball at Horsforth, full of posers. On to the Black Bull, and then the Fire Brigade. We left at 9:30, as Ally was exhausted. Sweet and sour king prawn. Bed.

Graham phoned at 11. I was a bit pissed and thought Gill must have delivered.

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Saturday September 25, 1982

 Sun. John's twenty sixth birthday. We slept until noon and sat wearily over scrambled eggs. A black, shiny, Ford Capri 1600L pulled up, and out leapt John, beaming, with Janette. ___________.

We went to the 'Mucky Duck' for a few drinks and then into Bradford where Ally and I bought John a couple of tapes for his birthday - ABC and REO Speedwagon. Janette bought a bottle of Gordon's gin and I provided the lemons. Back to the house. They went to bed until 6:30. Ally and I drank gin and whispered. Later we took them to Giuseppe's Backyard for pizzas [£12 on my Barclaycard]. I had to be very sharp to stop Janette paying. On to Guiseley and we met the others at the Station Hotel. Sampled 'Guiseley Gyle'. Lynn was frosty with John because he hadn't been to see Mum on his birthday, and persuaded him to phone, but when he did he woke all the babies. We were all tanked up and feeling lethargic. Janette was drinking Creme de Menthe, and John, at my persuasion, switched from pints of ale to Campari and soda. Saw Gus and had one of our Monty Python-type conversations. Pissed. John looked shocking. He drove us home to Bradford where we had another gin and tonic. A record session.

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