Monday March 18, 1985

 Moorhouse Inn

The Moorhouse Inn is in mourning for poor Archibald Drummond Adams.  It is unbelievable. He was 42. Madge was hopelessly weeping and by noon we had a full tap room - everyone drinking Archie's favourite Bacardi & coke, and slobbering together. _____. It is hard to imagine our tap room without Archie. He was a troublesome, loud, noisy little Scot, but he had a warm heart and an acid sense of humour which I found so refreshing. It will be a dull place without him. Jim Precious looked quite broken. Tonight they all came out of the woodwork to mourn.

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Sunday March 17, 1985

 Moorhouse Inn

Mothering Sunday / St Patrick's Day

Archie (left).

Someone in the pub said that Mother's Day is a ghastly American import, but of course this is not so. It's an ancient religious thing. Mum remembers taking bunches of violets home from church for her mother back in the 40s. I must look it up in Brewer's. A shocking day really. Mum was really low. They (the family) all appeared against our advice, and it proved too much for her. She stayed abed and bunches of people kept drifting in and out. Catherine couldn't understand why 'Granny' was crying and John (Snr) came away pale and upset. Mum had wept before him saying she didn't want to die. My God it's all so awful. Lynn came en route to the Bakers where they were going for Sunday tea. ________.

Our evening off. A sumptuous dinner. Poor Mum prodded a Yorkshire pudding but didn't eat. It was all wrenching. I was in bed at midnight when Jim Precious phoned to say that Archie had collapsed and died outside the Station at 11pm after a pool knock-out. What a terrible shock.

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Saturday March 16, 1985

 Moorhouse Inn

John & Levinyer.

My grandfather, John Wilson, was born on this day in 1890. I can hardly remember him even though I was six when he faded away. An old man plucking a chicken is what I can recall. He was, by all accounts, a quiet, gentle man, very much broken by the cruelty of his vicious and bombastic eldest son and namesake. Mum says that she hadn't thought about it before but her mother, Levinyer, was so very soft with her boys, so soft that they did and said anything in her presence, and on the other hand the girls were all harshly treated and allowed little freedom. Levinyer Wilson, we are told, could move a piano from one end of the house to the other, pulling it across the floor on a rug. 

Quiet afternoon. Margaret and I worked. Archie and Jim in the tap room. Archie still furious about the joke with Sue last night. He doesn't often fall for such little pranks.

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Friday March 15, 1985

 Moorhouse Inn

Lynn, Dave and Sue came to see Mum and Dad this evening. Mum, sitting in her chair, said she has lived a good life, and went on to say that we do not have to live to be old and ancient to have had a contented life. She gave the girls a good talking to and said she did not want tears and that we should all be happy and strong together. Downstairs after this intimate and frank exchange they all seemed relieved and almost elated that Mum had talked to them about her illness. A weight off their shoulders. 

Sue and Lynn inspected the decorating in the bar and Archie, on seeing Sue in the tap room, assumed she was Donna Lea, the area manager. It turned into a huge, highly successful leg-pull. Sue, straight faced, told Archie that the tap room was closing as a bar and was to be replaced by an a la carte restaurant. Archie went white, and was furious on being told of the spoof. A busy evening. All jolly. Andy Bowden came in and announced that he was capable of drinking 10 pints of diet pils. Not bloody likely.

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Thursday March 14, 1985

 Moorhouse Inn

Margaret worked alone. 

(Redaction)

Wednesday March 13, 1985

 Moorhouse Inn

A bright day to begin with but cloud and rain came later. The alarm sounded at 7, but Samuel remained asleep, and so we switched off and lay in blissful slumbers until 8. I went down to admit the decorators and had breakfast of eggs and beans. Samuel ate the lot unaided. He was 14 months old yesterday. Dad joined us. Mum's new sleeping pills have had no effect and she was awake until 5am. Dad took Samuel to the park and then went to Guiseley to bank a cheque and visit the girls. Mum found some comfort and slept in the afternoon. I went to see her for ten minutes and she complained of her swollen feet. On Dad's return he wasn't very informative and we suspect that he has been to Guiseley to put them off visiting on Mother's Day. We would have preferred them to come in the evening minus offspring and were startled when Dad says he has arranged for them all to come, with children, in a staggered trail throughout the afternoon. The man has no idea. It will be so exhausting for Mum. Tonight at 8 we went out, taking Maureen with us, to the Station (pub) where our pool team was disgracefully slaughtered. It was an enjoyable evening. Ally and I sat with Tim and Mary, the new incumbents. Home after 11. Maureen gave Ally £2 for chauffeuring her around Beeston. Silly girl.

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Tuesday March 12, 1985

 Moorhouse Inn

Sunshine. Dad went to Horton to meet a carpet cleaner and telephone engineer. It was a pleasant surprise when Mum appeared in the sitting room dressed and looking lovely ay 10:20. Mr Armitage has really boosted her morale. Dad is amazed that Mum has fallen for such 'conmen' as he refers to Hall and Armitage. 'What good have they done your poor Mum?' he said. Dad cannot appreciate that Mum needs someone or something to cling onto outside the family - someone who appreciates her terrible plight. At 11 Dr Smith appeared and I sat in on his chat with Mum. She told him she couldn't sleep, eat or walk. He just nodded and coughed into his briefcase. What could he say? He gave her a prescription for sleeping pills and water tablets to deal with the swelling in her ankles. She told him that Armitage doesn't want her to take the latter pills. She told Smith of her depression. He told her it was only to be expected because she must be so frustrated to have her active young life shattered. He told her not to feel guilty at living with us and 'putting on us' because, he added: 'if the situation was reversed you'd look after them, wouldn't you?' She agreed. I said very little. It wasn't my place to. I took the doctor down and off he went. Dad came back at 4:30 with a large cheese plant flapping in the back of the car. Mum complained of feeling exhausted and took to her bed. Maureen worked 5:30 to 8 and then Ally and I went down. It was a quiet day. We only took £185 from both sessions. I felt particularly glum tonight. _____. On the juke box I played 'Unchained Melody' by Al Hibbler. Ally phoned Bessie. They are going to Cheltenham Races tomorrow. Bessie has blood pressure and pains. Kissed Mum goodnight. She had taken two new pills. To bed at 11:15 with Lady Longford's biography of HM and a large glass of brandy and dry (ginger). 

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