Saturday March 31, 1973

Awoke at about 11 o'clock. Played the Diana Ross LP until nearly 2. Dad and Mum came into the lounge at 3 to watch the Grand National on the telly. Incidentally, Mum received a bunch of flowers from us four this morning as a Mother's Day gift. It cost us £2. They must obviously stick their prices up on Mother's Day. Before the race began Mum suggested that she, Dad, John and I should put a bob into a kitty, the winner of the race taking all. John declined to play, saying he was against gambling. But at about 3.10 he gave in and put a 5p bet on a horse. Our horses were:- Dad....Spanish Steps Mum.Mr Vimy John..L'escargot me.....Princess Camilla John's came third and Dad's came in fourth. However, at 3.30 when the race had been won by some outsider Dad refused to pay John, saying John had never actually agreed to the bet. At 7 when I was going out to work they were still squabbling about this. Was I glad to get out? At 4 John, Mum, Dad and I went to Yeadon shopping. Mum, Dad, and John went to Morrison's whilst I went to the record shop. We were there for about 1 and a half hours. John bought an axe for work. The bloke who sold it to him kept saying: " it'll go up 10 per cent with VAT, lad. No point in waiting for't price to go up. Buy it nah, lad." Went to work at 7. Booked up all night. Quite easy night really. Toffer brought me home after Pauline had told us her troubles and worries about her father's gambling debts and misfortunes. The Duke of Gloucester is 73 today. He hasn't been seen in public since the late 1960s. The officials always say he is suffering from a severe illness, whereby public duties are impossible, but I rather think he is a recluse. He was never a popular Royal. He always seemed too aloof. --==--

Friday March 30, 1973

Unfortunately it was nearly 8 o'clock when I awoke. Therefore, I postponed my trip to school until the 9 o'clock bus came. But Jim Rawnsley was passing in the car and gave me a lift to Rawdon, arriving 9.10.

The morning, being incredibly boring, passed by slowly and I was greatly relieved when lunchtime came around again.

June and I of course made the usual mistake of announcing the fact that we intended making a State visit to Rigg's - within a matter of seconds we were bombarded with yells (hysterical ones at that) for folk demanding, even begging us to go for provisions for them as well. How could any civilised, Christian human being object?

At 2.30 Louise and I went to Biology where we practiced our Italian.

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Thursday March 29, 1973

Wednesday March 28, 1973

Such a beautiful day! Had barely any breakfast and arrived at school at about 9. I set to work on a revision list (again!) for Mrs Lane. I had finished it by 9.30.

June did not arrive until about 10.30 because her poor Aunt Mary Ellen, who is 88, fell down the stairs, and June sat with her to give her some comfort. What an Angel she is!

In her Commerce lesson this afternoon she typed me a beautiful letter. I have never laughed quite so much at a letter before. What imagination she has!

"Dear Michael,

Are you feeling better now? You were in a very bad, aggressive, irritable, aggravated mood, and it was not like you to be like that. Me maybe, but you, definately not. At least I just pretend but you were being serious and I thought my end had come. The finale was in sight...alas...it was a good performance but all good things come to an end!

Anyway,as long as you have taken your tablets and become your nice, normal, lovable self we can forget all about the Mr Hyde side of your nature. A human being has many aspects of his personality. Just as a diamond has many facets and the majority of the time we only see one side, but occasionally we catch a small glimpse of some of the darker depths of human nature.

Wot a load 'o rubbish.

I xxxxxxxx

June.

I love you."


Today is Auntie Hilda's birthday. I always joke with her about her age and on Sunday I reckoned that she is 52. If only looks could kill I doubt very much that I would alive, well, and here today.

We are now growing quite sick of having to give in to half the 6th form and go to the shops every lunchtime. If we could only be more selfish occasionally. I am sure it would do us a lot of good.

Wednesday afternoons are usually quite interesting. Today we discuss whether 18 year-old kids still at school should be allowed into the pubs at lunchtime. Groves said that alcohol slows down a person's brain capacity. Trust him to come out with something like that!

Came home at 5.15. Had tea and sat in front of the TV feeling very guilty about the 'A' levels in 10 weeks time. Oh God!

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Tuesday March 27, 1973

Yes, still no change in the weather! What a beautiful year, weather wise, and in every other way, it is going to be. Got up at nearly 8 and postponed by bus ride until 9. June arrived almost simultaneously and instead of sitting with me, she went over to sit near the record player with Vilma Crosfield. She must have started her 'isolationist at school' thing. It was only yesterday that she said I must be growing bored with her because we are seeing too much of each other. Christine almost bit my head off when I happened to comment that June was ignoring me. (I was simply worried). "You can't bloody expect her to follow you around like a bloody dog", she said. She made me realise I am being childish.

Today we continued our argument on personal opinions. I made some attempt to disagree with abortion but June quashed it with shouts of: "Male chauvenist Pig!" and "horrible fascist". We then ventured onto the subject of the Royal Family, and believe it or not Benita and Linda agreed that the Queen does a very fine job. Linda goes on to say that Her Majesty is "lovely and graceful", an unusual remark from a 16-year-old girl. Despite her provoking, June was really delightful today.

Came home at 5 o'clock. The evening was very pleasant. I walked down to work at 6.50. For some unknown reason I was listless and bored. At 11.30 when everyone had gone, a couple of Sue and Toffer's friends came in. We played records and sang until nearly 3. Toffer used to have a disco and he has about 500 discs from the 1960s. They didn't half call to mind some old memories. Came home after 3. Ate 6 pikelets and fell into bed.

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Monday March 26, 1973

A really horrid day! For about 30 minutes this afternoon June and I seem to have fallen out! Over what I simply do not know. Mondays are always such depressing days and in the afternoon a group of us started arguing - debating - about abortion. Benita, Dave, Vilma, Christine, and dear June took the opposing view to me. We argued right through the 4 o'clock bell and on until 5 when the 'fight' ended with Christine and Dave going off for buses.

The weather is marvellous again. But I was unable to appreciate the weather and at 5 I drifted to the bus stop feeling devastated and quite alone. All she could say was "goodbye" and I left school alone. I was a total nervous wreck, and for some unknown reason I rang Mum and told her I was going to be late home. She must have thought I was being very strange. I mournfully made my way to the bus stop where I sat on the Post Office doorstep feeling very sorry for myself. Hursty went past with a horrid grin spread across his horrible face. Obviously, he thought the finale had come to our romance.

God, at last June came. We both realised in an instant that we were being foolish, and within 2 minutes we had made up. June waited with me until 5.15. What a blissful half hour it was! We were kissing and then joking how the 'Grand Finale' had almost caught up with us. Good Grief, I did not really appreciate just how much I would miss her until we had this small, innocent squabble. May it never occurr again!!!

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Sunday March 25, 1973

Sue woke me at 9 o'clock!! I have not been out of bed so early on a Sunday for at least 2 years. But a brisk swim will do me much more good than simply rotting in bed! Sue and I listened to the Ed Stewart Show on Radio 1 whilst we had breakfast. Alison came across at about 9.45 to walk with us to the swimming baths. We left 5 minutes later. On arriving at the pool at 10.20 Sue and Al went inside leaving me sitting on the wall waiting for June until nearly 10.45. She came running down the road looking very distressed saying she had been waiting for me for half an hour!

From 10.50 to 11.55 had a good time in the pool. June looks so different in the water. I cannot really say that Susan liked her, but what does that matter? She's my girlfriend at that's that. At noon went to get changed and then spectate until nearly 1 o'clock, eating cheese and biscuits, crisps, and "Pink Panther" chocolate. The weather was really miserable and at 1 it began to rain. I accompanied the girls to the bus stop. We waited for nearly half an hour and June, Linda and Janet finally got their bus. I ran homeward in the rain . Had lunch of rabbit pie - yes, the actual rabbit that I gutted yesterday.

Mum and Dad were in an argumentative mood and I was greatly relieved to hear that Auntie Hilda, Uncle Tony and the girls were coming over to see us for tea. They arrived at about 5. I was reading a very tatty copy of "I Will Repay" by Baroness Orczy.

Tonight was my first Sunday evening at home for 2 months! Absolutely dreadful without June. Anyway, we're going out tomorrow evening instead. Dad went to work at about 7. Mum with Auntie H and Uncle T went down to the Commercial at Esholt until nearly 11. We all had a good supper and I departed to bed at about 12.30. Auntie Hilda will be 37 on Wednesday. She was born in 1936 during the brief reign of my hero, King Edward VIII.

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