Sunday April 1, 1973

Awoke at 12 noon. Mum was frying the breakfast... and it's Mother's Day. She doesn't know a good thing when she sees one! Mum made my breakfast whilst I did the vacuuming in the lounge and hall. My good deed for the day...lazy sod! No sooner was breakfast over that Mum was re-setting the table for lunch, due to the fact that Dad is working until 2pm and he has not eaten since 9am.

Dad, John and I are still arguing about the Grand National squabble. John keeps insisting that Dad owes him 5 pence, but Dad refuses to pay up because he insists that John backed out of the bet only when he thought his horse was loosing. However, I was an eye witness, and Dad is certainly in the wrong.

Came out of the bath at 2 to a very nice beef luncheon - not had beef for a while. After lunch I made the coffee and we went into the lounge until 4.30, when we piled into the car and went to Pudsey.

At Pudsey Auntie Hilda made a delicious tea and Grandma Gadsby came over to see us. I stayed until 7.30. Dad and Uncle Tony gave me a lift to the Emmott's. They came inside for a drink with me. A very historic occasion, because it's the first time Dad and I have ever been together in a pub. June and Linda arrived not long after. I introduced them to Dad and Uncle Tony. We had a lovely evening. At 10.30 June and I went to the bottom road in the drizzle - but a refreshing type of rain. Her bus came at 11. I missed mine and walked home, arriving at 11.35.

I rang Auntie Hilda's - and Uncle Tony is now holding a court of inquiry into John and Dad's dispute over the gee-gees. I give evidence to Uncle Tony over the phone. After half an hour Auntie Hilda phoned me and I gave evidence to her. She nearly died laughing.

Had my supper feeling jolly at Auntie Hilda's jest. Came to bed at 1am.

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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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