You simply would not believe that the change in the weather could be so swift as it has been today. The sun was shining and a pleasant breeze blew the trees into a mad frenzy.
It was announced today that the Duke of Edinburgh is to visit the USSR in September. It's happened at last. I realise they would either send him or the Queen, because anything seems possible these days. To think that the Russians murdered Prince Philip's relations back in 1917. But the Russians will not be embarrassed. Princess Anne is also going, with Mark Phillips, for horse trials there. By the way, my view that the princess and the lieutenant will become engaged at Easter seems unlikely.
At school I continued battling through King George III which is very interesting and readable. Mrs Lane nearly broke down in complete hysteria when I told her of the way in which George II died. He was taking his morning cup of chocolate in his bathroom when he fell, and to quote Brooke: "delivered himself insensible on the corner of a bureau."
Mum today went to London to collect her £50 worth of clothes won in the newspaper competition. On my arrival home from the Chuck Wagon I found Mum in bed with her offerings hung upon the door. She enjoyed the day itself more than the actual gifts - which to me seem a little over-done and gory. She saw Eamonn Andrews with his wife in a London restaurant. According to Mum the man looks much better off the screen. I think he is a proper idiot. Work was nice. Sue R gave me a bottle of gancia "champagne" for my birthday, plus a card and a pair of paper doilies, not forgetting the brillo pad. What a sense of humour she has! Went to bed at 12.30.
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20090408
Monday April 2, 1973
Truly a freak day by all accounts! I awoke at about 7.45 to find a freak snowstorm banging against my bedroom window. After a small, hurried breakfast I made my way down the lane, and it was so cold that the snow which settled one me did not melt into my clothing. It is hard to believe that it is April. But April is always an eratic month.
June and I went to the shops as usual, but the day passed by completely uneventful.
At 2pm I went to Rawdon Library where I stumbled upon an interesting biography of King George III, with a foreword by the Prince of Wales. It is a very well written clear-cut book, and is one of the first to deny that the king was "mad" and instead is described as suffering from porphyria - a fact which I was aware of 2 years ago.
Arrived home at 5.15 still deeply emersed in my book. Came to bed at 10.30 and was still reading at 11.30.
--==--
June and I went to the shops as usual, but the day passed by completely uneventful.
At 2pm I went to Rawdon Library where I stumbled upon an interesting biography of King George III, with a foreword by the Prince of Wales. It is a very well written clear-cut book, and is one of the first to deny that the king was "mad" and instead is described as suffering from porphyria - a fact which I was aware of 2 years ago.
Arrived home at 5.15 still deeply emersed in my book. Came to bed at 10.30 and was still reading at 11.30.
--==--
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.
--==--
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.
--==--
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.
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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.
--==--
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.
--==--
20090406
20090402
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!
--==--
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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