Saturday June 16, 1973

Read Duff's 'Albert and Victoria'. Much better than Woodham-Smith's biography. It raises doubts about Prince Albert's parentage. He suggests Albert's real father was Leopold I, King of the Belgians or some court chamberlain of Jewish extraction in Coburg. Fancy, Queen Victoria marrying a bastard! I have taken a real liking to the young Queen Victoria - not lacking in physical attractiveness either.

Get up at 10.30. Go with John to Leeds on the 11 o'clock train. Arrive 11.15. I buy some shirts whilst John spends £25 on a suit for Brian and Valerie's wedding - including a pair of fantastic shoes -adding about four inches to his height. Arrive Guiseley at 2.40. I bought a pair of polaroid sunglasses for £3.25.

Lynn no longer has a job. She and Al resigned this morning after a squabble over working hours.

Have a cup of tea and watch 'Dr Who'. Go to CW at 7. Sue and Toffer are excited about the holidays. Imagine, no work next weekend! No CW until June 29. Pauline is in good spirits and slightly sun-burned. Toffer and I had a 'Hairy Leg' contest. I won! Come home at 1.40. Sit an hour with 2 boiled eggs. Read a bit of Albert and Victoria. Bed 2.45.

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Friday June 15, 1973

'A' Level History Paper II. Another hot day. June is busting out all over! Get up at 7 o'clock AM. Have only a grapefruit and go to Benton Park on the 8 o'clock 55 - arriving 8.25. Sit revising Bismarck until 9.10. Carol and Sheila arrive - both looking very pale. Enter exam at 9.25. Napoleon III did crop up - but in a round-about sort of way. Write more than yesterday, but yesterday was definately a better paper. Anyway, it's in the lap of the God's now, as it were.

See June, who I fear I have neglected this past week. We're going to the Emmotts on Sunday for the first time in weeks. She's really fantastic. She and Christine go in to Yeadon at 2.30 to see about jobs as 'home helps' in the summer recess. I laugh at the thought of it. June and Christine as char women cleaning around for 6 weeks looking like Hilda Ogdens - some folk will do owt for brass!

Go to CW - play 20 questions and charades - hysterical!

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Thursday June 14, 1973

Dave Lawson's 18th birthday. 'A' Level History Paper 1. Beautiful weather. Get up at 7. Nervousness now quite gone. Go on the 8 o'clock 55 bus after everyone at home wished me luck. Arrive 8.30. Talk to Mary about her troubles. Carol arrives at 9 with Sheila - both frightened to death! Michael Attenborough arrives at 9.20. Go to The Room. Papers given out at 9.25. Mrs Lane arrives looking terrified. Exams starts 9.30. By the expression on Mrs Lane's face she thinks the paper is marvellous. I think it's not as bad as I imagined it would be. Do the hardest question on the paper - according to Mrs Lane, but I like it: 'Peel - for and against'. Do all four questions. Finish at 12.30. Mrs Lane says that with the questions we should have all passed the British paper. The European paper tomorrow will be far worse.

See June. Come home on the 1.30 bus. Have lunch. Show Mum the exam paper. Revise until 3.30. Remember it's Dave's birthday - go ring him up and wish him congratulations. Carry on revising until 11.25. European history is much more of an arduous subject when it comes round to revising. Go to bed at 12. Not nervous in the least.

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Wednesday June 13, 1973

It's announced on the 6 o'clock news that Princess Anne and Mark Phillips are to marry in Westminster Abbey on November 14 - the 25th birthday of the Prince of Wales and the 69th birthday of the Archbishop of Canterbury - who will marry the couple. The poor girl wanted a quiet wedding at Windsor but Mum put her foot down.

Get up at 8. Revise until 12. Go to the Commercial at Esholt with Mum and Dad for lunch. Come home at 2. Feeling very tired. Mum always feels tired too after drinking at lunchtime. Revise until 10.30. Watch Kenneth Clark "Civilisation" on tv. Come to bed at 11.10. Very nervous, but go immediately to sleep.

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Tuesday June 12, 1973

Get up at 8. Revise until 12.30. Mum and Dad arrive home from work. She tells me that Princess Anne is having a wedding cake made at Stephenson's bakery in Guiseley. I disbelieve, but it's true. Of course, the Royals always have several wedding cakes made. They have them cut up and sent off to charities, Commonwealth prime ministers and such like. Still, it's a great honour for the bakery, and good for business I suppose.

Revise from 1.30 until tea. Go to CW at 7.30. No one in. See tv until 9. 2 come in, and alas 4 arrive at 11.30. Home at 1.25. Bed immediately.

Whilst on the subject of Royal marriages I might as well make a few guesses as to what title, if any, Lieutenant Phillips will take. Way back in May 1960 when Princess Margaret married, her husband did not take a title immediately. Margaret married Mr Armstrong-Jones and he did not become Earl of Snowdon until October 1961 - two weeks before Viscount Linley was born. I expect that the same precedent will occurr with Lieut. Phillips. The Daily Mail says he will be Earl of Somerford -because he lives in Great Somerford, Wilts. But Lord Snowdon lived in Pimlico and he wasn't created Earl of Pimlico. The decide the actual title is a bit dicy so I won't make any attempt to do so.

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Monday June 11, 1973

Get up at 8 o'clock. Revise at home until 11. Go up to Benton Park on the 11 o'clock 55 bus. Do an Economics test from 11.45 until 12.30. I got top marks - 14 out of 28 - 50 per cent. It was an objective test and I guessed the majority of the questions. Come home on the 2 o'clock 55 after ringing Dave from Rawdon with Christine. June was not at school. Come home and revise until tea. Watch 'Coronation Street' and then revise until 11. Bed at 11.30.

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Sunday June 10, 1973

Whit Sunday. HRH Prince Philip is 52. Get up at 7am. Feeling full of cold. My sinuses playing me up. Revise Gladstone until after 8. Drift off back to sleep until 12. Over lunch we discuss Italy. Go upstairs for a bath at 2.

Good old Prince Philip is 52 years old today - one noticeable thing about the duke is that he never ages. He always looked 50 - even when he was 25.

Revise until 8pm. Watch a film - very good. Revise until 12. Come to bed at 12.

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