Get up at 6.50. Dreadfully cold, almost wintry day again. Spend the whole day finishing the spouts at Henshaw.
Very upset about not hearing from June since Monday. She rings at 7. I tell her about the trouble with the phone number, which I had explained in yesterday's letter. She quite understands. Decide to go out on Friday instead of tonight. Relieved that she's contacted me. Blimey! I thought THE end had come!
After watching the 9 o'clock news I write to the 'Daily Mail' opposing the views expressed yesterday by a correspondent re Princess Anne and Mark Phillips. Hope they publish it.
Go to bed at 11.30.
--==--
20090423
Wednesday August 8, 1973
A perishingly cold, bleak day! My cold, however, is greatly improved.
Andy and I paint the inside of the garage doors again - an emergency operation only ever carried out in the rain. No word from Bill about quitting the force. Andy and I disgracefully laugh at this.
Write to June, who still does not contact me. Also write to the 'Daily Express' in answer to a silly old bag who suggested in a letter that Princess Anne and Mark Phillips should take 'needy' honeymoon couples on the Royal Yacht Britannia when they marry in November. What rot!
How many people in this world would take a pack of complete strangers away on honeymoon with them? Princess Anne may be the daughter of the reigning sovereign of Gt Britain but she's no saint...
--==--
Andy and I paint the inside of the garage doors again - an emergency operation only ever carried out in the rain. No word from Bill about quitting the force. Andy and I disgracefully laugh at this.
Write to June, who still does not contact me. Also write to the 'Daily Express' in answer to a silly old bag who suggested in a letter that Princess Anne and Mark Phillips should take 'needy' honeymoon couples on the Royal Yacht Britannia when they marry in November. What rot!
How many people in this world would take a pack of complete strangers away on honeymoon with them? Princess Anne may be the daughter of the reigning sovereign of Gt Britain but she's no saint...
--==--
Tuesday August 7, 1973
Rains all day. Had rum in my flask again. By evening my cold is greatly improved.
Watch tv. See 'The Winslow Boy' at 6.30. A very good film indeed. Makes English justice seem perfect. Bed 10.30.
--==--
Watch tv. See 'The Winslow Boy' at 6.30. A very good film indeed. Makes English justice seem perfect. Bed 10.30.
--==--
Monday August 6, 1973
Feeling terrible. Rains solidly all day. Cold worsening. I put a large shot of rum in my flask and battle through nine hours of painting garage doors, three handkerchiefs and two phensic tablets.
So glad to be home at 5.30.
June rings at 7. So wonderful to hear her voice again. Fortunately she doesn't want to go out tonight - I am in no fit state. We decide to leave it until Friday evening.
See 'Coronation Street'. Bed 10.30. This cold ought to have cleared by tomorrow.
--==--
So glad to be home at 5.30.
June rings at 7. So wonderful to hear her voice again. Fortunately she doesn't want to go out tonight - I am in no fit state. We decide to leave it until Friday evening.
See 'Coronation Street'. Bed 10.30. This cold ought to have cleared by tomorrow.
--==--
Sunday August 5, 1973
7th after Trinity. Awake feeling rather ill. Last nights chase around Horsforth in torrential rain cannot have helped the situation. By lunchtime I realise I am not going to get through next week without bearing the burden of a terrible illness. By 6.0 I cannot stop sneezing.
Sit through a Peter Sellers film which is very funny, but by 10.30 I am in a shocking state. Go to bed with a rum coffee, hot water bottle and two phensic tablets. Sleep soundly.
--==--
Sit through a Peter Sellers film which is very funny, but by 10.30 I am in a shocking state. Go to bed with a rum coffee, hot water bottle and two phensic tablets. Sleep soundly.
--==--
Saturday August 4, 1973
Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother is 73. It is such a shame that she outlived her husband for such a long time. Not that I would have wanted her to pre-decease him. But, it must be much more enjoyable for couples to die together. Poor Bertie, forever fixed at 57, waiting up in Heaven for Queen Elizabeth to join him. But without her, Gt Britain would be an unhappier place.
John and I go to the Emmotts at 7.30 but only dear Sue Crosby is to be seen. At 9 we decide to go to Horsforth to see Sue Bottomley and enquire whether June will ever be coming back to Britain.
Poor Sue answers the door standing in the dark, wearing only her night clothes. She says June will be back late on Sunday, or early on Monday.
Oh to think that next week we will be back to sanity at last! Make full speed for Sue Crosby's. A terrible evening and John and I get soaked - we decide to abandon Sue and come home. Arrive home very wet at 11.30.
--==--
John and I go to the Emmotts at 7.30 but only dear Sue Crosby is to be seen. At 9 we decide to go to Horsforth to see Sue Bottomley and enquire whether June will ever be coming back to Britain.
Poor Sue answers the door standing in the dark, wearing only her night clothes. She says June will be back late on Sunday, or early on Monday.
Oh to think that next week we will be back to sanity at last! Make full speed for Sue Crosby's. A terrible evening and John and I get soaked - we decide to abandon Sue and come home. Arrive home very wet at 11.30.
--==--
Wednesday August 1, 1973
Get up at 6.55. Chid stands smiling whilst I grope across the room towards the door. Waking John up, I grab my bag, bid farewell to the assembled guests and chase to the Old Ball where a 55 bus arrives seconds later. Arrive at the paint store at 7.25. Andy arrives at 7.50 - very late.
We do nothing until Bill Dixon arrives at 9. Spend the remainder of the day doing spouts at the store. The weather is very fine, but far too hot for working in. Roll on rain.
Hear on the 3.30 news that Princess Anne is to have only the one bridesmaid, Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones. Prince Edward will be the only other attendant. The Royal couple leave for Barbados on Nov 15 and return to Britain on Dec 16, after doing the Caribbean on Britannia.
See 'Coronation Street' and retire to bed after viewing tv all evening.
--==--
We do nothing until Bill Dixon arrives at 9. Spend the remainder of the day doing spouts at the store. The weather is very fine, but far too hot for working in. Roll on rain.
Hear on the 3.30 news that Princess Anne is to have only the one bridesmaid, Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones. Prince Edward will be the only other attendant. The Royal couple leave for Barbados on Nov 15 and return to Britain on Dec 16, after doing the Caribbean on Britannia.
See 'Coronation Street' and retire to bed after viewing tv all evening.
--==--
Tuesday July 31, 1973
Arrive at work at 7.20. Don't get into the store until 7.40. Andy arrives late. Spend the day 'spouting' again.
Go to Sue Crosby's party in the evening after meeting all the 6th form in the Emmotts. Dave arrives. Denise is drunk and infatuated with poor John - they go out for a walk. Sue C, the sweet darling, retires to bed at 1 whilst a merry throng, including MM and I, sit with wine and cigs until 3. I slept in a rocking chair from 3 till 6.55. Chid is such a funny guy. Cheryl (one of Christine's contemporaries) made a terrible racket. Generally a very enjoyable, amusing party with the usual clique of guests who turn any mundane party into a swinging orgy of fun, frolics and eroticisms. I do wish June was home in Great Britain. What a good time we would have had.
--==--
Go to Sue Crosby's party in the evening after meeting all the 6th form in the Emmotts. Dave arrives. Denise is drunk and infatuated with poor John - they go out for a walk. Sue C, the sweet darling, retires to bed at 1 whilst a merry throng, including MM and I, sit with wine and cigs until 3. I slept in a rocking chair from 3 till 6.55. Chid is such a funny guy. Cheryl (one of Christine's contemporaries) made a terrible racket. Generally a very enjoyable, amusing party with the usual clique of guests who turn any mundane party into a swinging orgy of fun, frolics and eroticisms. I do wish June was home in Great Britain. What a good time we would have had.
--==--
Monday July 30, 1973
Start working for Aireborough Council again. My life as a council painter begins once more.
Get up at 6.30 and arrive at the paint store at 7.0. Oh Heavens, yes. I have got the times wrong again, and I arrive half an hour too early. The storekeeper is not amused. Andy Dale, an old pal from last year, arrives at 7.40. Begin inspecting the roof of the stores in preparation for painting. Generally, not a hectic day. I leave at 4. Everyone else does overtime and go home at 5.
--==--
Get up at 6.30 and arrive at the paint store at 7.0. Oh Heavens, yes. I have got the times wrong again, and I arrive half an hour too early. The storekeeper is not amused. Andy Dale, an old pal from last year, arrives at 7.40. Begin inspecting the roof of the stores in preparation for painting. Generally, not a hectic day. I leave at 4. Everyone else does overtime and go home at 5.
--==--
Saturday July 28, 1973
Arrive back in England. Home. Bed at 1am. Back in England's green and pleasant land.
It was a very rough, unpleasant crossing from Belgium. Everyone sick - except me. I quite enjoyed it.
--==--
It was a very rough, unpleasant crossing from Belgium. Everyone sick - except me. I quite enjoyed it.
--==--
Saturday July 14, 1973
Awake at about 5.30. A fantastically comfortable night. By 6.30 we are in the centre of London. Denny wanted to see Buckingham Palace but the coach avoided the Mall by about 100 yards. Pull into Victoria Coach Station shortly afterwards.
We go into a terrible cafe called The Chuck Wagon. Denny felt sick with the smell of it. John, who felt sick before going in, came out greatly improved. We carried the luggage up the road to Victoria Railway Station. Denny has never been on a train before in her whole life!
On board the train we meet the Cosmos crowd for the first time. We board the 'Princess Elizabeth' just after 9 o'clock. Sail for France at 9.45. A beautiful, calm crossing. See Ostende on the horizon at about 1 o'clock. Unbearably hot weather already. We are all very excited. Sit with Denny as we dock. By 3 we have been introduced to the Cosmos courier, Mary Ann, and we board the sleek coach and we are on our way across Europe...Belgium, Germany, Austria....
--==--
We go into a terrible cafe called The Chuck Wagon. Denny felt sick with the smell of it. John, who felt sick before going in, came out greatly improved. We carried the luggage up the road to Victoria Railway Station. Denny has never been on a train before in her whole life!
On board the train we meet the Cosmos crowd for the first time. We board the 'Princess Elizabeth' just after 9 o'clock. Sail for France at 9.45. A beautiful, calm crossing. See Ostende on the horizon at about 1 o'clock. Unbearably hot weather already. We are all very excited. Sit with Denny as we dock. By 3 we have been introduced to the Cosmos courier, Mary Ann, and we board the sleek coach and we are on our way across Europe...Belgium, Germany, Austria....
--==--
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