Friday January 18, 1974

Mixed feelings at the YP about my change in hair style. Kathleen likes it, and Miss W pretends not to notice.

All the crowd meets at the Emmotts at 8.30. Denny rings while I am at work to say she can't go because of babysitting duties. Emmotts quite fun. Ivy was acting bitchy at the end but I ignored her. Chris cannot believe his eyes when he sees my hair. He says I'm copying MM.

At 10.30 Andy invites us all back to his place for coffee. Mrs Graham is a nice old thing. She asks us whether Mum went on a camping expedition to the Dales in 1948. I say that I don't know -thinking it was a funny question to put to a tired 18 year-old youth. Mr Graham comes in at about 11 and we have a great time. Chris, Linda, Christine W, John and me. Mr Ratcliffe came to collect Chris, but settled for a double whisky instead. We all played a game whereby we pile match sticks on the top of a milk bottle. Andy's Dad won every time. He joked with us about being born in Pudsey, saying he once lived in Richardshaw Lane. But everyone knows Richardshaw Lane. He brings us home at about 1.0am. Sleep until 6.30.

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Thursday January 17, 1974

A very satisfactory day. Spend all morning busily filing and by 12.0 am completely finished. Sarah is also on half day. Raining again, but I won't bang on about the weather - thereby avoiding depression among my multitude of readers.

A poor demented MP is now saying that we are all using too much electricity for domestic purposes. We all ought to be cleaning our teeth without the bathroom light on, and sitting around in a darkened lounge staring at a blank tv screen, perhaps making models out of old, and rare, toilet rolls. Anyway, we are all frantic with the speculation that Mr Heath will have his election before February 7. The Tories are 2 points ahead of everyone in the last Gallup poll - and the Tory back-benchers are urging Uncle Ted to dissolve. Not personally of course, but Parliament that is. He'll have to go see the Queen of course.

At 12.0 I went to have my hair cut. Emerging 60 minutes later looking somewhat replenished - my hair shorter - surprise Mum and Dad with my new image. Mum and Dad go to Morrison's and I watched a good film on the BBC. Settled down in front of the tv - do not intend going out tonight. See 'Tomorrow's World' and 'Top of the Pops'.

Retired to bed early. Read a good book on the life of Sir Thomas More, a victim of King Henry VIII - not a biography though.

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Wednesday January 16, 1974

Election speculation continues. Poor Mr Heath must be quite distraught. I do expect that old Harold (Wilson) is lapping it up.

The Royal Family have cancelled all engagements until after the funeral of Lady Patricia Ramsay on Monday. It should be a nice break for them all, because they cannot have got on too well with old Pat, a bit of a recluse.

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Tuesday January 15, 1974

The whole nation is hysterical. Today no trains ran anywhere in the United Kingdom, and the general feeling is that the General Election will take place before February 14. It seems as though the Three Day Week will last into the Spring, and it was announced on the 9 o'clock news that a massive toilet roll shortage will make rationing inevitable. From Thursday everyone in Britain with the surname beginning with A and B and ordered to attend their local Post Office in order to collect toilet paper rationing books. Each person is allowed three 5in squares of paper per week. However, many people with foresight who realised that legislation was inevitable have made ample provision for the coming 'Three Day Shit'. Mr Heath, for one, had 7,000 rolls of Kleenex toilet paper delivered to Chequers early this morning. And by the looks of things he's going to need every single sheet before the winter is over.

By this time next month 10, Downing Street, my have a new occupant. I wonder whether Mrs Gormley will re-decorate the Cabinet Room? I wouldn't be surprised to find she's already chosen the curtain material.

Go to Leeds on the 33 bus. Arrive YP at 8.30. Lousy day. Miss Went yelled at me for forgetting that certain pictures should have been returned, and I'd filed them. Janice was on half day. I'm having Thursday again. Intend having my beautiful locks removed - haven't had a decent haircut since July!

Chose 2 pairs of shoes from Muriel Rawnsley's catalogue. Bed at 11.0.

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Monday January 14, 1974

Climb out of bed at 7.30. Listen to Noel Edmunds until 8. Get the usual train. Very busy at the YP.

Surprised that we have no file for Lady Patricia Ramsay, who has died. This woman was one of the last surviving granddaughters of Queen Victoria, and she broke the tradition of marrying within the royal circle. Instead she married the son of the Earl of Dalhousie, disclaiming her royal rank. The Queen, still at Sandringham, has ordered Court mourning to be observed by the Royal Family until after the funeral of Lady Patricia. I think the Countess of Athlone is the only surviving grandchild of the old Queen, and she is on her way to South Africa at the age of 91. Still obviously a lively old soul.

See the tv all evening. Depart to my bedroom with a book on the modern monarchy by Sir Charles Petrie, Bt, which is not what I expected. In effect it's a copy of all the other books on the British monarchs since 1837. Traces of Wheeler-Bennett, Pope-Hennessy, Nicolson, the Duke of Windsor, and Strachey are all evident. But it entertains.

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Sunday January 13, 1974

Get up at 3pm. Beautiful sleep. Awake feeling very refreshed. Nearly tea time, and light is already fading. Have lunch and see a film starring Gregory Peck - a western. A very quiet evening and nobody rings at all. Last night's party was very successful, and I enjoyed it much more than New Year's Eve. Sue is still wearing her engagement ring. Such a darling child she is - very good at keeping a joke. Whilst listening to Tom Brown and 'Solid Gold 60' Lynn tells me that Nigel Smith wasn't even at Martyn Cole's party - but I don't let Sue know this just to keep the joke rolling on. The girls go to another party tonight and John, Mum, Dad and me see a Bette Davis film - not equal to her usual so-called 'thrillers'. Bed at 11 after seeing a pantomime Princess Margaret on Monty Python's Flying Circus. Hilarious. I'm going to scribble the number 1 record in the corner every Sunday to create a record of the top records of 1974. 'Merry Christmas Everybody' by Slade. -==-

Saturday January 12, 1974

Up with the larks at 7.0. Love working on Saturday mornings. Not at all as bad as Sarah makes out.________________.

See the film 'Spartacus' in the evening. John goes to the Yorkshire Rose, where he meets the gang. Mum and Dad go to Bradford with Auntie Eleanor, Uncle Jack, Auntie Hilda and Uncle Tony. All the gang come back here at 10.30. Everyone has a great time until 2.0am. Have fun with Denny. Sue comes back from Martyn's at 10.30 saying she's engaged - wearing an engagement ring. Everyone is over the moon. I cannot believe she'd become engaged to Nigel Smith. But it's all fun. Mum and Dad home at 2. They all leave at 2.30. Andy and Linda have got off together again. How long will it last?

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Friday January 11, 1974

Very busy at YP. Rushed like Hell all day. Have a laugh with Anne. Make photostats of a mining accident at Morley in 1872. The detail of the reporting was fantastic - makes todays reporting look very shoddy indeed.

Catch the train at 5.20 - absolutely exhausted. Undecided whether to go out or not. John persuaded me to go the Emmotts, where we sit quite alone until 8.30. Philip Cartwright comes in, followed by Chris and Pete. Andy arrives last of all. Despite all the misery Chris felt about the London trip, it was a tremendous success, and he actually paid a visit to the Tiger Bar (see Oct 1973). Linda and Christine W come in with MM at 9.0 o'clock and we sit telling jokes for the remainder of the evening. MM goes to talk with a foul looking female. Very pleasant evening. Peter takes us all back to Linda's for coffee. Home at 1 after a weird experience with Pete. He kicked us out of the van, in the rain, in Park Road. He's a very sadistic little beast at times.

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Thursday January 10, 1974

Leave the YP at 12.0. Makes a nice change having a half day. Get soaked to the skin again travelling to Rawdon. Arrive at Benton Park at about 12.30. MM calls me "immature" over the 'Mud on the Datsun' escapade. I tell him the whole incident had nothing to do with me, and besides, he is the one who enjoys practical jokes. I suppose he thinks it's different when the jokes are directed at him. Did I complain when he threw my continental quilt from by bedroom window onto the lawn?_____________.Spend the afternoon with Christine and Maggie playing guessing games. See Pamela 'Sex Mad' Barlow who insists she is descended from Robert the Bruce - a relation of our own Royal Family no less.

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Wednesday January 9, 1974

Uneventful day. The weather persists in being a complete bore. Nothing but rain all day. Looking forward to tomorrow's half day. Should be a laugh at Benton Park.

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Tuesday January 8, 1974

A most efficient day at the YP. By 3 I had completed all my usual work. Janice was on half-day and to celebrate Miss W's birthday we all had a large cream cake each - really sickly. The afternoon tea was revolting and resembled hot water.

Since midday rainstorms have lashed West Yorkshire, and by 4.0 we, or should I say the girls, we panic stricken about getting wet on the walk to the station. Sarah, Anne and I leave at 5. Within 10 minutes I am soaked to the skin. Dive onto the train and sit next to Helen, who repremands me for not attending her New Year party. I make my apoligies. Mr & Mrs Saxton are on the train and little Kathryn and Margaret keeping shouting my name. "Bye bye Michael", when I exit the train on a desolate, monsoon-hit platform, which was of course Guiseley. A terrible walk home was endured, and I fell through the door at 6 absolutely soaked to the skin. Have a hot shower and grab something to eat. See tv in the evening. The close-down at 10.30 is such a ridiculous bore. Mr Heath doesn't deserve my loyalty at all.

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