Thursday April 25, 1974

Relax all day. Get books from Guiseley Library: 'Clouds of Witness' by Dorothy L. Sayers, which is very good; and the memoirs of Rafaella, Duchess of Leinster, which I haven't had time to inspect yet. Cold, but sunny day.

Go to the YP at 5. Kathleen is busy all evening and we see little or nothing of each other. Feel very irate when I see they haven't given me extra pay for working Thursday night, and Kathleen says something to the effect 'you could bang your head against a wall', etc, which I doubt would do very much good at all.

File pictues of the Queen of Denmark, who is to pay a state visit to the UK next week. She certainly looks a lovely lady, and I intend watching the BBC programme about her on Sunday.

Get a taxi at 12 but feel astounded when he says my journey is not on account! It costs me £2.40, which is obscene when one takes my pay into consideration. Austin-Clarke may as well be a stuffed effigy for all the work he does, and they (the YP that is) are not going to get away with this. Bed at 2 after sitting tucked up with Dorothy L. Sayers, Lord Peter Wimsey and a cup of cocoa.

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Wednesday April 24, 1974

Up at 7.30. Morning passes quickly and I get a bus home at 12. Carol had some bad news this morning. I think her grandmother died, or something. Janice and I were sitting with her when she received a phone call. She was upset.

Nice lunch. Just Mum, Dad and self. Quite infuriated that Barclaycard hasn't let me know anything. I wanted a spending spree at the weekend and unless I get a card this will not be possible.

See 'Coronation Street' on tv. Anne Walker was playing Lady Bracknell in 'The Importance of Being Earnest'.

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Tuesday April 23, 1974

St George's Day. Very late for the train and nearly miss it. See Philip Knowles who is going to tech with a friend. See in the EP that the Queen gave the Garter to Lord Abergavenny, a close friend, and Lords Shackleton and Trevelyan, who are both life peers. The Most Noble Order of the Garter, the highest English honour, is restricted to about 26 members, that is not counting the Princes of the Blood and Foreign Heads of State, and the Queen seems to be widening its membership. Three years ago it was given to Lord Rhodes of Saddleworth, a one-time miner! Still no word from Barclaycard. Driving lesson at 6.30 which is better than last week but still rather hopeless. Ring Chris at 8 and ask him to come to Margaret Grandison's market research thing on Thursday, not forgetting to tell him that £1 will be his for the asking. He agrees. He went to the Emmotts with Laura on Sunday and then went to the Hare and Hounds. 'June was in the Emmotts on Sunday', he said with great excitement, but I say 'Oh really?' with a slight false yawn. See 'Napoleon and Love' on ITV. Hopelessly wrong, and poor Mrs Lane would die if she watched it. Little Nappy may have had nis moments but he was cerrtainly no Casanova. Bed 12. -==-

Monday April 22, 1974

Boring day. Kathleen and I are working Thursday evening again & we are both taking Wednesday for a half-day. Carol and Janice were green with envy at our arrangements - such horrid girls they are! Come home on the 33 bus which makes a happy diversion from the usual rigmarole on the train every night.

No one rings and I spend a quiet evening in front of the tv. 'Lord Peter Wimsey' by Dorothy L. Sayers is very good indeed. It follows on next week.

The Prince of Wales is docking at Portsmouth on HMS Jupiter tomorrow and I can forsee a revival by the Press of the 'Will he marry Lady Jane Wellesley before or after Christmas?' theme.

Bed after a bath at 11.30. Saw a terrible programme about (Christopher) Ishwerwood, the homosexual who wrote 'Cabaret' in which Judy Garland's daughter rose to fame as 'Sally Bowles'.____.

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Sunday April 21, 1974

Low Sunday. Wake at 11.30 and climb straight out of bed. Mum is quite mad with John, who I ignore. She says he is too young to be going to nightclubs and rolling home at 3 every morning, etc. He doesn't even bother to apoligse and that makes me all the more angry.

A brilliant sunny day, but cold. See the Queen on tv receiving the Queen's Scouts at Windsor. Her Majesty is 48 today and looks it. _____.

I cannot decide whether or not to go out tonight, but If I do decide to go, John won't be going with me.__.

See tv all evening and retire to bed at about midnight.


"Seasons in the Sun" Terry Jacks.

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Saturday April 20, 1974

Wake up at 10 but drop off again until 1. Up for lunch which was very nice. John and Lynn decide to go to Leeds in order that John can buy a new suit. Mum and I then sit with a cup of tea and discuss my financial situation. I say I want a Barclaycard or something, but she is doubtful. Dad thinks it's a great idea. I will look into this next week.

Go upstairs and listen to 'Radio 5' which is put out on the BBC by Eric Idle, of Monty Python fame every afternoon at 2.

John and Lynn home at 5.30. J buys a £30 suit from Burton's - very attractive indeed. After washing my hair, Sue blow waved it for me and she did exactly the same thing for John, which he didn't really like. We ring and Chris and decide to go to the Hare (and Hounds) in Menston and we leave, on foot, at 8. I wear a pair of John's platform shoes and he wears flat ones in order to do justice to his suit. Arrive at 8.30. When Chris arrives, the three of us, have a good time around the juke box. Chris and I keep playing 'When I Fall in Love' by Nat King Cole. John is furious at our taste in music, but Chris calls him a 'narrow minded git.' We all decide to go to Wikis at 10.30 but on leaving the H & H I find I cannot walk in John's shoes, which rub my feet terribly. I ask John to swap shoes, which would have remedied the problem, but he refuses. I decide to go home to change shoes, and then decide not to go back to Wikis. My brother is a swine and he knows it. Talk with Lynn until 2.30. John comes in but I ignore him and go to bed.

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Friday April 19, 1974

Up at 9. Sit listening to the radio until half past, then get the bus to Leeds. Arrive at YP at 10.30. Kathleen was pleased that nothing difficult was thrust upon me last night. Quite a boring day really. Home at 6 and immediately had a bath. John rang Chris and arranged to meet at the Emmotts. I was furious and after all the things I'd said about the place yesterday I was in two minds about going at all. But surely enough at 8.20 we were inside, having the honour of drinking the most expensive beer in the area. Philip Cartwright and his latest play-thing, Jane, sat with us. Dave, MM, and Marita came in and I stood with them for the want of something better to do. The three of them were in the highest of spirits, but______. Marita, the sweet thing, bought me a drink. They left at 9 and Chris, who had only just arrived, John and I moved on by bus to the Yorkshire Rose. I hate the place and was only too glad at 10.30 when we were able to move on to Wikis. To my surprise, Andy, Keith and busty Heather were already propping up the bar. We settled down at a table and I was quite ready to fall into a deep coma when Little Helen spotted me and rushed over. From then until 2am the two of us danced nearly non-stop. Chris disappeared mysteriously at 1.30 and John looked miserable as sin. At 2.15 I walked Helen home. We sat in her tatty lounge until 3.30. She was very drunk and woke the whole household up. I made my exit and walked home, and I found it most pleasant. The birds were singing and the night sky was nearly gone.

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Thursday April 18, 1974

Rose at 11. Decide to make resolutions. 1). Never to go the Emmotts again; 2). Not to post a letter to June, and to try and forget her. Lynn and Sue are in the bath, seperately of course, which prevents me from bathing until 11.30. Mr Little and Stuart come and collect Stuart's dart board, which he left on his last visit in February. The little horror had no shoes on his feet! Later: Mum, Dad and I go into Guiseley and I browse around the library for half an hour. Get no books.

Go to the YP at 5. All the girls gone, except Kathleen that is. We have a very quiet night, and I find it very enjoyable. Kathleen and I discuss my career over a coffee and she thinks that journalism is what I should aim for. She intends making inquiries in that direction.

Whilst filing I notice that Richard Crossman, the Labour MP, died on my birthday and think it strange that little publicity has been given to the fact. The Express recently said he had cancer, but that is all.

The cheerful man who does sporting activities, I can't remember the name, kept yelling: "What would you do if an important person dies?" However, my capabilities cover the personalities side of the library, and it's things like Turkish politics, etc, which I find worrying. The cheerful sporting character laughed when he discovered that I was going home by taxi, saying: "I knew from the very start that you had class." Kathleen went at 10.15 and I held the fort alone until 12. Taxi came at 12.15. Home by 12.35. All expenses paid as well!!


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Wednesday April 17, 1974

Up with the larks at 7. Kathleen works wonders with my new rota at the YP. My first night shift begins tomorrow night at 5 until 12. The company is even to pay my taxi expenses which is a marvellous move. It seems therefore that my luck is in full strength this week. Forsee a lazy day tomorrow with no work until 5. Home with Judith who is very high spirits today. Driving at 6.30 - slightly better on last week though I feel as though I will never make a driver of any good repute at all - this fact is mirrored in the distraught face of the instructor. At 7.30 John says he's going out to the Emmotts, having had a conversation with Chris. I agree to go with him.

Andy, Linda, Christine W, Chris and self make up the party. Quite lively discussion. Conversation ranges from hospitals to cars, Napoleon and Josephine (were they really the great love story everyone, except ITV, makes out?). Christine really seems to loathe John now, and he realises this. Chris was moody again and didn't talk much. Christine, John and self have decided to stop going to the Emmotts. We are quite sick of the place now. Both John and Christine like the Hare and Hounds. Home at 11.30 on bus. Write a 'heart rending' letter to June then decide not to post it. She really does create more chaos with my life than everything else put together. Everyone laughs at my infatuation for her. Chris says she is too immature by far to appreciate my feelings for her. He's probably very correct.

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Tuesday April 16, 1974

Mum wakes me at 7. My first day back at the YP. I feel weak and ill after last night and vow never to drink gin again. I have a coffee and leave Uncle H asleep in the lounge, not venturing in to see him because it cannot be a very pretty sight. At the office I find a letter on my desk: "Dear Michael, I have some rather depressing news for you. David is leaving the night staff this Sunday (last Sunday for you), so you will have to do a night duty when Ray has his night off; don't panic. I will try to work a late shift with you and stay until about 10pm so it shouldn't be too bad. I've arranged your extra payment and will sort out transport when I get in on Wednesday. It's all a bit sudden and came as quite a shock for all of us. We''ll have a talk about it when I come in. Hope you had a lovely holiday!! Kathleen." My eyes lit up when I saw the sentence about extra payment. Anyway, I quite look forward to getting away from horrid, little Janice Williams. My new driving licence came today and at least I can drive round Aireborough legally again. John took a day off, regardless of what Dave Slater wanted him to work and I've told him he does right. Why should he have only one day off at Easter when all other civilized beings on earth have 2? At 8 I have a hot shower, then see the news on tv and a documentary on Baron Philippe de Rothschild, the French wine producer. Come to bed at 11 and read the Bruce-Lockhart diaries. -==-

Monday April 15, 1974

Bank Holiday Monday. Rose at 10.30. Sunny but somewhat cold. See a 1953 film "Young Bess" about the early life of Elizabeth I. Quite entertaining but absolutely wrong factual detail.

At 2 John and self go to 21, Victoria Drive, Horsforth, the home of Chris. We stay all day. John, being quite tiresome, watches a Tarzan film purely because Chris and I want to watch something on the other channel. However, we had a tremendous laugh and ventured to the Fleece at 8. Joined by Pete, Bruno, Linda, Christine W and Andy at 9. All back to Chris's at 11. The Ratcliffes came home at 11.30 from Lancashire and the merry little clique disintegrated. I find Mrs Ratcliffe and tremendous character & I stood for 20 minutes discussing the neighbours with her. My sole consumption at Chris's was one gin and orange. Peter brought us home at 12. Uncle H was drunk in our dining room, and Mum, Dad, Sue and Peter were all on the way. I had 2 large gins with orange and some beer. Uncle H fell on the stereo and smashed the lid - Sue was in pain with laughter and poor Peter thinks our family is mad. At 2am I am sitting with Uncle H, cigarette in hand, listening to all his worries, etc. He thinks I'm neglecting Sam on purpose, but why should I visit a strange relative in an asylum for no reason at all? He was sick and I cleared it all up. But the room smells like a sewage plant, or worse.

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