Monday April 5, 1976

Historic day today. My 21st birthday and the departure of Uncle Harold from No. 10 Downing Street.

Lynn got me out of bed at 7.30 and I didn't feel in a birthday spirit really. She gave a beautiful clock and Susan gives me £5 - good of them.

Work was boring and my mind kept wandering to thoughts of poor Carole suffering with her bruises and scars.

Meet Carole near the Ostlers at 1pm, and although she's covered in make-up, I can still see the bruising. She gives me a (birthday) card from her mother which has £2 tucked in the front. Hypocritical keeping it? No, we spend it on booze. Why not get as much as we can out of the bastards whilst we can?

Home at 4 o'clock on the 33 bus & I teach Carole the words of '21 Today', &c, which raised a few laughs.

Susan tells me that Callaghan is the new Prime Minister. I feel a great sense of loss by Harold's departure. I'm far from being a Labour voter, but that little man with the black bags under his eyes and smouldering pipe, inspires me somewhat.

Party at Pine Tops for my birthday. Cut a birthday cake. John, Maria, Carole, Lynn, Dave, Sue & Peter, Mum and Dad. Lots of booze and chicken and chips. Carole still very quiet and looks so miserable. She's obviously ill.

Carole stays the night - 5 nights running.

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Sunday April 4, 1976

Passion Sunday. Passion Sunday maybe, but as far as I was concerned nothing could be further from the truth. Poor Carole was like a moron all day and looks ghastly and haggard. What's become of the vital young maiden of yesteryear? If she doesn't leave home soon she will do something foolish and hideous. Make no mistake about it, our Carole cannot always be relied upon to make a rational move and the thought of her leaping under a bus is always at the forefront of my mind. She was tragic over lunch and I thought she might pass out.

Jackie stays all day. It was quite a laugh really. She took quite a few pictures of us in the garden.

Auntie Hilda and Uncle Tony came at 8.30 just as Lynn, Dave and Martyn arrived back from Alison's. Auntie brought me a clock for my birthday and Lynn is horrified to see it because it's the same as what Dave's bought me. Hilda takes her gift home and is going to change it later.

Dave took Carole home at 11. She was close to tears. She hasn't slept at home since Wednesday.

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Saturday April 3, 1976

In brief: My Birthday Party at Oakwood Hall.

Carole and I go to Leeds before lunch and spend about three or four hours messing around in the shops. I bought a blue cheesecloth shirt with the money Mum and Dad gave me this morning. We have our usual squabble in Miss Selfridge and Carole ends up the owner of a Spanish-style green blouse - which she loathes. Women!

Home at 4 to find Dad mending the telephone and see Jackie, who arrived three hours earlier.

Later: Coach arrives at 9.20 and 19 people travel. MM and Marita in the car. Even Denise and Tony came. The place was horribly hot all night and packed to the brim. I attempt to get intoxicated and only got slightly pissed, spending £8 in the process. Lynn and David didn't come, which left something of a gap but otherwise all was a great success. Christine B, Chris and Peter bought me a 'Southern Comfort' pub mirror - brilliant. Back to Pine Tops - that is only family and Dave L for Jackie's sausage sandwiches and a photographic session. Hysterical just isn't the word.

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Friday April 2, 1976

I am sick of this Phillips business and feel useless and small over the 'inactiveness' I have shown. Any true boyfriend in days gone by would have challenged the blackguard in question to a duel and dawn or something, but I've done absolutely nothing to defend poor Carole who is horribly bruised and in a state of great depression.

David rings and he picks me up at 8pm and off to the Hare & Hounds we go. Ian Appleyard and Kevin (Taylor) are in but keep themselves to themselves. I do not enjoy the evening because of the state Carole is in and am aware that everybody is looking at her disfigurements.

All the mob are in. We stay until closing time. John and Maria came in at 10 in a 13 year-old Volkswagen which he acquired today and at 11 he takes Carole and I back to Dunedin for a coffee. Mr & Mrs Mac are in Peterborough for the weekend, and when I suggest that we - the four of us - should endulge in an orgy - all I received was three disgruntled stares.

Carole and I came back to Pine Tops where we had gallons of tomato soup and toast, taking the time up to about 3.30am.

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Thursday April 1, 1976

April Fool's Day but hardly a foolish one. Indeed, it was a sombre and worrying day. Carole rings me this evening to say she's had a bust-up with her parents over the cost of my birthday presents. She tells me that Peter P hit her across the face as they quarrelled. I meet her off the 8.20 bus and she staggers up to our place and has a good weep in the dining room. I'm stunned by the bruises and blemishes on her face. Her right eye is completely black and her right ear bruised. She can, of course, take out a summons against the offender, but that would almost certainly mean her vacating her room at 14, Oakridge Avenue, and her financial situation prevents her from achieving this at the moment. She is greatly upset and stunned. I ask her to stay the night here. We sit up chatting until 1 o'clock.

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Wednesday March 31, 1976

I feel a bit grotty today. Blocked head and a ticklish feeling in the depths of my throat. Can it be the dreaded influenza? If you discover the remaining pages of this diary are blank you can take it from me that the ailment was more than 'flu. Last day of March. Come home from the office and find Dad in bed with a streaming cold. He isn't often ill and only takes to his bed as a last resort. Carole rings at 8.30 and Christine W rings to say she's coming to Oakwood Hall on Saturday for definate. -==-

Tuesday March 30, 1976

Home at 4.30 and call in next door to see Douglas about the trip on Saturday. He says that he and Susan will definately come, and so that should put Jackie in with a chance. She's quite taken a fancy to Douglas, and he doesn't seem to have a girlfriend, so who knows what might occur? Ring Marita. She doesn't know whether she can make it or not, and the same applies to Christine White. Jackie rings me at 10.30 and I tell her about Douglas. She's quite excited really.

Carole came up at 8.45 and stayed for about an hour. I am concerned about her eyes. She can barely see to the end of her nose, and although I joke about it, I do think she should consult an optician. David took her home in the spitfire at about 10 and the car refused to start for about ten minutes and Pete, Dave and I had to push it up and down the drive with Carole at the wheel. A cold night.

Callaghan won the second ballot for the premiership when the result was announced at 5.30pm. Foot was in second place and Healey was eliminated. The result of the final vote will be announced on my birthday and it will also be the 21st anniversary of the resignation of Churchill and the succession to the premiership of Eden, who is still battling away on a remote Sussex cattle farm, I think. Callaghan is the obvious choice really but he's a spineless middle-of-the-road type, and with a wife who answers to Audrey how can you blame him?