Wednesday June 9, 1976

A beautiful hot day. Leave work at 12 and come home for lunch with Mum and Dad. After a visit to Guiseley library I scale the lane and collapse in a deck-chair for a couple of hours with 'Princess Margaret and her family' - a book written in 1974. Quite a laugh really.

Three months today I may well be Uncle Michael. Unbelievable, isn't it? John can't believe it; Maria thinks it's all a dream and Dad dreads the grandfather image that will attach itself to him on John Junior's birth.

Tuesday June 8, 1976

It was nice to see John and Maria yesterday. ___________________.

I rang Carole at 9 o'clock this morning to say I can't make it to see on any evening this week and I make it plain that I am in no great hurry to meet her any time in the future. She says something to the effect that 'I thought you'd find some excuse', but we end on cordial terms. It was wrong of me to agree to her demands in the first place.

John came round tonight at 9 for Susan to cut his hair. He stayed for an hour and was in high spirits. Married life isn't cramping his style at all and no one can deny he looks the epitome of happiness.

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Monday June 7, 1976

Weird happenings today. On arriving at work at 8.30 Sarah tells me that she's heard from Marilyn that Carol J is now going out with Tony. After he dropped me off at home late on Friday night he went back to Carol's flat and subsequently stayed the night. This isn't all. They were at the Square & Compass on Saturday night and on Sunday she was helping him move into his new flat. Mrs Johnson told Eileen this morning that this time it's 'the real thing'. _____. I am not supposed to know about this because I might tell D. ______________.

Carole (all these bloody Carole's/Carol's are so confusing aren't they?) rings before lunch to ask me to go for a drink with her one night this week. Foolishly I say I will and ask her to contact me on Thursday. Afterwards I realise that for the first time since we split I am giving in to her. Tomorrow I will ring her at her work and cancel the date. I'll speak to her if she's out with the rest of the crowd but never again will I be subjected to a private liaison in a public house or anywhere for that matter.

A hot summers day. Very much like yesterday and I only hope that the weather will remain at the same temperature for a couple of weeks so that I'll be suitably primed and ready for the forthcoming Ibiza extravaganza.

My mind is pre-occupied throughout the day with thoughts of Lynne and whether or not we should go out together. ___________________.

John and Maria come at 9 o'clock and stay until 11.45. Maria is in great spirits and seems delighted by the photo albums. She says her child, if a boy, will definately be John Philip Rhodes, Jun. She borrows my Chambers Dictionary with the christian names in the back, to research possible girl names. Charlotte seems to be on the cards.

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Sunday June 6, 1976

Whit Sunday. Wake up at 10 o'clock and have a pint of orange juice in bed with the Sunday Express and the Sunday Mirror. The news content in these great newspapers is so exciting that I fall into a state of unconsciousness until 1 o'clock. Leap out of bed and ring Lynne. She is in good spirits and holds no grudges about refusing to let her bring me home at 3.30am. I refuse to have women travelling about at the crack of dawn at my beck and call. She says Peter's been ill all night and he comes on the line to tell me it must have been the food he ate. I agree because Peter never drinks vast amounts of alcohol.

Mum and Lynn are on the lawn and I go outside to investigate. It is very warm and pleasant and I join them in deckchairs and devour cheese and biscuits.

Lynne comes round at 2 o'clock and the two of us go to the Old Ball cricket ground to see the Evening Post All-Stars play cricket. Norman Hunter (ex Leeds Utd) is there and a few Yorkshire cricketers play, but after half an hour we tire of it. We don't like watching the cricket and are too afraid to lie down in the sun. A cricket ball in the back of the throat isn't something I rellish. Lynne suggests going to Bolton Abbey but we decide it will be too busy. She then suggests going down to the river at Arthington for the afternoon and who am I to disagree? We spend a couple of hours on a sandy beach-like bank on the Wharfe. A fantastic, tranquil afternoon, and I feel ashamed that I ever finished with Lynne in the first place. She looks so sophisticated with her hair in a bun and wearing large sun-glasses. In fact she's beautiful. I kept looking at her and smiling broadly as we were driving along _______________. It was such a relief to be able to share a joke with a girl of some intelligence. Carole was always so dull and half-witted. She brings me home at 5.30 and I see Ernest Blackwell watching us as we kiss in the car. I say I will ring her during the week when I have found some money and she smiles sweetly. God. I've only been on the open market since May 4, and already I'm getting involved. Am I mad?

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Saturday June 5, 1976

Sue came back from the Hare & Hounds last night and informed Mum that Denise and Carole are going to Ibiza the Saturday after Pete M and I are. This is really bad of Miss Akroyd. She knows full well that I'm doing my very best to avoid Carole, and for her now to arrange a holiday at the same place and at the same time is very wrong.

Make Chris a birthday card this afternoon and enclose £3 inside. What do you buy the man who has absolutely everything? The money should come in useful anyway.

Get a bus at about 7.30 to Chris's. The evening is unbearably hot and we can expect a thundery week ahead. Maria, John, Carole and Denise are assisting Chris with the food preparation which looks fantastic. Carole refuses to speak. _______________.

At 8 o'clock Lynne Mather arrives. (See Diary for Oct 5-Nov 4, 1974). She looks great. Over to the Fleece with John, Maria, Chris, Carole, Denise, Sue, Pete N, Lynn, Dave, Pete M, Carol (American), Ann (American), Raymond Bond, Christine W, Stuart, Carol, Igor, Andy, Linda, Laura, Dave P, MM, Marita, Martyn Cole, &c.

Back to Chris's at 10.30 - a great night. Pass most of the time until 2.30am with Lynne, and don't get particularly pissed. Most of the others are sloshed - Marita included, and John was the worst of the lot.


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Friday June 4, 1976

Christopher's 21st, but of course he's celebrating tomorrow night. Hear from Mum that John and Maria are staying with C for the weekend to help him arrange the party. Maria is cooking, cleaning and messing about in general. Six months pregnant too.

Eileen and I went over to the Central at lunchtime. __________________. I emerged after consuming two pints of lager a thoroughly bored young man.

Have a nasty argument with Mum at tea time and set out to Bradford at 6.30. Tony is driving up the lane and we meet half way. In Bradford for 7 o'clock and have a quick drink in the 'Painted Wagon' before meeting Sarah, Carol J, and Marilyn outside the Alhambra at 7.15. Horror of Horrors! On entering the theatre we are confronted by a terrible and nauseating poster. It's an announcement to the effect that Hylda Baker has been taken ill and will not be appearing. What's more we cannot get our money back! Not more than 20 other people were assembled in the theatre and after the first act of the play (also starring Valentine Dyall) we, all five of us that is, dashed off to Leeds and the Flying Pizza.

Sarah felt ill and couldn't eat anything and I blamed the intolerable heat of the place. Even I, Michael the Icebox, had to remove my jacket after the first course. A massive bottle of wine was consumed and by 10 o'clock we were heading back to Bradford to see 'All the President's Men' at the ABC. A boring film and darling Sarah fell asleep on my shoulder. I think I have always been greatly attracted to her. She is so sweet and appealing.

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Thursday June 3, 1976

Tony rings to say he's got the tickets for Hylda Baker tomorrow evening. £1.50 a piece. He was coming up tonight to watch Monty Python but he's having car trouble and won't be able to make it now.

Lynn and Susan are out this evening and so it's just me, Mum & Dad watching TV. Feel unusually tired, and by 11 o'clock my eyes are packing in for the night.

King George V is 111 today. No doubt he'll be celebrating quietly somewhere with Queen Mary. It's also the 39th wedding anniversary of the poor old Duchess of Windsor. Saw in the Express last week that she is more or less a recluse now and lives under the surveilance of half a dozen nurses. Poor Old Queen Wallis. Will they let her be buried over here? Nothing else to report.

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