Saturday June 6, 1981

 _. Because I am so rarely at home I find that compiling this journal is becoming more and more difficult. 

Ally and I had a fruitless day in Leeds drifting aimlessly around the shops. Saw 'Mrs Slocombe' and her sister Wendy. We went into the Ostlers chiefly to allow Ally to answer the call, or perhaps the scream, of nature. Obviously, we didn't leave the pub without sampling its excellent ales.

The afternoon was a catastrophe from start to finish. I had no enthusiasm for spending money, or more correctly, the bank's money. Ally took exception to my reticence. I did succumb to a pair of trousers costing £26 in Primo's. They're a bit military looking, not out of place on Moshe Dayan.

Back to Club Street. I made a Spanish omelette. First though I had to march down the High St looking for red peppers and onions. We went to see the Rev Calvin Ward at Esholt at 7. We had a full-scale wedding rehearsal - quite beautiful. He was so enthusiastic and cheerful, as if it was his first wedding. Back to Pine Tops. Mum packed me up with bacon and eggs, &c, and at 12 we returned to Club St.

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Friday June 5, 1981

 _. Boring day at the YP. I cannot go on much longer. I am quite wasted doing what I'm doing. Thoroughly wasted. Sarah was so very happy about her invitation. I chastised her for not telling me sooner of the canceled Scottish trip.

Home at 6. No sign of Mum and Dad. They were out all evening at the Stonehouse compiling an inventory. This afternoon they visited an accountant in Harrogate.

Ally came for tea. Just beans, eggs, &c. To the Cow & Calf Hotel to discuss a few minor details with the management. You know, table flowers, wine &c. Took the wedding cake to be iced at Mrs Rusby's. She has a poor spastic daughter who must be my age. An only child too. Visited Lynn and Dave too, and baby Frances was frantically sucking upon a dummy.

At the office I picked up some free tickets for a late showing at the ABC Cinema, Leeds tonight, for 'The Exterminator' starring endless obscure actors, and Samantha Eggar, an almost obscure actress. I phoned Dave L and told him to be outside the cinema at 10:30. He complied with this request. It was a very poor film but amusing in places where probably it shouldn't have been. Would have felt robbed if I'd payed money to see it. Back to Bradford at 12:30.

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Thursday June 4, 1981

 _. Feeling frivolous I bought two rump steaks and went to Bradford at 5. I now have my own key you know. I let myself into the empty house. Ally was at the hairdresser having her hair permed in readiness for the wedding. She was back looking extremely bonnie at 6:30, and we dined at 7. 

Bessie: 59.

My future mother-in-law, Bessie, is 59 today. It's a year since we had a mad four or five days in Winchester. The trip to Windsor and the t-bone steak there still makes my mouth water. And I'll always remember a sun-tanned Ally on Itchen Downs, a poppy arranged sexily behind one ear.

Afterwards we watched the increasingly snowy TV. Sarah has announced that she and Delia are not now away in Scotland on our wedding day. Communicating this to Ally she immediately phoned Bessie to add them to the guest list. I phoned Delia, who almost burst into tears saying she and Sarah had been quite 'heart broken' at the thought of missing the wedding. Obviously, Trevor is now on the list too.

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Wednesday June 3, 1981

 _. Sarah appeared at the office wearing an engagement ring.

Ally came this evening and so too did Hilda and Tony. We debated, at length, the pros and cons of having an Access card, and the suitability of Lady Diana as a royal bride. Auntie Hilda is a comic. She can be very 'dead pan'. Tony attempted to rope Dad into attending a Rotary Club dinner in October. Obviously, Dad can never commit. The Gadsbys had been to see baby Frances before landing with us. 

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Tuesday June 2, 1981

 _. New Moon

Sarah: engaged

Heavy rain at first, sun later. Good old Coronation Day, but I suspect that the Union flag fluttering above the YP is for quite a different reason. Sarah today announced her engagement to Trevor Abbott, or Abbot. I didn't go in to the YP until 10 [having worked the night shift last night]. Sarah was obviously gleeful about something which I didn't find unusual. She is always either very high or very low. She could hardly contain herself, and told that at 12 she and Trevor were going into town to buy an engagement ring. She returned at 2 and we howled with laughter all afternoon.

Wedding talks with Ally. At 2:30 we squabbled about items on the wedding list. I want nothing to do with wedding lists and the compiling thereof.

Ally came over at 7:30. Mum was in a miserable mood and so we escaped with a copy of The Times to West End Terrace so that Sue and Pete could look at the foreign holidays on the back page. They have recently inherited £200 each from the estate of Pete's grandmother, Florence Nason, who died last June. Back to Pine Tops at 10:30. Ally stayed over.

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Monday June 1, 1981

 _. Bank Holiday in Rep. of Ireland

Ally went to work and 9 but Dave and I took a leisurely breakfast before joining her for lunch at the Reservoir pub, Chellow Dene. We sat with pints and prawn sandwiches from 12 until 2. Ally went back to labour for Derek Jenkins at 2, and Dave and I scaled Squire Lane, beneath a hard, burning sun. Back at Ash Tree Cottage we had pots of tea and blasted some 'Police' on the stereo. Dave, very quiet, is worried about Garry. He forked out Garry's £300 for their forthcoming holiday, and has yet to get it back. He also says that Garry might not be able to get to our wedding because it clashes with Mr & Mrs Barratt's Atomic wedding anniversary, or whatever. 

Bus to Leeds with Dave at 4. He got the 4:30 train to Stockport. I did the YP 5pm-12. It was quite dead. Home to Guiseley with a comical taxi driver who assumed that because I live on Hawksworth Lane I must be a pools winner. 

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Sunday May 31, 1981

 _. Sunday after Ascension

Hot. Marathon breakfast for the Pudsey mob who had slept over. They did a good deal of laughing at the naughty books Christine B sent me years ago, you know, the Janet and John type books, with the pervy inscriptions inside. Karen, Steve, Jill, Tim, Diane and Paul left after 11, or was it 12?

We took Dave to Pine Tops for an audience with mother. This went on longer than expected and we didn't leave to peep at the Stonehouse Inn until 4. The sun had disappeared and a gloom descended, but it didn't detract from the beauty of Thruscross. David was non-commital. We didn't go into the pub. A ratty little man [Jack], and a young man in Wellington boots [Granville] were surveying the acres and eyeing us suspiciously.

Back to Club St for 7 for carrot soup, and liver casserole. Ally, too exhausted, went to bed leaving Dave and I watching a film entitled Sweet William. Bed after 12:30.

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Saturday May 30, 1981

 _. Ally went for a sun-ray session. She returned looking sexy and tinted. We had breakfast with Dave G. Afterwards he helped Ally make a coleslaw. I went into Lidget Green to do some shopping for tonight's orgy.

We went to the Brown Cow at Horsforth [Stella Artois, &c] and then on to see Denise and pay our honeymoon insurance money.  We called at Pine Tops and then went to Charles the tailor in Menston [my suit], and back to Club St for 5:30. 

Our house party began at 9. Karen, Steve, Jill, Tim, Diane, Paul Edwards, Sue Pete, Jacq, Paul C, Eileen and Steve Burnip, Anne Goodyear, Lynn, Dave, Rachel Judson and Garry, Gillian and Tom, &c. Not a full list by any means because people saw the party from the Kebab take-away across the road and joined us, plus Ally's cronies from the AHA. An excellent night. Warm too, and the overflow of revellers poured into the front garden [probably because we don't have a back garden]. Good to see some YP people. Horribly pissed. All a bit of a blank.

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Friday May 29, 1981

 _. Muggy again. Ally and Lynn spent the afternoon shopping in Leeds. Ally had a fitting for her wedding dress and Lynn went crazy in Mothercare. At 2 I met then at Stylo where we were fixed up with wedding shoes. 

Dave G.

To the railway station at 5 and collected a bearded Dave G from Stockport. To Pine Tops for dinner. Dave had his first showing of baby Frances. We all over-fed, so much so that our drinking capacity was severely impaired for the night. At 8 we went to Chaplin's [that used to be the Belfry]. A silly, bitty, place, with numerous bars, and full of pimply 15 year-old youths. Saw Dave Porritt, and Robert [Janet Simon's ex]. We went on to Mucky Willies. Dave is worried about Garry, who is slow in paying up his £300 holiday money. Mr Barratt is having second thoughts. Back at Ash Tree Cottage Dave occupied a bunk in the pig's room.

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Thursday May 28, 1981

 _. Ascension Day

Had a restless night. Up at 6:45 feeling uncomfortable, unrefreshed. We'd been to bed leaving the sitting room windows wide open to all the thieves and crooks of Tranmere Park.

Pine Tops is to be advertised for sale at £38,000 in Saturday's YP. It is a bit steep, don't you think?

Phoned Ally at 7am. She wants me to meet her in Bradford at 5pm so that she can show me a suit she'd like to wear as a 'going away' outfit after the wedding reception. Butterflies have started. Just four weeks to go now. Last night Mum said how much she'll miss me after June 27. I've been with them throughout their married life, the first to arrive, and the last one to leave.

Dave L.

To Leeds with Jim R. To Lidget Green at 6. A warm, muggy evening. Dave L came at 8:30 bringing Rowan, his Gordon Setter. I immediately began to splutter and dribble into my lager. My allergy to dog hairs. It was a gasping couple of hours. He left at about 10 to get a good night's sleep. He has a busy day at school tomorrow inseminating the pigs.

Primarily to take the air Ally and I walked to Mucky Willie's for a couple of drinks. She looked incredible in her very short pink mini skirt, and dangling gold earrings. 

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Wednesday May 27, 1981

 _. Stonehouse: Joyce phoned to say they had received a letter from the solicitor yesterday, and now the sale is in official hands. Mum and Dad are going tomorrow morning.

Sticky, thunder too. Mum says it shook the house this afternoon. Home at 6. Saw Lynn and Frances on Hawksworth Lane. [F was of course strapped in the back seat of the car in her bonnet, and was scowling at me through the window]. 

with Jackie and a rasher of bacon.

Mum was sipping whisky, she says for her chill. Dad was being objectionable saying he is going to devote his time re-laying the patio instead of turning his attention to the house interior. Silly sod. Ally [who entertained Catherine Brook for lunch] phoned enquiring about my cousin Jackie's address, for a wedding invitation. I phoned Auntie Eleanor, who gave me Jackie's new number. She [Jacqueline]
moved into a new flat on Saturday and was busy decorating. She says she is coming without Peter to the wedding.

Saw 'Private Schulz'. Drank whisky. Went to bed at 11:30 with a plate of salad sandwiches.

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