Tuesday September 28, 1982

 What you want is good solid details of Yorkshire life in 1982, but I cannot remember anything worthwhile to record today. A cosy, pleasant evening with my precious wife. Watched an Agatha Christie play on ITV and supped cocoa.

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Monday September 27, 1982

 Up and out leaving John and Janette in bed. Phoned Mum. _________________. They are going up to Scotland in the morning. ___________. 

Sunday September 26, 1982

 Bacon and eggs for breakfast. Didn't feel too bad considering. Over to Burley in W in John's gleaming car and had drinks with Lynn and Dave at the Malt Shovel. Janette is too quiet, but sweet.  _________.

Wine at Lawn Rd, and then back to Bradford at 4. John went to bed and Janette sat with Ally and I talking. She told us that Maria is furiously saving to marry Alec, and that the wedding will take place in the garden at Corner House Cottage, if a licence can be obtained. Janette is of course Alec's niece. __________.

Out at 8 to the Old Ball at Horsforth, full of posers. On to the Black Bull, and then the Fire Brigade. We left at 9:30, as Ally was exhausted. Sweet and sour king prawn. Bed.

Graham phoned at 11. I was a bit pissed and thought Gill must have delivered.

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Saturday September 25, 1982

 Sun. John's twenty sixth birthday. We slept until noon and sat wearily over scrambled eggs. A black, shiny, Ford Capri 1600L pulled up, and out leapt John, beaming, with Janette. ___________.

We went to the 'Mucky Duck' for a few drinks and then into Bradford where Ally and I bought John a couple of tapes for his birthday - ABC and REO Speedwagon. Janette bought a bottle of Gordon's gin and I provided the lemons. Back to the house. They went to bed until 6:30. Ally and I drank gin and whispered. Later we took them to Giuseppe's Backyard for pizzas [£12 on my Barclaycard]. I had to be very sharp to stop Janette paying. On to Guiseley and we met the others at the Station Hotel. Sampled 'Guiseley Gyle'. Lynn was frosty with John because he hadn't been to see Mum on his birthday, and persuaded him to phone, but when he did he woke all the babies. We were all tanked up and feeling lethargic. Janette was drinking Creme de Menthe, and John, at my persuasion, switched from pints of ale to Campari and soda. Saw Gus and had one of our Monty Python-type conversations. Pissed. John looked shocking. He drove us home to Bradford where we had another gin and tonic. A record session.

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Friday September 24, 1982

 Autumnal. Heavy rain. John phoned to say he isn't going to be in the flat, but says that Janette is coming down all the same. They will have to stay with us.We don't mind. She is such a nice girl.

A scrumptious dinner tonight. Mum and Dad came at 7:30. We dined on seafood pancakes, roast chicken, &c, profiteroles, pineapple and ice cream. One couldn't have a better dinner at the Ritz. We sat around the table until after 12 making conversation by candlelight. I wanted to inform them about John and Janette. He won't have said anything. Mum says she could have guessed. __________. Dad is really humorous and told the story of his army days and particularly the tale of when he wanted leave to leave Germany to come home for John's birth. He owed everything to the padre.

Bed at 4:30am.

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Thursday September 23, 1982

 Nothing much. People are looking at the YP Library staff in a new light today. Little rebels that we are. A wind of change is sweeping the YP. Have I said this before?

Made my weekly visit to the Provincial Building Society and deposited £3. It sounds pathetic but in just a few months we've amassed £60. I sat at my typewriter afterwards and concocted a letter to John and Sheila.

Tonight I saw nothing of my wife who was cleaning feverishly for tomorrow's state visit of Mum and Dad. At 10, at my instigation, she leapt up and made profiteroles - simple. Bed.

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Wednesday September 22, 1982

 Sent for an oasis continental quilt. The so-called TUC 'Day of Action' which I did my very best to ignore. I walked to the interchange at 8 and caught a 72 bus coming out hotly pursued by picketing transport workers carrying ridiculous banners. The YP [and EP] editorial staff had almost a full turn out, but the damage was done because no newspapers were published today. 

I sat reading the nationals from yesterday. Princess Grace is to be buried beneath a marble slab shortly. She is still lying aroud unburied. Prince William of Wales has had his first whooping cough vaccination. Half the population of the Lebanon is murdering the other half, and I cannot understand why. Foreign policy has never been my strong point. The Swedish government has fallen. But that is all yesterday's news.

Strolled out at luncheon. Leeds didn't appear to be suffering because of the nation-wide strike, but then I do tend to walk around unseeing. Kathleen gave us wine.

Home by train at my usual time and walked from the city centre to my dwelling to find my wife cooking dinner. Corn on the cob and Shepherd's Pie. Marriage is the greatest joy obtainable under the heavens I suspect. Sat laughing at Cyril Smith MP. He's a big, fat Liberal. Ally is furious about Arthur Scargill, and stood ironing scorning his childishness. 

We went to bed at 10:30 and sat talking about a winter holiday. It looks like Lanzarote in December. I will have to write to John and Sheila first.

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Tuesday September 21, 1982

 A dark, wet morning. Ally was gleefully splashing in the bath and her cheerfulness brought me round. She scampered off to work at 8:15 and I spent the day hanging green wallpaper. I nipped into Bradford this morning and bought another roll of paper and a tin of gloss. Back to it. Didn't break off until nearly 6. I'm sick of the smell of gloss paint and paste. Ally phoned a few times but it was always when I was at a crucial point on a ladder, and so the chat was brief. Listening to the radio all day almost drove me around the bend. Do you think that perhaps all radio DJ's are gay?

Ally was home at 5:30 beaming at me through the kitchen window. We ate liver and onions, but I was hungry afterwards. I must be all the hard work I'm doing. Sat shivering with cold until 10 because we had all the windows wide open to allow the apple white gloss to dry. Ally sat looking through cookery books, a favourite pastime. Deciding on the menu for Friday when Mum and Dad come to dinner. We made pancakes [for the seafood pancakes] and watched an Agatha Christie play. Bessie phoned with woeful tales of her sisters. Hilda [the younger of the two surviving sisters], seems to be dying of cancer, and Joan [the elder]  has just spent two weeks down in Hampshire ________. Bed at 10:30.

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Monday September 20, 1982

 Rain. Went off to the YP wearing a quilted jacket and looking remarkably like Mick Jagger. Haven't had a coat on my back since last winter. YP dull. Margot and Carol went to a SOGAT meeting upstairs at 12. I couldn't bring myself to go, but afterwards regretted the decision because by all accounts it was amusing. I am told that when I turn up for work on Wednesday I will be fined £50. Just how do they hope to get the money from me? They cannot access my wage and if they expect me to voluntarily give up nearly a weeks money they'll have a very long wait. Arthur Scargill will be in the Lords, and Zara Phillips in corsets.

Sarah went to a 'house warming' at Carol's on Saturday. Every carpet in the poky little house has huge swirling, migraine inducing patterns.

Phoned Mum, who says it is safe to cash the cheque. Aren't we lucky? Tonight: fish and chips. Undercoated the windows. Watched 'Minder'. Ally sat looking at holiday brochures.

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Sunday September 19, 1982

 15th Sunday after Trinity

Hideously hungover. Breakfast with Mum, Dad, Ally and John. Mum always burns the toast until it's black. Collapsed afterwards. Watched 'The Dam Busters', Dad giving his own commentary on the film throughout. Hilarious. John brought us home at 4. I was almost sick. It was touch and go. Had fish fingers at 6. Watched a dreadful Michael Caine film. 'Tales of the Unexpected' followed, and once again the conclusion was expected.

Decide to have the day off tomorrow and make some progress with the decorating.

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Saturday September 18, 1982

 Mist at first, but very warm later. Up at 8:30 and undercoat the sitting room door before breakfast. At 9:30 I broke off to watch the funeral from Monaco. One of the most moving things I've ever seen. Prince Rainier and Princess Caroline looked pathetic. Shattered and broken by grief. The Princess of Wales was seated next to Nancy Reagan and both ladies were making use of their handkerchiefs. What a great honour for Mrs Reagan to be seated so close to the divine Diana.

Paint and hung wallpaper all afternoon. To Pine Tops in a hot sweat at 6:30. Surprised to find no food laid out and drew the conclusion that we must be dining out. For some reason I thought we'd be having a buffet supper. Mum gave us all a tiny card each, and on opening the cards we all found a cheque for £250. Dumbfounded. Dad must have had a fortune fall into his lap since Tuesday, and so they have given us £1,000 to us, the children. Lynn adopted a worried look and offered her cheque back saying they couldn't afford such a gift. Lynn is daft. As if they'd wruite four cheques they cannot afford?

After a few gins we went to the Fox [and Hounds] where Mum had booked the little room, only to find it occupied. The manageress was unhelpful and downright rude, but we had a pleasant table by a window upstairs. Seven of the nine had T-bone steaks. Dad paid for the lot and the bill came to over £90, which wasn't too bad. Mum and Dad were in better shape than on Tuesday. It must be sinking in by now. Onward to Pine Tops for drinks [again]. Showed then the letter from Malcolm Fawbert. The fool. To bed at 4am. Horrific.

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