Wednesday June 29, 1983

 We had porridge for breakfast which seems a strange idea for the month of June. I sat down and wrote to the prime minister commending her on the reinstating of the hereditary peerage.  As I bashed at the typewriter in walked Dave B and I gave him a coffee. He was chatty and asked about our training with Sam Smiths. He says that Frances asked her mum: "is Auntie Ally going to have a baby?" When Lynn said 'yes' Frances quipped "Oh I used to be one of them." David went on to a meeting in Oldham and I went out to post my letter. The news reveals that Michael Foot wants 20 new Labour peers. It is customary for the leader of the opposition to get about 6 or 7 in dissolution honours.

I racked wine and tasted most of it. Found it dreadful. Wimbledon on TV. I must admit I find I can watch tennis where I have never been able to do before. McEnroe beat Mayer with no tantrums. Made a cottage pie for Ally's return. The poor girl had spent the afternoon showing the ropes to her replacement.We ate in front of the TV. In two weeks all this will change. So looking forward to life at the Linthorpe. We retired at 10 and I was just opening Jane Eyre when the phone rang. It was Lynn babbling away. Mum and Dad have been down and are at John's for dinner. We're on the agenda next time.

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Tuesday June 28, 1983

 I walked into town at 10 and went to 'sign on' as they say. I asked the 17 year-old bundle of joy on the desk whether this is the first week that I might perhaps begin to live off the state. 'Yes. You might get a cheque on Thursday', she said, vaguely. I went to the railway station to enquire about fares to Middlesbrough. £7.60. I collected a Dales Rail leaflet for trains to Horton-in-Ribblesdale.  Walking home I spied an amusing piece of racist graffiti. ____________. I am in no way a racist. I wouldn't object if a daughter contracted a marriage with a Pakistani if she wished to do so, but the daubing on the wall gave me a chuckle on the way home. 

A letter in the Daily Telegraph criticises the PM's revival of hereditary peerages. I will write to the PM to give my support to her brave decision. I would like to see others raised to the peerage after Willie Whitelaw and George Thomas. Harold Wilson, yes. Callaghan and Heath, yes. Retiring prime ministers were always given an earldom. Disraeli gave a peerage to his wife. Margaret could also do this for Denis.

Watched Wimbledon. Virginia Wade was beaten. I had two odd phone calls from a giggling woman asking to speak to 'Alphonse'. 

I saw Phyllis from the end house and told her our news. Poor Bert is unwell but battling on. I hope I will be able to continue with my journal in Middlesbrough. I haven't been defeated before. When Ally came in we had frozen fish fingers. They weren't actually frozen when we ate them but they were in that state minutes before they went under the grill. The garden gate creaked and in walked Dave L en route to Caesar's nightclub for some tickets. We gave him a couple of drinks and told him our news. He isn't interested in babies but was pleased about the pub. His pig at school expects piglets any day now. We went to bed on his departure at 9:30.

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Monday June 27, 1983

 The second anniversary of our marriage. We met at lunchtime and went to the bank and the Traveller's Rest where we lunched on scampi (me) and steak and kidney pie (Ally). 

Spent the afternoon watching Wimbledon. Jimmy Connors was defeated. Mum phoned to wish us a happy anniversary and says they had two men staying there from Middlesbrough who know the Linthorpe Hotel well and say it's a big place in its own grounds. Spoke to Dad about the hideous Ronald Gregory selling his 'Ripper Yarns' to the Mail on Sunday for £40,000 or more. Dad is aghast.

Watched 'Minder'. Bed at 11.

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Sunday June 26, 1983

4th Sunday after Trinity

 Ally feels slightly better today, yet still queasy. We put the settee into the middle of the room and lay upon it like Romans. Ally snoozed but was frequently awakened by the canon fire from the Battle of Edgehill coming from the film 'Cromwell' on BBC1. A hideously biased film. Before the battle we saw Cromwell (Richard Harris) praying: 'Oh Lord thou knowest how busy I must be this day: If I forget thee, do not thou forget me'. This prayer was actually spoken by Sir Jacob Astley (1579-1652), who fought on the royalist side. The film shows frequent meetings between Cromwell and King Charles I which never actually occurred. Why do they meddle with the facts so?

Lynn and Dave brought the children at 5 for an hour. Frances insisted on taking down every book from the bookcase. Katie is fat and brown. I have never known a baby smile so much. We dined on pork chops. 

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Saturday June 25, 1983

 I slept late. Ally was awake at 7 and collected the mail, but I was sluggish and idle.

I expected to hear from Sarah after my visit to the YP on Wednesday. __________,

Ally had a salad and I sat and watched her eat it. Later I watched a 1979 Dracula film spoiled by the fact that the butler, or asylum administrator, is Chalkie White the Coronation Street dustman.

To bed at 12:30.

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Friday June 24, 1983

Haddon Hall.

 I walked to town and met Ally outside the bank at 12:30. We went to see a young man about obtaining £800 until August 20 when we can get this amount from our building society account. Sam Smith's want a £500 bond and we thought we'd spend the rest on smartening ourselves up. We cannot be seen at the Linthorpe Hotel looking like Greenham Common 'peace' people. We had a quick drink at the Berni and then Ally went back to her labours. I went to buy food and bought Ally a Minton Haddon Hall tea cup (£5.25) and a pair of gold studs for her petite, exquisite ears. These gifts are of course to commemorate our second wedding anniversary. Home hot at 3:30. Watched Wimbledon. Chris Lloyd was defeated by an unknown juvenile. Had fish. Watched Duran Duran on Channel 4. Prince Andrew was on the news. The boy was opening the Mountbatten Athletics Stadium in Plymouth. He's a real bluff sailor. Kisses for Lady Romsey and broad grins. He doesn't give off a royal aura. Perhaps it will come in time. I am eagerly awaiting the dissolution honours.

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Thursday June 23, 1983

Ally: peach

 Heavy Rain. Ally went to work in a baggy dress. She was uncomfortable in a skirt yesterday. Pregnancy suits her. She is like a peach and eyes are brighter than ever. She came home at 12:30 and an hour later we walked to Saint Street where she sat in a waiting room full of heavily pregnant women. I stood outside with a rolled umbrella watching a feeble old man trying to park his car in a tiny gap. She came out having seen Sister Matthews, a midwife, who is as broad as she is tall, and pleasant with it. Ally was weighed. She is 8st 5lb. At home I made the dinner and watched John McEnroe shouting and screaming at Wimbledon. Ally phoned Bessie and I phoned Mum at Horton. She says Maria and the children are in Guiseley but everyone in Guiseley has sent Catherine's birthday presents to Scotland. John and Janette are going to Scotland for the weekend. Janette hasn't been back since she left in January.

Ally went to bed at 10 and I watched Sir Robin Day's programme. Norman Beresford Tebbit is a man to watch. I like him and always thinks he talks such sense about trade unions. The ghastly Gwyneth Dunwoody makes my blood boil. 

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Wednesday June 22, 1983

Club Street.

 I went and stood with Ally at her bus stop and watched her disappear down the lane. I found a corner of the garden and sat crouched like an Indian among the conifer bushes and bags of builders sand. Mrs Greenwood's door was open and so I climbed over the wall and spent ten minutes with her. She told me that Betty Heap at number 20 (Club St) is a fallen woman. I have seen a young Pakistani coming and going at odd hours and assumed he was a lodger. Betty must be at least 60. 

At 11 I switched on the telly and watched the State Opening of Parliament. No stunning measures. It is always touch and go as to whether Lord Hailsham will survive the spectacle. We were told that HM had excused him from walking backwards.The Queen looked older. The Duke of Edinburgh always has a grin on his face. I'd love to know what he's thinking. Back into the garden with cheese on toast at 12. I am instructed by Ally to get brown. She likes bronzed barmen. 

My cousin-in-law-to-be Paul Edwards is 19 today. He looks much older. 

Later, the woman from the social services who comes to visit Britt (Greenwood) at night to ensure she's tucked up knocked on our door to say she's found her on the floor ... again. We went round. Poor Mrs Greenwood was dazed  and shaken. She fell over three hours before whilst making a sandwich. We gave her a brandy and she came round. She is terrified of being taken away to hospital and pleads with the Irish nurse not to tell anyone. Her sons were phoned who say they'll visit later. We sat with Mrs G until 8:30. A thunderstorm. We told her our baby news. She confided in us that she had been a naughty girl and had to get married when she was 23 - in 1911, the year of King George V's coronation and when Asquith was PM! Those days were different. 

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Tuesday June 21, 1983

 At 10:30 I phoned Geoff Hemingway. He was chuffed about the job. I arranged to meet him at the Town Hall Tavern at 2. A postman arrived, fat and sweaty, who handed me a letter without a stamp and asked me to cough up 22p. It's from Sam Smith's telling us we are to train at the Linthorpe Hotel, Middlesbro'. Phoned Ally who was excited. Lynn phoned to ask about Winchester. She tried to assure Ally saying that once the first 12 weeks (of pregnancy) are over it's a doddle. I went to see Jacq ______. She has been going out with a shoplifter who specialises in videos. To the Town Hall Tavern for 2. Sat with Peter Lazenby, Roy Holland and Nicola Gould. Geoff followed. Sank a few pints and some whisky. Geoff, delighted about the job, asked if the baby was a mistake. Staggered back in the hot sun to the YP and found the library dull and gloomy. All were tearing up photographs in that unpleasant, thick atmosphere. Kathleen doesn't like Capricorn people and hopes that our baby is late and born after January 21. Home to Ally. Pork chops. Prince William is one today. We didn't see him. His parents are in Ottowa.

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Monday June 20, 1983

 Warm, sticky. Wash day. I went to 'sign on'. A 17 year-old with punk eye make-up tells me they won't pay me for the last week when I was on holiday because I wasn't prepared to return mid-week. I have been unemployed for 10 weeks and haven't received a penny piece. Went to Vicar Lane and got Ally the relevant maternity forms. We are told that Jean Watts is expecting a child in February. Met Ally at 12:30. She was with Patricia. We went to the building society and the bank and then to the Traveller's Rest for a drink and a beef sandwich. (We disposed of Patricia after the bank). Ally looked bonnie and sweet ____. Went to the Co-op and spent a mere £11. Home in a sweat at 2. Is Sir Harold Wilson going to receive an earldom in the prime minister's dissolution honours list? It would be typical of the old boy I must say, and I wouldn't blame him accepting. It would be one in the eye for the lefty element, eh? Earl Wilson of Huyton, KG? The Queen Mother is in Ulster inspecting the TA - it was the lead on the 6 o'clock news and rightly so. Ally was in at 5. Lasagne. She doesn't feel bright tonight and feels nauseated. The heavy Italian nosh cannot help. No TV. Ally reading aloud from her maternity allowance booklet. One needs a degree in gobbledegook. After studying the text she decided she will get a good whack and that by changing jobs she won't be done out of any cash. Mama phoned enquiring after Ally's health. She is sunburned after yesterday and is sore. Dad is painting everything in sight including Pen-y-Ghent by the sound of things. Upstairs at 9:30.

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Sunday June 19, 1983

 3rd Sunday after Trinity

Father's Day

Hot. Mum and Dad's 29th wedding anniversary. We had breakfast in the cold, dark kitchen and then went out into the heat and sat with B, who was knitting furiously. Bought a Sunday Telegraph and read about George V's so-called bigamous marriage with a Miss Culme-Seymour in Malta in 1890. Ridiculous, and of course if he'd married in 1890 then it would not have been bigamous, albeit illegal (under the terms of the Royal Marriages Act). His 1893 marriage to Mary of Teck would have been the 'bigamous' union.

Ally put on a tight, black swimsuit and looked like a seal, but a sexy one. We lay on the lawn with iced lemonade. Gloomy about going home. Frank was more civilised today and he chatted about our new life. In fact he was jovial. Andrew came home this afternoon, white, from an all night party at Ovington and after a sleep he was off out again. Bessie says he has bought a piece of jewelry costing £6. She found the empty box in the bin. Presumably it's a gift for Lorraine. Bessie debates what it might be at that price. Not the Spencer tiara. We lunched at 2. Just the four of us. Pork.

Bessie & Frank

They drove us up to Victoria for 6. Still hot. Frank and Ally went off to the loo and Bessie and I stood on a windswept corner. Her dress inflating in a Marilyn Monroe moment (The Seven Year Itch). We departed at 6:30. Bessie looked tearful. Our 'Rapide' coach was far from rapid. Home via Sheffield and Huddersfield and we staggered in at 11. We had trouble unlocking the door. A letter awaits us from Younger's brewery asking us to go for an interview on the A1 at Darrington on June 27. It feels so good that we do not have to go. Piles of bills. The house stank like a mausoleum. Bed after 12. Hot and sticky. I phoned Horton this morning. They were having a family gathering and all were there.

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