Saturday September 10, 1983

 Linthorpe Hotel, Middlesbrough

I am far too busy to keep a diary. I have been saying this for years but it is the case today more than ever before. I needn't tell you it isn't actually the 10th today as I write. In fact it's many wine sodden days later and the diarist, dear reader, is older, wiser, and poorer. However, September 10 cannot be ignored. It would be such a shame to allow it to pass by without a mention. A horrible wet day. Roy dropped us at Dutton Forshaw's and we went for a spin with the greasy Mr Docherty. Ally took the wheel and was masterful to the extent that the saleman was struck dumb. The starter proved to be knackered, but we never take possession of cars smoothly. Mr Foreskin insists all will be well when we take delivery of the vehicle on Tuesday or Wednesday next week. He assures us we will be driving Mandy (for it is she) until 1993 and beyond. Salesmen are such ghastly little men, eh? What am I? If you can sell beer, you can sell anything, says Roy. I would never have thought I had it in me. Ah, well.

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Friday September 9, 1983

 Linthorpe Hotel, Middlesbrough

Autumn is upon us once again. I detected a yellow tree in the Linthorpe garden. Roy is so good to us. He is relieved  that we are not going to ferry furniture across the country and suggests buying a bed for us to use on a temp. basis and then to install it at the hotel. Why not, eh? Ally is determined to make Colin Black pay for everything and she will not allow me to lay down £100 for a bed we don't want. Roy admires her strong line. He took us to a garage and we inspected a 1981 (Aug) mini metro advertised at £2,995, which Derek Docherty, the creepy salesman, knocked down to £2,800 because of Roy connections in the car business. No car keys could be found so we couldn't take it out, but we put down a deposit. The salesman seemed to be terrified of Roy, who was a car salesman for years in the '60s. Ally's father phoned later and asked us to contact SL Motors and offer £3,000 for a Ford Fiesta. No good. Frank was in one of his brisk, sharp moods. The Dixon temper is something else. So, it looks as though we have an automobile once again. To be car-less is to be ostracised. The usual Linthorpe night. The Why Not? is close at hand and we look forward to the responsibility.

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Thursday September 8, 1983

 5, Club Street, Lidget Green, &c

We were up at 7:30 and crept around because Mum and Dad were encamped in our bedroom. At 9 Ally went to see Dr Sullivan and came away bright and cheerful. He told her she can have a temp. doctor in Middlesbrough. He saw nothing wrong with this. Ally thought he might not approve. The doctor made an attempt without success to hear our child's heart beat. He explained he wasn't too good at 'that sort of thing'. However, he did feel baby kicking which was vigorous. Back home we had bacon sandwiches and packed things into the Renault for Papa kindly offered to drive us back to the Linthorpe with some of our gear. Mum put her hand on Ally's tummy and could feel the baby move. Her grandchild leaping around for the first time. Ally is 23 weeks (pregnant) today. Left at 12:30 after telling Mary of our move to the Why Not? We stopped off for lunch at the Blue Bell at Arkendale near Ripon. A cold and empty free-house. We talked about  _________and the odd little ways she has. ________. We joked about the possible nickname for our new (mini) metro and decide upon Mandy. Howl with laughter. It seems that our cars are always unintentionally named after a Baker. From Arkendale we drove to M'Bro and showed them the Why Not? - only from the outside. They were impressed. After depositing us at the Linthorpe we said goodbye and waved them off in pouring rain.It was so nice to have seen them again. We four get along so well together. A training session at 8 with Roy. To the bar. Quiet. Bed.

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Wednesday September 7, 1983

New Moon

5 Club Street, Lidget Green, Bradford

Home on the first train again getting to Bradford for 9am. We saw Sir Peter Parker, chairman of British Rail, running across York station in his bowler hat. Ally phoned her Dad to enquire about a bank loan for a new car. We want £2,500 or £3,000. He sees no reason why we cannot have one. He is going to deal with the manager of 69, Market Street, and so it is the open road and here we come again. Phoned Mum. They are coming to see Sue and suggest a meeting._______. Ally has doubts about moving our furniture to Middlesbrough. Frank is furious about it. I phoned Colin Black telling him we will have to pay £200 to move our humble belongings and he says 'hire a van'. We do not like this idea. We will go back to Middlesbrough and buy new stuff up there, or second hand, and sell it when we move on, leaving Club St untouched. We went to look at cars. Unimpressed by the Ford Fiesta which we thought tinny. We took a fancy to the Mini Metro at Albert Farnell's. We saw a red one, two years old, 9,000 miles on the clock, £3,000. Came away without one and decide to buy one in Middlesbrough. Found Mum, Dad, Sue, Christopher, Lynn, Frances and Katie at Club St. They'd been and got the key from Mary. The children were all horribly over-tired and fretful. Lynn was in a foul mood and had been forced to come. _______. David arrived and they all went taking the kids at 6:30. Katie is to be christened in Oct/Nov and we were commanded to be present. Lynn fails to realise that we are now committed. Restful evening with Mum and Dad. John and Janette arrived at 7:30. He is thinking of going into business with a colleague (Steve Ettenfield) . Janette has been sacked from her job as a waitress at the White Cross, chatting with someone in the loo, she referred to the landlady as a 'silly old cow' unaware that she was sitting quietly in the lavatory. Bed after 12.

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Tuesday September 6, 1983

 Linthorpe Hotel, Middlesbrough

The Why Not?

Colin Black saw us this morning and informed me that I am to take out a protection order and become the temporary licensee of 'The Why Not?' at Hemlington, just two miles away. A Mr Fogarty, the incumbent licensee is flitting to Surrey on September 16 and we are to take up residence there on that day. Shock. Horror. Gasp. Thrill. Roy took us to see the place at 2. A pleasant place with good decor, but according to little Mr Fogarty it has a very rough, hooligan clientel. Mrs F is a shrinking violet who wouldn't say boo to a goose. Roy doesn't like them and he kept giving me old fashioned looks, if you get my drift. Back at the Linthorpe we took a lot of leg pulling. "If you have a full set of teeth in the Why Not you're a puff"..... Nevertheless we are going and are determined to make a go of it. Colin Black wants us to bring furniture from Club Street and we decide to go home tomorrow to arrange things. We could be at the Why Not for two months until a permanent manager can be found and installed. We decide we now want a car. It all falls into place quite easily when you put your mind to it. Ally and I opened up at 5:30. Busy. Middlesbrough played v. Newcastle Utd at Ayresome Park. We were rushed off our feet by 6:30. The staff found the idea of the Why Not a huge joke, but Ally decides it's jealousy.

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Monday September 5, 1983

 Linthorpe Hotel, Middlesbrough

Vault all day. A busy afternoon. I was inundated by a large group of college lecturers all wanting chilli con carne and chips. Roy came to assist and laughed at my lack of preparation. I wasn't expecting so many people. The vault on a Monday afternoon has always been stone dead in the eight weeks since we began here. The rota for the week is done. We are off on Wednesday, and Thursday morning. Colin Black is coming from the brewery tomorrow when Tim Whelan takes on the temporary licence of the Master Cooper, and goes to court, &c. Will Black have news for us?

Is HRH The Princess of Wales once again 'with child'? The tabloids report that has flown to London (from Scotland) to see her gynaecologist. Will we have a Princess Victoria is May or June? Or ....

1). Louise

2). Elizabeth

3). Charlotte

4). Alexandra

5). Caroline

6). Diana

7). Mavis

8). Muriel

9). Doreen

10). Carol

11). Jennifer

12). Carol

13). Crystal

14). Phyllis

15). Pearl

16). Suzanne

17). Blodwin

18). Janice

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Sunday September 4, 1983

 14th Sunday after Trinity

Linthorpe Hotel, Middlesbrough

Marie gave us some of the Barnes pork joint for our lunch. We ate on trays and watched TV. Pork shouldn't be pink, and this was at the centre. One can easily get the shits, but we escaped attack. 

What are we to call our son? Samuel is still touch and go. I like Oliver ... but Oliver Lawrence Dixon would make him OLD Rhodes. Would that be a dreadful cross to bear through his life? How about Oliver Dixon Lawrence? As for a girl ... Clementine has never been in question since that hot day in Ios in 1981.

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Saturday September 3, 1983

 Linthorpe Hotel, Middlesbrough

Mags: Who's Sorry Now?

Not too bad. Ally and I were up at dawn, but nobody else surfaced. Connie Francis and 'Who's Sorry Now' was still ringing in my ears from Mags's singing at 5am and I bet quite a few people are sorry now going by the vast array of unwashed glasses and half eaten sausage rolls. Kieran came down at 10 and annoyed Ally by screaming and clowning whilst she was adding up. Sally's till was £19 down. Middlesbrough played Leeds Utd and it ended in a draw. A busy afternoon with thirsty football supporters. Afterwards, laying on our bed we could hear the mob over at Ayresome Park chanting and stamping. The barbecue was rained off again. A hot evening and a lengthy one in the bar. To bed early. Jon-Paul is a good worker. He's surnamed Sale and sounds very 'county'. His nephew christened tomorrow is named Tobias Crispin Norman.

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Friday September 2, 1983

 Linthorpe Hotel, Middlesbrough

With JT.

Rain. Roy and Marie back. They say they have had no winners at York Races. Roy came into the lounge and shyly thanked me for looking after the place. Later he and Marie spent ages in the office looking at the books making sure we haven't embezzled the weekly takings. They say I was wrong to cash a cheque from Jake ___ but say it's all part of the learning experience. He would like to stop cashing cheques himself and advises me never to start doing it. Jake then came in and gave me a crisp £20 note. I could have kissed him. Roy observed this touching scene and rushed up to Jake and got £5 from a previous debt. As the great bard said: 'Neither a borrower, nor a lender be'. A wild night. Roy was presented with a watch by his devoted staff and after closing Marie prepared a buffet and the the revelry went far into the night. Ally stayed up until late and we took ridiculous photographs. Pissed.

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Thursday September 1, 1983

 Linthorpe Hotel, Middlesbrough

Ally reminds me it's Martyn Cole's birthday. It is also Roy's. He is away of course and I am running the Linthorpe Hotel. Well, I'm standing around wearing a tie, making sure everything is ticking over, and looking suitably managerial. Roy keeps a staff, and a large staff at that, working flat out all day. Today the morning routine jobs were over for 9 o'clock and we sat twiddling our thumbs. Everything looking spick and span. The staff have been very good and so tonight I bought them all a drink.

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Wednesday August 31, 1983

 Linthorpe Hotel, Middlesbrough

Jan made a cock-up of breakfast and didn't realise we were eating and that Mum and Dad were here. However, we did eventually sit down and ate crammed in a corner looking at the chimney. We went out to the shops after and went on to Yarm, a nice town like Otley or Skipton, where we had coffee and buns in a tea shop. Dad seems obsessed by cream buns. They think Ally looks bigger and decide that the lump is not all at the front which usually means the baby is a boy. Honestly, we have no preference. From Yarm we went back through Stockton-on-Tees to the Linthorpe for lunch outside. Chicken curry and gin. Feeling wan. In basket chairs. They left at 2. It was sad to say goodbye. We'll be going for a holiday to Horton shortly - I hope. When their car disappeared we went to bed and slept heavily. This evening Roy & Marie went away to the Selby Fork Hotel (It's Roy's birthday tomorrow) and Ally and I are left at the helm. A quiet night with no upsets and the staff behaved excellently and didn't linger too long afterwards. Mags was good too, and faded into the background. The old Alsatian dog, Saxon is, according to the vet, depressed. Mags says she is not surprised because he is 11 and has never had his leg over.

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