Thursday 20th - The day started off well, Eugen and I managed to have breakfast together for a full half hour, without either of us being called back early - a quite rare occurrence.

He seems to be in a bit of a devilish mood, hiding behind the door and then jumping out on me, he had me up against the door and was threatening to bite me, when Mitch, the head porter forced his way through. I think he got a bit of a shock, catching the two of us at that point - knowing how reserved Eugen normally is; he wouldn't understand that, with Eugen, it's all 'horseplay'. Although his 'horseplay' even surprises me at times!

Friday 21st - Well - This day has to go down in history!! This is the day that that goes down in my diary as Kiss Day - circled! Eugen kisses me for the very first (but, happily, not the last) time! Of course it had to be the mistletoe - there was no way I was going to pass up a chance like this, and I came into work armed to the teeth with the stuff - some holly too, I didn't want to make it look that obvious! Udo couldn't wait to put it to good use - not that he ever needed an excuse, but it set the tone for every one else to let go of their inhibitions. Just as I was beginning to think everybody but Eugen, had made use of the mistletoe, Vince, one of the porters, pushed me into the back room, slammed the door and held it fast, I was aware of someone reaching out for me - and was greatly relieved to find that it was Eugen. We spent what seemed like very long moments, under that mistletoe, and no one seemed to be in a hurry to fetch us out of there. The barriers were well and truly down now, Eugen could not leave me alone, we spent the rest of the evening kissing and cuddling. Everyone seemed to be in a jolly mood, even Bob Thorburn joined in by bringing us all a round of drinks. At 11.0pm Eugen walked over to my bus stop, and waited with me until my bus came, it seemed almost as though he did not want the evening to end...

Got back to Ashley Court to find the lights had fused (definitely not guilty, this time!) but the party that was in full swing in the bar did not falter, despite not having any music. In fact a party by candlelight is to be highly recommended!

Saturday 22nd - I thought I felt a cold coming on, and today I am sure of it. Strangely, Eugen has the sniffles too - a fact that does not get past the eagle eyes of the porters, and there is a great deal of rude innuendo...Strangely, Eugen's mood is not quite what I would have hoped for, there is a lot of good humoured banter, and Udo is determined to take every advantage of the mistletoe season - but Eugen is being very suggestive one minute, sarcastic and hurtful the next. I do not like any of this, and I'm happy that the crew from El-Al airlines are in, Rafi Shaul, who is good looking and good fun, but a bit of a rogue with the ladies, has asked me out again.

I quite like his round, cheerful face, the sultana- brown eyes; even the chipped front tooth adds to his rakish charm. Rather like the Jewish ladies in the dress shop, it is very difficult getting him to accept a no. He's in and out of the switchroom, cajoling, until I agree to go out for a coffee with him. But before leaving at the end of my shift, I leave a note for Rafi, cancelling our date. He rings me at Ashley Court, trying to persuade me but I tell him I have other arrangements, it's then that he tells me that one of the stewardesses tried to commit suicide this morning - Stratter's have been trying to hush it up, but it seems that Rafi is involved in some way. Now I feel guilty, perhaps he wanted to talk about it...

Ann came up, had long, in depth talk, and decided to cheer ourselves up by opening all our Christmas presents!! When Kathy came in later, I told her I had done something I shouldn't. "What - with Eugen???" was her immediate reaction!

Sunday 23rd - On early shift - first thing, Rafi came in switchroom and said how nice I looked, I was surprised that he was still talking to me. Lenny and Gerry came in for a chat, Rafi came back and sent them out, then he grabbed me - kissed me hard, and disappeared again! I think he's forgiven me...Things have not improved between me and Eugen, we don't seem to be able to speak civilly to each other for more than five minutes.

During the morning we were invited into the manager's suite to have a Christmas drink, it all seemed rather strained; Alasdair Fraser is not the most gregarious of men. The housekeeper, Bob Thorburn, Eugen and myself stand around awkwardly, making small talk, it is a relief to escape back to work!

Went to Green Park Hotel to do some overtime. Norbert works here, so it was nice to see him again. Ann has settled in here, but says she misses the madness of Stratter's!

Monday 24th - Eugen is being very nice to me today, I even hoped that we might do something together after we'd finished work, but no such luck. Mitch and Johnny R invited me out for a drink, Ann joined us for a while, eventually Johnny remembered that he was supposed to be at his sister's party, so we made a mad dash over there. I think in taking me, he was hoping to avoid a roasting - no hope! Ted was there, he said he had just been thinking about me - and suddenly, there I was! My cold is settling in nicely, I feel ill and headachy and just want to go home, but I am invited to stay for the night - they are all ready for a good old knees up. I am all ready for good old sleep in. Eventually drop into bed 1.50am!

Christmas Day - Somehow managed to arrive early for work, so walked around for a while, it makes a change to have Oxford Street all to myself! Mr Fraser has invited all the staff to have lunch in the restaurant with him. It was a lovely meal, but if it hadn't been for Mrs. Thomas, the housekeeper, being so jolly (thanks to the martinis), it could have been disastrous. We all feel very much out of place, and Mr. Fraser manages to keep the lid on any Christmas frivolity that might surface (Mrs. Thomas is happily impervious).

Afterwards, Eugen gets down to work, and just as I'm thinking that he doesn't want to have any fun, he came in the switchroom and - surprise, surprise, gave me some beautifully wrapped Christmas presents! Since he started wearing his lovely, warm, brown overcoat, I have nicknamed him 'Teddy Bear', and so he has given me the record of Elvis Presley singing 'Won't you be my Teddy Bear' (Yes please!) and a tiny toy walrus, because he couldn't find a tiny bear!

He's back in a happy mood now, and even pulled me onto his knee, happily hugging and kissing. Maisy, the assistant housekeeper, invited us back to her room at Ashley Court, for a party, but still couldn't persuade Eugen to come. Larry, one of the receptionists, is going, so the three of us walked arm in arm down Oxford Street, until Larry hails a passing taxi, I say a hurried goodbye to Eugen and the taxi whisks us off to Ashley Court. It's a very lively party, but I can only think of Eugen.

Boxing Day - Had to get a taxi to work, myself and a strange young man, both seemed to think we had stopped the taxi, so we agree to share it, then some else asks if they can share it too - there does not seem to be too many taxis around and soon I find myself sharing with a host of strangers! I am dropped off first and told that the rest of them will share the cost between them! What gentlemen!!

Paul, our steward, is off all over Christmas, so we have to fetch our meals from the kitchen ourselves; happily, Eugen takes on this task and runs around after me, seeing to my every need. There is very little to do, the hotel is practically empty, talking to telephonists in other hotels, and the Cable & Wireless Operators, is the best way of passing the time. Mrs. Brown, one of the Housekeepers, says I can have one of the rooms and watch T.V. if I like, so after I have finished work, Eugen gives me a key to one of the rooms, and says, teasingly, that if I want to take a bath, he will come and scrub my back! (Yes, Eugen, I think we've heard all this before...) I might just as well make myself at home and take advantage of having a rather nice suite for the afternoon and happily splash around in the bath for a while. Whilst I'm sitting there clad only in a bath towel, I hear a key in the door and Eugen comes in!

I'm afraid to make a dash for the bathroom in case I lose my towel, so we are sitting there on the bed, and I'm wondering what on earth I am going to do if he makes a move on me. (Dreaming is all very well - reality is something else altogether...) I am just dying with embarrassment, but he sits there chattering away, finally I tell him that I am not getting dressed until he has gone - which he refuses to do. There's nothing for it but to grab my clothes and head for the bathroom - he offers to dry me down but I tell him I can manage, thank you!

When I am ready to go, Eugen walks me to my bus stop again, it's snowing, and slippery underfoot, so I hang tightly on to his arm. We decide to go for a cup of coffee, before he sees me safely on to my bus. It's taken six months, but we have finally gone out for our first cup of coffee together. (Not counting the disastrous dinner date...)

Thursday 27th - Eugen's in a frivolous mood - he greeted me with "Hullo Darling" - in front of Mr Casolani, the Head Receptionist, too! Had our dinner together, just he and I, looking after me again - fetching our food up from the kitchen. He said he'd been thinking about me since yesterday (wonders will never cease!), told me all about his home in Switzerland - makes me yearn to see Switzerland all the more...

As I hadn't given him anything for Christmas, I went out and bought him a tiny St. Christopher that I thought he might attach to his watch, but he says he's going to wear it next to his heart! Being very lovey-dovey, putting our arms around each other and joking about me keeping him warm in bed. If I had ever wondered what I would do when the joking stopped - and reality began, I knew now, as my diary entry says - " he really did want me to go back to his flat with him - but I just couldn't". (It must seem very strange in this day and age - even to me, that when I'm apparently offered what I've been hankering after - I turn it down. But then, I don't know exactly what Eugen had in mind at that point, I got the impression that he may have wanted more than I was prepared to give - that naughty word 'sex' was not part of my vocabulary - nor my way of life. Nice girls simply 'didn't do it', anyway, I was terrified of 'doing it'!

Also, I have lots of packing to do - Derby tomorrow, Sheffield Sunday, and Manchester Monday. Eugen finally told me that the nickname he and John H have for me is 'Lorelei', as they think I look like the little mermaid who looks out over the bay in Stockholm. I told him that they both had very vivid imaginations - bearing in mind that she's naked!! Never the less I feel very flattered - better Lorelei than Attila!

Friday 28th - Poor Eugen is feeling very ill, he has a really bad sore throat, and looked very flushed and vulnerable. We share the big chair in the canteen, and ignore the ribald comments from everyone. He says how can I leave him at a time like this! (Look mate, we've not even been on a proper date yet - don't start getting all possessive!) I have written him a letter (goodness knows what mawkish rubbish I put in it, you know what young girls are like!) he seemed a little taken aback when I gave it to him (apparently he thought it was a 'goodbye, I'm not coming back' letter - as if!).

Richard Beymer is here! Just my luck that one of my favourite film stars should arrive, just as I'm away for a few days! Not being backwards at coming forwards, when he comes on the phone, I tell him, without being too sycophantic, how pleased I am that he's staying here, but how disappointed I am, that I won't be here during his stay, he assures me that he will still be here when I get back - and that perhaps we can go out sometime - what!! Can I have that in writing please?? Later, we meet in the lounge, and he comes over to talk to me, it's only afterwards that I wonder how on earth he knew it was me - we had only spoken on the phone!

Saturday 29th - Eugen goes to Switzerland today, I miss him so much - I barely give the astonishingly handsome Richard Beymer, a second thought (From this distance in time, I find that almost unbelievable!) It is very cold in Derby, but brave the winter winds to go round the shops. Maurice and Jan, both being in catering, are excellent cooks, so the food is just wonderful. Eugen enjoys good food, and I keep thinking how much he would enjoy their cooking. Craig is on Television, so that helps to take my mind off him for a little while.

Sunday 30th - It's nice to have a lie-in and not be nursing a sore head from the night before, or trying to remember if I'm due to do any over-time - just to be able to relax, with the day stretching ahead. This really does not happen often enough - I'll be old before my time! My first thoughts are of Eugen - I wonder if he is having a lie-in too, at home in Switzerland. Had wonderful lunch again, then set off for Sheffield, mum surprised to see us all, but disappointed that Eugen didn't come - aren't we all!

It was nice to get some belated Christmas presents, a black and pink baby doll nightie from mum and a pretty bed jacket from Mavis.

Monday 31st - Stayed in bed until 10.30am then went round the sales. Mum bought me some nice warm gloves and a pair of smart leather boots. I bought myself a capacious leather bag - big enough to fit all my knitting inside! After watching T.V. in the evening, I was ready for an early night, but I know how much mum likes to go to the Watchnight Service - I remember how it used to be my favourite night of the whole year, but that seems like another lifetime now. Once upon a time, the church would be filled to capacity, now it is heartrendingly empty, met only one of my friends from the old, church-going days.

The village streets are quite empty, just the occasional reveller, making themselves heard in the quiet of the morning. Once upon a time, the streets would be filled with churchgoers, and only the sounds of people calling out "Happy New Year" would be heard.