Sunday 11th November - As Kathy has gone home, Ann slept in her bed last night, so spent most of the night chatting - consequently, found it just a little bit tough hauling ourselves out of bed for the early shift - Sundays we start at 8.0am. (What with feeding my two cats, 30 minutes of aerobics, ablutions, hair and make-up, breakfasting and deciding what to wear, getting ready in a morning takes me about 2½ hours. So how come, back in the sixties, when back combing the hair and applying false eyelashes was a regular part of ones daily routine, I could be up at 7.0am and out by ten past and at work by 20 past? (Thanks to a passing taxi) Over-laying was also a regular part of my routine - due to the number of hours worked and a hectic social life!)

07.50am Ann, John M and me are all waiting at the bus stop - in vain, so grabbed a passing taxi - (oh how we working folk lived!) For some reason we are all in a giggly mood, (commonly known as 'Grand Met-itis). Ann, Eugen and me all had breakfast together (cold toast, solid scrambled eggs - not a patch on the Ashley Court Breakfasts) and the laughter continues, we don't actually know what we are laughing at, I think we're all just a bit light-headed from lack of sleep...But it continues throughout the day and during a point in our conversation Eugen invites me round to watch his T.V. but adds, naughtily, that we wouldn't be watching T.V.!!! And like a fool, my hopes are raised that he actually means it. Consequently, those foolish hopes are dashed to smithereens when at 3.30pm he comes to say a cheery goodbye. (If you were a woman, Eugen, you would be called every kind of a tease, as it is - you're just plain infuriating!!!)

Monday 12th - Now there really isn't very much to report today - Eugen and I are on opposite shifts, and we barely had chance to say hullo - end of diary jottings. Although Kathy and I went to see the James Bond film, Dr. No, and pronounced it 'not bad'. ('Not bad', she says, it being one of your all time favourite films - what were you thinking of girl?? O.k. - we know who you were thinking of...)

Tuesday 13th - My constant knitting has come to the attention of the porters, who now want me to knit for them - Sam wants me to finish off a jumper that someone once started knitting for him, and Johnny R wants me to knit a hat for his baby daughter! Jenny rang during the morning to tell me that it had been a great night at Jazzshows last night - going to the jazz club might have cheered me up, but sometimes we women just want to be gloomy! Bought two L.P.s - 'Latin Escapade' for me and 'So much in Love' by Ray Coniff for Ann. Went back to Ann's room to play our new L.P.s, I like Ann's choice so much (very dreamy) that I'm going to treat myself to it, next pay day. Long letter from Mavis. I feel rather sorry for both my sisters, I expect they are happy enough in their little domestic world, looking after their husbands and having children, but being single is so much more fun!!

Wednesday 14th - Eugen and I are on opposite shifts, I was up in the canteen looking out of the window and saw him walking towards the hotel, he's wearing his big brown overcoat - so it must be cold! Was only able to say a quick hullo and goodbye to him. Me'n Ann went food shopping then went back to Ashley Court and cooked ourselves a big tea (What - beans on toast again??) Stayed in knitting and listening to our new L.P.s, I've finished Sam's sweater and the red one I've been knitting for myself. Had a sudden desire to ring Eugen before he went off duty, but he was quite brief - feel dead annoyed.

Thursday 15th - Didn't quite know how to greet Eugen, after his rather dismissive attitude last night, but he called me over to explain, it seems Paul Phillips was standing over him and told him to put the phone down - yes, I do hate you Paul Phillips! So the news that he is leaving Stratter's, is very good news indeed. Met the new Manager - a rather sombre looking person called Alasdair Fraser, but seemed pleasant enough. (Famous last words!!)

Friday 16th - Going on day trip to Derby on Sunday to see Maurice, Jan and their new baby son, hopefully Mum and Dad will be there too, so it should be a good day out. I shall be glad when Eugen and me are back working on the same shift - a glimpse of him from the canteen window is just not enough! Went shopping then back to Ashley Court. Jenny came over in the evening, then Ann came up so had a girly evening in, Kathy has gone home, so Ann stayed in the garret - chatting into the early hours again.

Saturday 17th - Ann's parents are coming to London for the day, so she went off to Victoria Station to meet them, I went to Scott's to have my hair set before doing a spot of over-time at Stratter's - 12.0pm til 5.0pm. Chatting with Ann-Marie, the assistant housekeeper, seems she comes from Langnau in Switzerland, and she's going back next Tuesday. I feel quite envious of her, I have a huge poster of the Swiss Alps on my bedroom wall - I gaze at it and long to be there. Eugen very appreciative of my hair asked if it was for a special occasion, in a very teasing mood today. He says he's going to see the stage play 'The Amorous Prawn' tonight - well don't ask me if I'd like to go too, will you?? Ann slept up here again, but don't feel like chatting, besides, I have to be up early to catch my train to Derby.

Sunday 18th - Slept through the alarm, so mad rush to get to the station - had to get a taxi. Rushing into the station - bumped into singing duo, Jimmy McGregor and Robin Hall, quite funny really, as we all tried to avoid each other and only succeeded in colliding - luggage going in all directions. (Where was that Candid Camera??) Horribly wet and cold, but spent a nice day in Derby, Steven is a very sweet baby, but disappointed that Mum and Dad didn't manage to come. The ticket collector on the train back, in a very chatty mood, asking all about life in London - perhaps he takes the next train back to Derby and never gets the chance to find out!

Monday 19th - Kathy is having an extra day off so I am working with Molly, who is a regular weekend relief operator. The trouble with Molly is that she wants to know all about your private life, and loves to chatter - you never tell Molly anything, unless you want everybody else to know too - but she has a very clever way of probing information out of you...I just happened to mention how cold it was, and she says, very loudly, that I need a man to keep me warm! Eugen replies that I have too many already... I told him that I was only interested in three. (Three???? I wonder who the other two were!) Fun and games when the lights fused, spent most of the evening in candlelight - could have been very romantic, shame I had to go off duty!

Ann and her friend John met me from work at 9.0pm, as we were all leaving, Bob Thorburn asked where my date was. (Crikey - a whole sentence passed between us! And why wasn't I quick enough to invite him to make up a foursome??) The three of us went to the Golden Egg for a meal (at least the beefburgers were made of real meat, in those days - I think). A crowd of lads came in through the door just as we were leaving, one stopped to bar my way, it seemed that he deliberately moved from left to right, preventing me from leaving. I looked at him closely - did I know him? Was he just being amusing? But he returned my stare, unsmiling, I began to feel very uneasy, aware that my heart was beating very fast. His large, intimidating bulk filled the doorway, why was he picking on me? Although he made me feel small and ineffectual, I refused to show it, and was just about to say "excuse me", in my most imperious manner, when one of his pals pulled him aside to let me pass. Ann and John wanted to know what it had all been about, but I couldn't enlighten them, as I've said before - you meet some funny people in London! But I was glad that Ann slept in Kathy's bed again, I couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling I'd felt earlier, bumping into J.Mc and R.H. at the station had been funny, this young man barring my way, hadn't.

Tuesday 20th - I was happy to be on the same shift as Eugen, but sometimes he can be just a little bit naughty. Today I'm wearing a button through cardigan (with nothing underneath it, except my bra), at lunchtime, Eugen suddenly came up behind my chair and pulled my arms back, the buttons down the front of my cardigan shoot open (and yes - alas, I am undone!) Whether or not he had expected this to happen, I don't know, but he found it extremely amusing, or maybe he enjoyed the fact that I did not find it in the least bit funny. The receptionist across the table from me must have got a real eyeful as Eugen held on to my arms preventing me from doing myself up. I refused to speak to him for the rest of the evening, not only because he embarrassed me, and took delight in that, but also I'm rather disappointed in him, it's not the sort of behaviour I expect from him. He says I'm taking it all too seriously (but if it had been his flies being pulled undone, he might have understood my chagrin), I suppose it all comes down to respect - or lack of it.

The weather is absolutely awful, so Kathy and I decide to stay in, still there's always the bar, and the games room, possibly even the T.V. room... (What more could two young lasses in the 'Swinging Sixties' possibly want????)

Wednesday 21st - On 3-8, in the morning, went in search of another bathroom to try out, got the fright of my life when, on coming out of the bathroom, found John (yes, another one!) the handy-man, lurking outside, he's a very strange Irish man, half the time I can't understand what he's saying because of his strong accent, the rest of the time he's the worse for drink, but even sober, (not that I'm sure I ever saw him sober!) he's a very strange person, and meeting him in a quiet corridor is not my idea of heaven. He always wants to know what I'm doing - and that whatever it is (like taking a bath) - I shouldn't be! I flee to my room, gathering my towelling robe tightly around me; he says he'll be up later to 'inspect' my room. Suddenly, I find the idea of 'mad John' walking around Ashley Court with keys to every room, extremely disturbing...I have never thrown my clothes on so fast in all my life, and I am out of there in a trice, wet hair and all!

Waited over till 9.0pm when Ann has finished her housekeeping duties, Johnny R and Johnny M suggest going over to The Hog in the Pound, as they are just finishing work too. Eugen is off at 10.0pm, so Johnny R asks Eugen if he would like to join us later, to my surprise, he says yes. Well, I'll believe it when I see it! By 10.30pm Eugen hasn't turned up, so Johnny phones him, and suddenly he's there!

His shyness gets the better of him, and he attaches himself to me, I'm not complaining, but I wish he would integrate more, we have such a good laugh when we are all out together, and I would like him to join us more often. Eventually it is 'chucking out' time, the two Johns come back to Ashley Court with us, but Eugen goes home - ah well, it's been a start, might even get him to come to one of our parties, one day...Kathy followed us in, after finishing the late shift, so put some records on and had some fun, but I'm wishing Eugen would have come back too.

Thursday 22nd - On 07.30am - dead tired, then disappointed to find that Eugen is on the opposite shift. Bill, another receptionist, said he would have liked to have joined us last night - (sorry, Bill - I can't see further than Eugen...) and invites me out for a drink tonight, h'mm, I feel a bit dubious about this invitation - he surely can't have failed to notice my interest in Eugen. So, to play safe, I told him he could come to the bar in Ashley Court, if he liked. Which he did, and we had a good laugh - I don't fancy Bill in the remotest, with his mass of untidy blond hair and blacked framed glasses, there's a studious air about him, but in fact he's very easy going and immediately joins in with everybody. Because of Bill's easy going nature, he and Eugen do not always see eye to eye. Eugen will not relax until all the work is up to date, whereas Bill is up for a laugh - no matter what, and this lack of deference to work will be his undoing...There are lots of people in the bar tonight, and the jukebox is kept busy churning out the latest hits. We all have a really good time, Bill fits in well, and he's told he'll be welcome anytime.

Friday 23rd - Working till 11.0pm, just managed to say hullo to Eugen before he went off duty. Bill and Claude on reception this evening, and not very busy, so they spent most of the evening in the switchroom. Alan (Haggis) rang for a chat. Left early with Bill and Claude, went in 'The Hog in the Pound' for a quick one, but found Kathy and Ann in there, so we all went back to the bar at Ashley Court, dancing to the juke box. Claude and Bill left, so me'n Kathy, Udo and Lionel all went up to Ann's room for coffee - and another night drifted into morning.....

Saturday 24th - Eugen off today, missing him already. Bill suggests that we should go out tonight, and I thought - why not? We are going to his parent's house for tea, then doing a tour of his local pubs with his mates. Alan rang, wanting to take me out - when will he understand that he and I do not date! Going to parties, making up numbers etc. is fine, but we do not go out on a one to one basis - I wouldn't trust him with my own grandmother! Then, just as I was about to go off duty, two of the guests asked if they could take myself and a friend out to dinner -and I don't think they meant Bill! - so had to decline. Had good time visiting Bill's parents, they were very nice and welcoming and invited me to stay over night. After visiting various pubs, picking up more of Bill's friends as we went along, we ended up at his friend, Peter's house, for coffee, someone put a record on and the next thing we knew it was 2.0am!! Flopped into bed 2.30am - glad I was invited to stay...

Despite not seeing Eugen - all in all it turned out to be a good day - except that Freddie Cannon is back!

Sunday 25th - Freddie is bored, so he spends much of his time being a nuisance to everybody - especially me, and he is refusing all calls. You'd think with nothing to do, he would be happy to have someone to talk to, the trouble is, he's not getting the attention he thinks that he, as a 'big' pop star, should be getting - the downside of fame!! I'm thinking that being ordinary means that the only way is up. (Such is the philosophy of one so young and ignorant!)

I was hoping that things would improve when Eugen came on duty, but he spent most of the evening working in the control office. Ann came in to have a chat, she tells me that Freddie has been upsetting every one with his tantrums, it seems he had a big row with Molly - I could well imagine her not putting up with his Prima Donna attitude. It was a relief to get back to the solitude of the garret...

The diary entries for the next few days are very sketchy; things must have been very quiet indeed. Perhaps Freddie Cannon was off on tour, as I didn't even have a moan about him, actually I feel rather guilty going on about him, as he really wasn't all that bad, he had moments when he was really quite pleasant. But I'd decided that that first date was going to be the last - I'm not so desperate to go out with a pop star that I'm prepared to put up with bad behaviour. So on to:-

Thursday 29th - Barry, a friend of Ann's, came to visit her at Stratter's, he had a friend, Peter, with him and I was asked if I would like to make up a foursome. Had drink in the bar at Ashley Court before going on the Yangtse Restaurant, where we had a lovely meal and a really crazy evening, ended up in Ann's room for coffee. So far, it has been a very pleasant evening, but the boys wanted to take things a little further...and got annoyed when they were asked to leave. One of the good thing about living in Ashley Court, is that we feel quite protected, it's true that we could get into trouble for having 'outsiders' in our room, but it's also quite easy to get rid of them - we could summon any number of 'chucker-outers'!

Friday 30th - Bill wants me to go out with him tonight, so I've invited him over to Ashley Court again, Jenny is coming over too, a crowd of us go on to the 'Spread Eagle', Dottie, another of Stratter's telephonists, is in there with a friend, so we all go on a pub crawl, then back to Ashley Court where we find Kathy and Ann just getting back from work, no point in pretending you're tired, girls - it's time to party!