Saturday 1st - Freddie is back, came in for a chat, seemed quite subdued - I really must make an effort to be nice to him! D.J. Tony Hall rang to speak to Freddie Cannon, he sounded really nice and friendly, says he'll pop in and say hullo to me when he comes to the hotel to see Freddie, Don Wedge and Ian Samwell also rang for him - two more friendly fellers! Bill has invited me over to his neck of the woods again tonight; this really is becoming a habit - but anything for a laugh!

Sunday 2nd - I suppose it was inevitable that my going out with Bill would get around eventually, the porters are taking great delight in telling Eugen that he has competition - he said "What, only one?" I told him that he has no competition whatsoever - and if that isn't laying my cards on the table, I don't know what is - not that it will make any difference, he doesn't seem to be in a rush to ask me out, so what is a girl to do?? It's just as well that, what with any number of offers of overtime and people like Bill to have a laugh with, I don't have too much time to despair over the lack of progress with Eugen - never the less, I live continually in hope that he will ask me out...

Monday 3rd - Went up to the canteen to find Eugen sitting in the dark, I thought it very romantic, until Johnny, Ann and Bill came bursting in. It seems that Bill and Eugen are in trouble over accepting dud cheques, Bill seems to be not in the least bit fazed by it, he has to pay the hotel £5 and Eugen has to pay £10 to cover the loss. I feel desperately sorry for Eugen - this is almost a week's wages. Mr. Fraser, the manager, a humourless man at the best of times, is being very hard on them, and insists that Eugen pays it back before he goes home on holiday - do they think he won't come back?? It is a young woman who has passed the dud cheques, a very attractive one at that - I well remember feeling somewhat jealous at Bill and Eugen fighting over who was going to check her in. Now Eugen can't say enough bad things about her...If only these people realised that it is not the hotel they are cheating, but ordinary working folk.

Tuesday 4th - Terrible thick fog and very cold, so what we needed when we got back to Ashley Court is a nice hot meal, unfortunately, the stove blew up and fused all the lights, which also means no heat, I do hope nobody finds out that it was me who did it! Found my way down to Ann's room, not much point in being on my own in the dark, but she wouldn't let me in, she insisted on coming up to my room. I am highly suspicious of what this is all about, and even wonder, for a mad moment, if Eugen could be in there - such is my paranoia! (I never did find out who she was hiding from me, but so long as it wasn't Eugen - I didn't particularly care!)

Wednesday 5th - Working til 11.0pm - Eugen on same shift, but he's having to work on his own, so didn't manage to have supper together. Came in switchroom for his tea and biscuits, being very friendly, the fog is very bad again; he says I can share his bed and keep him warm - just what is one to make of this man?? He's got plenty to say for himself - pity it's all talk!!

The entries for Thursday and Friday have gone missing so I shall have to make something up: Eugen finally asked me out; we went to the cinema on Kensington High Street and held hands all the way through the picture. Afterwards we stood at the bus stop cuddling up close until the bus came - then decided it could go without us, we're enjoying this cuddling business far too much! In fact we decide to walk along Kensington High Street, arms around each other, until we find we've arrived at Ashley Court. It goes beyond the realms of inventiveness to say we kissed goodnight - long and passionately, we would have had more privacy on Charing Cross Station than on the steps of Ashley Court! Ah well, it's only a dream, after all. (Or is it perception????)

Saturday 8th - Didn't sleep a wink last night (and is there any wonder!) neither did Kathy (hope she wasn't indulging in the same imaginings...) So got up and went in to work early, Eugen was on reception on his own, so he went off for his breakfast whilst I 'looked after' reception - not that there was much I could have done, females are not allowed to work on reception at Stratter's, nor, as it happens, are there any waitresses in the restaurant. There is a rather strange hierarchy in place at Grand Met - the most a female can expect to achieve is Head Telephonist, Head Housekeeper or in one or two of the more progressive hotels - Head Receptionist. The Group has a five year Hotel Management scheme, but only available to males! There are certainly no female Hotel Managers nor assistant managers, in fact females are very much in the minority - there's not so much as a female washer-upper in the kitchen: A female chef? - wash your mouth out with soap and water!!

Watched my favourite programme, 'Thank Your Lucky Stars' in the T.V. lounge in the evening, Freddie Cannon is on, also The Mudlarks, Johnny Tillotson and Don Charles.

Sunday 9th - Eugen is not working today, so it is going to be a very long shift without anyone to tease - and tease me back! Claude tries to make up for it though, and we hardly stop laughing all evening. (Obviously a severe case of 'Grand Metitis') .

Monday 10th - Well it really is a bit much - Eugen is now on opposite shifts to me (you cannot imagine just how aggravating I find this!!) and as if that wasn't bad enough, Ann is being taken to The Beachcomber again, by one of the hotel guests! It may just have been coincidence, or maybe in appeasement, Ann brought up a bottle of homemade wine for us, (or then again, it may have been a case of "You gals are staying in, whilst I'm out on the Town - again, so have a drink on me, you poor sad creatures! The wine was very good, by the way).

Tuesday 11th - The shock news of today is that Bill has got the sack!! The management are saying that he has been made redundant, and so everybody is wondering who is going to be next to get the chop, but word has it that Bill just pushed his luck too far. It seems that his slaphappy attitude has been irritating quite a few folk, and his habit of popping over the road at 5.0pm to get the evening paper, then going into the gents to read it, hasn't gone amiss. I'm sorry to see Bill go, but grateful that it's not Eugen...There's a funny Scot's bloke staying here at the moment, he's a real card - eventually, he came into the Switchroom to introduce himself, his name is Jimmy Harpin. He's small and wiry, like a little Scots terrier, and old enough to be my Dad, but he has a great personality, you just can't help but like him. He says he would like to take me out whilst he's in London, there's a new place just opened - very posh, called The Mirrabelle - of course I would like to go!

Wednesday 12th - Well, what a surprise - Eugen is back on my shift! Oh it doesn't take much to make this girl smile...He said he thought I had been taking a few days off, as he hadn't seen me (you missed me, then??). At lunchtime, Eugen and Claude were almost drawing straws to see who would have the pleasure of my company - who won? Well, as no more was reported on the subject - I think it must have been Claude...

Jimmy Harpin rang me from Scotland! Says he was due back in London this evening, and was hoping to take me out, but won't now get back in time and sends his apologies - the next thing I know a lovely bouquet of flowers arrives for me - from him. Now there's a nice man!

Went to do a spot of overtime at The Clifton Ford, another of the hotels in Grand Met. I have spoken many times on the phone to some of the people who work here, so it was nice to actually meet up with them. Some, I have seen around Ashley Court, but never knew which hotel they worked in, knowing some of the staff helps to stops one from feeling strange in a different hotel. Had dinner in the restaurant, and it was very good, makes a change from the rubbish we get served up at Stratter's. People kept coming in the switchroom to say hullo, so time just flew. Although we put the hours in, sometimes, this overtime lark can be a right doddle!

Thursday 13th - Another shock - Ann has been transferred to The Green Park Hotel! We will still meet around Ashley Court, but it won't be the same at Stratter's without her. And if that wasn't enough, we've all been changed around, me'n Kathy will now be working on opposite shifts - honestly, no one gives a toss about our social life! In a fit of pique, I told Eugen I wasn't going to be messed around like this - I'm leaving - he said he is, then! (You see, you've made more of an impact on the man, than you thought!) Perhaps he believed me, because he was in an incredibly friendly mood all evening, when we went in the back room to have our tea, he actually put his arm round me for an instant. The Porters were turning the lights off again, but they needn't have bothered - Eugen wasn't being that friendly!

When I got back to the garret, I find there's one hell of a party going on over at the Art College, the rock music is so loud, there's no point in trying to sleep, so I put a sweater on over my leopard print jim-jams, open the window and enjoy what I can of their party.

Friday 14th - Doing an extra shift at The Grosvenor Court Hotel, which is just across that road in Davis Street, thankfully, Andrew isn't on duty, but not very busy so time drags, the assistant manager takes pity on me and lets me off early. Just out side the hotel I bump into Sylvia, who I met at the Clifton Ford on Wednesday, so we walk up Oxford Street together, admiring the Christmas lights. The streets are even busier than usual, and we end up walking miles, but people seem to be full of the spirit of Christmas, the atmosphere charged with goodwill. So despite the freezing cold, we enjoy our walk and find ourselves almost back at Ashley Court before we realise it. (By golly, we did a lot of walking in those days - 3" heels and all!)

Saturday 15th - Open dance on at The St. Ermins Hotel tonight, which means anyone who works for Grand Met. can go plus a partner, and it's all free! Mad dash around the shops to find a dress and, of course, a pair of shoes! Finally settled on a simple black dress - can't go wrong with black!

Had fantastic time, met nice young German called Norbert, he brought me back to Ashley Court, I have to admit to having had rather too much to drink, but such was the mood of the party - it's easy enough to do! Norbert somehow managed to get me up to the garret and put me to bed - and he was such a gentleman - now what if I hadn't wanted him to be???

Sunday 16th - Spent most of the morning recovering from last night, but several of us manage to meet up for a 'hair of the dog' at the Harrington Arms in Gloucester Road. Some, even manage a spot of lunch - I'll settle for a long walk home - it seems strange to be in my old stomping ground again, despite Gloucester Road and Queensgate running parallel, I just haven't been coming this way since I worked at the Baileys Hotel - which seems like eons ago now.

Monday 17th - Got quite a surprise when I turned up for work this afternoon to find Norbert in the front hall, naturally, being German, he came to shake my hand in that polite way they have. I'm hoping I'm looking a bit more presentable than when he last saw me: I would like to make a point of apologising, as normally I don't drink very much - fun, laughter and music are usually all the intoxicants I need, but I sense that Eugen is taking in the scene, and I have no wish for him to know anything about Saturday night. (If you don't come - you miss the fun, and other people's downfall!) Off at 8.0pm so Alan met me from work, went to Jazzshows (this is not counted as a one to one date, as once there, I see very little of Alan - it's every man and woman for themselves!) But we are company for each other - should we need it.

Tuesday 18th - Eugen is off today, and you will be surprised to hear that I am glad - because that means we will be on the same shifts next week, and you know how important that is to me! It seems that between them, Mr. Casolani, the Head Receptionist and Mrs Angus, the Head Telephonist, are trying to arrange the Christmas rota so that Eugen and I are both working the same shifts - nothing like a helping hand...I am on the lookout for a new dress for Christmas, I was looking in the window of a dress shop over the road, where I had seen another little black dress I rather fancied, it has a bell shaped skirt and a plain top with short sleeves.

I was considering whether or not to risk going in to see if it was in my size. It's one of those Jewish owned shops where you have to be absolutely certain of what you want, because once in - you won't get out without buying something - when a lady came out and practically dragged me into the shop! It turns out that the dress in the window is a size 10, and I'm a size 12, I ask if there's any chance they might be able to order me in a size 12 in time for Christmas? There are two shop assistants, one says yes, which quickly changes to perhaps, as the other gives an emphatic no, but she's sure they have something else in the shop that will do just as well. And it is justice to their sales technique that I eventually leave the shop with a dress in the same style as the black one, but in royal blue with a border of silver embroidery around the bottom of the skirt. As soon as I am out of the shop, I'm thinking - but I wanted a black dress! I was looking for something nice but smart, to wear for work over Christmas, this dress does not really fit the bill.

Alan came over to Ashley Court in the evening, spent most of it in bar, but went up to my garret quite early, Alan must be well in with someone here, as he is spending tonight in room 23. I didn't know it was empty, I must tell Eugen, as I know he's looking for a new place to live. (But whatever made you think, even for one minute, that Eugen would come and live amongst that mad lot????)

Wednesday 19th - I asked Eugen if he would like to come home with me for a few days after Christmas, but he says he's going home to Switzerland. Ah well, a girl has just got to keep on trying...I mentioned that there's a spare room available at Ashley Court, but he's not at all interested - there aren't many people who would pass up accommodation in the best of part of Kensington, for a peppercorn rent - and all that goes with it, I suspect it's the latter that Eugen finds easy to resist...I'm disappointed to learn that Norbert was in the bar last night, looking for me - has he forgotten the way up to the garret already? The lovely Udo is now working in the Control office at Stratters, so that should liven things up a bit!