Sunday, 12 May 1985 – nice day. Rose late had “breakfast” – came to office late afternoon worked here and at home. Petra came over later.
Years later I discovered that there is a well-known term for the Sunday meal I described as “breakfast”… brunch. I cannot remember what I would prepare for such a meal but it probably bore more than a passing resemblance to an English breakfast.
Monday 13 May 1985 – busy day today – meetings etc. Cooked Petra meal in evening.
Tuesday, 14 May 1985 – union committee and meetings all day (including staff meeting). Petra cooked me a meal in evening.
15 May 1985 – busy day. Senate in afternoon. Long Ringroad rehearsal.
Thursday, 16 May 1985 – went to [magistrates] court in morning – meetings all afternoon – J-Soc early evening – Ringroad performance in the evening.
Friday, 17 May 1985 – busy day on birth control – committees et cetera. Very tired after. Shopped – cooked Petra meal.
Saturday, 18 May 1985 – road quite late – Kate [Fricker] came over to work on grievance/discipline [procedures]– Petra cooked us a meal in evening.
Having lived through the agony of the Tommy and Ralph saga for more or less half of our sabbatical year…
…Kate and I were determined to try and help leave behind a better set of grievance and disciplinary procedures than those we had inherited when we came into office.
Sunday, 19 May 1985 – Rose quite late – had breakfast. Did some work in office – Petra came over later.
Monday, 20 May 1985 – hard day in office – UGM in evening (so so) – Petra came over.
I cannot remember what was happening at our penultimate UGM to make it “so-so”. But I have discovered the following snippet from Concourse which made me laugh. Around that time, it became public knowledge that Princess Margaret was going to give up the Chancellorship of Keele. Concourse asked a few of us to suggest a suitable replacement.
I still think that Bugs Bunny would be a great choice.
Tuesday 21 May. 1985 – busy day – meetings etc. Did Bust Fund Disco in evening – Petra came over later.
The Bust Fund Disco will have been with John White – click picture link below for example playlist.
Wednesday, 22 May 1985 – rushed with meetings. Birth control [leaflet] etc. Cooked Petra meal in evening.
By this stage, the publication, which we named Sexplanations, perhaps even on that very day, had become more than just birth control. I remember that Jean McKay was especially helpful with the editing of that document at the end. I’ll write some more about the publication of it in a subsequent episode very soon.
Thursday, 23 May 1985 – rushed with meetings and stuff – OSS [Overseas Students Society]meeting in evening – Petra came over later.
Friday, 24 May 1985 – busy day in office – went rebate etc. Cooked Petra [a meal] in evening – went to jazz night etc.
Not sure what “rebate” was about, but Hayward Burt was involved and there was some sort of finance committee meeting that day.
Saturday 25 May 1985 – rose quite early – shopped – did some work – cooked Petra dinner in evening.
Sunday 26 May 1985 – fairly lazy day – breakfast – did some work – Petra came over later.
Monday 27 May 1985 – took morning off – went to Barlaston – worked thereafter. Petra came over later.
I think Barlaston Hall was a crumbling ruin still in 1985, mired in controversy over the project to restore the place that was supposed to be completed in the mid 1980s but…
That visit would almost certainly have been Petra’s idea rather than mine, but I’m sure we both had a splendid time. I suspect that I was in a deadline frenzy over completing the Sexplanations booklet on time, while Petra was on a mission to reduce my writing/editing excess on a Bank Holiday Monday.
That’s All Folks!…
…for now.