Adrian Mole unemployed; they have separated, divorced and remarried several times, often in the wake of extramarital affairs. In a reversal of a typical teenager-mother relationship, Pauline berates Adrian for keeping his room "like a bloody shrine". They move from Leicester to Ashby-de-la-Zouch with their dog (only ever referred to as "the dog", who is eventually replaced by "the new dog"). Adrian's paternal grandmother Edna May Mole is also prominent in the early diaries until her death in "The Wilderness Years". Pauline first leaves George for their neighbour, Mr. Lucas, an insurance man. George fathers a second son, Brett, by a lover,
John Courtney (diarist) John Courtney (diarist) John Courtney (1734–1806) was an English diarist, lawyer and property owner. He attended Trinity College, Cambridge, where received legal training, and inherited lands and properties in and around Beverley, Yorkshire, where he lived and served in the local militia. He kept diaries from 1759 to his death. Courtney was born in Beverley. His father, also John (1679–1756), the son of a London stonemason, worked for the East India Company and became Governor of Surat. His mother was Elizabeth Bourdenand (née Featherstone), daughter of Thomas Featherstone of Beverley. His parents were married in 1732. Courtney studied at Beverley