This is the story of Will and his two friends who sailed to England in 1967 to see the world. Aerogrammes. letters, diaries and postcards help to tell of their adventures in this A to Z.
“Going Up the Country” Canned Heat • 1968 I'm going up the country Baby, don't you wanna go? I'm going up the country Baby, don't you wanna go? I'm going to some place Where I've never been before
Hello! Have been a bit slow getting around to this letter but moving and finding a flat is a big job in London. I received your letter just after I last wrote and very much enjoyed the pics. You should send some more sometime. Also received my licence and news clippings – thank you.
95 Fordwych Road, West Hamstead. Will and Phil were on the First Floor (upstairs) From Apple Maps
As you can see by the address, Phil and I have a new flat at last as temporary accommodation was getting a bit expensive with the eating out each night. We’re paying £10.10 shillings a week for this flat which is just fair but at least it has two rooms and a kitchen and is central to school and to town. It’s surprising how much stuff, for example pots, pans, crockery, cutlery etc we’ve collected and will either have to throw away or hire a ship to get it home eventually. Have just settled back into school life here again and have now only 6 school days till the Whitsun midterm holidays – 10 days off altogether and at the moment are still figuring on going down to Cornwall though the weather hasn’t been too good. It will be officially summer then – I’m assured by most English that doesn’t mean a thing.
Had a few beers last night with three mates we haven’t seen for a month or two and one of them, Graeme, dropped a bombshell by announcing he’s getting engaged to an English girl. We know he’s been taking her out for some time and she’s doing Teachers College with 18 months to go. Of course, we told him how sorry we were to hear the sad news but her parents are putting on an engagement party (free grog!)
Our school (Essendine) got another mention in the paper last week as reporters came following our letter to the editor and took photos and quite a large article was published.
Part of the letter written by Essendine Staff
We are the multiracial staff of a multiracial school and we are wholeheartedly united in opposition to Mr Enoch Powell and to the irresponsible and ill-informed way in which he made known his hatred and fear of coloured immigrants. Our Junior School is not unusual. As to numbers we maintain a very fair balance. About 50% of our children are boys and about 50% are girls. It so happens if one is looking at it in that way that about 50% are white and 50% are immigrants, mostly West Indians. It also so happens that of our immigrant children very many were born in London and have lived in London all their lives. London is their home. We have worked together side by side creating a community in which colour of skin is of no more importance than the colour of your jersey and now from outside comes the undercurrent of hatred and fear, ignorance and prejudice and a restatement in a very alarming way of the age old myth of racial superiority. We are teachers in a deprived area and so we are of course very much aware of all the many many problems which exist, social, educational, economic. How can we hope to solve the problems on the basis of Mr Enoch Powell’s obnoxious philosophy? He has made it that much harder for ordinary people to try in an ordinary and common-sense way to sort these problems out. As teachers we are desperately concerned that boys and girls in our care of whatever colour shall become infected by racial disease which can solve nothing. In this school we have already experienced repercussions. The children are worried, disturbed and hurt as a result of the explosion of racialist sentiments so freely expressed after Mr Powell’s disastrous speech. On our first morning back in school several of our West Indian children came to teachers asking in perplexity , “Is it true that we are all to be sent back home?”
Signed by sixteen members of Essendine staffMay 1, 1968
Cilla went for an interview today for an Air Hostess with BOAC and there’s a chance she’ll get it. That’s the way to see the world – get paid to do it.
POSTCARD
Greetings from Cornwall.
At this moment we are seated in the most southerly car in England as we’re parked on Lizard Point, the last car in the car park! Weather’s not so good but its a change to be out of London. Hope the cliff doesn’t collapse! Checked out some cute villages, pubs etc and just casually pottering about in the countryside.
Hello, received your letter this morning. Did you get my postcard from Cornwall? Pleased to hear you received the rug and like it. It is actually a Scottish tartan but I can’t remember which clan it was.
Well, we got back the day before yesterday from our week’s jaunt into the country and had an enjoyable week despite pretty miserable weather as we only got patches of sunshine. Although it only rained for two days it was overcast and cool for quite a bit of the rest of the holiday so of course not warm enough for swimming. We headed out west via Bath and found the spot Captain Arthur Phillip is buried in a little church there (the founder of Australia’s first settlement).
We went on to Cheddar where of course the cheese was beautiful and visited some caves not as good as Jenolan but nevertheless interesting – checked out some quaint little villages with thatched cottages, old manor houses and 12th century pubs etc, visited Castle Combe which was voted last year as England’s prettiest village – the town in which the expensive film Doctor Dolittle was filmed.
Village of Castle Combe Postcard
We found England’s surfing West Coast wasn’t so bad. Sandy beaches in places and even a surf and surfboards but still too cold for me to swim. Tasted all the local food specialties which are Devonshire teas (scones, clotted cream, strawberries) and Cornish clotted cream, pastries, mussels, crab, fish etc and apple cider plus the local brews of beer ( just about every town has its own local brewery). We returned via Penzance (didn’t see any pirates), Dartmouth, Plymouth (Drake played his bowls here when the Spanish Armada came), slept one night in Beer which is good to drink but not so good to sleep in. It’s near the town of Seaton. Wasn’t that the name of Nan’s house, Dad?
The Mini boils over
There are some pretty steep hills down Devon and Dorset way and the mini boiled a couple of times but otherwise in 1000 miles went very well. We returned to London via Dorchester and Salisbury where there is a fantastic cathedral built about 1300 and really remarkable architecture inside and outside. Also visited Stonehenge which caveman “ran up” 14,000 years BC as a sort of temple.
When you could walk right up to Stonehenge
The weather improved yesterday and at last are getting some good summer weather so went rowing on the lake in Regents Park and checked out the view from the Post Office tower which at just over 500 feet is still the tallest building in London and has a good view of the city.
Today we were back at school again and only six weeks in this half term anyway and one of the weeks I think I’m off to camp for seven days with the kids down in Surrey or Sussex
I’ve been listening to the First Test most of the day (the noise doesn’t bother the kids so long as I tell them the score now and then). I am quite relieved to know Australia is doing so well because the boss is a fanatical cricket fan and I’d get roasted if we were beaten.
Pleased to hear Andrew behaved himself at the christening. I quite like the name.
This is the story of Will and his two friends who sailed to England in 1967 to see the world. Aerogrammes. letters, diaries and postcards help to tell of their adventures in this A to Z.
Itchycoo Park Small Faces. • 1967 Over bridge of sighs To rest my eyes in shades of green Under dreaming spires To Itchycoo Park, that's where I've been
c/- OVC,180 Earl’s Court Road,London SW5,England, 04/04/1968
Well things are pretty hectic here now as we move out of the flat in two days and have a big job cleaning it up, packing all luggage, finding alternative accommodation for five nights and then getting holiday travel arrangements settled. After exploring dozens of possibilities and spending about two hours at the travel agency the other day while phone calls were made for flights to Spain or Majorca etc all of which were booked out, I was beginning to think I'd end up in England for the Easter Hols. You just wouldn't believe the huge exodus of people to holiday South to the Sun from Britain and the package tours are surprisingly cheap hence the reason they were all booked out.
Cilla and I finally got a student concession flight to Milan, Italy on the first day of the hols and will spend about 16 days down there probably going to Venice for a bit of gondoliering and maybe on to Trieste and a few days down to Yugoslavia where there should be some sun. Can’t be any colder than here anyway because the two days of 70° temperatures we had disappeared and the temperature dropped to 30° when it snowed for two days. You just can’t even guess what the weather is going to be like in England. The flights cost £26 return and get back to London the day before school starts. I’m taking my shorts and togs and hope to have a dip in the Adriatic. Yugoslavia is supposed to be pretty also and though it’s Communist it’s not difficult to get a visa. The concession flight is almost half the scheduled flight price and flies over France and Switzerland in daylight hours so the view should be good. Cilla speaks good French and Italian and I know how to say “good morning”, “how are you?”, “good”, “beautiful”, “thank you” and also “do you speak English?” so I should get by OK. We’ll send you a postcard.
Appears as if Jeff, Phil and Bill will go to Ireland and northern Scotland where they haven’t been yet although they’re having trouble with last minute bookings too. My ribs still are not 100% and I’m out of rugby again this week but the X-rays said no fracture, probably chipped so will fix itself. The hospital I was at was Saint Marys and I saw the room where Fleming discovered penicillin.
Trieste, Italy, Easter Sunday
Venice postcard
Buon Giorno! Had a good flight by Viscount over the snow-covered Swiss Alps and now have found the sun. I’m sitting on the banks of the Adriatic Sea in the 70° afternoon sunshine. Left Venice this morning and travelled by Alfa Romeo (105 mph part of the way) down here, stopping for sightseeing on the way. Venice is MAGIC, everything they say it is. Cilla and I had a fascinating day going up and down the thousands of canals and many walkways of the islands. We found a Trattoria (cheap restaurant) and Osteria (cheap grog shop) where wine was 4 1/2d, that’s 10c Australian a glass so had an enjoyable evening. Saw Juliet’s house in Verona and the balcony under which Romeo made his speech. Tomorrow we reach Yugoslavia and maybe it will be warm enough to swim. Hope you had a Buona Pasqua (Happy Easter) Arrividerci, Will
Zadar. Hotel where we stayed in the background. Roman ruins in foreground.
Hope you got my card from Venice. Since then have moved on further south and the sun is shining brightly (70F) Yugoslavia seems OK. Hitching progressing well. A Serbo Croat bought us the local drink, Sljivovica (plum brandy) and a fish meal and we are staying at a first class hotel in Zadar on the coast with a view from the front window of an ancient Roman forum and the Adriatic sea (It’s reasonably cheap) Yeevooli (Cheers)
c/- OVC,180 Earl’s Court Road,London SW5, England 01/05/1968
Hello. Back in good ol’ London after a magic holiday. Received your letter Jack, the day I got back and was good to hear all the “gin”. I’ll write you as soon as I get organised again. Well, where was I when I last wrote? Zadar, Yugoslavia? Because we ended up going down the coast with an American middle-aged couple (typical rich Yanks) in their VW 1600 Estate car to a great little town called Dubrovnik on the coast. A complete little walled town where we checked into a great hotel with Floyd and Marion (from LA) and had 1stclass accommodation with waiter service and three good meals for £1/6/- a day each. Wine was 2/8 a large bottle, and the sun shone warmly the whole four days we were there.
Cilla and Will at Dubrovnic
In fact, the weather was great the whole time – sunny and warm, mostly 70-80F except for two days of rain in North Italy. Am now suntanned on the face and arms at least – makes everyone at school jealous. We caught the ship across the Adriatic and landed in Italy at Bari then thumbed down to Naples, Sorrento and Pompeii (my second visit as Cilla hadn’t been there). We got lifts with the usual ease. There’s nothing an Italian won’t do for a girl. So after two days we headed for Rome and spent two nights there and one very hectic day sight-seeing.
Cilla’s fluent Italian came in handy when we ordered two gelatos at the mobile cart in this picture. After I ordered in English the man said to his assistant in Italian, “Charge them double, they’re tourists.” Cilla heard what they said and hit the roof. In Italian she spoke back to them, “You will not charge double, you will charge the regular price.” They dropped the price all of a sudden.
Cilla and the ice cream van
Cilla has spent a total of four weeks in Rome before so knew her way around very well including the cheap eating spots and we visited the Vatican – a tremendous church but we didn’t see the Pope. Of course we saw the Trevi Fountain and threw in the coin like a good tourist should do (value 2d), the Roman Forum, the Colosseum etc and stayed at the Old Olympic Village (1960 Games) in the accommodation once used by the competitors – it’s now a youth hostel.
Throwing a coin in the Trevi Fountain
We started running out of time after that so hitched 340 miles the next day (I’ve now ridden in every brand of Fiat ever produced). Passing through Firenze (Florence), Pisa, and spent another couple of days loafing in the sun around Genoa – Christopher Columbus’s home town.
Stayed at hostel in Sori and checked out the surf
Then things started going wrong as Cilla had a couple of dresses and about £4 stolen while at the hostel and the weather turned cooler and rained but we had a few Cinzanos and Martinis to brighten up and got to Milan to catch the flight back.
It was there we were informed it had been cancelled and they had booked us on an all night 24 hr train journey back through Switzerland and France – timed date of arrival for 4pm Monday – the time school finishes for the first day back. No scheduled alternative flights were available so we were stuck – had to cable school and apologise that two of their teachers wouldn’t be back in time.
Of course, we got a good heckle back at school – the first thing the Deputy said was (very jokingly) “I don’t believe a word of it”. The boss was quite understanding. Expect we’ll lose our day’s pay however as that’s the regulations for first day of term, but we’ll complain to the airline company, which might help.
One of my students idea of what I look like
At present I’m back in class sitting in the Spring sunshine. The kids are writing poetry. All’s quiet and I’m writing this letter and drinking coffee at my table out the front. What a life! Still living in our bed and breakfast place which is very nice but not cheap so will have to get a flat (Phil and I) very shortly. Phil leaves for a week in Devon with the kids tomorrow, all expenses paid. I have some photos back (prints). I’ll send on eventually as soon as things are back to normal. The parks are full of tulips, daffodils and other bright flowers and the trees are all budding with green.
Australia to keep the Ashes and of course kill them at Wimbledon.
POSTCARD
This is the Coliseum in Rome. I climbed right to the top and it’s a bloody long way up there. The arena part in the middle had a floor and beneath were kept the animals (lions and tigers etc) which were used for feeding on Christians. I’ll be sending in some newspaper clippings shortly of a letter to the editor re our school and a picture of the Viscount we flew to Italy in (in pieces).
Good to be back in London again and any day now the weather must improve.
This is the story of Will and his two friends who sailed to England in 1967 to see the world. Aerogrammes. letters, diaries and postcards help to tell of their adventures in this A to Z.
“Even the Bad Times are Good” Tremoloes. • 1967 There are times in this life of mine I think that the sun forgot how to shine But as long as you're always there It don't bother me 'cause why should I care When all I've gotta do Is run to you
Well, we have a long sad story over here. When we got home from school yesterday, we found our flat had been burgled and really cleaned out. I reckon its lost me about £150. £30 to £40 cash, radio, camera, new electric shaver, £60 worth of clothes including new shirts, sweaters, three pairs of trousers (including bottom half of my suit), jeans, one pair of shoes, my old Lavina watch (not working and with broken glass), alarm clock, even my penny jar, after shave lotion, pens and a couple of souvenirs – nothing INSURED!
Phil lost £45 cash and expensive camera, two shirts and other things. They even cleaned out the gas and electricity meters, food kitty of £5 and so on. So I was swearing non-stop for about two hours to let off some steam. They did leave one new suit, suitcases and other clothes but have made a considerable hole in my budget. I may have to cut down on some European trips in Spring and Summer. The detective was sympathetic but couldn’t get fingerprints and we don’t hold any hopes of getting anything back. Phil’s gear was insured (except money) so he may get something back. Geoff, the other bloke in the flat lost only a suit, clock and a few little other things, so he got out the lightest (me the heaviest) – What a b#%&!
Will’s one remaining suit
Not to worry. No good crying over spilt milk – so enough of the crook news.
Last Saturday Phil and I resumed our Rugby “career” playing for Osterley RVFC- they have about seven teams and I think we’re playing “B” grade – they read the team out – saying “scrum half Brown, fly half Smithson, two Australian lads in the centres”. We were way out of condition but all they wanted to know was that we were Aussies, drank beer and were either bass or tenor for singing afterwards. Phil and I got big wraps for “fantastic tackling” but the rest of the time all we did was puff. Have still been taking out Cilla on the staff (the one with the car) and doing a bit of socialising.
Extract from Diary
Saturday 3rd of February1968
Out to Graham Scott’s place to borrow shorts and footy jumper and boots then to bank withdrawal £40 and met Phil at Australia House. Lunched at a Wimpy and snowed as we headed for Osterley by tube. Met the rugby mob at station and by Austin 1100 to Bracknell near Ascot Racecourse. Phil and I played in the centres, freezing cold and of course everyone kicks but we were so far out of nick we were pleased they were doing this. Got big wrap ups for our tackling went down 6-5 after leading 5-0 for most of the game. After to their clubhouse for free food and cheap grog. Back late, apologised to Cilla for being late. Drove down to OVC about 9:00 pm where we had a few drinks and danced to a good beat band and talked. Back to her flat for coffee and talked with three others till 2:00 am. Bed exhausted.
We’re having a Gay and Hearty next Saturday as we need to cheer ourselves up a little – have about 80 friends coming.
Extract from Diary
Saturday 10th of February 1968
Began cleaning up and did shopping of grog for party. Good show, about 100 people turned up. I got cheery and forgot to say hello to some people. I didn’t have much time to circulate as every time I left this bird (Cilla) someone tried to con her. A good show and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Renewed quite a few old acquaintances. 75 slept the night.
Extract from Diary
Tuesday, 13th February, 1968
After school tubed into Piccadilly Circus where I insured my luggage. Met Phil, and Graham who is flying out for Washington next week, for a few beers at a pub at Leicester Square 5:30 pm. It rained all night and we had a view of the square through the all glass frontage as we drank halves of bitter and talked. Farewelled Graham and lost Phil at 11:00pm. Caught bus home. Went to sleep at Marble Arch and ended up in Cricklewood Bus Garage with lights out and surrounded by many buses. Ran home 3/4 of a mile.
Thursday, 15th February, 1968
This morning we flashed out to Holland Park and met Lloyd from NZ and bussed to Osterley where we played rugby for the B team, Phil in the centre and I played left wing. I scored a try after Phil set me up in the corner. We won six nil against Beckenham. Hot bath afterward with fifty others. Was impressive as all sang songs, sober and all harmonising, sounded really good. Afterwards the usual supper and much beer and singing of Rugby Songs followed. An enjoyable evening.
14 Oaklands Road, Cricklewood 18/2/1968
They turned the clocks back one hour last night so we had an extra hour’s sleep as daylight saving time will be in use all year round now not just in summer as before. This means at present it will get dark about 6:30 pm now instead of 4:00 pm as it was in the height of winter. I still have pleasant memories of last summer’s evenings in England when it wasn’t getting dark till around 10:00 pm and we were playing footy in the park at 9:00 pm. How is the move for daylight saving time going in Australia? It’s a great idea. We waste half our daylight hours in bed particularly in summer time at home.
14 Oaklands Road, Cricklewood 25th February 1968
I’m on hols for a week now as I’ve worked a whole six weeks without a holiday so I need a rest. The vacation system in English schools is great as the terms fly by in no time – I don’t think too many teachers here have nervous breakdowns. Phil and I have decided to hire a mini for four days and drive up around the midlands towns and have a bit of a look at a few smaller country towns – it’ll be a change to get out of the city for a while.
We were out the Rugby Club last Friday night when Acker Bilk and his jazz band played – they were terrific, voted number one jazz group in the US last week. It’s a few miles out to the club but went out in Cilla’s mini. The breathalyser test has everyone over here scared to drink and drive but road deaths have been down 25% since its introduction so it’s having a good effect, even if damned inconvenient. The standard joke is, “So I’ve blown up the balloon, where’s the party, then?”
No good sending over any clothes. I’ve bought a few replacement things but the old bank balance is tumbling. I got a Kodak Instamatic 300 camera up the street – it’s the one with the built in light meter and superseded model as the flash fitting is single bulbs instead of cubes but just as good. The worst part about losing my other camera was the 16 good shots on the reel, such as one of the four of us playing Roman Soldiers, fighting off the Picts and Scots in the snow on the Roman wall up north and another of us having a duel on the duelling grounds at Hamstead Heath surrounded by the mist.
Tomorrow night we’re going to see “Sweet Charity”, a musical play starring Juliet Prowse (Frank Sinatra’s ex-girlfriend) which is supposed to be very good.
We haven’t heard from Keith for about 4 or 5 weeks – he must be working hard. I’ll bet it’s a bit of a shock to the system. Phil sends his regards. Jack, you owe me a letter. What’s the new job and send me a pic of the car. How are you Gail? Taking it easy I hope. That’s it for now.
14 Oaklands Road, Cricklewood, NW2, London 5th March 1968
Did you receive my card from Coniston? (Ed. Will’s parents lived in Coniston, Australia). If you did you will discover Phil and I ended up hiring a Viva for a week and motoring around England exploring a few towns and cities we hadn’t seen.
February 1968 Mid-term Hols. In Yorkshire Dales – end of winter. Phil taking pic. Viva we had for a week.
We were very impressed with the Yorkshire Dales and the sun shone on the snow for two whole days but Lake Windermere and Coniston Waters were shrouded in mist. We found some great walled towns with 10th to 13th century castles, cathedrals, houses, shops and pubs built centuries before, still in use, very atmospheric. The towns of Chester and Shrewsbury were almost completely original and said to be England’s most complete mediaeval cities. Stayed one night in North Wales and then dropped back into Shakespeare’s birthplace, Stratford on Avon which is very pretty also with many old half timbered houses leaning in all directions but preserved for the future. All in all a very pleasant holiday although not too cheap £7 each for car hire and petrol expensive but hostelling and food costs are quite cheap although we had to stay in a bed and breakfast one night as no nearby hostel was open.
Small store in Yorkshire Mountains
14 Oaklands Road, Cricklewood, NW2, London 18th March 1968
I received your aerogramme last Monday and the letter with the pics and DA label today. I enjoyed the photos and seeing everyone drinking cold beer and standing around in shorts and short sleeved shirts in the evening sun. – brings back pleasant memories. I took one of the girls on the staff (Cilla) to see the movie “Endless Summer” the other week and they had some shots of surfing in Australia. It looked great. Cilla is giving the teaching away in the summer as she’s in the process of getting a job as an air hostess – about the only way you could afford to see the world as a schoolie in England as you’d never be able to pay your own fare otherwise.
While I’m mentioning pay, a new rise of £75 per annum (30/-) a week is coming through next week for schools classified as “Priority” (such as Essendine) because of under-privileged kids, high numbers of immigrants and above 30% of kids getting free dinners. This won’t go astray and since the boss has been at me for some time to stay for 3rd term I’ve decided to do just that since I’ll get paid for 7 weeks holidays out of 17 weeks in the term. This means I’ll spend one week (free board) with the kids at camp in Sussex during school term.
I hope to Christ the Aussies kill the Poms in the cricket, though as the boss is big time in the cricket organising circle and I’ll cop the heckles if we don’t. Lords is just up the road, so I’ll be able to walk up after school to watch a few overs.
This afternoon I had an appointment at the opticians, and he says my eyes aren’t too good (my left one anyway) and I’m getting glasses for £4/10/-. The rest, doctors and other fees are all paid by National Health (free). He says I should wear them most of the time but doubt if I will.
Rugby is still enjoyable but only 3 games left now. I served at the bar after and am quite an expert at serving “a pint of bitter” now.
We move out of this flat on April the 6th and I’ll probably get a small flat for next term, possibly with Phil although he hasn’t decided whether he’ll stay yet or go to Canada. He’s teaching at a Physically Handicapped school at the moment where they have breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea plus one hour’s nap each day, all free! So he’s on a good thing but doesn’t know if he can get a permanent job in 3rd term.
Send mail via the O.V.C. from now on until I let you know of my new address after the hols.
c/- OVC,180 Earl’s Court Road, London SWS. England, 26th March 1968
Was down the O.V.C. last Friday night – 1st time in a month and casually checked the mail desk for mail, not expecting any as it’s quite promptly forwarded to our flat and was pleasantly surprised to collect your letter, Dad! It made enjoyable reading, so I settled back with an ‘alf of bitter and read it there! Good work!
Phil’s currently down the laundromat – a favourite spot for getting letters written, as I have to knock over 6 or 7 a week and am suffering from a damaged rib – product of Saturday’s Rugby game. Saw the doctor this arvo and have to go to the hospital for an X-ray tomorrow morning. It may be fractured but I’m hoping its only bruised as there are two games left this season. I got promoted to the “A” Team last Saturday – (this is really the 3rd side) and had to play centre instead of my usual loaf on the wing. I got a big wrap for my tackling (around the ankles). The Poms are rapt as not too many tackle properly but hardly got an attacking run as they monopolized the lineouts.
Enough of Rugby, except to say Phil has struck good form now and has been promoted to 1st grade and had another good game Saturday so should hold his position with ease. Of course, Saturday night after the game was really sensational- no one had to drive as we had a coach and therefore no fear of breathalyser tests (which have everyone scared to “drink and drive”) so are very successful and we went through a high repertoire of Rugby Songs. Got home all right though as someone put me on the right train.
Saw the movie, “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner”. Make sure you see it. Very good
Taking Cilla to the theatre tomorrow night to see a play and another of the girls on the staff invited me to a party so social life is looking up. I’m elected to run the “Grand National” sweep at school and the Oxford-Cambridge boat race is also on next Saturday – great excitement here but I’m not too excited.
c/- OVC,180 Earl’s Court Road,London SWS,England. 26th March 1968
How’s the new addition and the new father, mother and grandparents? Hope you received my card, Jack and Gail?. I haven’t collected any mail for the last couple of days as the O.V. are holding it so am looking forward to further news.
I leave tomorrow for Milan, Italy so am just doing some washing tonight and then packing my bag. Have been staying at a nice bed and breakfast place for the last 5 nights and have the rest of my luggage stored at school. We broke up today as it is the end of second term and it will be great to get away from the more difficult kids for a while. Some, however, are quite good kids and one brought me a cake , another a box of chocolates , more cake and some nice birthday wishes yesterday. I told them I was 21 but they reckon I am 24- a vicious rumour. Celebrated my 23rd quite well though. Cilla fed me on Guinness stout and caviar (Danish) on toast round her place in the afternoon and we went into the Rooftop Bar at the London Hilton at 5.30pm for a couple of whiskies. It’s 25 floors high (second tallest building in London) and overlooks Buckingham Palace Grounds, so you can see Queen Liz and Phil going for a stroll with the corgis, round their private lake and tennis courts etc. But at 14/- for two whiskies and tonic it’s a bit dear even if you do get free peanuts. Finished the evening at Lord’s Tavern near the cricket ground so was an enjoyable evening if a trifle expensive.
Phil just got his insurance rebate of £100 for the robbery and is happy with that as he didn’t lose anywhere near as much as me. The rugby is over until next September. Phil played in the first-grade side last Sunday and was one of the star players scoring two tries. My rib is 90% now and am just about fit again so had better start swimming or squash to get fit in the summer.
This is the story of Will and his two friends who sailed to England in 1967 to see the world. Aerogrammes. letters, diaries and postcards help to tell of their adventures in this A to Z.
“If I Were a Rich Man” Chaim Topol. • 1967 Lord, who made the lion and the lamb You decreed I should be what I am Would it spoil some vast eternal plan If I were a wealthy man?
14 Oaklands Road, Cricklewood, NW2 London 10th January 1968
Figured I’d send this to home as you’ll probably be bound that way by the time this letter arrives. I’m dying to hear the results of the sailing so will nip down to Australia House to read the Melbourne papers on Saturday morning. This will only give me a rough outline so you’d better complete the picture.
Hope the holiday was a beauty. I would’ve loved to have been sailing in the warm sunshine down there. A little difficult to remember now as we’re in the middle of the “Big Freeze” here. Tuesday was the first day of second term and when we woke it had blizzarded. London was buried under the most snow since the severe winter of 1963. The transport system was in chaos, most of the roads closed and the trains late or not running. I donned double everything, including scarf and ski gloves and arrived at school only 1 ½ hours late beating 3 or 4 other teachers. The boss said how pleased he was to see me and sent me a cup of tea – conditions are pretty good in the schools though – the temp was 25º F outside , the central heating had the room warmed to about 58ºF (not warm but bearable). The snow had clogged up the hands of Big Ben and even it wasn’t working.
Essendine school in the snow
I mentioned on the postcard that we went to Edinburgh for New Year’s Eve. And think I mentioned the sad story of how the pubs shut at 10pm (a Sunday) and we only had a double Scotch! Every Scotsman was drunk within town limits (or out) but us, and no bottle sales! I kissed a few nice-looking birds but even that didn’t cheer me up and at 12 pm in the streets of Edinburgh, Scotland stood four of the most sober, sad Aussies you ever saw! However, we cheered up the next day on the return trip and had a few beers at a little country pub as the snow flaked down overlooking the Roman wall and ancient forts.
Extract from Diary
Saturday 30th December 1967
Swanee, Phil, Bill and I set out for Scotland at 8:00 pm for the weekend and finally stopped about 4:00 am for a sleep. Weather cold.
Sunday, 31st December 1967
Arrived in Edinburgh for lunch and a look around. Had a few guinnesses in the afternoon at a hotel. Back to Bed and Breakfast for a sleep. Out for late dinner and discovered that pubs and liquor sales shut at 10:00 pm so we were able to consume one only double Scotch and amongst hundreds of drunken Scotsman and many young birds (kissed a few for good measure) we were as sober as is possible. How miserable! Large crowd on the street and bagpipes played.
Monday,1st of January 1968
The landlady was amazed to see us at breakfast the next morning and we left about 10:00 am and soon found the snow had begun. Stopped at the Roman wall in northern England for a few beers and walked through heavy snow to see the wall and old Fort that runs right across England, built about 10 BC. Snowed heavily as we drove on having a look at Whitby, a cute little seaside town where Captain Cook’s ships were built. Stopped at Scarborough for a fantastic Chinese meal, then to York which is probably the most interesting town we’ve seen in England, completely walled town with old lanes and shops (The Shambles) built between 14th and 15thCenturies – still in use.
Tuesday, 2nd of January, 1968
Drove till 2:00 am. Snack stop at Rugby in Motorway Services place and drove on through a blizzard back to London in the snow at 5:00 am. Slept till 3:00 pm. At night went to see “Doctor Dolittle” at the movies (pretty weak).
Saw two good shows lately. Sir Alec Guiness in “Wise Child” – a live play and he was tremendous, very amusing. Last night we saw a new movie called “Poor Cow” which was a really A-1 show but imagine the censor will chop it to bits in Australia.
I sent Granny some Russian dolls I bought in Moscow and a couple of small novelties for Jack and Gail. I will buy Dad a nice sweater (what chest size?). Ask Jack if he’d like one too. Now can’t think what you’d like. Any suggestions? Things are very cheap here as every shop has a sale. Good woollen blankets 25/- to 30/-. Thanks for the money. Received OK and spent on clothes (suit, overcoat, sports shirt etc) Out of space. Hope you cheered up Mum.
Extract from Diary
Sunday 7th January 1968
Breakfast at Michelle’s flat 7:30 am back home to bathe, read, cleanup, write, lunch then to Michelle’s place at 2:00 pm. To Victorian Air Terminal to farewell Michelle for flight to Australia. She’ll be in Melbourne in two days, bathing in Australian sunshine. Lucky, but she doesn’t want to go. I don’t particularly want to go home yet either. “Parting is such unsweet sorrow”. Michelle’s bag was overweight so did some fiddling and made it. Bought her a carry bag and London address book.
14 Oaklands Road, Cricklewood, NW2London 15th January 1968
Things have been pretty good on the social side with lots of parties and Phil and I have long since decided the Pom parties are the best. I have been taking out a nice-looking bird from the staff lately or at least she’s been taking me as she’s got a mini and this beats public transport. I’m not too proud.
North Acton on the way home from a party
Saw “Fiddler on the Roof” again the other night and Topol, the Israeli who plays the lead, is still as great as ever. Have seen three or four other good plays and movies lately too including a Gilbert and Sullivan last night by the Doyley Carte Company, supposed to be the top company in the world.
We’ve decided to head out for Europe in Easter – hitching via France, Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Sicily, Rome, Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Luxemberg and back to Britain. Phil and I intend to soak up the sun for two months in Northern Africa and a Greek Island where we hope to survive for a £1 a day for 8 weeks. Then back to Pom for a few days and will probably go with Bill for about a six week holiday on the French Riviera, sleeping out, camping and Youth Hostelling. That will take me to August where I’m (also Phil) figuring on jetting out to Canada and a couple of weeks with Aunty Betty before beginning teaching in the Toronto area in September. This is only tentative (all these arrangements) but at present appears the most inviting. Hence I need urgently a photo-stat of my Teachers Certificate air mailed over so I can get an Ontario Teachers Certificate. Could you do this please?
Haven’t done much sightseeing lately (seen most of London) although bought a 6/- bus ticket to travel on any bus in London all day and checked out Karl Marx’s grave. Did you know the founder of Communism was buried a mile from here? I’ll bet the Russians or Chinese would like to buy him and put him alongside Lenin in the Kremlin Wall.
Keith appears to be getting on OK in Canada. Earning good money. He’s just bought a 1960 Ford Zephyr – says he can save $200 to $250 a month and only $3,000 for a new Mustang. Met another two of the girls we went to college with at a London party the other night. Can’t be too many schoolies left at home.
Some residents of the Cricklewood flat. Note the world map on the wall.
We have a large Europe and World map on the wall here and I get a new idea every now and then of some place I’d like to see. The way things are hotting up in Vietnam they’ll be calling me home to go to war! Don’t fancy that too much. (Vietnam War very unpopular here and in Europe). Still they can’t get me while I’m here can they?
The other bloke in our flat (Geoff) is going home overland to Darwin in April, taking 8 months and hitching. He’s been away 2 ½ years and his mother has been blind for 15 years – she has regained her sight following an operation and has not seen him since he was 7 years old so he’ll be home for Xmas. We have two Canadians staying in our flat for a few days at the moment – nice guys. Write soon.
This is the story of Will and his two friends who sailed to England in 1967 to see the world. Aerogrammes. letters, diaries and postcards help to tell of their adventures in this A to Z.
“With a Little Help from My Friends” Beatles • 1967 Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends Mm, I get high with a little help from my friends Mm, Gonna try with a little help from my friends
14 Oaklands Road, Cricklewood, NW2, London 11/11/67
Down at one of my famous old writing spots, the Laundromat, catching up with my mail while the machine gets rid of the dirt. Received your letter and pleased to catch up on the news as it was overdue, but I suppose a letter equals two aerogrammes, so I’ll let you off this time (with a warning).
Last Friday we tripped down to White City Stadium to watch the Rugby League and cheered the Aussies on to victory in the 2nd test – yelled ourselves hoarse among all the Poms and it was a really exciting game. Only 20,000 people but this was a good crowd for London where the game is not played and receives very little publicity at all in the papers.
Went down to see “Sound of Music” the other night. Have you seen it? A great show and I must check out Salzburg, Austria when I get there next Spring or Summer for the scenes where it is filmed.
We saw ol’ Harold Wilson at the Rugby and he went round to their pub after as he is a keen league man. The word is they had all drowned quite a few chilled chunder drops. Wilson’s popularity on the national scene is at an all-time low. The economic position here is hopeless. As we tell the Poms, “The only chance you’ve got is to emigrate, mate”. Australia House is doing good business as winter approaches. The cartoon in the paper had Liz and Phillip opening Parliament with the speech “Owing to the present economic situation, my husband and I have decided to emigrate.” It’s their only chance!
14 Oaklands Road, Cricklewood, NW2 London 10/12/67
Hello! I think you owe me a letter, so you’d better hurry up and write. Life in the old Pom is pretty cool these days with heavy snow covering the streets, trees and cars. The whole of London looks quite different – even attractive, as the old grey and brown buildings are pleasantly white. It is still quite a novelty as when we woke on Friday morning it was snowing heavily, and the temperature was around 28º F outside! The last two days have been averaging 21° F all over Britain which is pretty cold. Gloves, coats, scarves are in!
The kids at school are having a picnic and snow fights in the playground are quite popular. London isn’t geared for cold weather like this, and everything is disrupted. I was one hour late for school on Friday and when I got there had to teach three classes for an hour and then all day because of late arrivals and absences it was very hectic. Also, it’s chilly in the flat and even though the gas heater is on full all night the room never gets really warm. They need central heating urgently. Would love a toboggan or skis for up in the park but have had good snowball fights anyway!
Because of the snow we didn’t get up to Swinton to see the Rugby but one of our mates is a TV technician, so he gave us a set, and we watched a live broadcast – a great game. Raper played a blinder. It was quite pleasant sitting in front of the fire watching them play in the snowstorm.
Keith is leaving for Canada on the 27th December. He is to teach at Port Alberni near Victoria, British Colombia on January 3rd. The pay is very good, and he reckons he’s seen all of Europe he wants to see. Now he’s planning on teaching there till July 1968. Phil will probably stay another month or so here and head for Canada too. We’ve still got another bloke staying with us and won’t have any trouble getting someone else in the flat.
Last Friday I saw the “X” certified French movie “Belle de Jour” which was good entertainment and very revealing as was completely uncensored. I took Michelle whose French was good enough to follow but I had to read the subtitles.
We spent quite a few hours the other Saturday afternoon drinking at “Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese” in Fleet Street with a journalist and a retired pilot who flew with Kingsford Smith and was in Sydney in 1929. It was an historic old pub which was rebuilt in 1667, the year after being destroyed in the Great Fire. They celebrated their 300-year anniversary the previous day. The waiters looked pretty dashing in all their period clobber.
Waiter at Ye Old Cheshire Cheese
Keith and Phil send their regards and Season’s Greetings. Hope you have a great Xmas with not too many hangovers. Have a DA for me will you please – what did it taste like? And what does sun look and feel like? I hear you’ve had some hot days. How’s the sailing? Hope all are healthy and well – my regards to everyone. I know – tell them I said Merry Xmas to them too.
14 Oaklands Road, Cricklewood, NW2 London 28/12/1967
Happy New Year! We had an enjoyable Xmas here with 6 crates of Fosters Australian Lager among the three of us (plus Scotch etc ). The girls invited us round for dinner so we had a great feast and swung right through until midnight. The round of parties was very pleasant, and I had two Xmas dinners at school. Bought a bottle of Porphyry Pearl for the staff to show them how good Aussie wine is, and it was much appreciated.
Extract from Diary
Merry Christmas! Weather cold, dark and rain drizzling down.
At 12 midday around to girls’ flat armed with record player, Beatles records, whiskey, sherry, Spanish sauterne, Raki and two dozen cans of beer. Had a great feast of duckling and all usual Christmas trimmings which the three girls cooked and swung all through the afternoon and night ending quite plastered about midnight. A pleasant day.
Christmas Dinner at the girls’ flat
Unfortunately, it appears maxi skirts have a grip on now as more and more are appearing for the winter, but minis are predicted for the spring again, so I hope my memory is good enough to last.
Keith left for Port Alberni, British Colombia, Canada this morning at 10 am and should be there by now, ready to start teaching on January 3rd. Phil and I have still the same flat at the moment and think we might get a couple of birds in to share because they are tidier than blokes. Phil will stay a couple more months before heading off for Canada and I will be heading out for Europe again for about three months in April (by car, I hope)
My backpay of £70 stg came through last week as I am now qualified and actually have £20 more in the bank than I arrived with! Amazing.
Bill, a mate with a (new) car, just rang and wants to know if Phil and I (and two other mates) would like to go to Scotland for the New Year weekend and as Edinburgh is reckoned to be a really swinging town on New Year’s Eve with big celebrations, we will probably go. Should be fun.
Holt’s (Australian Prime Minister) disappearance was a terrible shock and tragedy. I have sent the newspapers of the next day by sea mail just so you can get an idea of the publicity it received over here.
Sounds as if you had some nice presents being handed out there at Xmas. We ended up with lots of cards and specially liked those with good ol’ Aussie on them. There have been some good shows on TV over the holiday break and we still have our free set and free record player. Bill is bringing round a colour set one night just so we can check it out here – what I’ve seen so far of colour is quite good. Still seeing many plays and shows as London is a good spot for these. Sir Alec Guiness tomorrow night, Juliet Prowse another, Gilbert and Sullivan, Royal Albert Hall, etc, etc
What does the sun look like? It’s usually dark by 3.30pm and some days we don’t even see a glimpse of it – wait till summer and I’m in Spain and Greece. Ah! Pleasant dreams.
This is the story of Will and his two friends who sailed to England in 1967 to see the world. Aerogrammes. letters, diaries and postcards help to tell of their adventures in this A to Z.
"Les Bicyclettes de Belsize" Engelbert Humperdinck • 1969 Turning and turning The world goes on We can’t change it my friend Let us go riding now through the days Together to the end
Extract from Diary
Saturday 2nd of September 1967
Looking for flat. Saw one at Cricklewood. Michelle left for Europe. To OVC to watch TV and have a few beers. Decided to take Cricklewood flat.
14 Oaklands Road, Cricklewood. Will and friends lived on the ground floor. Photo from Apple Maps.
Sunday the 3rd of September 1967
Late up. To Tate Gallery to see display (not impressed) and then to Imperial War Museum which was very interesting.
Monday the 4th of September 1967
Tube to school. My new class (2C) has a bad reputation from last year but still there are only 22 or 24 kids. 65% are West Indian and 50% are practically illiterate.
A mother saw me this morning and said, “I buy this book for my little girl and she can’t even read “T-H-A-T” so please teach her to read and hit her hard if she does not try.”
All I could reply was I’ll see what I can do. Four new teachers arrived and we have a free hand to teach whatever curriculum we like.
Tuesday 5th of September 1967
My new class is to have eight other kids added to make 32 and boy, do they need help! Reading ability is mostly non-existent and they can hardly count to 10.
Spent evening going out to Cricklewood to fix deposit of flat and letter writing.
Saturday 9th September 1967
The Cricklewood Flat in 1967. Keith and the 1000 Van
Spent the morning packing and made two trips in the Morris 1000 to the new flat. Spent all arvo unpacking and moving furniture and doing some shopping. Pleased to get mail from my brother Jack. Big news is Gail is expecting and I’m to be an uncle!
Sunday 10th September 1967
Spent the morning after breakfast cleaning everything in sight. When landlord arrived, Phil was cleaning windows, I was sweeping and Keith was washing drawers and putting in clean newspaper. He was impressed. Flat now seems OK. Gus and Tommy came over at 5:30 pm and were the first visitors to the new flat. We caught tube to the Prospect of Whitby where ten of us met and were the star attractions leading the singing and creating the noise. All pretty cheery by the time we left.
A cheerful group
Friday, 29th September, 1967
Today at school my class won the school cup for the week as the most improved behaving class in the school. The boss said he didn’t have to speak to one child from that class all week.
Class of the Week
They’re pretty well set up here having their own assembly hall, gymnasium, library, art room, dining hall etc which is pretty good for a Primary School but the standard of education isn’t too high.
14 Oaklands Road, Cricklewood NW2 London England 3rd October 1967
I figure you owe me a letter but if I don’t write now I’ll never have room to fit everything in. I’m back at school after a great nine day holiday. The last of the leaves are floating down from the trees and the previous couple of days have been pretty cold, wet and dark. It was pitch black by 5 pm this arvo and could be a cold winter. The week in Belgium and Holland however was mostly good weather with quite a bit of sunshine. Only had rain in the last couple of days in Amsterdam.
I left London on the first day of the holidays and hitched down to Dover. It is very easy hitching in England and a couple of lifts I got first swing of the thumb. Had a ride with a guy who raced Formula 1s and was on the way to time trials in his VW Beetle 1500. I navigated a 90-mph trip to Dover so got there early in the afternoon. Went to see the movie “The Dirty Dozen” that night and stayed at a Youth Hostel. A Yank guy and I caught the ship to Ostende, Belgium after checking out Dover Castle and the old gun emplacements overlooking the channel.
Dover was shelled about 40 different times by the Nazis from Calais. Spent 2 days altogether in Belgium which isn’t a very impressive country really – although it’s quite modern and has a high standard of living, it hasn’t much character of its own. I ended up near the German border after hitching through Belgium one afternoon.
The Atomium in the 1958 World Fair Grounds, Brussels, Belgium. Lifts and escalators connect the circles. The Atomium represents a diagram of the atom and each room contains an exhibition relating to the atom and its peaceful use.
Most people who gave me lifts were friendly, about 50% spoke English and I have had some funny experiences trying to communicate with non-English speakers. One fellow bought me a beer, another coffee etc. It’s surprising though just how many people speak English. It’s a set language taught in schools and easily the most international of languages (which is handy).
I entered Southern Holland on Monday and stayed at a 140-bed youth hostel in a place called Sittard as the only visitor. The youth hostels were very good – many are modern and interesting. I hitched 150 miles the next day to Rotterdam where I had arranged to meet Ted (Canadian). We hired a bike the next day for 5/- a day and pedalled along the special bike roads of the city- the largest port in the world.
Mounted on my treadle. in Rotterdam Holland. World’s busiest harbour and thick with water traffic going both ways. Most of the roads in the city were like this and the cobbles made for rough riding. Even saw a guy wearing clogs laying new ones. Surprising as Rotterdam is mostly modern otherwise.
I’ve never seen so many ships going up and down one harbour. Went by train to the Hague where we hired another treadle. It’s great fun being on a bike again. I forgot and kept left instead of right and nearly had a head on argument with a tram.
The Hague, Holland. Three Aussie mates (Perth) and Ted. They were travelling by train and had to walk out to this youth hostel (background) 10 km from town. We pedalled.
We spent the next few days in Amsterdam which is a great city. Visited Rembrandt’s house, Anne Frank’s house, toured the canals by boat, visited the Flea Market and sent Jack a card from the Heineken brewery which is being sent free (probably snail mail) Caught the ship and train back Sat night.
Anne Franks’ House – Amsterdam. Anne died in a German prisoner of war camp (Belsen) at the age of 15, late in 1944. There used to be five cars a week drop into the canal but a safety rail at tyre height has now been erected.
A week before the hols Keith and I saw the Beatles attending the premiere of John Lennon’s new movie “How I Won the War” at Piccadilly Circus. Big crowd! On the Friday we saw the Motor Show which was 7/6 for the Poms but as overseas visitors we got in for free. We missed the first test but are going on Friday night under lights and to a party afterward.
Keith went up the north of England for the hols to visit some distant relations and got a warm reception. Phil stayed home – says he’s saving money. Michelle is in Spain. We’re off to the footie on Saturday to cheer on the All Blacks. Only 7 ½ weeks to Xmas hols. Next Saturday is Guy Fawkes Day- Wow!
This is the story of Will and his two friends who sailed to England in 1967 to see the world. Aerogrammes. letters, diaries and postcards help to tell of their adventures in this A to Z.
"Back in the U.S.S.R" Beatles • 1968 I’m back in the U.S.S.R. You don’t know how lucky you are, boy Back in the U.S.S.R.
52 Weltje Road,Hammersmith, W6 London, 29th August 1967
Greetings! We had a fabulous trip and already have some good slides back. Briefly we stopped at Brussels, Belgium and onto Hamburg, Germany where we stayed at a hotel and checked out the Zillertal which is the fabulous beer hall where you drink from great steins of beer and the brass band plays while everyone links arms and sings and dances. Here we also saw the girls in the windows on the Reeperbahn admired by throngs of spectators. West Germany seems a great country, very modern and the Autobahns are really class. No speed limits which is terrifying as we narrowly escaped one four car pileup. Many of these highways were built by Hitler and they have no space at the side for broken down cars to get off the road.
Had a great stay in Copenhagen, Denmark which has quite a high standard of living.
Extract from Diary Monday 7th August
Bus took us through Copenhagen to the Tuborg Brewery where we did a tour of inspection and afterwards got right amongst the chilled strong beer. Saw the changing of the guard at the Royal Palace and then to Memorial Museum to Danes who fought in the underground resistance against the Nazis. Took photo of the little mermaid and spent afternoon shopping.
The statue of The Little Mermaid has been on this rock since 1913
There is no censorship here, so slides, books, magazines, films are available in most pornographic detail, receiving no attention from Danes but lots from tourists.
Strolled up to Tivoli Gardens after dinner in self-serve restaurant. Met Kim and Margaret from Canberra and rode on roller coaster, ferris wheel, played poker machines (made in Australia), and then saw a high-class variety show which featured Marlene Dietrich. Cost 3 Kroners (3/-) to stand. Fabulous success.
We drove into Sweden which is supposed to have one of the highest standards of living in the world. Stockholm was beautiful as it’s built on 14 islands. The open-air folk museum was fascinating. Early type homes and shops have been reconstructed and people in period costume were carrying on crafts and so on inside. Very realistic.
We cruised then through the archipelago with the midnight sun shining on the water and had a glorious smorgasbord dinner and breakfast on board, being awoken to land in Finland and finished a couple of days in Helsinki with a sauna bath (where the idea originated). Very invigorating.
Thurs 10th August
Stood on deck to watch ship enter Turku harbour, Finland. Through customs without difficulty although NZs had to have visas for Finland. The Youth Hostel in Helsinki was part of the Olympic Games village in 1952. Very flash hostel 3 or 4 to a room with cupboard space, desks, hot showers, TV (saw American TV programme with Finnish sub-titles) Hostel has three gymnasiums and one 5 lane bowling alley.
Will and statue of great Finnish athlete Paavo Nermi at the entrance of the Olympic Stadium
Explored the area in the afternoon and went into Helsinki after dinner to see night-life (non-existent).
We reached the Russian border the next day and spent two hours getting through customs while they searched everything, mirrors under the bus and climbed on top and all. We spent over a week having a look at the results of “fifty glorious years since the workers revolution” and saw Communism at work. I entered open-minded and expected to see the result of “the great leap forward” but left totally unimpressed. A country that is sending rockets to the moon has its people living in shanties (out of the cities) and carrying their water in buckets out of the town, farming with horses and ploughs and so on. The same way they have been living for centuries. The only change Communism has made is to give them TV sets.
The All the same Russia was very interesting as we had seen nothing like it before. Leningrad and Novgorod were places we stayed and then into Moscow which was much better with modern apartments and new campsite. The shops are very austere, a very narrow range of goods on sale and mainly food shops anyway. There was a good market for ball point biros with flick ends (unfortunately I had bought normal ones) and the chewing gum which were both fetching one rouble each (AU$1) or sixpenny gum on illegal sales. They were so keen for jeans they were prepared to buy the ones we were wearing. Beatles records were also in demand and some people had brought them to sell. Also, there was a very big black market on money changing. You could get two and a half times the official rate but we felt we were being closely watched. Saw quite a lot of the city during our four-night stay.
Extract from Diary
Thursday, 17th August
Up at 8:30 AM left camp 9.30am into Moscow, visited Kremlin and saw Tsar’s cannon (never fired), largest bell in the world, then Red Square and Lenin’s tomb (long queue), checked out GUM department store. Saw Russian ladies working on the road in many places shovelling dirt. Lunch in square near bus. Back into Kremlin and got couple of pics of Red Square.
St Basil’s Cathedral in Red Square, Moscow. Will is in white long socks
Then by bus to souvenir shop where I bought a set of Russian dolls. Back to camp for dinner and then shower and some bods went to circus but Roy, Ian and I walked down to hotel and ordered ice cream AOK and Russian beer (terrible). Circus was said to be crook. Bed 11:30 pm.
We weren’t sad to get out eventually however into Poland which although Communist too, appears better off financially. At least the horse and carts had rubber tyres! Poland apparently has some free enterprise and it was good to see shops with attractive window displays etc and people who appeared a little more excited about living. Black market prices for money was four times the official rate. From here on we stayed in hotels in two cities that really received a hammering in the Second World War. In Warsaw we saw men unearthing human skeletons buried only two feet down.
Horse and cart in Poland
Extract from Diary
Tuesday 22nd August
Up at 5:30 am brekky at 6:00 am Drove all day through pretty Polish countryside passing many horse and carts but very little motorised traffic. Reached East German border at 5:00 pm on into East Berlin at 8:00 pm. City is surprisingly modern with much construction taking place but quite a few traces of war damage. Our hotel Berolina is very modern and new and is said to be the best in East Berlin. 9:00 pm dinner of four courses and welcome by our host. Each room has private bath and is very comfy. Bath and drink before bed.
Wednesday, 23rd August
Up at 7:00 am with good brekky in hotel. l changed money and headed off down Karl Marx Avenue to check out the town, past a modern fountain and then back down an old time, fashionable street of pre-war Berlin. Checked out bombed cathedral and saw “monument to those victims sacrificed to Fascism and Militarism”. Continued to Unter den Linden where rebuilding was complete to Brandenburg Gate and saw the wall with guards everywhere patrolling the no man’s land with automatic weapons.
Will pretending to climb the wall near the Brandenburg Gate
Hitler’s bunker was still there where he died and then we walked on to Checkpoint Charlie, the only crossing into the West, where we were told to move on. Had dinner in nice German restaurant for 10 shillings sterling. Into Post Museum and saw car smash out the front, then inside another bombed church, passed a bombed theatre under reconstruction and checked out a new church. On to “Museum of German History”, a communist interpretation, very anti-Nazi of course which showed the “heroic struggle of the German worker to defeat the bourgeoisie and capitalist warmongers to bring peace happiness and economic prosperity to the German people”. Viewed the museum where Karl Marx and Einstein were educated and the library where Lenin read and wrote in 1895. Travelled on Berlin underground and walked back to hotel for hot bath and dinner of four courses.
Communist Germany is easily the highest standard of living we’ve seen for a communist country with a variety of goods in the windows etc and we have the feeling there is quite a bit of free enterprise operating. Michelle’s fluent German has been handy especially for ordering cold beer.
Thursday, 24th August
Up at 6:30 AM to good brekky. Great coffee with cream. Set out at 7:30am, arrived at East German border at 11:00 am and spent some time while bus, passports, boots etc were checked for stowaways. Got through to the West German border at Helmstedt – breathed a sigh of relief. Good to be in a civilised country again with a high standard of living!
Have been back in London a few days and we have this flat for another three weeks and then hope to get a better one for the winter. School starts next Monday unfortunately but only seven weeks to a week’s holiday so won’t be too bad. Keith and Phil should be back very shortly. They were in Denmark last I heard.
This is the story of Will and his two friends who sailed to England in 1967 to see the world. Aerogrammes. letters, diaries and postcards help to tell of their adventures in this A to Z.
“Monsieur Dupont" Sandie Shaw • 1968 I'm learning every day, a different word to say I know "Je t'aime" and "Je t'adore" But won't you tell me how Oh won't you tell me now The way you say en français: "Give me more"
52 Weltje Road, Hammersmith W6 London 2nd August 1967
We had a fabulous week in Paris although it was fairly expensive. We flew over by Viscount and back by BAC jet and had a good view of the countryside and channel as we only flew at 2000 feet. We stayed at very nice hotel and discovered my French was better than I thought. We had two French girls show us around for a couple of days who didn’t speak any English but Michelle did the translating as she speaks French very fluently.
We went up the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triumph, Notre Dame and all the other famous places. One night we went to the Folies Bergère which was full of Americans and cost $4 Australian and was pretty weak in spite of all the nudes. They are really into tipping in Paris. You even have to tip the girl who shows you to your seat. A Coca Cola at interval cost 40c . It was also very difficult to get used to walking into toilets and finding women attendants watching you have a snakes (hiss) and you’re expected to tip them too. We just smiled politely and kept walking. Then there are the street toilets where your head and feet stick out and peep holes are provided for anyone with limited imagination.
Street toilets in Paris
We had a trip down the River Seine on a ferry, visited an underground wine cellar and tasted le vin, saw Napoleon’s tomb, visited the art galleries and saw the Mona Lisa and all the famous paintings by Van Gogh, Renoir, Matisse etc which were very exciting to see in real life. Also went out to Versailles, the Palace where King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette lived. It is a huge place and the grounds cover miles. We saw the Hall of Mirrors where the Treaty of Versailles was signed which ended the First World War.
Hall of Mirrors
We strolled by de Gaulle’s palace just after he had returned from the Canada fiasco and the place was surrounded by gendarmes.
We had snails at a café. They looked just like your garden variety. Would have tried frogs legs too but they weren’t cooked.
Extract from Diary Saturday 27th July
Train from Victoria Station to Gatwick Airport. With Michelle, Norma, Neil. Boarded a Viscount aircraft for 7pm take off and smooth short trip with lovely views across the English Channel to France. (first ever flight). Then by train to Gare du Nord in Paris. My French began its first use since High School as I ordered a hot dog and a biere (good German and Belgium brews)
By Citreon taxi to our hotel (Hotel Gailloun Opera) which is expensive at £1/10/- for bed and continental breakfast but very comfy. No one speaks English so I’m madly learning a few words in French.
Monday, 24th July
Awoke at 8.00 am to Bonjour Monsieur and Café au Lait et Croissant in bed – a double bed and nice room to myself. Michelle does a great job of translating and is particularly handy when a) the bloke you are speaking to doesn’t speak English b) You are thrown by a conversational Frenchman or an answer which exceeds your scope.
Will wearing a blonde wig for some unknown reason in his Paris Hotel room
The day was hot and sunny so we often stopped for a cold beer at open air cafes.
We travelled by metro (underground) to the open air (Flea) Markets where everything is sold. Then by old fashioned bus to the Sacre Coer which is a large important church on a hill.
Walked around to the artist quarters where works of art were being painted then bought bread, cheese, German sausage, tomato, butter, yoghurt and wine for dinner back in our hotel room.
Tuesday 25th July
Awoke at 8.00am to breakfast in bed – C’est la Vie! To Bureau du Postes then Metro to Chatelet and onto Ile de la Cite and St Louis in the middle of the River Seine. Checked out Notre Dame Cathedral and open air book stalls…I flaked out for a few hours. Norma and Michelle left for a French play but I couldn’t cop that at present.
Wednesday 26th July
Weather – Tres chaude. To Iena by underground then strolled to Palais de Chaillot and over road to the Eiffel Tower where we paid 4 francs and went up the lift to the second stage. Glorious view of Paris.
Postcard – La Tour Eiffel
Lunched at sidewalk café and had a beer. Walked across Seine and visited Musee d’Art Moderne and saw many Picassos (originals). Caught river boat for a cruise on the Seine.
Met Francoise, a French girl who Michelle knew, at La Place de la Concorde where King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette lost their heads in the Revolution. She took us by bus on a trip through Paris to near her flat where we stopped at a café and she bought us a biere. We also met Dominique, her flat mate and she got her car, a Fiat 850 and took us out to Versailles to see the Palace (which was not flood lit as expected). Did a tour of Paris lights by night.
Thursday, 27th July
Walked past Madeleine, 3rd largest church in Paris and then past Palais de l’Elyse where President De Gaulle lives. He had just arrived home from Canada in a storm after he said “Long live free Quebec” and this was not appreciated by Lester Pearson. Down to Shell ICI where Francois works and met her at 11.30am. Lunch at self-serve restaurant. Walked home, Neil and I in shorts and long socks getting quite a lot of looks from the local people.
Will and Neil in long socks
At 2.30 pm we planned a trip through the underground sewers of Paris but 100 people were queued so we gave it a miss (smell was also strong). Went to Louvre and saw the famous Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and Winged Victory. Sat in park and paid for using chairs – 40 centimes equals 9 cents Australian.
Home for dinner – then went to Folies Bergère. Show was very elaborate but very weak. Many Americans there. Very hot inside theatre as had been 86 degrees F in the shade all day. Many nudes and topless gowns. Lasted for four tedious hours.
Friday, 28th July
Caught train to Versailles about 20 miles from Paris. Visited the Chateau of Versailles which is gigantic and very elaborate, once the home of King Louis XVI and Marie Antionette before they had a short back and sides at La Place de la Concorde in Paris. The grounds are extensive, filled with gardens, statues and ponds.
Will and friends making their own sculpture in the grounds of the Palace of Versailles
Caught a Metro to La Pigalle where all the strip clubs are and the Moulin Rouge which is very expensive but apparently is an improvement on the Folies (it would want to be). Meal charge is £5 and minimum drink charge 15/-. We had a drink at the café opposite where we paid about 3/9 each for a beer plus service about 6d. Robbery! Walked home.
Saturday 29th July
Bought snails and prawns while shopping and tasted the snails for the first time. It’s the image of those slimy things that tastes the worst. Took the Metro to Hotel des Invalides and saw Tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte. Revisited Notre Dame and marched to the top to get photos of the devils.
View from the top of Notre Dame
Sunday 30th July
Checked out of hotel, then to Rodin Museum where we saw his sculptures including the famous Le Penseur (The Thinker).
Girls went to see tombs of famous French men eg Louis Pasteur, while Neil and I found a café and ate cheese sandwiches, drank beer and read English newspapers.
Train out of Paris to airport then Jet BAC 111 to Gatwick – very comfy flight as night fell. London at 12 pm.
Rodin Museum
We are keeping this flat until Sep 18th which is about three weeks after I get back from Russia. After that we are going to get a better one for the winter. We have five here now. Gus from Sydney, cabinmate from ship, Neil from Sydney, one of the originals, Tommy from New Guinea and Qld, Ted from Canada. We had seven the other day as another Canadian was sleeping on the floor for a week and Fred from Wollongong. Fred bought himself a motor scooter and is touring Britain for his six-week school hols.
I bought an anorak (parka) today. It’s a beauty and cost me £5/7/6 sterling and will be ideal for winter. We are expecting weather in Scandinavia and Russia to be warm. It doesn’t get dark in Stockholm and Helsinki until midnight and then gets light very quickly and as almost the opposite occurs in winter it’s just as well we are going in summer. I’m looking forward to seeing Moscow, Leningrad, Warsaw and Berlin and have heard biros sell well in Russia so I have a stack that I bought for 3d each. Michelle and Norma are going on the tour too.
This is the story of Will and his two friends who sailed to England in 1967 to see the world. Aerogrammes. letters, diaries and postcards help to tell of their adventures in this A to Z.
“Galway Bay” Bing Crosby • 1947 If you ever go across the sea to Ireland Then maybe at the closing of your day You will sit and watch the moon rise over Claddagh And watch the barefoot gossoons at their play
Extract from Diary
Friday, 26th May 1967 Whitsun Midterm Holiday Break
After school, we caught the Tube to Euston and then the Dublin train (100 mph) to Holyhead, Wales. Bleary eyed we boarded the ship “Cambria” at 2.30 am setting sail across Irish Sea at 3.20 am. It was very cold but the seas were smooth. We arrived in Dublin at 7.30 am.
Saturday27th May
This morning we collected the car, a Viva Leprechaun, from Ryans. After our uncomfortable night we booked a cabin for the return trip. Our first port of call was Bray heading south. We drove through poor mountainous country, wet heath and bogs in misty weather. We continued south to Tullon and on to Wexford, a shipping port with very narrow streets and of course the usual church ruins. I stopped driving and started sleeping. We continued thence to Arthur’s Town where we checked into a youth hostel. Once settled in we strolled around to the small fishing village of Ballyhack which was virtually untouched by progress.
Consulting the map. We did ask for directions once and were enchanted by the lilting Irish brogue who delivered them. No-one understood what he said but we all loved listening to him.
Sunday 28th May
The morning began with a drive to Tintern Abbey (mentioned in Wordsworth’s Poem), then to Waterford (glass manufacturing town) and on to Cashel where we checked out St Dominican’s Abbey used since 11th Century for Kings, Priests etc.
Rock of Cashel near Tipperary
Then it was off to Tipperary (not such a long way to go). There we had ham sandwiches, Guinness and Irish bread. It was really tasty, and very pleasant overlooking Glen Allerlow in the sun, which was warm. I had driven 100 miles so Norma took over while I had a sleep in the back seat over the last few hours. We tried to view Blarney Castle but rain was pouring down so we headed back to Cork and checked into the hostel which is large and has hot showers for 6d. The girls cooked a three course dinner after which we went for a drive around Cork until 9.30 pm where it was still quite light.
Impressions of Ireland so far
Beautiful countryside. Very green and lush
People friendly with enchanting accents
Churches everywhere – 95% of population is very Catholic. Evident with many statues and crosses
People fiercely nationalistic
Republic flags everywhere
British money widely used
Statues of heroes of the Revolution are very popular
Many Churches, abbeys and castle ruins dot the countryside
Very rural country with not much industry: materials (linen, tweed), some glass, beer (Guinness), fishing, appear to be main non-rural industries
Roads fairly good. All sealed – country ones are narrow but trunk roads satisfactory
Car is beauty. Goes very well and plenty of space
Food slightly dearer than in England. Petrol is dear
Weather – very changeable. Blue skies to black and heavy rain to blue again all in the space of half an hour, all day
Monday 29th May
We left the hostel after sweeping chores at 9.15 am. From Cork we drove back to Blarney where we visited the castle complete with dungeons and towers, got with the strength and kissed the Blarney stone which bestows the gift of eloquence. Wow!
Will kissing the Blarney Stone
We madeBantry for lunch, with a Carlsberg beer by the harbourside. Along Bantry Bay we drove to Glengorriff through Turner’s Rock tunnel to Kenmare, You drive in to the tunnel in County Cork and exit it in County Kerry or vice versa.
Turner’s Rock Tunnel was built in the 19th century. The tunnel is 180 metres in length and is 3.65 metres in height. Due to it’s height, no operating tour buses can fit through the tunnel.
We then entered the scenic drive of Ring of Kerry where peat bogs featured. It was quite beautiful as we drove from Dingle Bay to Killarney. Here we checked into the hostel which was an old estate mansion. The halls were big enough to hold a ball.
Youth Hostel at Killarney overlooking lakes
Tuesday30th May
This morning we drove into Killarney where we became tourists and boarded a horse and carriage for a drive along the banks of Lough Leane where cars are not permitted.
A drive along Lough Leane
It was very pretty as the sun shone on remains of the castle built 1420, destroyed 1645 by Oliver Cromwell. Out to Mangerton I thought it was a dead spit of Jamberoo Falls (waterfall in south coast of NSW). In Tralee we did some shopping and stopped for a picnic lunch on the banks of the River Shannon.
In the afternoon we arrived in Limerick to check out Norma’s penfriend, who is quite nice and stopped for a couple of Guinness at a small pub.
Impressions:
Red hair quite common
Quote: It’s going to be a good tourist season.
Religion: Gerrard (penfriend’s husband) blessed himself every time he passed a church.
Lady on bicycle blessed herself as she passed three nuns (seated on park bench with their backs to her).
Donkeys and carts still main form of transport in country areas.
The Bed and Breakfast in Limerick was very comfortable. After dinner we drove out to Bunratty Castle where a banquet was to be held that night (for tourists). We explored an old castle ruin on the return trip. Then we were off to Cruises Hotel, Limerick for an Irish Ballad Session with very good singing and dancing and filled with American tourists.
Wednesday 31st May
We were up at 7.30 am and I enjoyed a hot bath. Gerrard took us out to Bunratty on the way to Galway and showed us around Irish cottages and the castle. We then drove on to Galway arriving 11.30am singing Galway Bay as we drove along its banks. The weather was warm so I put on togs and had a quick, cold swim. Sandwiches and a beer for lunch in warm sun were very enjoyable. It was very poor land, rocky, with depressed thatched cottages and rock fences.
Printed and Published by John Hinde, Dublin
On and on we drove through land producing hardly anything but peat (turf) for fires. It was a fast trip as I sent the Viva along quickly through country roads to Sligo. Here we sent a postcard to Bill McGrath, Principal of Wollongong Teachers College as his ancestors came from here.
We drove eight miles out to Glencar and into a small quaint hostel, 16 beds only, in pretty countryside, water from the well, wash in lake or brook. After dinner we enjoyed a stroll along the road at 10.30 pm when dusk was beginning to fall.
Thursday, 1st June
Glencar Lake Youth Hostel, North West Ireland. Michelle is demonstrating how we performed the morning chores.
After breakfast I had to scrub floors, finally leaving at 9am. We drove around Glencar Lake to Ballyshannon and Donegal. Checked out the castle, saw gypsies and arrived at the border of Northern Ireland where we talked to customs men (socially). To London, Derry where we sang the “London Derriere” (Danny Boy).
Northern Ireland (Ulster) although like the Republic in many ways was noticeably different. The standard of living appears much higher, roads better, towns more modern, less churches (hardly any Catholic, by comparison). Farms are more fertile and more mechanised (a few donkeys only).
We lunched in a lay-by beside a creek and baked in the Buttered Bun as Big Hughie was really listening to the stout sacrifice. Then we moved on to Limavady, Coleraine, Port Stewart (small seaside town) where we bought ice creams and posted slides. At the Giant’s Causeway we walked for a mile to see funny rocks, columns and steps of basalt. Buttered Bun Beaming Brightly (alliteration).
Giant’s Causeway
At the end of a scenic road we reached Bally Gally where there was a magic hostel. After checking in we walked along the beach and had a beer in an expensive hotel. We could see Scotland 45 miles away across the sea.
Friday, 2nd June
On the way to Belfast, capital of North Ireland, we gave Belgium Harry a lift. We parked and walked around, bought food, got lost, and couldn’t find car for one hour. People were helpful for directions. The accent is more Scot and English than the charming Irish accent. Belfast has a population of half a million, has a good shopping centre and we saw more industry (mostly ship building) here than in the rest of Ireland.
The ship building city of Belfast
The weather was overcast so although parts of the country were quite beautiful the weather didn’t make us enthusiastic sight see-ers so we sang as we drove. Passing through Mourne Mountains we sang “ Mountains of Mourne Sweep Down to the Sea”. On to Slane where St Patrick introduced Christianity to Ireland and up a country lane to Tara, seat of the Irish Kings and also where the Irish revolution of 1798 took place. Heading for home we drove down to Dublin with 1400 miles on the speedo since we began. We checked into a Dublin Hostel at 7.30 pm, bought chips and beefburgers for dinner. Although it is a large hostel it is full.
Saturday 3rd June
I only had a cold wash this morning as there was no shower or hot water. First stop was the station to cloak in bags and then we had to return the car. After visiting the Art Gallery, we saw the Garden of Remembrance to “those who died in the cause of Irish freedom”. The girls suggested we go to church to see a Catholic mass. It was quite interesting but when everyone knelt, Fred and I slipped out the back way.
Postcard printed and published by John Hinde Limited, Dublin
Impressions of Dublin: Streets filthy – saw Dublin castle – pretty weak, and also another church. Ate at restaurant with terrible food. Then to movie to see Casino Royale which was corny. Ate at movie cafeteria (good) then walked to station. Altogether we weren’t too enchanted with Dublin but this didn’t dampen our enthusiasm for the remainder of Ireland where we had an A1 holiday.
The ship had a comfy cabin and hot water. Wash, beer, coffee, bed.
Sunday 4th June
Up at 6.30am. The ship was already in port. Breakfast, then straight onto train, sightseeing through Wales countryside. Fast, comfy train to Euston with compartment to ourselves. Arrived 1.20 pm, caught tube home.
This is the story of Will and his two friends who sailed to England in 1967 to see the world. Aerogrammes. letters, diaries and postcards help to tell of their adventures in this A to Z.
“Waterloo Sunset” The Kinks • 1967 Dirty old river, must you keep rolling Flowing into the night? People so busy, make me feel dizzy Taxi light shines so bright
52 Weltje Road, Hammersmith, London, 6th May, 1967
Well, still fitting as much in as short a time as possible and time flies by. Last weekend eight of us checked out London looking over Westminster Abbey where all the tombs of the illustrious of England are (Kings and Queens, also people like Dickens, Kipling, Gladstone, etc) and then saw Scott’s ship, the Discovery, anchored in the Thames.
The Dove at Hammersmith
Keith, Phil and the other two blokes moved on, so Sunday night six of us had a few beers at “The Dove”, 250 year old pub down the road and I bet them £1 I could swim the Thames. So at midnight I stripped down to my U-tweeds, waded into the freezing water and stroked out. The tide is very strong as there is a 20 foot rise and fall so I was delirious with joy when my hands hit the bottom on the other side. I contemplated swimming back but knew I would end up too far down the river to get home. Fortunately I was near the Hammersmith Bridge so ran back in my underwear. A lone walker on the bridge glanced at me in surprise but did not reply to my cheery greeting. My mates, who thought I had drowned, gave me a hero’s welcome and a warm coat. I collected my £1. The next day it snowed (in May) in London but melted on hitting the ground. We’re still laughing over the whole event. The staff at school couldn’t believe it and asked if I had gone to the hospital to get my stomach pumped out. I don’t seem to have had any ill effects.
An OK dinghy at Hammersmith. This is where I swam the river. Hammersmith Bridge I ran over is in the background. Photo taken at 7.30 pm (Good old Daylight Saving Time – it doesn’t get dark until 10 pm)
I’d better answer these questions you asked while I still have the space. Keith and Phil have been back to the flat for a couple of days after a week in Cornwall sleeping in the van. They didn’t see much of Scotland before, so are going back for a week tomorrow. They are spending a bit of money and intend to be in Canada in September to earn some after touring Europe. As for me I plan to stay for a while and may teach another two terms yet. I have in mind a trip to Scandinavia and Russia in July for three or four weeks and am hiring a car to tour Ireland in the mid term holidays on May 26th. Sharing the flat at the moment is Ted (a Canadian, 20, not a bad guy) and Fred (31) and we are looking for another 1 or 2 shortly. Michelle is a French and German teacher from Tasmania and Norma is a history teacher from Victoria. The flat’s a little more normal as we had nine sleeping there one night and eight regularly. We had to have two sittings for meals!
A gathering at The Hammer
We have been getting out to see quite a few shows. Wednesday night last we saw “The Seekers” at the London Palladium. It was great to see four Aussie’s knocking them dead. Friday night the girls shouted me to see “Fiddler on the Roof” which is a live musical comedy playing to packed houses and said to be the greatest thing since “My Fair Lady”. A week or two ago we saw the movie, “A Man for All Seasons” filmed by Fred Zimmerman partly at Hampton Court Palace which we checked out yesterday.
This Saturday we explored Hyde Park which is quite huge and hired a 14 foot dinghy with red and white sails to give the girls a sail. What a joke, sailing on a puddle hole like the Serpentine. There was a 10/- deposit which you lost if you capsized it and I had my good clobber on so I didn’t bother to wash the sails.
Having lunch in Hyde Park London. Hire sailing boats in background.
Yesterday, Sunday, we had a free trip around the Thames Valley with a mini bus so anything for free is a beauty. We were taken on a conducted tour of Eton School. Started in 1440 and it’s a regular riot to see these kids in a school “uniform” complete with stiff collars and tails. Top hats for the prefects. From there to Windsor Castle where the Queen was in residence. It’s a gigantic castle built in 1070 and added to ever since. The Irish guards don’t even smile when you stand right in front of them but apparently if you annoy them too much they salute arms and drop the butt on your toe. Saw Phil’s polo ponies but didn’t happen to see him or Charlie. Went to Runnymede after and checked out the spot where King John signed the Magna Carta. From there to Hampton Court Palace, once home of Henty VIII and a fabulous place with huge gardens and we managed to get lost in the maze of bushes. Turned out a good day and a cheap one.
Hampton Court Gardens
I hope you got your Mothers’ Day card in time, Mum. Well, I’ve probably forgotten some of the news but afternoon playtime at school is nearly over and the kids will be returning any minute, so I’d better close.
Received your letter last week. Good to hear all the news. I’ve just found time to write as I have been out 20 days of the last 21 every night and all weekend also. It’s a bit hectic and I must get some rest soon. We have been to see quite a few shows lately. The play “Ghosts”, the musical “Oliver” starring Australian Barry Humphries, which was great, the open-air production of “Midsummer Night’s Dream” (sensational), the movie “Ulysses” which is banned in Australia and also in parts of England but is completely untouched here – (Wow! Name the four-letter word and they use it), “Zorba the Greek” – a good movie, “Blow Up”, again uncensored, “The Royal Tournament” – displays of music, marching, pageantry and skills by army, navy and air force. This was quite spectacular.
I have also been getting a few free excursions to places I haven’t been by taking the kids to the Commonwealth Institute. You should have seen the bus conductor’s face when we asked for 54 tickets. We used up all the paper in his machine, and to Hamstead Heath where I took the kids swimming in the first open air pool I’ve been in over here. I have been doing quite a lot of swimming, usually twice a week, once with the kids and once after school. The weather has been quite warm. I didn’t realise they have such good weather occasionally. But this doesn’t matter as most of the pools are heated.
We spent an afternoon at Wimbledon watching the tennis and of course we were clapping hard when the Aussies made a good shot which was often. It was really exciting to see Newcombe win.
The last two weekends we have spent away from London as its good to get out in the open air and sun again for a change. Last week seven of us hitched in pairs to Brighton which is the Pom’s number one beach. Not even a ripple where the surf should be of course, and their beach is all pebbles, but half of London was there. Stayed at a youth hostel, then next day we went to Hastings, riding for a couple of miles in an open top bus (sports model). Stopped off at the spot where William the Conqueror won the Battle of Hastings in 1066, and then returned to London. A cheap weekend as it cost only three pounds sterling for the lot.
Hovercraft to Cowes
The weekend before we went to Portsmouth and caught the hovercraft, a rough ride across the Solent to Cowes on the Isle of Wight and saw some beautiful yachts. We spent the Sunday touring the island by coach, got a ferry back to Southampton and then hitched home and it was a great weekend.
The Curry Apple Orchard 
