Dec 9 - London, England

Awoke about 9 am. After breakfast Mrs Gough saw me to the bus station. Took the 9:40 train, arriving in London at noon. Bought a 1967 Great Britain coin set at a shop on Regent street. Took the tube out to Victoria and visited the Scout shop on Buckingham Palace Road. A friend of Jim Shepherd gave me some patches and said he'd send me more. Took the tube back to Highgate and Bus 134 to Muswell Hill. Gwen returned home soon thereafter. We watched "the telly" had a good Chinese dinner. To bed at 10 pm.

Dec 6 - London, England

After breakfast I took the tube to South Kensington. Passed an hour in the Baden-Powell House Museum. [Baden-Powell was the founder of the Boy Scouts]. Spent five hours in the Science Museum, an absolute must to return to next trip. Took the tube downtown at 4 pm and walked around the shops until 6 pm. Met Gwen at Picadilly Circus. Had dinner in a restaurant on the South side of the Circus. Went to see the play "Oh Clarence" at a theater. Returned home late.

Dec 5 - London, England

Slept late again. After a self-made lunch I packed up, took the bus to the tube, and rode to Oxford Circus underground. Bought a Churchill Crown coin in the shop on Regent Street. Walked through more of the shops before watching "The Graduate" at the London Pavilion. Returned to Gwen's at 6 pm. Dinner, watched TV and retired.

Churchhill Crown 10 shillings
Tube - Bus 4 Shillings
Movie 7 Shillings Sixpence

Dec 3 - London, England

After breakfast Gwen took me down to the London University and let me off. I spent the entire morning in the British Museum. A Fine collection of oriental art, printings and paintings. Enormous rooms of Indian relics and historical books. I merely passed through in a hurry. Had lunch with Gwen in the faculty restaurant. In the afternoon I spent three hours in Hawley's, the biggest toy store in London. Only got two out of five gifts I need. Went home at 4:30. After dinner Gwen packed up her gifts and I my luggage, and we went to Slough. Sat around talking for several hours. Brett Mildenhall, a fellow scout dropped in. Jim Shepherd's son, now with a Jim and daughter of his own dropped in for a while. At 10:30 pm, Jim suggested a night trip into Picadilly Circus. Got home and to bed at 2 am.

Jim Shepherd
165 High Street
Langley, Slough, Bucks 42260

Letter to my Uncle Bart Strong written from London Dec 3, 1968

Dear Bart,
Sorry it's been so long. I've been "on the run," you might say, last week in Paris and this week in London.

On November 16th, my birthday, and last day in Switzerland, in Geneva, it snowed on my, so I was forced to take the train up to Paris and on to Boulogne. I stayed five days in Paris, but I could have spent months strolling along the Seine, through the Latin Quarter and the curious back streets of the city.

I took the train and bike up to Boulogne, crossed over to Dover, and cycled down into Folkestone, where I stayed with a Scout I met at the Jamboree. Then I visited another friend in Sussex County, then up to London. I'm now staying with the sister of Gwen Abbot, Boot's English friend. Last night he took me on the grand tour of London by night. At midnight last night I was sitting in the British Parliament's House of Lords, listening to a debate on the budget that lasted until 4 am! We drove through the Christmas-decorated shopping streets of Oxford and Regenet streets and the always gaily-lit Picadilly Circus.

After a week here I cycle back to Brussels and Luxembourg, from where I fly home on the 19th, and I'll be in Lawton on the 22nd. See you in Norman at Christmas.

Mike

Dec 2 - London, England

After breakfast I took Bus 134 from Muswell Hill down into Trafalgar Square. Quite misty when we left but downtown it was better and cleared off after noon. Walked around the West End, looked inside Westminster Abbey, walked down Birdcage Walk to the Palace when I spotted a ceremony at Wellington Barracks. Not only were they changing the guard but they were changing the regiments of the guard. The Massive drill, parade to Buckingham Palace, and band, pipes and drums lasted until noon. Then I walked down Oxford street, had lunch, and continued walking through the city until 4:30. Took the tube home from Leichester Square.

A friend of Gwen's came over and we played a game of Scrabble. I lost the friendship of Gwen's friend when I messed up her chance to spell the word "quieter" on two double word squares. Total word value - 64 points. I lost horribly!

Dec 1 - London, England

After breakfast Mr Simmonds put my bike and luggage in the minivan and we headed north to London at 70 mph. Got into the city at 11 am. He drove me around the popular landmarks: Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, the Houses of Parliament, Number 10 Downing Street, Buckingham Palace, Orators Corner, Tower Bridge, Westminster Abbey and Cathedral, and Oxford Street. Got to Gwen Abbott's at 1:30 pm. Had lunch, then went to Madame Tussuad's, spending three hours there. Drove down Carnaby street on the way home. Had supper and went to the Baptist Church down the street where the preacher soundly cut the Catholic Church. Watched "The Citadel" and retired.

Gwen Abbott
28 Duke's Ave
Muswell Hill
London North 10, England

[Gwen Abbott was a teacher for the deaf whom my Aunt Roberta Strong had met on her exchange teaching assignment to England in 1951. She and my aunt remained close family friends until Gwen died in the 1980s]