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 8 - Great Yarmouth, England

After breakfast on this Sunday morning, Mr Gough and I walked along the beach several miles, and I piously paid homage to the little village and school where my Aunt Roberta ("Boots") taught school for a year. We took the bus back to Yarmouth town and he showed me where the former home of Boots stood. Bus back home - had lunch and a quiet afternoon of reading and writing. Watched TV until time to dress for the evening. At 7:30 pm Sheila and I took the bus downtown, walked to the tower ballroom. Although there was a large crowd and a good band, there was little dancing, but we danced the little that we could. Had my first "Lime and Lager," a really good drink. Walked along the beach for two miles home as the buses didn't run late. Had some snacks and to bed.

Dec 7 - Great Yarmouth, England

Slept until 9 am. After breakfast, took the tube to Liverpool Street station. Took the 11:30 train to Great Yarmouth. Arrived at 3 pm. Taxi to the Gough's. Had dinner and wrote letters. Michael's away at Manchester studying. Shelia is working in a job employment office. At 8:30 Shelia and I took the bus downtown to the town's youth club. We played a highly competitive game of ping pong and had a Coke. Then we walked through downtown and home by way of the sea. Had tea and retired.

Train round-trip ticket $8.00

John and Nora Gough
51 Blake Rd
Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England

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 4 - Slough, England

Slept late after that wild night. Wrote letters until 2 pm when John Long picked me up. He and his wife and I drove around Slough, showing me the sights, including Windsor Castle. Had tea at his house. John gave me some scout souvenirs and his wife gave me some stamps for my brother Stephen. John took me back to Jim's house. After dinner, Jim took me to the district's gang show practice to see Rex and John. Scratched a visit to the London airport because of rain and went home to watch television.

John Long
88 London Rd
Slough, Buckinghamshire

Jim Shepherd
165 High Street
Langley, Slough, Buckinghamshire

John Mackrell
16 Coleridge Crescent
Toll House Estate
Colnbrook, Slough, Buckinghamshire

Rex Lee
27 Moreland Ave
Colnbrook, Slough, Buckinghamshire

Brett Mildenhall
Brookfield Cottage
Datchet Road
Horton, Slough, Buckinghamshire

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]

Nov 30 - Uckfield, England

Did nothing the entire day but eat three meals, write two letters and read seven Reader's Digests. Immediately after breakfast I went down with Michael to the library and bank in Uckfield. Mr. and Mrs Simmonds went down to a large city on the south coast for Christmas Shopping.

After dinner, a friend picked up Mike and I in his minivan and we went down to Brighton on the sea for a night of bowling with some of Mike's scout friends. Met some exchange students from Boston there. I managed a score of 105 by the end of the second round. They were having problems with the pin-setting machinery.