An update (for those that give a tinker's cuss) on my visit to the UK with the Mrs.
Sorry Tony, could not meet with you, family duties trumped many of my plans.
Whoever warned me not to fly British Airways was absoloutely correct. Cast your collective minds back to grammar school history and seeing those pictures of how slaves were stacked on slave ships would get the same idea as to how we passengers felt and were treated (minus the whips).
Immigration and customs were remarkable as to their efficiency. We got through in 15 minutes.
London was London. Lots of Immigrants, locals (Anglos) and suchlike wandering about accosting everyone for handouts and sleeping in doorways at night.. I did not see any police except at Buckingham Palace. My wife Marie wanted to purchase a pair of bedroom slippers with the Queen's monogram . I refused to purchase them when I saw that they were made in China and the profit would go into a Mr Wong's pockets and not to the British economy. I asked the salesgirl whether her majesty wore Chinese manufactured
bedroom slippers. She did not respond.
The Imperial War Museum was splendid, but rather deficient as to subject matter.
Give it an "A" for World Wars I & II. No mention (or very very little) of Korea, Malay Emergency,Borneo, Aden or Northern Ireland. Their displays skipped to the Falklands and the current Iraq messes. When I asked why they refered me to the curator who unfortunately was not available. The Spitfire and the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine was most impressive as were the 15" Naval Guns at the entrance. It was ironic that the museum is located in the original psychiatric hospital of the 1800's called " Bedlam". Also ironic was the Garden of Peace right next door placed there by the Dalai Lama.
Marie enjoyed the sights of London and we did all the usual tourist spots. She was appalled at the disgusting display of ostentation and wealth at Harrods. She asked where their bargain bins were only to be met with fixed grimaces.
Marie loved the Tube and became an expert at getting around, loved the British beers on tap and in one pub a superb serving of Fish N'Chips to die for, although pricey. I used to buy fish and chips wrapped in the News Of the World for one bob, but that was in 1964 in Yorkshire.
Manchester and Wakefield were for family stuff meeting my sister and old (very old)relatives, so on to Oxford to meet with my nephew.
One thing we noticed, a lot of "binge drinking" in the North. many of the old pubs have closed and are for sale.
I was taken aback as to the number of pan-handlers and homeless sleeping in doorways, not only in the North.
Is it my imagination or has this problem become worse? Was I so unaware 45 years ago of this issue, or was it because of the callousness of my youth that I chose to ignore their plight? Talking to a couple of them (one of them ex-Royal Navy) people of my age group (60 and up) seem to pinpoint their fall to around the Mrs Thatcher era. Oxford was as pricey if not more than London, but the tours of the colleges were spectacular.
We had an indifferent pint in the " Inspector Morse" Pub, but other pubs had some very good bitter on tap that we enjoyed.
My sister had warned us to bring winter woollies because it would get quite chilly up in the Pennines. Well, we had brought the hot weather with us and were chagrined to find we had no warm weather clothing with us...so we borrowed.
My sister introduced us to a chap that was restoring the old barges from the Manchester/Aire
Calder canal system. He has a plan to get the Northern England canal system cleaned up so the English can enjoy their bit of history and go on cruises across the Peninnes , but is finding a lack of interest from the appropriate local authorities.
Magic I know from your postings that you have toured many of the Southern England canals. Any ideas/advice to give this chap, because I think it is a wonderful idea and he seems very frustrated at being thwarted.Trips across from Lancashire to Yorkshire by canal house boats would be very interesting as well as preserving an important slice of English history.
Back to London, into the sardine can they call British Airways and to the USA, Impoverished and enlightened, and Marie no longer has the BBC " Downtown Abbey" of the United Kingdom.
There was a lot more, but I feel that I have put most of you to sleep so I'll leave it at that.
Tara everyone
Phred
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