Category Archives: Pre-Hornby

England, Pre-Hornby

Europe-5

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Wedding!

I knew that, back home, any wedding would have taken place in a church with a huge party afterwards. This was one way of avoiding that. Jo’s Aunt and Uncle attended. Her uncle was an ex-bank manager and one of their sons was a university student. He and some friends took me out to have some beers (bunch of upper middle-class fops. oops!)
They were amazed when I pulled out a huge wad of cash when it was my turn to buy a round. Got lots of admiration.

Midge with Jo’s aunt. 1965

Jo’s uncle and one  of her room mates. I think she was the girlfriend of Mick Jagger who I met one night at their flat. 1965

I started writing a daily post and this was June 11.

We had to wait until after June 1 as you couldn’t get married without parental consent before you were 21.

The morning of my marriage I went to a local barbershop and told them I was getting married. They were Italian and immediately became excited. They jumped all over me. Washed my hair, cut  and styled it. And…for the first time in my life I was shaved with a straight razor. To top it off they wouldn’t let me pay!

These posts are very important as they bring back the memories and these days at this age nothing beats drowning ones self in 60 year old memories.

I’m not sure about other programs but on Windows you can click on the picture and ‘open in new tab’. The print will show original size.

 

 

England, Pre-Hornby

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London 1965

London, monument to the Great fire

London Zoo

 

1965-London Underground, I grew to love this, the most efficient way of getting around in such a complicated city.

 

1965-Went shopping with Midge. I remember this is when she asked me if “I really wanted to get married?” I said yes.

I’m not sure about other programs but on Windows you can click on the picture and ‘open in new tab’. The print will show original size.

 

 

Europe, Pre-Hornby

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Landed in London then took a taxi to Jo’s address. She wasn’t there but Midge was. They were sharing a flat with two other girls.
I waited ’til Jo came home from work. Surprise, surprise!

I stayed with them until Midge told me that the other girls resented my presence. I went looking for a place to rent. Ended up in Notting Hill being interviewed by a mother and daughter.

This is the street where my flat was located.

It was at this time I noticed that Canadians had no recognizable status in England. I got the same attitude from upper, middle, and lower classes. I kind of bemused reaction as if they didn’t know where I belonged in the hierarchy. After a while I learned to use this to my advantage. My future landlady and her daughter told me the price and expected me to argue. They were stupefied when I told them the price was fine and I’d like to pay three months in advance! Astonished silence. Then  they asked me where I worked and, once again, were amazed that I didn’t have a job.

One day  the lights went out in my building. The landlady called me from the ground floor.  “You’re an American you can fix the power” I said I’d have a look. It was a hodgepodge of circuits. I told her I didn’t have the slightest idea how to fix it, oh and besides “I’m Canadian”.

Jo began spending time in my room and at one point asked me to marry her! Big plans from hereon in.

I’m not sure about other programs but on Windows you can click on the picture and ‘open in new tab’. The print will show original size.

England, Pre-Hornby, Vancouver

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So..I quit university, packed my things,(including and enlarger and everything necessary to print pictures)headed to downtown Vancouver and caught a bus to Montreal. I have no personal record of the date but did see a huge meteor streak across the northern sky the first night on the bus.
This from a newspaper report at the time.
“I looked up from my bedroom window and saw it so I ran out to the kitchen, and there was just this ‘boom,boom,boom,boom’ across the sky. It seemed to go on forever, which was probably only a matter of seconds. Freaks you out when you’re a little kid.”
march 31/1965
I have never been able to go to sleep easily so it wasn’t until my second night on the bus that I finally dozed off. “You sure can snore” said my seatmate the next morning.

When I got to Montreal my plan was to search for a freighter going to England and sign on but I was too impatient and immediately booked a flight to London.

There were two comfortable seats on either side. Lots of legroom . Economy class! Luxury compared to today’s planes. Also I smoked at the time (Cigarillos) so I contentedly puffed with no complaints from anyone. In fact most of the people on the plane smoked.
However, it was a long flight I think over 7 hours.
I landed and took a cab to Jo’s address. Big surprise in store!

I’m not sure about other programs but on Windows you can click on the picture and ‘open in new tab’. The print will show original size.