Wednesday, December 28, 1988

A Windy Day in Edinburgh ...

I woke up at 9 a.m., ate breakfast, and, after a bit of confusion about what we should do, J.P. and I were able to catch a local train to Waverley Station to begin our day exploring Edinburgh.

We first walked to Calton Hill, where we got a majestic panoramic view of Edinburgh. It's also where The Proclaimers shot the cover to their album "Sunshine on Leith." I finished off my roll of black-and-white film here (so it's back to color photos!) (Picture #1 is me on Calton Hill.)

J.P. and I then climbed down the hill and walked along Princes Street, looking for a bank we could use. It took awhile, but we finally came across a Bank of Scotland with an automated teller. Next we ate lunch at McDonald's (that's Scottish, no?) bought some film at a Boots, then walked through Princes Street Gardens and up the trail that leads to Edinburgh Castle. Snapping a lot of photos along the way, we finally made it to the top of the hill in the gusting but warm winds (near gale, it felt like).

Paid £2 each admission to enter and tour the famous historic castle, but it was well worth it. We walked the insides of the castle for about 1 1/2 hours, taking more photos and braving the harsh winds. (Pictured right are shots from inside the castle. #2, the entrance; #3, an interesting location for a cemetery overlooking Edinburgh; #4, "Hey mate, the sign says 'Please keep off the rockery!'")

When we left, we walked down the Royal Mile, where I bought a very nice white heavy sweater for £15.95 ... £2 off.

We stumbled upon a library, where we went in to look at the phone books in the hopes of finding Big John's address in Blackburn, Lancashire. It turns out his last name, Whalley, is quite common in that area, so we left the library learning only about the commonness of the Whalley name in Blackburn, Lancashire.

Next we went to see Greyfriar's Bobby (picture #4), but J.P. didn't like it at all, because he just couldn't understand why a statue of a dog was famous. Then we walked to the Edinburgh Art Gallery and strolled around there for awhile.

Finally we caught a train at around 5.15 back to Kingsknowe, where the Grantham family lives. While there we watched Humphrey Bogart's classic "Treasure of the Sierra Madre" until dinnertime.

Afterward, quite exhaused, we plotted our route to Inverness, then watched a bit of "The Cotton Club." I then left to watch "Top Secret!" in another room until midnight. Read some more James Bond, then fell asleep at about 1 a.m.

Tuesday, December 27, 1988

From Skegness to Edinburgh...

I woke up bright and early (at 9.30 a.m.!) and showered in preparation for my journey to Edinburgh from Skegness. I bid farewell to the Schofields and thanked them for their kind hospitality, then said my goodbyes to Viv, who I won't see again until we return to school on Jan. 8. They drove me to the train station in order to catch the 10.49 train and begin the journey to Edinburgh.

I took the small train back to Doncaster, where I then changed to a speedier Intercity 125 that zipped me along the rails to Edinburgh. The train was packed, so I decided, rather than fight for a seat among the coach class crowds, I paid 3 quid and upgraded my ticket for this journey to first class. It was well worth the extra money. I had a very comfortable and scenic trip up along the North Sea coast. I wish I could've taken some photos of the small picturesque villages on the tiny peninsulas that extended out into the sea, the rugged sea coast, the mighty moors and the beautiful landscape.

I arrived at Edinburgh's Waverly Station at 4.20 p.m., and 30 minutes later I met up with J.P. We then called the Granthams, and J.P. and I then went and got some food while we waited for Mr. Grantham to come and pick us up. It was dark by this time, so we got to drive through Edinburgh at night, which gave us a chance to marvel at the lights and sights of the city, particularly the castle on the hill. (pictured, right)

When we got to the Grantham's house, which was very nice, we enjoyed a delicious meal of lamb. Then we sat and talked with them while watching TV. During this time, we decided on a whim that as part of our trip we should take a trip way up north to visit Inverness... the town located near Loch Ness. We watched "The Eagle Has Landed," then I read some of "You Only Live Twice," and then went to bed.

Photo is of taxis waiting in a queue in Edinburgh. This is one of my favourite pictures taken during this trip. This scene just had a very old-fashioned British look.

Monday, December 26, 1988

A Lazy Boxing Day ...

Another late rise for me today. I woke up at about 11 a.m. and had some breakfast. Viv and I went for a walk to the beach early in the afternoon. It was a windy but beautiful day outside. I was able to get a lot of really good black-and-white photos of the area.

After buying The Daily Express newspaper and a blank tape, we returned to Viv's house and ate some lunch. I then made a tape of various songs from the "Now That's What I Call Music XIII" album Viv's sister received for Christmas.

Later on, I got a call from Dr. Morrison. An old friend of his and her husband, who live in Edinburgh, have graciously offered to let J.P. and I stay at their home during our travels, and so we went over the details about our impending arrival tomorrow.

After watching James Bond's "Octopussy" on TV, I called the Granthams to confirm my arrival and let them know when we expected to be there.

Afterward, Viv and I played a game of Scrabble. I won the first game we played, but she beat me this time around. Only the second person ever to beat me at the game (the first being Little Johnny, who's amazingly good.)

Then it was time to take a hammering at Monopoly. We finished that game at about 1.30 a.m., when I finally went bust. Viv, who took over playing for her Mom, won the game.

Next I gathered my stuff together for my journey to Edinburgh tomorrow, then went to bed.

Pictured: #1: I'm relaxing along the beaches of Skegness. #2: Another view of the coastline. #3. The Daily Express newspaper that I purchased this day. Obviously, the Pan Am Flight 103 tragedy was dominating the news coverage... although there was still room for a photo of young Prince William and his cousin!

Sunday, December 25, 1988

It's Christmastime ...

Wow, I woke up later than I've ever woken up on Christmas morning... 11 a.m.! My previous "late" record was 9 a.m., which I did last year. The Schofields don't open up gifts until after lunch, so I didn't miss any of the fun.

At 1 p.m. (8 a.m. in Camp Hill), I called home to wish my family a Merry Christmas, and see how everyone was doing. My sister Angie had already been up for awhile (she probably woke up even before I did!), and Dad was just getting up, while Mom had just returned home from working the night shift. So I had a chance to talk to everyone.

Mom was glad to hear my voice, as she expressed concern for my safety after hearing about the Lockerbie plane crash 4 days ago. She knew in her head that I was fine, but there was that little tinge of worry that I might have somehow figured out a way to surprise them and fly home for Christmas. Of course, my finances being what they are, that would be impossible (perhaps a blessing that I'm a poor college student.) She was also worried about Doug, because she knew he was flying home but didn't know what day he was planning to leave. She was relieved to hear that he flew out two days earlier.

After a delicious Christmas dinner, we watched part of "Back to the Future" on TV, then switched the channel to "The Empire Strikes Back" while we opened gifts. Her family was very kind and generous to me. I got a diary from Viv's parents, a shaving kit from Karen, candy from Roseanne and Grandma, a Europe book from Dr. Morrison, and Viv gave me Pink Floyd's "Delicate Sound of Thunder" live album on cassette, an ALF poster, and shortbread cookies. I gave Viv the book "The Complete Works of Shakespeare," which I think she may already have, and a stuffed teddy bear.

After the field ended, I called J.P., who was staying with Kenny up in St. Andrews, to tell him when and where we will meet in Edinburgh. Sounds like he's having a good time.

Then I called good old Scott, my friend back home, to wish him a Merry Christmas and update him about how things were (and that I was safe.) We talked for a few minutes, and said he's still dating the Tamster (Tammy). It sounds like he's pretty serious this time. He's talking possible marriage in a couple of years. Wow, a friend of mine talking about marriage? While we were hoping there was a chance he might be able to come over to visit me while I was over here, he said he doesn't think that will be possible, because of money, which is certainly understandable. A few of my friends said they might try and visit, but so far none of them have indicated that they will be able to.

After another meal, we got a game of Quizmaster going. We all played, and in the end, Viv and I squeaked out a victory. Lateron we also got a game of Monopoly going, but we (Mr. & Mrs. Schofield, Roseanne and I) didn't finish it. We left the board up to finish it tomorrow.

Although it felt very different, it was still a memorable Christmas. Hey, I just realized that I didn't even leave the house at all today.

Pictured: #1: The Schofield's Christmas tree. #2: Viv's parents (left and right) and her Grandmother, 83. #3: Roseanne and Viv, opening Christmas gifts.

***

• Number One Song in Britain This Week: "Mistletoe & Wine" - Cliff Richard
  
• Number One Song in America This Week: "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" - Poison

Saturday, December 24, 1988

From London to Skegness ...

I woke up early today in order to catch the train to Skegness... Viv's hometown. J.P, Viv and I bid farewell to the Bajaria's and thanked them for putting up with us this past week. Then we caught the train from Longfield to Victoria Station. From there, J.P. went his own way (to visit his exchange family. But he and I will re-connect after Christmas to do some more traveling), while Viv and I headed to King's Cross Station.

Unfortunately, we missed the train we were planning to catch, and the one we had tickets for, but we were still able to catch the next train. However, that train was packed (this being Christmas Eve and all), and we were forced to stand or sit on the floor until we arrived at Grantham. We got of the train there and made the change to Skegness, boarding this cute little train that went about 10 mph.

We finally got to Skegness around 2.30 p.m., where Viv's parents showed up at the train station a short time later to pick us up and take us back to the house. They took the "scenic" route to show me the area, and when we got to the house I had an opportunity to meet the entire family: Viv's grandma, who is 83 and losing her hearing and sight, but still very alert; Roseanne, Viv's 14-year-old sister; Karen, Viv's 17-year-old karate-enthusiast sister and her boyfried Mike.

Anyway, we relaxed on this Christmas eve, with Viv and I taking a walk to a nearby store, a visit to the shoreline (photos above), and then to visit her friend Debbie. It still doesn't feel like Christmas, but I think that's because of all the traveling we did today. Later on we watched some telly, then went to bed, with visions of sugarplums, etc., etc.

Friday, December 23, 1988

Duranduran at Wembley ...

I had a lie-in today until a little past 10. J.P., Viv and I didn't even leave for London until about 2.3o p.m. We got to Victoria Station at about 3 p.m., where J.P. split from us to go to the Tate Gallery (Doug and I visited the museum back when we came to London in October.)

After buying a train ticket for our trip to Skegness tomorrow, we walked to a bank, then ate lunch at McDonald's. We did a little shopping, then made our way to the National Gallery at Trafalgar Square.

It was quite fabulous, and unfortunate that we couldn't stay longer. We saw some great works of art by Van Gogh, Constable, Renoir, Degas, Seurat, and there was a special Rembrandt Exhibition going on, so our timing was perfect.

After we left the museum, we found ourselves walking toward Leicester Square eating roasted chestnuts (like you're supposed to around the holidays... this was the first time for either of us... very interesting flavor.) I bought a calendar to give to Viv's parents for Christmas.

Then we had a brief scare when we were separated for about 10 minutes outside of Athena/HMV. Not sure what happened, but considering how things have been around here lately, with terrorist bombings and such, we each got a little nervous, and were relieved when we found each other again. Relieved, but now running behind schedule if we were to make it in time for the big event of the evening, the Duranduran concert at Wembley Arena.

We quickly grabbed some burgers from Burger King, hopped the Tube to Wembley at 6.35 ... five minutes after we were supposed to meet everyone at Wembley. We arrived at the arena at about 7.15 and had to wait about 15 minutes to before getting into the arena to see the concert. It was me, Viv, J.P., Sid, Paul, and Sara. We had one open seat, where Doug... who organized this evening for us, would've sat had he not left on Monday. So we had a place for all of our coats, anyway.

By the time we got in, the opening act had already started, and they were BAD. It was a band called Stetasonic, and they were horrible, an off-tempo rap band. When they failed miserably on a version of Yakety Yak, it was followed by extensive booing from the crowd... well deserved I might add. Well a bit later I purchased a programme for 7 quid (bizarre but cool - top photo is from the programme cover), and then the next act started, a sort of Jazz-Acid style band. Interesting mix. Another cool thing, the band left "Christmas cards" on every seat in the arena for the fans (photo left is the cover.) Pretty cool. It had "Duranduran Merry Christmas" on the cover, and "angelic" pictures of the band inside (photo below). Nice souvenir! The also announced that this was the largest audience ever for a concert performed at Wembley Arena.

Finally, at 9 p.m., the lights dimmed and Simon LeBon, Nick Rhodes and John Taylor took the stage, opening with "Big Thing," followed by "I Don't Want Your Love," and "Girls on Film." It was a very energetic and exciting show, with performances of "Notorious," "Is There Something I Should Know," a very erotic "Skin Trade" (the dancers), "Rio," "The Reflex," "Wild Boys," and a tragically errored performance of my favorite song, "Save a Prayer," (Simon flubbed a line... otherwise, well done!)


They played several tracks off the new album, of course, including "Do You Believe in Shame," "Palomino," "Too Late Marlene," and "The Edge of America" and "Lake Shore Driving" as the encore. It's good to see that after all these years, Duranduran still has it (not sure why they turned the band name into one word, but I'll go along with it.)

Following the show, Viv, J.P, Sid, Sara and I went our way, while Paul went his way... back to his home. The Tube station was absolutely packed, so when the empty train pulled up, it was a mad dash to get in and hopefully grab a seat. We all managed to get one. At 11.30 p.m. we were back in Victoria Station and on the train to Longfield.


The Daily Mirror Incident

While we were riding the train back to Sid's, we found a copy of the Daily Mirror ("Yorkshire's Favourite Newspaper," but not mine!) When Sara got off at Bromley, I moved into her seat and Viv moved to the seat where that copy of the Daily Mirror was sitting. I picked up the newspaper, and in an act of defiance for no reason in particular, I tossed it into the next seat, which was empty.

However, I got a bit of a strong arm on the paper, and instead of landing in the seat, it climbed up over the seat and landed right between the two adjoining ones, balancing precariously over the person sitting in that seat on the other side. We were all rolling hysterically, because by all rights that paper should have gone over and hit that person in the head, but thankfully it did not. It remained there until that person left the train. At that point, J.P. fulfilled destiny by pushing it over the edge.

At the station in Longfield, Sid's mom was waiting for us and gave us a ride back home. Even though it was late, we still stayed up, watching "The Seven Year Itch" and eating bacon sandwiches. Then I packed for a bit, since we are leaving for Skegness tomorrow, and then went to bed. No one can say that we haven't used our time wisely this week. We saw and did quite a bit.

Thursday, December 22, 1988

Canterbury Tales ...

First, some very good and relieving news... we found out that Bits is OK, and that she and her family were not aboard Pan Am Flight 103. Sid connected with her brother and he let us know they arrived in America safely. As it turned out, she and her family flew to America on an earlier flight. Here's the scary thing, though... they were offered a package deal to take the Pan Am flight that blew up.

By the grace of God, they turned it down. Even though it was a better deal, the only reason they didn't take it was because they wanted to leave earlier. That was a stroke of luck. I'm sure they are counting their blessings right now!

Today J.P. and I took a late morning train to Canterbury, which is a 45-minute train ride south of Sid's house in Longfield. It was well worth the time spent traveling!

We arrived in Canterbury shortly after 1 p.m., and began the tour by walking along the wall around town, then up a hill that overlooks Canterbury. From there we could easily see the famed cathedral off in the distance. We hopped back on the wall, and followed it until it led us into the town center.

There we soon found the entrance to the cathedral, as well as a gift shop, where I bought a tea towel featuring characters from "Canterbury Tales" for my senior high school English teacher, Mrs. Rogoff. (Last year I visited her class and mentioned I was studying in England for the year, which she thought was a fabulous opportunity. Then she gave me some money and asked if I would buy her some literary things for her classroom. This was the first time I found something useful.)

We entered the cathedral, which of course was quite majestic. We spent about a 1/2 hour there, then walked into town where we eventually stopped to eat at a Poppins. Later we came back to the cathedral shop to buy a few more knick-knacks, then walked around town again, looking for the King's School. We eventually found it, once we discovered that it was actually attached to the cathedral.

From there we entered a different section of the cathedral, which included the cloister. It was dusk by this time, and I was able to get a few good black-and-white photos of this part of the cathedral.

After buying some fudge, we headed back on the train to Sid's house, and after dinner, J.P., Sid, Viv and I watched "Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan." It was a good movie, and interesting that never once did they actually call him "Tarzan."

When the movie finished, Sid's parents came home quite drunk, which was quite amusing. It was getting late and we were getting tired, so this was a good time to go to bed.

Pictures: #1, The Daily Mail, with more details on the plane crash, one day after it occurred. #2, Rick on the hill that overlooks Canterbury. #3, Canterbury Cathedral, with tiny J.P. walking through the gate. #4, A close up of the sculptures outise the cathedral, in B&W.