The Journey South

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The account started (in capitals)

LONDON

FOR MY HOLIDAY OF THE SUMMER OF 1958 I WENT TO THE CAPITAL OF BRITAIN AND THE WORLD - LONDON

N-bound trainI went down to London on the first Wednesday of July. I had a good journey down. The person who had reserved the window seat didn't turn up but I made sure it was nice and warm for him if he did. The weather was good until outside Edinburgh when the sun went in and it rained from York until outside of London.

About twenty miles North of Newcastle the safety-belt of the brakes came adrift and was flicking up stones under the carriage. Someone pulled the alarm chain and we were held up nearly ten minutes. When the train reached Newcastle it was delayed for nearly an hour while a bent piece of metal was taken off the brakes.

The train was an hour late at York, where there was a lot flooding - I saw a pond with stooks of corn sticking out of the surface. However, it was only half an hour late at King's Cross Station, where my uncle met me. We noticed that it was called Robert the Devil and wondered if that had anything to do with it being able to make up time.

(The picture of northbound train was taken from the southbound train - goodness knows what the closing velocity would have been.)

On Thursday I went to Croydon Sports Arena to see Richard's school sports, (Richard is one of my three cousins who I was staying with - John, the oldest, Richard and Peter the youngest). He had entered for the 'shot putt' in which he was second.

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Please feel free to contact me by e-mail at elliottsimpson@hotmail.com

January 2006