This is the story of Will and his two friends who sailed to England in 1967 to see the world. Aerogrammes. letters, diaries and postcards help to tell of their adventures in this A to Z.

"Shame and Scandal"   Lance Percival   • 1965
He went to his mama and covered his head
And told his mama what his papa had said
His mama she laughed, she say, "Go man, go
Your daddy ain't your daddy, but your daddy don't know."

Extract from Diary

Monday 24^th June, 1968

To cricket with Phil. Five shillings for last two hours play. Quite interesting. Australia backs to the wall but thanks to rain looks like a draw. 

Tuesday 25th June, 1968

Two Guineas at the Abbey at 11:30 pm to preview performance of new film “The Graduate”. Excellent entertaining film finished at 2:30 am. 

Saturday 29th June, 1968

Bought squash racket for £5 thirteen shillings. Went to see play “Man of La Mancha” with Cilla. 

Tuesday 2nd July, 1968

The last week of Wimbledon was played in glorious weather. We went down this afternoon and ended up with fantastic seats inches away from all the stars (the Aussie’s of course) and even caught the tube back standing next to Earl Buchholz (USA) Great experience to see all these champions in one tournament at the 1st open Wimbledon.

Wednesday 3^rd July, 1968

To see film “The Odd Couple” with Cilla – hilarious, excellent film.

Thursday 4th July, 1968 

Played squash with Phil. 

Saturday 6th July, 1968

Cilla’s place for breakfast, then down South by the mini to the camp for the weekend where the kids from school were spending a fortnight. I was in charge of the boys for the weekend and with Mac, Mrs Perkins and Cilla, I had a very enjoyable time. I’m sore all over from all the exercise. Actually the camp is more like a hotel in the standard of living down there as far as the teachers are concerned. Anyway, swam, played football, cricket, rounders, scaled ropes, danced, played ping pong etc until ready to drop and enjoyed it especially since the kids are changed beings when they get out in the country and can’t do enough to help. We had a concert one night where the other school (a girls’ school) sang a hymn or something similar. Next our boys put on an act. It was a calypso song about a family in Trinidad called:

“Shame and Scandal in the Family.”

In Trinidad there was a family
With much confusion, as you will see
It was a mama and a papa and a boy who was grown
He wanted to marry, have a wife of his own
Found a young girl that suited him nice
He went to his papa to ask his advice
His papa said: “Son, I have to say no
This girl is your sister, but your mama don’t know”

[Chorus]

Woe is me
Shame and scandal in the family
Woe is me
Shame and scandal in the family

A week went by and the summer came ’round
Soon the best cook in the island he found
He went to his papa to name the day
His papa shook his head and to him he did say
“You can’t marry this girl, I have to say no
This girl is your sister, but your mama don’t know”

[Chorus]

He went to his mama and covered his head
And told his mama what his papa had said
His mama she laughed, she say, “Go man, go
Your daddy ain’t your daddy, but your daddy don’t know.”

[Chorus]

Dressed in pyjamas, with dancers and bongo drums fashioned from waste paper tins as accompaniment, they really brought the house down especially since these kids have a great sense of rhythm. Had to read the boys a bedtime story as getting 24 energetic boys to sleep isn’t so easy otherwise.

Sunday 7^th July, 1968

To church with the kids and then it rained all arvo. 

Monday 8th July, 1968

Cilla and I had to come back at lunchtime today however to take our classes again but it was fun down there – weather has been great.

Tuesday 9^th July, 1968

Players Theatre “Victorian Evening” with Cilla, Chris, and Phil. 

Wednesday 10^th July, 1968

Played squash against Phil.

Thursday,11^th July,1968

Pizza and to film “Darling” with Cilla.

Friday 12^th July, 1968

Cilla and I went to the City Arms at Stepney – entertainment and female impersonator was quite good. 

Saturday 13^th July, 1968

Regents Park Open Air Theatre “Merry Wives of Windsor” wine and hot dogs at half time with Cilla.

Thurs 18^th July,1968 

Parents evening at school 4 to 7pm. Pleasant time chatting to parents.  Then to a Greek restaurant in Camden Town with Mary Lou, Fred (Canadian), Mac (Scot), Cilla,(English) and me (Aust) for shish-kebab and Cyprus wine – very good. 

Sat 20^th  July, 1968

 Phil and I bought a car, a 1960 Morris 1000 for £140.  Seems in good nick but first gear is clapped.  Drove home.  Cilla and I went to the Kenwood Open Air Concert – Very comfy in Deck Chairs watching the orchestra across the lake in Hamstead Heath in the summer evening. 

Thursday 25^th July, 1968

End of term dinner with the staff at Greek restaurant.  Many wines.

95 Fordwych Road, West Hamstead NWZ,London.21/07/1968 

Received your letter a couple of days ago and have at last found the opportunity to write. That’s the trouble with England. When summer comes everyone is so busy going out and making the best use of these beautiful balmy days, especially since the summer is so short, that there’s barely time for anything else. It’s Sunday night at 8:00 pm and still broad daylight and I’m writing this wearing only shorts as it’s a pleasant 74°F and I have one last can of chilled long-life lager from the fridge and not a worry in this big wide world (C’est la Vie!)

Have had an easy day today sleeping in and then reading the Sunday papers. Gary Sharpe (Darryl’s older brother) came around this morning and as he only left Aussie in March, we’ve all had a good chat getting up to date on the news. We had been getting postcards from him in Japan, Southeast Asia, South America, Mexico, Canada and the US when suddenly we got one with Buck Palace on the front as he jetted in from New York. Do you remember reading of the Aussie and two Yanks taken prisoner by the Communist Chinese on a yacht in International Waters last year? Apparently got headlines in the Daily Mercury and other newspapers, TV and radio. Well, it was Gary!

Spent the rest of the day taking him on a sightseeing tour of London in our new Morris 1000. It should do us fine to take to Spain, Portugal and maybe North Africa next week for six weeks when our hols start. We have a camp stove, sleeping bags and some girls are giving us a tent so we’ll probably mostly camp, broken up by an occasional Youth Hostel or pensione  (cheap boarding house).

Not going to do much sightseeing, just find a good spot on the Mediterranean with its warm water and hot, hot sun and cheap, cheap wine and food and suntan ourselves dark brown.  

Had a letter from the American couple we travelled and stayed at hotels with for about a week in Yugoslavia. They have a Spanish style house in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles and have invited us over to stay. I’ll have to look them up when I get there eventually as they are very hospitable.

Today saw Sir Alex Rose’s  “Lively Lady” and drove across London Bridge for the last time as the demolition is well underway and the Poms are trying to sell 10 Downing St and its contents (Harold Wilson) to the Yanks now as well.