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.

“To Sir with Love”    Lulu  • 1967
The time has come 
For closing books and long last looks must end
And as I leave 
I know that I am leaving my best friend

29B Jeffreys St, Camden Town, London, NW1. 01/06/1969

Tomorrow is the last half term of teaching in England. Rather a sad thought in many ways. There are five weeks of school now and then I go to camp for a week which I’m rather looking forward to as camp is great fun and very comfortable. Then only two weeks more school and we shall leave on the following Sunday for the continent.

We have already booked our flight across the channel on the hovercraft which carries 32 cars and 180 passengers in seas up to 12 feet high taking only 35 minutes for the crossing. It’s reasonably cheap as well at only £2.15 shillings each including the car amongst 4. Hope to take a little less than a week pottering down to Greece. I shall book my flight out of Athens about the 27th of August and can have two stops before Sydney probably one of either Istanbul, Tel Aviv, Beirut, Baghdad, Kuwait or Bahrain. Which would you choose? I think I’ll steer clear of Israel and the Arab countries. Don’t feel like getting in the middle of a war.

As I’m applying for a teaching position in NSW this week I may know my appointment before I arrive back as NSW House in the Strand here deals directly with Bridge Street Department of Education. I will finalise flight bookings this week as well. 

Have you seen any good home units on the South Sydney side around Cronulla or Port Hacking way? That should do me fine.

I witnessed the Lloyd’s Register of Shipping for the  Deputy’s NJL last week signed and sealed. Would have been a regular crew for him if I’d stayed in England for the launching on the 27th of July. Too bad. Tell Jack to write and tell me what’s a good buy in new cars and Australian prices. For example MG. What deposit? Expect I’ll have about £600 to £800 deposit to put down. What price also Cortina1600 over there? 

Raining here now but I’m off to bed anyway. Stag party tomorrow night for ex-flatmate who gets married on Saturday so will need all my energy as there’s a pub crawl of some West End pubs. I think I’ll surrender after two or three, and save on it. Keith now married (in Canada), rest his soul. Shall close. Hope all’s well. Write soon. 

29B Jeffreys St, Camden Town, London, NW. 18/06/1969

I haven’t been to school this week, a forced holiday this time as I haven’t been too good. Not sure whether it’s flu or tonsillitis. Any rate I’m on penicillin and feeling a bit better today. Maybe back to school tomorrow. I enjoyed looking at the pics of the Fairsea again- brought back some happy memories and good to read the Sharpie Newsletter to get up to date. I’ve got Phil ginned up on sailing here now. He wants to get a boat when he gets back or crew at least. 

Jean and I took some kids from our classes up to the Heath on Saturday for a picnic and a swim. The kids loved it. Half of them have never ever been allowed to run on grass before. Some of these underprivileged London kids grow up without half the things that other kids take for granted. The Deputy Principal here will be boss in August as Heppel retires and the word is I would have got to be Deputy or Assistant Principal. (Surprised me a bit but reckon I could maybe run the place a bit better than it is at present). However, I’m resigning all the same and have applied for the NSW Department for September.

Had a pleasant weekend a short while back when four of us drove out of London down to the coast in the car. It was a bit cool for camping so we dropped in for a beer at a pub that Jean’s cousin owns not far from Battle (popular with visitors since 1066). The Three Cups it was called.  It was so nice and we were made so welcome we stayed all weekend giving a hand to run the place and all. The pub was built about 1520 and has oak beams just above head height and is full of antiques and old fireplaces. Really a great spot in the country.

The Three Cups situated between Heathfield and Battle. Originally at the junction of three streams – a cup being an old Sussex word for the source of a stream- the Inn is noted for its wealth of oak beams and original chimney corners with Duck’s Nest fire baskets.

Last Friday I played squash with one of the blokes from the rugby club who is a research chemist at the Cancer Research Fund, one of the largest centres in the world for research into cancer and he showed me around. Very interesting. We played squash in the Royal College of Surgeons next door. All very snobby, complete with a little Porter to usher you in, welcome and farewell you and all that.

We’ve had 10 days of beautiful warm sunshine but it’s gone cool again now. Have a light brown suntan from swimming in open air pools after school. Hope the weather improves for Wimbledon Fortnight which is only a few days off now.

c/- Commonwealth Bank of Australia,48 Aldwych London WC 2. 02/07/1969

 I’m just discovering there are lots of things to do at the last moment and with all the farewells and social things as well I expect I’m going to be in a mad rush at the last. I have my ticket did I tell you? Leave Athens at night on the 27th of August to Tehran, Persia 20 hours there and BOAC to Hong Kong for four days arrive Sydney 9:30 am Tuesday the 2nd of September by Qantas. All of that is OK. Only have to make sure the mighty Morris makes the 2000 miles to Athens. It’s going well at present and we’ll give it an overhaul before we leave so should be alright. 

I’m going to camp this Saturday with the kids for a week. Good place to save money. All free meals, waitress service, private room with shower etc so should be a good holiday and very cheap. Asked the boss for a reference today and he told me to write my own for him but that’s not my idea of clover. We have been following Wimbledon closely and went down the other day there for three hours but it’s all on TV direct so quite good to watch. The Aussies are really killing them except for Marge. Had my photo in the Observer on Sunday. it’s a large circulating newspaper, with a magazine in the middle. I’m in there, large picture and all, downing my pint. Will send you a copy.

Had dinner out in a nice little Austrian restaurant “Eidelveiss” the other evening. Very good food . Spent last Friday at the sports ground where our kids really thrashed the other schools and some of these African kids are born athletes. One kid, Sylvester Okimo (Kenyan) shattered the record and left the other kids standing.

Saw the Scaffold Group and Paul McCartney’s brother, Mike McGear (Lily the Pink), get off the train at Houston the other  evening while waiting to meet someone. London is a great place for spotting famous people standing next to you often unnoticed.

c/- Commonwealth Bank of Australia,48 Aldwych, London WC 2. 15/07/1969

Hello, received your card today, Dad and your letter, Mum, just before I went to camp. All final arrangements seemed to be sorting themselves out adequately and I sent off two suitcases crammed to the brim with clothes and junk a couple of days ago. Threw out all or most of my old clothes including my duffle coat (heartbreaking it was). They will cost £12 and we’ll arrange to pick them up in Sydney. The car is having its final adjustments and we’ll give it a trial run by taking it 200 miles up to St Helens on the weekend as the girls have to get a few things and say goodbye to their families before they go. 

Only just another week of school after that, break up on the Friday and leave on the Sunday morning July 27th and should be in France that night.

The weather here has been glorious for the last week, temperatures in the 80s. “London swelters in heat wave” and have a reasonable suntan. Shaved my beard into a moustache and sideburns just for laughs but after camp also shaved that off too so I’m back to normal again. Camp was a pleasant change, certainly better than school and we had a few trips out by coach but mostly by walking as there are some enjoyable country walks down there. One of them took us to a strawberry farm which was truly old England. Strawberries were one and six a pound. Never thought I’d want another strawberry again. They’re still very cheap in London even now and tasty with cream and or ice cream.

School’s fine. I have my reference and have sent it but no word yet from NSW Education Department in reply. They’re a rude lot. No wonder they can’t get enough teachers. With a bit of luck they won’t get me either.

The Reference (Will did not have to write it himself)

14th of July 1969

 Mr. William Price has been a member of the staff of this school since February 1967. He came to the school on his arrival in England from Australia and very quickly settled down to teaching in what was to him, entirely strange surroundings. He found here a multi-racial school with many children who were also having to adjust their lives to working in a strange community and one with different methods from what they had known in their countries of origin. Many of these children did not even remember their parents as they had been left behind when Mother came to England. By his sympathetic handling of these youngsters, he was quickly accepted by them as a friend as well as their teacher.

 Mr Price’s work in the school has been of a consistently high standard and he has been quick to adapt new methods and techniques to his class teaching. He has also shown ability to organise and to help younger teachers so that I was pleased to put him in charge of the second-year group of classes. He has assisted in the out of school activities, football, cricket and swimming and this year he organised the junior section of the school sports. He also took charge for one week of the boys at Marchant’s Hill Rural Centre where the children live together and do their work away from the school. He is a conscientious teacher, thorough in all he does and a loyal and helpful colleague. We are all very sorry that he’s leaving us and wish him every success in his career in Australia. Any school which has Mr Price on its staff is indeed fortunate. He is a most helpful pleasant and friendly member of the staff.

C/- QANTAS Cnr Metropoleos and Nikis Streets, Athens, Greece. 29/07/1969

This will have to be a quick letter as will be leaving in an hour or so.   Car is loaded to brim and all things seem to be sorted out. Have had a fairly hectic week with last minute preparation and last minute drinks with all so we’ll need the holidays for the rest. 

Staff gave me a great book by Paul Elvstrom on “Expert Dinghy and Keelboat Racing” worth 70 shillings here and much dearer in Australia so a good and useful souvenir.

Had dinner out a couple of days this week at an Indian restaurant and at the Swiss Cottage. I shall miss all my friends on the staff otherwise. The Poms are a great lot really.

Went on a clothes buying spree on Thursday night (late night shopping) and bought a new suit for 24 Guineas, a T shirt for £5 (Italian) and a T- shirt for 10 shillings. It’s a beauty, good value as all the sales have commenced in Oxford Street.

I have a job in NSW, $3,200 per annum until they recognise my service here and then another rise. Don’t know where until interview about 4th of September. That’s it for now. Write to Athens.

Bye from Swinging London,

 Love, Will