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.
“Sunny Afternoon” The Kinks • 1966
The tax man's taken all my dough
And left me in my stately home
Lazin' on a sunny afternoon
And I can't sail my yacht
He's taken everything I got
All I've got's this sunny afternoon
29B Jeffreys St,Camden Town,London, NW1 26/03/1969
It was Spring over here five days ago but today is the first sunshine we’ve had for a while. Not much snow or rain, just grey skies and a couple of windy days. Very depressing. However we should be on the downhill run towards some warmer weather shortly. It’s only three more school days to our Easter holidays. No work from the 1st of April to the 21st so that doesn’t sound like punishment. Haven’t decided what I’m doing yet but am a bit low on funds so don’t expect it’ll be anything too expensive and the weather not warm enough for anything too outdoorish anyway. Could do with a job but I refuse to work for £14 a week for 40 hours so that’s out. Also I may get down to Portsmouth to have a look at the deputy’s new boat. It’s a 23 foot fibreglass twin bilge-keeler four berth. He doesn’t launch it till July as he’s bought it completely fitted out and delivery dates on these are very prompt.
There has been an Aussie from Melbourne on the staff supply teaching for three to four weeks. He picks up a new Mercedes 220 in Germany in a fortnight £1340 tax free and is driving it around the continent for three months. They’re worth a lot more in Australia. I think if you send the brass Dad I’ll bring you one home or would you prefer a yacht? The prices are very low here and workmanship very high.
I am looking forward to a few weekends down at Cowes, The Isle of Wight, when the summer comes. It’s really beautiful down there. Having a new clutch put in the mighty Morris on Monday £16 ten shillings and today we got 3 phone bills, one for 10d, one for £8 one for £11. We’re only paying the 1st of course. Well organised, the Poms are.
Next term the teacher teaching in the room next door is to be a Miss Price. Haven’t met her yet but she’s supposed to be young so the kids will think she’s my wife for sure. Have recovered from my rugby injuries after one week out. Teeth are OK now but front one is still slightly chipped – not noticeable. Last week we played Barclays Bank and won 16-3 after being down 3-0 at half time. I scored the first try – makes 7 this season I think. Injuries were a result of hard tackling, not a fight. Fights are generally quite scarce in England. Your opposition is more likely to ask if you’re OK and dust you down than punch you in the nose. Public school tradition and all that crap. Much more civilised then those rough colonials you know.
This Friday is the annual ball which should be a great show, about 500 people at least. The club is very socially active. We saw Nina Simone (I Got Life, To Love Somebody etc) at the Royal Festival last week. She was bloody brilliant. Have seen a few more live plays but one called “Brief Lives” was truly outstanding. I didn’t think I’d stop clapping at the end. Have also just seen the two films which should win all of this year’s Academy Awards. “Lion in Winter”, Peter O’Toole and Katherine Hepburn. (He lives up the street) and “Romeo and Juliet”, both of which are excellent shows.
We had a truly great party here at the girls’ flat a week back. I flaked at 2:30 am but quite a few kicked on to breakfast. Quite a few Aussies here and all mates of Phil and mine but all English girls.
Received your aerogramme and the letter containing newspaper clippings the same day. If you like you can phone me up for my birthday. No, that was just a passing thought. I may be away on holidays and eating very well. The girls are very accomplished cooks, Italian, French, Greek, Spanish, English meals, you name it they cook it. Phil and I have both decided we are not going to Canada for Keith’s passing out ceremony (his wedding).
29B Jeffreys St,Camden Town,London, NW1. 21/04/1969
Today was the first day back at school after the 2 1/2 week Easter hols which were very enjoyable but as usual too short. However work isn’t so bad so can’t complain. Besides it’s only 5 weeks till the Whitsunday midterm hols of one week duration.
The sad news of the month however was my tax letter arriving which means as from this month I have to pay British taxes. Oh! Woe! Can’t say I wasn’t expecting it eventually though even that wouldn’t be so bad except it appears I will have to pay double tax in order to pay back the tax-free year I got 1967 to ’68. No mention of ’68 to ’69 yet. Haven’t decided what course of action to take yet but will at least appeal and claim a lower deduction rate. Failing that I shall threaten to resign as my net pay will be insufficient to live reasonably on. I shall struggle valiantly. Failing this I shall have to resign before August as I don’t intend paying them £400 back tax plus £100 for this year. Not to worry as The Beatles would sing, “We can work it out”.
Yesterday we played the last game of rugby for the season. We can still play 7 aside games if we wish or social matches but think I may retire for this year at least. The weather is getting warmer and some of the grounds were nearly as hard as Aussie ones last week as it’s been three weeks of sunshine and no rain over here. We didn’t go out in a blaze of glory as we were thrashed 24-0 in the last match but over the season the teams I played with won 15, drew two and lost 9. I scored seven tries as centre or winger. Paul hasn’t played the last month as his shoulder has been a “recurrence of old injury” but was still wing for the 1st team at the finish and playing well.
Spent most of the holidays on odd day trips out of London into the country. Spring began with a vengeance, the warmest and sunniest Easter for 43 years. That means they get the next good one in the year 2012. The English countryside is really beautiful at present especially in the Thames Valley where we were on Sunday for a picnic up near Oxford. We spent three days with friends in their country cottages (two thatched Tudor buildings which are luxuriously furnished). I shall send some photos. They are millionaires I think.
You must see “Where Eagles Dare” to see Lloyd who had a job as an extra. A couple of Aussies who used to flat with us are Germans in “The Dirty Dozen.”
Received Jack’s card for my birthday. Thanks, mate. Enjoyed the letter. Will reply later. I got 9 cards for my birthday. How is it I get to like birthday cards now when it didn’t worry me too much before?
I went sailing last week. I hired a boat on Hyde Park Serpentine. Very exciting – brought back the old thrill of the tiller, even if compared to a sharpie it was like a bicycle to an E type. We also hired a row boat and had a picnic, chicken, beer etc out on the lake- very nice.
Knox Johnson arrives tomorrow after his nonstop (sailing) trip around the world and excitement is pretty high here already. Don’t think I’d like to try it. Our beer festival is only three weeks off and looks like being one of the important events of the year in London. They expect 3000 people and are flying in the Munich World Beer Drinking Champions with national press and TV coverage. It looks like being a great show. I have to serve beer for one hour or so. We had free beer at the club the other night while heats were held for a yard of ale (old English tradition) in the fastest time but I didn’t fancy drenching my new shirt like some of the others. You will be pleased to hear, Mum, I’ve had a haircut. Jean gave me one last night. I grew a beard over the holidays, a yachtie type one and caused a mild stir when I wore it to school today but since the boss has a moustache and the deputy has a beard it wasn’t quite so unusual.
Had lunch the other day at Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese which is a really old pub of Fleet Street with sawdust on the floor etc rebuilt in 1667 as it was burnt down in the Great Fire of London. We also had a day in Kent and revisited Canterbury and saw the spot where Thomas a Becket was murdered in the Cathedral and checked out Kings School. They have the Crest of the Parramatta one there too as an old boy of Kings Canterbury founded the one in Australia along the same lines.
Looking back on our trip to Portugal Phil and I spent many hours discussing life and came up with the following definitions of “Happiness”. We have gradually been adding to it ever since.
Happiness:
- is a good giggle
- is a cigar, a Scotch and a White Christmas
- is NYE in Edinburgh with a bird
- is pizza fungi (mushroom)
- is sliding down the face of a gently curling wave
- is the discovery of the difference between the sexes
- is a newly ironed shirt
- is clean underwear neatly stacked in the drawer
- is your mother
- is clean fangs (teeth)
- is 3 bottles of Cerveja while lying on the beach
- is salt on your tomato and onion roll
- is thinking of the good things about home
- is the excitement of a yacht race
- is any sort of sport
- is being young
- is 80 degrees Fahrenheit in a wispy breeze
- is no shave for two days
- is a shave after 7 days
- is ice cream and blackberry crumble
- is a carefree existence
- is a Beatles LP
- is a Scotch, tonic and ice
- is Sunday morning’s newspaper
- is Friday afternoon at 4:00 pm
- is Sunday night’s BBQ (in Australia after sailing)
- is a big feed, good company, 2 bottles of red wine
- is a European summer
- is an English pub
- is an English miniskirt
- is a game of squash
- is a Guinness
- is a game of chess
- is a school holiday
- is a hot shower
- is a good cup of tea
- is a cold Fosters
- is a belly full of fresh fruit
- is 2 years in Pom
- is a good suntan
- is a Sharpie (sailing boat) on a screaming three quarter
- is playing a blinder (a good game of rugby)
- is a two hour dinner break at school
- is no (school) programme
- is no (school) inspectors
The Curry Apple Orchard 