Britain 1989
I was glad that I had decided to do the Contiki tour of Europe before visiting Britain. It triggered the desire to return to explore some more in the future. As it happened, business trips in the years ahead took me to Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland and Italy, as well as the UK and Ireland. Europe had been my starter, now I was ready for the main course. Spending a month with a group of people is fatiguing and I looked forward to the next forty days of freedom, solitude and independence. I decided to spend the first eight days in London before activating the one month British Rail pass to explore the rest of Britain. I had a small point-and-shoot film camera and had brought a small stock of slide film with me. Europe had used more than half of this so I had to ration my photo taking for the remainder of my trip. I’m not sure why I did not consider buying some more if I needed it!
Day 1 to 8 : 20 to 27 August 1989
London
I had arranged accommodation in Balham in the south of London through a colleague at work. My first day was spent arranging to get the key and moving into the house. I had full use of the ground floor with a tenant renting the upper floor. After settling in, I enjoyed being able to relax and watched a couple of hours of British television. Tigger, a cat adopted from the neighbours, kept me company. Later, I took the tube to Russel Square to check the notice board at the Royal National Hotel Contiki club room before having supper at McDonald’s then returned to the house.
I started my second day by purchasing a seven day pass on the underground so that I could easily travel around London. I then headed for Picadilly Circus and spent the day in record shops researching what records were available. I did not buy anything at this stage so that I did not have to lug unnecessary items around for the rest of my trip. Tower Records on Picadilly Circus was an eye opener for me having different floors assigned to different genres of music. HMV also had an impressive range of music and videos. I had lunch at Pizzaland and decided on a thick based pizza to get the best value for money on a limited budget. I discovered my mistake – yuck! I did some sightseeing in the area including Trafalgar Square and Nelson’s Column before returning home for the night.
On the third day I went to see the British Science Museum. I enjoyed the visit and took my time viewing all the exhibits. By the time I had finished it was afternoon so I went for a late lunch at Burger King. With all the walking and standing I was suffering from foot fatigue. I decided that I had done enough for one day and returned home to rest my aching feet.
On day four I took the tube to Camden Town and visited Cecil Sharpe House, home to the English Folk Dance and Song Society. I spent some time in their shop which was stocked with records, books and musical instruments relating to folk music. It was there that I saw that the Waterson Family, Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick would be performing at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on 27 August, four day from then. When I had finished browsing the shop, I headed for the South Bank Centre to book a ticket for this performance. On the way I took the opportunity to see the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Cathedral and HMS Belfast moored on the River Thames.
I used day five of my time in London to visit the essential tourist spots. This included Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, the London Dungeon and Madame Tussauds along with everything along the way.
On my sixth day in London I visited Cecil Sharpe House again to buy a couple of records and some Irish whistles. I then went to the RAF Museum which was well worth the visit. I returned to Russel Square for lunch and checked the Contiki notice board for messages before heading for home.
Day seven started with me going to Victoria Station to validate my British Rail pass. I made maximum use of my seven day underground pass visiting some of the electronics shops that had advertised in my electronics magazines. I then went to Picadilly Circus to do some more browsing and had my meal for the day.
My last day in London was mostly taken up doing washing, packing and writing postcards. That evening I went to the performance at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. The show started with Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick who had recently reunited after twenty years apart. Martin’s guitar and vocals combined with Dave’s fiddling provided a brilliant performance. I had not heard of the Watersons before this. They comprised of Lal, Mike and Norma Waterson singing traditional harmonies along with Martin who is married to Norma. They were joined by Marie Knight, Lal’s daughter, and Eliza Carthy, Martin’s daughter, in this special performance.
Day 9 : 28 August 1989
London to York
I boarded the train at Kings Cross station heading for York on the first leg of my Britrail pass. I arrived in York and checked into a B&B. I wandered around the town and found a nice pub on the river where I had a couple of beers. That evening I had a Kentucky chicken burger that did not compare to our rounders.
Day 10 : 29 August 1989
York to Bridlington
I phoned Paul Myers in Bridlington to see if I could visit. He said that they would be going away for a few days but that I should come and visit for the night. Paul and Wilma fetched me at the station in Bridlington and we went to a pub for lunch. I had haddock and chips which was delicious. After lunch we drove to a bird sanctuary at some cliffs then to the pier at the fishing harbour. In the evening I sat with Paul drinking his homemade wine until midnight.
Day 11 : 30 August 1989
Bridlington to Inverness
The next morning I headed for Edinburgh and looked for accommodation. The Edinburgh Festival was taking place and there was no accommodation available. I was forced to catch the next train and head up to Inverness for the night.
Day 12 : 31 August 1989
Inverness to Thurso
I decided to go up to Thurso on the northern most coast of Scotland. I found a nice B&B run by a friendly old Scottish couple and was offered a cup to tea in the lounge before I had a look around the town. I took a walk along the beachfront then headed back to the town centre. They were commemorating the 50th anniversary of the first sinking of a ship off the coast by a U-boat. I watched the processions before finding a pub where I had supper. I went to the travel centre and booked accommodation ahead for Kyle of Lochalsh which would be my destination the next day.
Day 13 : 1 September 1989
Thurso to Kyle of Lochalsh
I had an extremely good breakfast of fruit juice, corn flakes, two eggs, six rashers of bacon, tomato, toast and tea. I caught the train via Dingwall to Kyle of Lochalsh. The scenery along the route was beautiful. I booked in at the Retreat Guest House then took a walk around the town.
Day 14 : 2 September 1989
Kyle of Lochalsh to Fort William via the Isle of Sky
After breakfast I caught the ferry from Kyle of Lochalsh across to Kyleakin on the Isle of Sky. From there I took a bus down to Armadale in the south of the island, then a ferry to Mallaig back on mainland Scotland. The photos show the view from the ferry leaving Kyle of Lochalsh, on the ferry heading back to mainland Scotland and entering the harbour at Mallaig. I then caught a train to Fort William for the night.
Day 15 : 3 September 1989
Fort William to Edinburgh
I took the train via Glasgow to Edinburgh and this time I managed to get very nice accommodation in a private hotel. I did some sightseeing and visited Edinburgh Castle. Later I went for supper at Pizzaland.
Day 16 : 4 September 1989
Edinburgh to Aberdeen
I decided to see Aberdeen so I took a train via Perth and Dundee. I discovered that there was an oil conference on the go and thus no accommodation. Fortunately I was able to get a bed for the night at a youth hostel. I took a walk to the beachfront but the weather was overcast and miserable. Aberdeen did not appeal to me at all so I used the money I saved by having cheap accommodation to go for a decent meal for supper. I went back to the hostel and watched TV until 11:30 pm.
Day 17 : 5 September 1989
Aberdeen to Barrow-in-Furness
I left Aberdeen early the next morning and headed south via Carlisle to Barrow-on-Furness. This was a good place to stay in order to visit the Lake District. I found a cheap B&B near the station and had supper at McDonalds.
Day 18 : 6 September 1989
Barrow-in-Furness
After breakfast, I caught a bus to Bowness in the Lake District from where I took a boat up the lake to Ambleside Pier. The scenery along the lake is magnificent. I had lunch at the Ambleside Pier then took a bus back through Windermere returning to Barrow-in-Furness. The Lake District is not to be missed when touring England.
Day 19 : 7 September 1989
Barrow-in-Furness to Chester
Leaving Barrow, I moved on to Chester where I got accommodation at the Kings Hotel. The hotel management here was very friendly and I had a TV in my room. The town was picturesque with a town crier and live street performers for the tourists. After supper and a beer at Pizzaland, I returned to the room and watched the election comments on TV in bed.
Day 20 : 8 September 1989
Chester to Llandudno
I caught the train to Llandudno and found accommodation at the Sunnycroft Private Hotel. I wandered around the town then went to the beachfront and played some 2p bandits in the pier entertainment centre. The weather was cold and windy and the town was not very attractive. I had supper at the Wimpy then retired to a warm bed.
Day 21 : 9 September 1989
Llandudno: The Ffestiniog Railway
I went to Blaenau Ffestiniog and took a trip on the narrow gauge railway to Porthmadog through the Snowdonia National Park. The Ffestiniog Railway is the oldest railway company in the world, being established in 1832. They still build steam locomotives and carriages in their own workshops. The train travels through tranquil pastures and magnificent forests, past lakes and waterfalls, round horseshoe bends including a complete spiral, along the mountain side and through tunnels on it’s 21 km journey. I returned to Llandudno and had supper at the Wimpy again.
Day 22 : 10 September 1989
Llandudno to Cardiff
Leaving Llandudno, I headed for Cardiff. I arrived in the late afternoon to find that the travel centre was closed but I managed to find B&B at the Hayes Court Hotel. I wandered around the town then went for supper at Pizzaland.
Day 23 : 11 September 1989
Cardiff to Bath
Next morning I took the train to Bath and found a B&B at the Oxford Hotel. It was a short journey from Cardiff to Bath and that gave me time to have a good look around. I visited Bath Abbey and the Roman Baths situated to the right of the Abbey entrance. Bath was an interesting town with its Roman influence. I had a late lunch then visited a laundromat to do some much needed washing.
Day 24 : 12 September 1989
Bath: Weston-super-Mare
I started the day by taking the train to Bristol. I was not impressed so I continued on to Weston-super-Mare. I walked along the beachfront but the tide was out and it was not particularly attractive. I played 1p bandits on the pier before going back to Bath for the night.
Day 25 : 13 September 1989
Bath to Penzance
I headed southwest to Penzance and found a B&B run by a friendly ex-Zimbabwean. I took a walk down to the harbour from where one can view St Michael’s Mount. I wandered up the coast passing a fishing village before stopping for a beer at a pub. On the way back I stopped for another beer in another pub. On my return I found a nice restaurant and had haddock and chips for supper. Back at the B&B, I watched TV until late.
Day 26 : 14 September 1989
Penzance: Lands End and St Ives
I took a bus tour to Lands End and St Ives. When we arrived at Lands End, the wind was howling and it was freezing cold. We spent some time viewing the exhibits and attending the tourist show before driving up the Cornwall coast to St Ives. The weather had improved and the harbour at St Ives made a beautiful picture. On returning, I had supper at Wimpy, the only one so far to have table service. While watching TV before bed, I saw that the new Black Adder 4 series would be starting the day I would be leaving for home.
Day 27 : 15 September 1989
Penzance to Portsmouth
I wanted to visit Steve and Louise Jeavons in Camberley, 50 km southwest of central London, before the end of my trip. I had to break the journey from Penzance at some point along the way and decided on Portsmouth. I found accommodation using the local travel centre but it was a long walk from the station to the hotel and the weather was miserable. I comforted myself with KFC then watched TV until bed time.
Day 28 to 29 : 16 to 17 September 1989
Portsmouth to Camberley
When I arrived in London, I phoned Steve. He said I could come and visit so I set off for Camberley. He fetched me from the station and we went to his house where I saw little Edgar for the first time since he was a baby. We spent the rest of the day chatting and had a walk around the area after supper. The next day was Sunday so we relaxed around the house, read the papers, had lunch, took a ride on bicycles then had supper and Irish coffees.
Day 30 : 18 September 1989
Camberley to Stratford-upon-Avon
Louise drove me to the station and I took a train to London Waterloo, then another to Reading and Leamington Spa and finally a bus to Stratford-upon-Avon. I walked around the town viewing the famous landmarks including Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, Shakespeare’s Birthplace and the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. I had supper at McDonalds and returned to my room. A bit later I heard Morris music and, on further investigation, found the Shakespeare Morris Men practicing in a hall next to the B&B. I was welcomed into their practice session and did a few dances with them before we all went to the pub.
Day 31 : 19 September 1989
Stratford-upon-Avon
The weather was great so I caught a bus to Warwick Castle. I spent a couple of hours viewing the castle and enjoying the grounds then returned home for an afternoon nap then did some washing. Later I went to the pub for a beer where I met and chatted to some Canadians.
Day 32 : 20 September 1989
Stratford-upon-Avon to Oxford
I wanted to have a look at Oxford. When I arrived there, I found accommodation then wandered around the town viewing places of interest. Later I phoned Paul in Bridlington to confirm that I could visit. I had a KFC supper then continued walking around the town enjoying the good weather.
Day 33 to 36 : 21 to 24 September 1989
Bridlington
I caught the train via Birmingham New Street to York then took another train via Scarborough to Bridlington. I arrived late on the Thursday afternoon and we sat around sampling Paul’s homemade wine then had supper. The next day we enquired about an advert we had seen for fishing excursions. At 12h30 we boarded the boat and went out to sea on a three hour fishing trip. We caught nothing but enjoyed the experience.
On the third day, Paul took us for a drive around the surrounding area towards Whitbey and through the moors. The weather was still good making for a pleasant day.
On my last day with Paul and Wilma, we spent the day enjoying the sun in their back yard, watching golf on TV and the Portuguese Grand Prix later in the afternoon. Needless to say a fair number of beverages were consumed along the way.
Day 37 to 39 : 25 to 27 September 1989
Windsor
From Bridlington, I caught a train via Hull and Donchaster to London, then another train to Windsor. I found a B&B then walked around the town to see Windsor Castle and the other sights. I found it to be an attractive town and I particularly liked the river with its swans. I phoned home to inform them that I was still alive then had a beer at a pub beside the river.
I used the next two days to make my final purchases. I travelled into London each day and did the rounds of Tower Records, HMV and other shops that I had identified when I first came to London. On the last day I packed for the journey home and watched British TV one last time before bed.
Day 40 : 28 September 1989
Departure for home
I was up early and caught a bus to Heathrow Airport. The flight was uneventful. I was looking forward to getting home after 74 days away.