David in England
There are no direct flights from Montreal to London, and I wanted to experience the Eurostar train, so from Montreal I caught a plane to Paris, and boarded the Eurostar for London there.
The Eurostar comes into St Pancras Station. From there, I caught the tube (metro) and surface rail to Penge East station, near Crystal Palace in south London, where I was met by my cousin Tony Wilson. The Brits have worked on tree planting over the years, and although in the inner suburbs, Penge East looked quite rural.
Penge East station
After a meal with Tony and his wife Jean, I was taken to my hotel for the night, in Crystal Palace. The next day I caught trains back to central London, for a lunch with friends from my JSSL days. During my national service I did the Russian course at the Joint Services School for Linguists at Crail, Perthshire, and subsequently was with MI6 in Germany. I have been told that the school was subsequently turned into a pig farm.
Three of the JSSL friends were David Garrood (now deceased), Bill Russell, and Ken Hughes. The lunch, at the Museum of London adjacent to the Tower of London, was a great opportunity to catch up.
Frida Garrood and Bill Russell
Ken and Julia Hughes
That evening I slept at a small hotel in nearby Russell Square, and the next day had another lunch with friends from my schooldays at Greenford County Grammar School, some of whom I had not met for over 50 years.
Joss Chambers, Dave King, Mike Cook, David Noel, and Lyn Flook
Dave King, a retired GP, was thoughtful enough to bring some photos from our schooldays.
Greenford Class 5G. David on right, 1 row up
On the school field. David Noel in centre, white shirt
After the lunch I caught the Stansted Express train up to Stansted Airport, London's third Airport, about 40 km north of the City. There I was met by my brother Peter and his wife Lesley, who live in the hamlet of Takeley nearby.
Peter and Lesley Noel
Peter and Lesley grow much of their vegetables themselves.
Peters veggie garden
During my few days at Takeley, we attended a local fete at Hatfield Heath, where Peter had his plumbing business in earlier years. Perhaps only in England would you find a stall for a group protecting badgers.
Hatfield Heath fete
Badger plea
After the fete, we caught up for a picnic with two of Peter's sons, Douglas and Duncan, and their wives and children. Peter's youngest son, Robert, and his wife Gail live in Northern Ireland, and I had to be content with a Skype session with them.
Douglas and Julie Noel and kids
Stained glass in Peter's front door
David and Peter Noel
During World War 2 (for two periods) my mother, my two brothers, and I lived in Tye Green, a tiny isolated hamlet in the Essex countryside. Petrol was rationed, nobody owned cars, and public transport was minimal -- one bus a fortnight, to and from Market Day in a nearby town. My father was away with the NAAFI, a civilian support group for the armed services, a bit like the USA's PX.
Tye Green is quite close to Takeley, as the crow flies, and I asked Peter if we could re-visit it. We found the house where we had first lived, now called "Old Williams". It's all one house now, when we were there we had only half of it. There was only an earth closet, no flush toilet, and Uncle Bert had the job of burying the proceeds in the garden once a week.
Our first house in Tye Green
I found an old photo of us in front of this same house, back in the War. My mother Kitty is on the left, brother Peter on the right, between them are visitors -- my aunt Phyllis and her friend Jim Baker. In front, on the left, is my brother John (long deceased), and happy little me.
Noel family during World War 2
Further along is the second house where we lived in Tye Green. In that house, belonging to Miss Rigall, we were "billeted" (forced on her as evacuees by the British Government, as she had plenty of room).
Our second home in Tye Green, "Miss Rigalls"
The house is now occupied by the Berry family. We were very pleasantly received there by Robert Berry, son of the present owner, who showed us round.
Peter Noel and Robert Berry
Turning 180 degrees from looking at the Berry house, we could see the control tower of Stansted Airport, which now borders close against Tye Green.
Stansted Airport control tower
From Tye Green we drove to nearby Elsenham, where I went to school, walking 3 miles each way. The school was still there. I have two memories of it, first of Michael and Robert, the local policeman's tearaway twins, smashing our teacher's glasses in a fight with her. Second, of a classmate's brother, returning from overseas service in the army, with the first banana I had seen up close.
Elsenham School
After the few days with Peter and Lesley, they took me to Stansted Airport, where I caught the coach service to London Airport to pick up my next flight, to Morocco. Near London Airport we passed through Yiewsley and West Drayton, where I had lived for several years before migrating to Australia.
Yiewsley and West Drayton
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Last update 2015 Dec 23
