Bicycle Trip in Britain - Summer 1985

Preface

In the summer of 1985 we traveled around England, Scotland and Wales on bicycles and camped in our tents most nights. Nina and Jerry made this trip with daughters Jennifer, Dorothy and Hilary. It was an exceptionally rainy summer and even the Brits complained about the weather. The girls were wet and cold much of the time but carried on gamely without many complaints. They did get a bit tired of cathedrals and castles. The original notes were made by Nina.

England

Arrived at Heathrow Airport where the roads seemed dangerous for us to start riding loaded bikes. Put bicycle boxes under a bus and rode it to Reading. Stored boxes in bus station storage, for a fee. Loaded bikes. First few miles were pretty hairy with difficulties learning to ride with the bikes so loaded. Dorothy had additional problems with her bicycle chain coming off frequently.

FRIDAY, JULY 5

41 Miles Blenheim Palace 1705 - Queen Anne gave the Duke of Marlboro about 2,500 acres of land after he won the battle against Louis XIV of France in 1704 at Blenheim - Woodstock. The Duke and Duchess of Marlboro live there from September to March. Consuela Vanderbilt married the Duke about 1905 and divorced him 12 years later (the ayre & the spare) and married her loved one in France after that. She wrote "The glitter and the Gold" in Palm Beach, Florida. Butterfly House - Winston Churchill's birthplace. Churchill's father's brother was a Duke of Marlboro. Great Tew - Thatched roof houses 1100 Church of St. Andrews in Great Rollright standing stones on the hill: "The King's Men" - Rollright stones in Great Rollright from the Bronze Age First meal at a pub in Long Compton about 7:30. Amusing publican critical of our pronounciation & telling stories about the Kings Men coming in for a drink. Fillet of Plaice, Pork Bangers and Cottage Pie

SATURDAY, JULY 6

54 Miles Up at 7:00 and on bicycles at 9:00. Long Campton to Chipping Campden 11:15 Tea and biscuits, currants and shortbread, apples Stratford on Avon Shakespeare's Statue Ann Hathaway House - wife Mary Arden - mother 1600 - 1800 Warwick Castle Dungeon - oubliette - prisoners from battle of Portiers 1356. 1405-1603 Henry IV - Tudors Guy's Tower - Jennifer picture - Church War of the Roses 1455-1485 - Tudors against King (who should be king) Peacocks Supper at Bar in Warwick for £18 + £6 for drinks Couldn't camp in Warwick at Caravan Park. Went back toward Stratford-on-Avon and camped for £1 on a WWII airfield. Warwick Castle - Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra with Kenneth Page conductor. 22:15 Fireworks from campground Saw deer at Charlecote Park near Stratford.

SUNDAY, JULY 7

80 Miles 9:30 Left Charlecote Trailer Park after getting up at 8:00. Hilary had a flat tire. Chesterton Windmill built in 1642 by Indigo Jones. Nice Lunch at Done Dance in Daventry for £32. Steak and Kidney Pie. Wrote postcards to Cathy Provost, Greg, Jeff, Ben, Jessica Rabbits and birds dead instead of skunks and raccoons. Rode on more major roads. Bedford - Jerry fell on his bike. My chain broke so took a link out. 22:30 Camp at Wilshamstead on A6 south of Bedford for £3.70 Had looked at camp sites in Clapham and Thurleigh and were exhausted.

MONDAY, JULY 8

52 Miles On bicycles 10:30 after getting up at 7:45 to do laundry with no soap. Needed 10 pence pieces. 12:00 Lunch in Biggleswade for £5.95. 15:30 - 18:00 Cambridge 20:00 Supper at Waterbeach for £14.41. Wrote postcards to Steve & Ann, Kathy Oliaro and Helen. 21:00 Camp at Landbeach for £8.

TUESDAY, JULY 9

46 Miles On bicycles at 9:30 after getting up at 7:30. 10:20 First breakfast for £7 - sausage, egg and chips 11:45 Ely Cathedral 1081. visible from far away. Was an island until the 17th century. Railways came in 1845 and roads were built in 1770s. Hilary fed pigeons on lawn in front of cathedral. Stained glass museum. Jennifer and Hilary each bought a sweater and I bought a suit £149 The Fens - canals, locks, wind. Nina fell in nettles patch trying to take a photo of a double-decker bus. Saw St. Margaret's Church Mailed second film to States. 19:30 Supper in King's Lynn where Jerry used his credit card. The Youth Hostel was full and the nearest campground was about 20 miles away. 22:00 Dorothy and Jerry stayed at a bed and breakfast while Jennifer, Hilary and I stayed at Guanock Hotel for £26.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 10

57 Miles Met Jerry and Dorothy at 8:30 after getting up at 6:45. Jennifer's and Hilary's odometers stopped functioning. The movie "American Revolution" was being filmed there and we saw the movie set. King's Lynn was Boston in the movie. Left King's Lynn about 9:30. Wrote third postcard to Mom and wrote to Shannon and Erin. Had Chinese food for lunch for £17 and ate in the park. Got £219 for $300 U.S. Boston - old church with high tower is "the Stump" and People in Boston, Massachusetts sent money to fix it up. Pilgrim's Monument (1957). Jerry wanted to see it so we rode out into the country and found it was an isolated obelisk about 8 feet tall. We tried to make it look larger in our photos. The Pilgrims left the site in 1607. Rode through New York. In Coningsby saw a one-handed clock. Saw a head of cauliflower in the road. The Fens - Saw many things growing -onions, cauliflower, cabbage, spinach and peas. Bought strawberries for 30 pence a quart. Could buy potatoes for 50 pence for 10 pounds. 20:00 Camped for £2.50.

THURSDAY, JULY 11

67 Miles Out of tent at 7:45. Jerry went to a store to find something to eat for breakfast. Talked to Gwen and Stan Heaver, Montmelian, Hatford, Faringdon, Oxfordshire, SN78JF for almost an hour. We took their photo after she told us all about Western Scotland. Horncastle Roman Wall 16:00 Tea, salad and scones and ham for £20 in Caistor. Humberside bridge - World's largest single spanned suspension bridge with 4626' between spans Beverly Cathedral had many lovely statues on outside 21:30 Settled in at Youth Hostel in Beverly for £15.40 + £3.50 for sheets. The Dominican Friary in Beverly was founded prior to 1233. The Dominicans (Blackfriars) 1263 Henry III gave 15 oaks from the royal forests for buildings. 1310 42 friars and the church on about 42 acres. 1449 A fire and Henry VI donated money for reconstruction. Several substantial remains exist of the friaries. Once there were 60 of them.

FRIDAY, JULY 12

53 Miles Meet Jerry at 08:00 in Beverly. On bicycles about 9:30. Mailed a 4th postcard to Mom. 15:00 - 17:00 York Minister (627 AD) Wonderful old cathedral. 18:30 Easingwold The dining room was booked so we had fried bar food - Haddock and mushroom and ham pie for £20. 20:30 Camped in cow pasture with watering trough for £2.

SATURDAY, JULY 13

55 Miles Left camp at 09:30 and had our first rainy day. Rode from Easingwold to Thirsk and had breakfast for £4.50. I also bought calcium pills at a Chemists named "Boots" and Jerry got Jungle Formula Insect Repellent. In Croft (near Darlington) at 16:00 we ate sandwiches for £14.50. At 19:00 we were off Route A68 near Aukland where the town had a windmill. Stayed at a Bed and Breakfast with Jack and Mary for £32. There was a Swedish family there too. We had tea and biscuits, then baths, and were in bed by 22:30.

SUNDAY, JULY 14

53 Miles We were up at 06:45 for breakfast at the Bed and Breakfast place - juice, cereal, eggs, tomatoes and bacon at 07:30 and started biking at 08:30. Wallish Walls (Irish Eyes) We were in Corbridge about 12:45 biking over hilly terrain on a rainy, overcast day. Hilary had a flat tire and my derailler needed oil. Saw Hadrian's Wall. Silly Jerry thought it would be fun to ride along it but of course it runs along the tops of all the high hills. In Corbridge we ate lunch at a pub called "Wheatsheaf Inn" for £13.40 and had chicken and Yorkshire pudding. From 16:00-16:30 in Corbridge (Corstopitum) Roman site from AD 80-163. Hilly, hilly roads. In Housesteads we saw a fort and Hadrian's wall on AD122. We stayed in a Youth Hostel for £24.15 called "Once Brewed" (Bardon Mill). Picked up a train schedule for Edinburgh. The train leaves Bardon Mill at 11:27, arrives at New Castle at 12:31 and arrives at Edinburgh at 14:47 for a total ride of 3 hours 20 minutes. The phone number for a campground at 30 Frogston Road East is 031-664-1533 28.

Scotland

MONDAY, JULY 15

Train Haltwhistle to Carlisle to Edinburgh Up about 06:30 at the Youth Hostel called "Once Brewed" and left about 09:00. Wrote postcard #5 to Mom and wrote to Kim, Jessica, Ben and Helen. It is St. Swithin's Day. Saint Swithun or Swithin was an Anglo Saxon Bishop of Winchester from 30 October 852 to his death on 2 July 862. whose historical importance as bishop is overshadowed by his reputation for posthumous miracle-working. He is scarcely mentioned in any document during his life. Took a train from Haltwhistle to Carlisle from 11:54 TO 12:33 for £1.60 for adults and £0.80 for children under 15. Took a train from Carlisle to Edinburgh's Waverly Station from 1:20 - 3:10 for £47.25 and left the station at 16:15. Very easy and convenient to roll bikes onto baggage cars on these trains. From 17:00 - 19:00 did laundry. Paid to stay at Little France Caravan Park for two nights for £18 which is 3.5 miles south of the train station. We all played the card game of "Hearts" and had supper in the girl's tent - cheese, crackers, meat and wine.

TUESDAY, JULY 16

Edinburgh Sent postcards to Jeff and Greg. From 10:30-13:00 visited Edinburgh Castle. 14:15 had pizza for £14 after going to a bank to get $300 worth £211.77 (£1 = $1.41). Gave each of the girls £20. Visited the Museum of Modern Art where there was an exhibit of Samuel John Peploe (27Jan1871-11Oct1935) who was a Scottish Post-Impressionist painter, noted for his still life works and for being one of the 4 painters that became known as the 'Scottish Colourists.' Visited the Palace of Holyroodhouse at the bottom of the Royal Mile on the opposite end of Edinburgh Castle where the King and Queen of Scotland used to live from the 15th century. 'Holyrood' is the anglicization of the Scots 'Haly Ruyid' (Holy Cross). During times when no members of the Royal Family are in residence, the Palace is open to the public. Ate at an Indian Restaurant on High Street for £43. Listened to a Scottish Band and saw dancing in the Park. The girl's tent pole broke when the wind blew the tent over. We were in bed by 23:00.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 17

40 Miles + Train Sent a postcard to Kathy Oliaro. Left campground at 09:45. Bought new (oversized) tent poles and bag for £13.35. Bought new bike chain for Dorothy. Old chain was too narrow, even though it came with the new bike! This solved her problem at last. left bike store at 12:00. Rode for an hour in pouring rain. Took a train to Dunfermline (in Fife, Scotland) for £5.45. Ate lunch for £17 and bought supper at a store for £10. Hilary got a flat back tire. Sent postcard #6 to Mom and wrote to Erin and Shannon. Rode our bikes from Dunfermline to Stirling to Doune where we paid $10 donation to stay in at church hall at 19:15. Met 86-year-old Duncan MacGregor.

THURSDAY, JULY 18

42 Miles Left Doune at 09:15. Jennifer had her 3rd flat tire. Rode by a castle. 10:00 Jerry had a flat tire. Put on rain pants and bought wool mittens at Callander, Scotland. Cold! Pass of Kilmahog - Leny Falls Loch Lubnaig. Nina had a flat tire. At 15:00 Had a meal for £20 at Lochearnhead. 19:00 Stopped in Crianlarich at a wine bar. 20:00 Took a dorm room there at a youth hostel for £14.80. Rained all day. Wrote to Steve & Ann and Betty & Dennis. A train to Mallaig and Fort William leaves at 07:44 or 11:44 tomorrow morning.

FRIDAY, JULY 19

38 Miles 8:45 - 10:00 took a train from the youth hostel in Crianlarich to Fort William for £5.90 each. Hilary bought a skirt and sweater for £40.49 + £4.65 to mail it back to States. Could not see the top of the mountain because of solid overcast. Camped at Arisaig for £5. Had a toilet but no showers. The sun came out for a little while. We went to bed early.

SATURDAY, JULY 20

40 Miles Left the campground about 11:00. My watch wasn't working any more. Biked to Mallaig. 13:00 took the ferry to Skye for £9.30 for bikes and us. Fixed Hilary's odometer and mailed her skirt home. Rode to Broadford, Isle of Skye where we had tea, soup and sweets. Rode to other ferry from Kyleakin to Kyle of Lochalsh at about 57deg 17'N; 5deg 43'W. We didn't pay anything for this ferry as no one approached us and man on other side said to forget it. 20:00 Bed (and Breakfast?) - twin beds for £26.50 (*£6 each and £2.50 for Jennifer on cot) Sent postcard #7 to Mom and wrote to Barb Byrn. Jennifer and Nina had flat tires today.

SUNDAY, JULY 21

65 Miles Left Bed and Breakfast place about 10:00. At Kyle of Lochalsh Hotel ate breakfast for £26. Jennifer bought at sweater for her father for £19.95. Beautiful sunny day. Rode over the highlands. Nina's birthday. She got cards from Hilary, Helen and Mom. Rode through Invergarry which was 2.5 miles from the train station in Spean Bridge. Visited Eilean Donan Castle (original built in early 13th century as defense against the Vikings). Eilean Donan is a small island in Loch Duich in the western Highlands of Scotland. It is connected to the mainland by a footbridge and lies about half a mile from the village of Dornie. Restored by MacRaes after destroyed by English in 1719. Eilean Donan is the home of the Clan Macrae. In 2001, the island had a population of just one person. Loch Duich is very close by. 19:15 Supper for £20 21:15 Camp for £4.50 and had wine.

MONDAY, JULY 22

Train & 10 Miles Woke up about 06:30 and left campground at 07:45. Took a train from Spean Bridge to Glasgow from 08:55 - 12:30 for £8.60 each and hadn't had breakfast. Wrote postcards on train to Mom #8, David, Helen, Jeff and Greg. Missed the 13:05 train to Preston and Warrington. Went to Pizzaland where we spent £15. Took 15:05 train from Glasglow to Carlisle to Preston to Warrington for £20 each. Arrived Preston at 17:36 then took 17:52 - 18:17 train from Preston to Warrington. Cashed $500 for £351.61 (1£ = $1.42). Paid £7.60 each for train from Warrington to Bangor, Wales. Rode bikes to Caernarvon in northwest Wales from 18:30-20:30 where we camped for £26.50.

Wales

TUESDAY, JULY 23

20 Miles Paid for another night at campsite at Caernarfon for £26.50. Took hot showers and did laundry. Sent postcards to Mom #9 and to Kathy Oliaro. Went on 4.7 mile (7.6 km) long Snowdon Cog Railway which opened in 1896. It goes from Llanberis to the summit of Snowdon, the highest peak in England and Wales. Visited Dolbadarn Castle near Llanberis at the foot of Snowdon Mountain in Gwynedd, North Wales and built before 1230. Went to Welsh Slate Musuem at Gilfach Ddu until 16:00. It has the largest working water-wheel in mainland Britain. 17:00-18:30 Visited Caernarfon Castle - one built by Edward I. 19:00 Went to the floating restaurant and had shark steak for £33. Bought £10.78 worth of chocolate bars.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 24

44 Miles in Wales Sent 2 films to Vermont Prints in Castleton, VT for $8.27. Ate breakfast in Caernarfon for £12. Bought sleeping pads for Nina, Jennifer & Hilary so they would not be so cold at night. Dorothy already had a pad and a non-breathing down sleeping bag and was usually very warm. Later had scones at a cafe. 16:00 Visited Criccieth Castle situated on a headland between two beaches in Criccieth, Gwynedd, North Wales for 60 pence each. Construction started in the early 13th century. It was captured by Edward I of England in 1283. 18:30 Visited Harlech Castle in Harlech built by King Edward I, Gwynedd, Wales on a cliff close to the Irish Sea. Camped at Llanbedr for £2 near a train station where a train leaves for Shrewsbury about 09:00. Had dinner at "The Old Cow Shed" where Jerry used his Master Card - £70.

England

THURSDAY, JULY 25

20 Miles Sent postcard #10 to Mom. 09:00 - 12:30 Took train from Llanbedr to Shrewsbury. $5/adults and $2 for children. Polly and John will be at the Vicarage Private Hotel in South Kensington from the 26th to the 30th. 14:30-15:00 Visited Mary (Mrs. Len Hardy) in Shrewsbury at house on Old Roman Road with croquet ground out back. 15:37 - 18:45 Train from Shrewsbury to Reading for $14.30 each adult. (£35) Changed trains in Birmingham at 16:46. ate supper outside Reading for £15. 22:00 After dark camped outside Windsor for £8

FRIDAY, JULY 26

45 Miles Visited Windsor Castle (1,000 year old fortress transformed into a Royal Palace) until 14:30. It is the largest inhabited castle in the world and dates back to William the Conqueror. Had quiche for lunch for £22. Saw Gene and Linda Dumas by chance at Windsor Castle (Social Studies teacher at Nina's school). Visited Hampton Court Palace of Henry VIII who took it over from Cardinal Woolsey. Did not go into the famous maze. It is located in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in SW London and is 11.7 miles from Charing Cross. Saw beautiful painted ceilings at both places. 20:30 Camped at Crystal Palace Park (1936 fire destroyed the building used for 1851 Exposition). At midnight still eating Chinese food for £24.

SATURDAY, JULY 27

Left bikes at Crystal Palace and took bus into London for 80 pence each Saw Buckingham Palace Toured British Museum. Took prohibited photo of Rosetta Stone. Had dinner with Gene and Linda at a cafe for £30. St. Paul's Cathedral - 17th Century Architect Wren buried there Barbican Center - Modern Architecture Hilary bought a harmonica for £7.99 and Jennifer bought some kind of flute.

SUNDAY, JULY 28

Bus into London Sent Mom card #11. Visited Westiminister Cathedral Westminister Abbey St. Margaret's Cathedral (Chaucer) Big Ben Houses of Parliament Saw Sculpture "The Burghers of Calais" by Aguste Rodin Saw Statue of Richard I (the Lion Hearted - Cour de Lion) Hilary & Nina each bought a T-shirt for £2.99 in London Had sub sandwiches for lunch Walked through the Tower of London Bloody Tower - 14th Century - One of two ancient portcullises (gates) which survive in the Tower of London. Beefeaters, Ravens, Crown Jewels Saw Original Copy of "History of the World" by Sir Walter Raleigh (1641, 13 years) Saw the blue Tower Bridge Chapel Royal of St. John the Evangelist - Part of White Tower built by William the Conqueror 1066-1087 which is the oldest surviving piece of Norman ecclesiastical architecture in London and one of the oldest in England. Camped for £22.

MONDAY, JULY 29

30 Miles Did laundry from 0815-09:30. Took train from Crystal Palace to Maidstone for £4/adult and arrived at 12:30. Had lunch at Maidstone for £41 and left at 15:00. Visited Leeds Castle in Kent for £3.45/adult and left there at 18:00. Visited the neat town of Chitham with its old church. Lady Baille 1926 (1894-1974) Given to State in 1974. Leeds Castle (4 miles southeast of Maidstone, Kent, England) - Saw Dog Collar Museum and Cellar of Norman Castle Dates back to 1119. The castle grounds lie to the east of the village of Leeds in West Yorkshire. William I (the Conqueror) 1025-1087 Edward I 1239-1307 Leeds Castle was his Royal Palace Edward II 1284-1327 Besieged castle in 1321. Edward III 1312-1377 Richard II 1366-1400 Henry IV 1366-1413 Henry V 1387-1422 Henry VI 1421-1471 Edward IV 1442-1483 Richard III 1452-1485 Henry VII 1457-1509 Elizabeth of York 1465-1547 Henry VIII 1491-1547 Transformed Leeds castle for his first wife. Queen Catherine of Argon Divorced Queen Anne Boleyn 1533-1536 Beheaded Queen Jane Seymour 1536-1537 Died Queen Anne of Cleves 1539 Divorced Queen Catherine Howard 1540-1542 Beheaded Queen Catherine Parr 1543-1547 Survived Edward II 1537-1553 21:15 Camped in Canterbury for £2.70. Jerry, Dorothy and Hilary went out to eat, but it was too dark and too far to walk for Jennifer and Nina. Took showers. Rained off and on.

TUESDAY, JULY 30

17 Miles One week left in England. On bicycles about 10:00 and had breakfast at 11:15 for £10. Dorothy had a flat tire. Visited Canterbury Cathedral until 15:00. The Black Prince is buried there. Left Castle and shopping by 18:00. Hilary bought a thimble holder for £3. Gave Jennifer and Hilary each £20. Hilary bought a skirt for £43.85. Jerry sent a large box to Jerry's house for £14. 20:30 Camp at Densole (north of Folkstone for £5.80 + £1.50 for showers. Ate dinner at a pub for £12.70 + £4.90 for deserts and £9 for drinks. Need to be at Gatwick at 08:00 for American Transair #605

WEDNESDAY, JULY 31

23 Miles Sent Mom postcard #12 after biking 5 miles. Had breakfast at Folkstone for £7 - 2 eggs on toast for 4 days in a row. Lost my hairbrush. Gave Jennifer and Hilary each £20. Jennifer bought clothes for £12.99 and £7.99 while Hilary bought clothes for £17.99. I bought a new hairbrush. Painted roman House Dover Castle White Cliffs of Dover Nina - back bike guard, flat tire #12, front and back deraillers Took train from Dover to London from 18:10-19:40 then to Salisbury from 20:38-22:12 for £17.90/adult. Camped in Andover for £8.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 1

47 Miles Girls went swimming in pool. Left campground 10:20. After 11 minutes we were at Ludgershall Castle which Henry III visited frequently. It was built the first half of the 12th century and in ruins in the 15th century??? Sent a film to Vermont Prints. Pewsey White Horse 45'x65' (chalk - on hillside) 1937 to replace 18th century horse Photo of town of Marlboro Lunch £7.95 Marboro White Horse 1840 (chalk - on hillside) Avebury - 100 stones form an avenue to sanctuary on Overton Hill (burial site) 2500 BC - 2000 BC. Avenue 1.5 miles long through village of West Kennett from circle to Sanctuary. 49' apart and 80' between pairs. The avenue is connected with the unknown religious purposes of the circle and the sanctuary between which it forms a link. Silbury Hill - 5.25 acres and built in 4 stages beginning 2500 BC using human muscle, reindeer antler picks and oxen shoulder blade shovels only, to pile up its million cubic yards of chalk. The final 130' high grassy mound with its 100' wide flat top is the largest man-made hill in Europe. Its purpose is a mystery despite shafts sunk in its center in the 18th century and tunnels pierced in the 20th century. Camp at Rowde near Devizes for £5. Jennifer went to bed early. Had dinner at a pub for £15.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 2

40 Miles Rained most of the day. For lunch we had soup, pies, and scones £7.90. Stonehenge 2800 - 1500 BC so 4,000 years old. There are two types of stones - (1) bluestones up to 4 tons each from South Wales 240 miles away that were transported on long rollers, sledges and rafts and (2) Sarsens up to 50 tons each from Marlborough Downs 20 miles away. Saw the Bulford Kiwi which is an immense drawing of a kiwi carved in the chalk of Beacon Hill above the then-military town of Bulford on the Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire. It was designed by a New Zealand engineer to commemorate the troops' stay in the barracks and was cut in 1918. The body is 420' high on 1.5 acres and the beak is 150' long. The troops from the Canterbury and Otago Engineers battalions had no ship available to take them home after the war, so the officers had them keep busy carving this enormous Kiwi. Visited Old Sarum (a fake hill) - the site of the earliest settlement of Salisbury. It was originally an Iron Age hill fort - a Saxon, Roman, and finally a Norman standpoint. A motte and bailey castle was built in 1069 during the Norman expansion, shortly after the Norman conquest. Two miles away is a cathedral spire, part of the cathedral ruins, whose walls are those of Bishop Roger's 12th century castle in the inner bailey. In the northwest corner of the outer bailey you can see the footings of Bishop St. Osmund's 11th century cathedral. Camped at Salisbury for £5.85. Ate Chinese food for dinner in Salisbury.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 3

Visited Salisbury Cathedral with a spire 404' above the ground. The spire itself is mounted upon the heightened tower and has stone walls 2' thick at the base. The spire comprises nearly half the total height, being 180' tall. This is a 13th century church. Ate dinner in a 14th century pub. Nina bought a suit for £70.99. Jennifer bought a black jacket. Went to bed about 8:30, camping in Salisbury again for £5.85.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 4

Rained all day so mostly stayed in tents in Salisbury. Played hearts and backgammon and slept.

MONDAY, AUGUST 5

Left Salisbury campground at 10:00. For breakfast we had faggots (A British meatball often made with pork offal), eggs, toast, chips, and tea. Did we really eat "faggots"? Jennifer bought a Laura Ashley dress for £65 and Hilary bought a shirt. We dried Hilary's laundry, bought tape for bike boxes, and called about our airline tickets out of Gatwick before taking a train from Salisbury at 13:15, arriving in Basingstoke at 14:19, then Reading at 15:10 to pick up our bike boxes. From Reading we took the train to Gatwick, arriving at 16:27 and the cost of train rides was £14.80 for the 5 of us.

Return to USA

TUESDAY, AUGUST 6

Stayed at the Gatwick airport all night. Nina slept from about 23:30 - 1:00 and from 04:30-5:00 - not much sleep. At 05:15 Jennifer got carts and put the bikes on them. At 06:15 we had breakfast and at 08:40 we left Gatwick. Seven hours later we arrived at JFK at 11:00 (5 hour time difference). We hired a limo for $83 + $12 tip to get to Yorktown, arriving at 14:00. We put the bikes back together and had dinner at Lucy's.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7

Jennifer, Hilary and Nina left Yorktown at 06:00 and arrived home about 13:00