April 1999

We (Bob & Linda Norway) left Rockledge, Florida to Orlando, Fl to catch the 4:58pm flight to Miami, on April 22. Then the fun started. While the airplane waited in queue for departure clearance, we were notified we would be returning to the gate as we were overloaded. After a slight delay we departed to Miami where we met Linda's sister Nancy, who accompanied us on our flight to Jolly 'ole England.

We arrived at Heathrow at 9:05am (4:05am our time) and proceeded to collect our rental car. The fun continued as the back hatch of our mini van would not latch and we waited an hour or so for it to be fixed. Then it was off through some London traffic (remembering to stay on the left) to the M25 and around to Ilford in Northeast London, where we met up with Linda and Nancy's brother, Rusty (he came in from Minnesota on another flight to Gatwick).... we were now four..... after checking into our B&B around 3 or 4pm,, it was off to the train station for a trip into downtown London....Piccadilly Circus, Soho, PUBS, with REAL beer, and starting memories of times past. For Linda and I it had been 7 years. For Rusty, 5 and Nancy....30 years since she had been in England.

After spending a few hours in London we made our way back to the B&B. We were scheduled to leave Saturday morning early enough to get lost a few times and yet make it to East Anglia and the town of Ipswich so we could attend the Ipswich Town Football Club's match against Crewe Alexandra. Although it was a overcast and damp morning, much as everyone expects in England, we made good time and found our B&B in Ipswich with only minor problems. After checking in we checked out the snooker table the landlord had and took a ride up to Woodbridge for a short visit to the town. Made it back to Ipswich in time to get into the pub close to the soccer grounds before the rains came. Had lunch and a few ales while waiting for the rain to let up some, which it did, before crossing over to the stands at Portman Road for the match. The match was exciting, although besides the seating being a tad small for our four large American bodies, the Ipswich Blues had a bad time losing the match. That evening it was time for the big snooker rematch at an old mate's home in Ipswich. When I left Bentwaters in '92 we had a final match at Stan's home and I won the Snooker Cup. Well, unfortunately, Stan had been practising for the last few years, whilst I hadn't picked up a cue in seven years. Needless to say, the cup now resides in England awaiting a return match! Now, if we could only find a snooker table in the Cocoa Beach, Florida area, we could get the much-needed practice.

Sunday morning we rose to a BEAUTIFUL sunny day and after making sure, for lunch, that The Wilford Bridge Inn in Melton still made the DonBurger.... the BEST hamburger to be had in England.... we made our way to The Ship Inn, in Blaxhall, where we spent that night. That evening, however, it was on to The Oyster Pub, in Butley. There we renewed acquaintances with Mike Hanlon (proprietor) and his son, David and enjoyed the atmosphere and folk music. (Also ended up enjoying the ale until 3am!!!). In between pub visits, we also looked over the old Bentwaters and Woodbridge Air bases.... lots of memories and wishing they were still open. Linda visited the building which used to house the Child Care Center where she worked while we were stationed there. (She fell apart when she saw that the remodeling had turned the front desk area into a mens' loo). Glad to see that the building has been turned into a Community Center for the locals who have turned base-housing into a village. It is sad to see so many buildings left as they were when the bases were closed, with all the grass growing up around them and paint peeling from the walls.

Monday was ANOTHER sunny day (although we slept in...surprise, surprise) and that afternoon was spent at Orford and Framlingham Castles. That evening we found a GREAT little B&B in Bromeswell (Meadowview -- e-mail us for phone info -- we loved this place), just outside of Woodbridge. A neat 14th Century home owned by Tony and Sylvia Hall and then before going to bed spent the evening in the White Lion pub where we mapped out our route back into London for Tuesday morning.

Tuesday....believe it or not ANOTHER sunny and bright day!!!!...... Took the drive back into north-central London (Tufnell Park) to our home for the next four days... the Queens Hotel... checked in, dropped the girls off, and Rusty and I then turned the mini van in. For the next four days it would be walking and tubes, and walking and tubes and walking and tubes...... with a couple of taxi cabs thrown in on the evenings of the last two days. Tuesday night the girls had tickets to Les Miserables while Rusty and I did a pub crawl.... geez there are a lot of pubs in London!!!!

Wednesday through Friday we did the tourist thing. Hampton Court, Jack The Ripper Tour, Big Ben, the Horse Guards, Parliament, 10 Downing Street, buying souvenirs, LOTS of pubs and pub food, fish and chips, kebabs, etc. Friday we went to Abbey Road and did our impersonation of the Beatles' famous album cover. Then, that night we hit some big excitement.... we were only about 2 blocks away from where the 'Nail Bomber' did his last bomb! (At least we HOPE it was he who was caught). Only indication we had was a flurry of helicopters flying over the area that we could see from the second floor of the pub where we were eating dinner--Until after and we walked on down towards the theatre to see the new production of "Rocky Horror" and saw the police lines blocking off and evacuating the area. By the way.....SUNNY AND HOT all week!

Saturday we picked up another rental car and headed back up to the Ship in Blaxhall where would stay through Monday morning. We were actually very lucky to get room since we hadn't anticipated that our last weekend would also be a bank holiday weekend. EVERYONE was out of the city looking for a place in the hinterlands!!! That afternoon was time spent walking the shore in Aldeburgh and then another evening at the Oyster in Butley where we had the pleasure of seeing Mike Hanlon's wife Carol again (she was away the last Sunday) and another folk sing along, and guess what..... yep, closed the pub again around 4am. Sunday afternoon was a visit with an ex-coworker of Linda's and a trip out to Lavenham to see the Swan Hotel, the local church (renowned for its stained glass and corner memorial to the American servicemen) and "the" Crooked House of nursery-rhyme fame. Sunday night was a few quiet hours meeting and talking and having a few drinks at the Bell and Steelyard and The Bull Hotel in Woodbridge with Linn and his lovely wife, Vivien.

Monday morning we bid good-bye to East Anglia for THIS time, and headed back to London to turn in our car and get to our B&B. That afternoon was spent at the London Transport Museum and Covent Garden with one more trip back to Soho that evening and then back to the B&B. Tuesday morning it was up early to catch the transport out to Heathrow for our flight home.

Once again our flight was delayed, this time by a faulty circuit breaker in the galley and when we changed flights in Chicago the airplane had a compressor stall on takeoff roll, so we had to abort and get back in another long queue. Ended up refueling first and got off about two hours late to Orlando. Back to our own bed and my own coffee....laundry is done and I'm ready to repack and go back.

As others have mentioned, without Linn's web site as motivation, we may not have made this trip at this time.... Thanks and a tip o' the hat to Linn and his Website......Cheers