Piccadilly Circus, London, May 1955
Tuesday, 24 May 1955
Arrived London 10:30 AM all the worse for wear. It was The Bus Ride from Hell. Ruth objected to the old man across the aisle smoking a smelly cigar, the barracks-like tea rooms which served slops, the long lines into filthy toilets, and the list goes on. I have been more comfortable riding in the back of a 6x6 army truck and using slit trenches.
We found our way over to the Hotel Association office and booked at the Courtland Hotel which they recommended. The price was right but it was grim. Off by the tube into London where Ruth bought the long-sought-after comfortable Brevitts British shoes and we walked our feet off exploring Regent Street and Saville Row. Piccadilly not as dramatic as we expected.
FDR statue in Grosvenor Square
Saw Roosevelt’s statue in Grosvenor Square across from our embassy. The women on the street look much smarter in London, the guys—particularly young ones—in bowlers and carrying brawleys are pretty funny. Automobile traffic is heavy and really roars, much like Manhattan. We’ve booked rooms in a snake pit but we are exhausted and leap into bed.
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