Innocents Abroad

23 - London - Piccadilly Circus

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.

24 - London and Teddy Boys

Big Ben under scaffolding

Wednesday, 25 May 1955 

Breakfast not bad, not good, and the dining room certainly nicer than our room. Bought a great Aquascutum raincoat in London from a pompous salesman. Notice quite a lot of disdain for us in the shops. Ruth buying out the store at Liberty’s. She had heard from Pat, the Australian nurse, that everyone has tea at Lyon’s. We did. It was pretty bad. Dinner at a Greek restaurant, Hellenique, where it was very obvious that they don’t like Yanks. Indifferent Greek food, lousy service, cheap prices, but a total waste of time.

Saw and enjoyed The Boy Friend at Wyndham’s Theater starring one of Julie Andrews' replacements as she toured the States. We have inner circle seats for about US$ 4.00. We could see everything very well and up close. Everyone rushes out as soon as the play is over (it wasn’t that bad!) and hurtles down speedy and steep escalators into the subway. These guys are in more of a rush than New Yorkers!

 

The men seem to do a lot of posing. Military uniforms are everywhere but most of them are on parking lot attendants and messengers, complete with chevrons and fruit salad. They don’t seem friendly to each other either and charge the air with their umbrellas as if they were wielding bayonets at an unruly crowd in Belfast.

Right, "Teddy Boys" had an Edwardian uniform of their own. They favored brocaded vests, pipe-stem trousers and swung heavy key chains in a menacing manner. They were definitely to be avoided, as they overran London and the cities of the industrial north.

28 - London, Peter Kneebone

Sunday, 29 May 1955

Missed breakfast (no great loss), slept right through to noon. Listened to the BBC and anxious news of the rail strike. Phoned Victoria Station and Thomas Cook about getting out to Newhaven, no one will guarantee transportation. Long queues at bus stops for this Whitsun Holiday. 

Took the tube to Piccadilly about 2. No place to eat but Lyons Tearoom open, the usual slops there, then bus to Victoria Coach Station. The line for booking office about a mile long. We got in enquiries line looking for a bus alternative to Newhaven but booked up for Monday, our departure day for France and Paris.

The Victoria Station Continental Travel Office were more optimistic, tell us that the boat train ran yesterday. Optimistic. 

Tube to Warwick Road Station for tea with Peter Kneebone and friends, an English couple,. They leave and we invite Peter to dinner to a nearby Norwegian restaurant run by a tough-talking woman with dangling cigarette. Food not bad but place a sty. She claims that the Polish artist, Felix Topolski, always eats there. Also Christopher Fry and Nancy Mitford. 

Peter gave us a copy of a book which he wrote and illustrated, shown here. We missed the last tube train, took a taxi back to our room.

 

 

 

    Artwork by Peter Kneebone through the years