TAFF - pg 19


   I've skimmed over the conversations we had all during this time.
They weren't particularly fannish.  We talked shop conditions, prod-
uctivity, hourly rates, unions, etc.  I'm the Bargaining Committeeman
for Plating at Autolite & the the Co. had written Pyrene that I was the
Union rep.  I had no intentions of bringing it up, but they did.  I was
introduced to the Chief Shop steward at Pyrene & left a copy of our con-
tract with them, etc.  But we talked on widely scattered subjects & I
found Mr. Williams to be what on calls, "A man's man."

   Anyway, we parted at 10 that evening.  He and Ted made plans to get-
together this coming summer and I was told over and over that if I found
myself back in London with nothing to do, just telephone him & he'd be
glad to pick me up.  Quite a gentleman & it certainly was a fantastic
day for me.  Ted and I rode home remarking to each other what a nice
guy he was.

   Wednesday, then, I met Roberta Gray in Ted's office.  We went up to
pick up my film at the processors & from there went to a place to eat
that Bobbie thought might appeal to me.  I did get a hamburger, french
fries, cold water; but the milkshake was just that.  If you want ice
cream in it, you have to order something else & I don't know the name of
it.  As Jack Paar said, 'You could starve in London because you don't
know the right words."  We went back to Ted's & met Ron Bennett & Brian
Jordan.

   They asked me where I wanted to go in London.  I said I had 4 object-
ives; Picadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Monument Tower, Tower of London
& Changing of Guard.  That's 5, isn't it?  Anyway, since I'd been on the
monument, yesterday, & was going to the changing of the Guard tomorrow,
so why not the Tower of London this afternoon.

   We got there under darkening skiew & off & on showers.  I got a permit
to use my camera & flash unit & then went to the area where the armor is
on display.  There are knights mounted on horseback & there are a couple
of floors of this.  Quite nice & the stereos came out rather well, too.
Bobbie knew much about early British history & could rattle off the names
& dates faster than I could comprehend.  We got kicked out at closing
time 8c this is a place I'd like to return to.

   We made our way to where I·'d parked my suitcase & then set off..to Ella
Parker's in the pouring rain right at the rush hour.  with 22 lb gadget
bag on my left shoulder & a 24 lb suitcase in my right hand, I was not
the most maneuverable person.  In the underground corridors people would
come racing madly around a corner & came face to face with me.  Gruesome
thought isn't it?  Since I couldn't move & they were going too fast to
change course, we collided.  There must have been dozens of black & blue
kneecaps from beating against my suitcase.  I simply stood there & let
them batter themselves against it.  Oftentimes my arm would be practic-
ally straight out until the hapless victim could untangle him/herself.
There was a 15 minute delay while Ron went out in search of a candy bar.
Finally the proper tube train was boarded & we were on the way to Ella's.

   We arrived at Ella's and when we were introduced she said, "Christ,
they told me you were tall, but you're a giant:"  Present that evening
were: Bobbie Gray, Brian Jordan, Bill Temple, Sture Sedolin, Ted Forsy-
the, Ron Bennett, Alan Dodd & Alan Rispin, & Blla's brother, Fred.