TAFF - pg 7
On January lst, 1960 I was recovering from New Year's Eve and quietly
watching 77 SUNSET STRIP on TV when the phone rang & Margaret said it
was for me. A voice said, "Get your ass in gear, boy, you're going to
Bngland" ! It turned out to be Bob Madle calling from Virginia. I re-
plzed by raising hell with him for not getting going more actively with
FIRST FANDOM. Always be obsequious, I say.
The passport application was handled through the Federal Court in
Cincinnati, & since I wanted to get back in the U.S., I obtained a form
from the U.S. Public Health Service for my shots & vaccination. Note:
this has to be taken back to the U.S. P.H. to be stamped with their seal
after your doctor finishes the series.
I wanted to fly rather than go by boat since the costs are approxi -
mately equal & it takes 4 to 5 days each way on a boat. That's nice if
you have the time to spare, but my trip had to be done in three weeks.
Bob Madle tried to arrange for me to get on a charter plane out of Wash-
ington, but the CAA regulations are a bit strict & I just couldn't qual-
ify. What you have to do is be a member of the group/organization making
the flight at least 6 months before the trip takes place. The only thing
he could find going were flights made up of government workers, which
left me completely out. This would've saved TAFF considerable money as
the fares are much cheaper on a charter deal.
It resolved itself by TAFF forwarding the money to me and letting me
make my own arrangements. This, I did by going to American Express. I
remembered reading Nick Falasca's account of the Berry troubles, as well
as John's own write up & figured that American Express has agencies in
most cities where I could always request local service if I needed it.
London and Paris both have large offices & that would be where I'd need
help on this trip.
The Cincinnati office booked me in on BOAC, but just as the tickets
were made out, they called back to American Express and said that they
were cancelling that flight & I'd have to either go a day earlier or a
day later. This wasn't too satisfactory so we cancelled with BOAC and
switched to Pan American. Their flight 100 leaves daily from New York
to London non-stop. I paid them and left with my tickets to London &
back & was feeling pleased with saving the $30.00 jet surcharge which
had just been dropped a few weeks before. So pleased in fact that I
bought a lens for the Exakta which I'd seen on sale. Then 3 weeks be-
fore I left, American Express notified me that all the airlines had re-
instated the jet surcharge as of April lst.
I had time to do some planning and thanks to Ron Bennett, many stu-
pid questions about England were promptly answered. Ron was really on
the ball. He kept wanting to come down to London just to meet me at
the airport, but I told him that's crazy: it's 250 miles from Harrogate
to London & besides if I get 4,000 miles I can surely find my way into
London from the airport.
Easter time is generally a bit cool in England for Americans and from
all I'd read, they had rain every day. So I bought a waterproof cap &
planned my wardrobe. My film needs were estimated as being 1 roll per
day. Everything was packed up like I was leaving and I had the suitcase
and gadget bag weighed. 54 lbs. 10 lbs over the free limit of 44.
|
