TAFF - pg 8 Near as I could figure from reading the fine print on the plane ticket they'd be glad to carry the extra 10 lbs for $2.00 a pound each way. something had to go. Mary Martin offered to loan me a light weight suitcase and by tossing out half My clothes, I got it down to 22 lbs for the suitcase and 22 lbs for the camera bag, and this only by taking out one of the telephoto lenses and carrying it in my top coat pocket. I made up a list of names & addresses to send postcards to & attended a Burton Holmes lecture on London in order to get some ideas of what was interesting, photographically. One of my fellow camera club members in- vlted me over to view his slides of London & Paris, taken over the past 5 or 6 trips he's made. Crammed with information on which guide book to get, restaurants to visit, etc. I left his house with a notebook full of hastily scribbled writing. Never trust your memory. Invitations to visit different fans and fan clubs were coming in, as well as many cards, letters, and a telegram of congratulations on winning the TAFF election. (Telegram from BJO). A11 of a sudden this TAFF trip looked B*I*G! The British Information Service was helpful with pounds of literature on touring England, replete with maps, etc. Well worth writ- ing for. My employer was contacted, tentatively, about me getting a leave of absence to make the trip. The Personnel Director was luke warm to the idea & gave out with some double-talk. so I went to the next rung over his head & was told to make all my plans as definite, rather than tenative. I asked the Planting engineer to see if he could arrange for me to tour a Bumper Plant in England. When the Plant Manager heard about it, he wrote for me & suddenly the Personnel Director thought it was a good idea my trip; even asked me to be sure to take notes as he wanted me to give him a write up for the Company paper, along with photos. Thus, I was now leaving Autolite with their blessings, which is always better. Now, all that remained to be done was count off the days until April 9th. Eventually it came, and that Friday evening I drove the 35 miles from my house to the Greater Cincinnati Airport, which is in Kentucky. I got my luggage checked through to IdleWild, bought sone additional insurance at a special counter and sat down to wait for boarding time (7:10 PM) with Margaret, Terry Anne, Jim & JOHN. Dale Tarr showed up and in a few minutes along come Lou Tabakow. I told Lou, "Here's the $1.75 I owe you, Lou." Lou'd only driven about 200 miles up from the wilds of Kentucky at 70 & 80 m.p.h. to be there. He's a salesman out on the road all week long & had stopped working that afternoon to make it to the airport in time. "I really didn't hurry just for that, Ford." He said unconvincingly to all of us. Time was up&my flight was called. The kids went up to the observation deck to see me off, along with Lou & Dale, while I kissed Margaret goodbye. It wss a 4 engine DC-7, propellor job, which suited me fine in view of the troubles that the ELECTRAs had been having lately. Two had blown up in mid-air & there'd been a rash of suicides via the bomb in the plane routine & I quite frankly wasn't as keen about the flying trip as I have been on other journeys. A nice meal was served shortly after take off following completion of that, rough weather set in. The airsick tablets Mary Martin had given me were effective, though. My formula for prevent-