We were finally off, with two of us bouncing about in the back of the van on
forever-shifting piles of ASTOUNDINGS.  Suddenly the van started to make all sorts of
weird noises, jerked spasmodically, and stopped,  The driver informed us that it
appeared that the van had broken down and to wait right there while he relayed this
information to headquarters and that they would have a replacement van there in
practically no time.  Disembarking, we found ourselves somewhere uptown in London -
right in front of a gigantic monument.  Unfortunately, I neglected to discover to what
or to whom the monument was dedicated.  However, I shall always remember that imposing
structure of granite as being the monument dedicated to "Where the Van Broke Down On
Its Way to Inchmery".

     After about fifteen minutes, the driver informed us it would take longer than he
had anticipated.  So we proceeded to take color photos of each other.  I also walked
up to the main drag - positioned myself in the middle of the street and took a photo
of a smiling bobby, who condescendingly posed for me.  After all, what is a trip to
London wfthout a photo of a bobby?  I also got in a couple of a rather large stream
called The Tems, or something like that.

     The replacement van finally arrived and we managed to make it to Inchmery, the
abode of the Clarkes and Sanderson.  The affable trio lived (they have now moved, as
many of you know) in a second-floor apartment, with the main room functioning as
kitchen, living room, library and reproduction (of fanzines, that is) department.
Science fiction magazines, tape recorders, mimeographs, and typewriters were to be
found everywhere.  Behind the dining table was the majority of Vin's collection,
which included early WONDERS, AMAZINGS, et cetera,  They were so filed that it is
conceivable that if an especially heavy truck were to go down the street while someone
was eating his Wheaties, he might find his bowl partially covered with old WONDER
Flakies.  Anyway, the room had a real fannish atmosphere and Joy, Vin and Sandy made
me feel at home immediately.  As a matter of fact, Sandy was so kind that he gave me
his bedroom and slept on the folding bed amidst all the magazines, tape recorders and
typewriters.

     It secmed that we had been home only a few minutes when Joy came In with a
gigantic, steaming bowl of omelet, which was the most delicious omelet I had ever
tasted.  It seems that Joy is noted for her omelets and, apparently, is also noted
for fattening up her guests.  Joy was forever placing food of some sort on the table -
even to a full meal at midnight:  No wonder I gained about ten pounds during my stay
in England.  Of course, several gallons per day of various hues of beer (light to
dark) had something to do with it also.

     Following dinner we listened to a very lengthy tape from Bob Bloch and Dean
Grennell - most of which consisted of Bloch recounting his adventures at the Cleven-
tion   Then we all said nice things to Bloch and Grennell.  I remember saying that
Inchmery Fandom was sercon, and had old WONDERS in their kitchen to prove it.  I used
(and use) the term "sercon' to mean "serious-constructive" in the broad sense, and not
in the manner of implying scorn, as defined by Tucker and Raeburn.  It seems that even
if "sercon" did originally mean something else, like many other words and terms,
general usage has resulted in it meaning "serious-constructive".

     And that evening we had visitors.  For this was the evening of "The Meeting at
the Summit".  The visitors were Walt and Madelaine Willis and Ken and Pamela Bulmer.
This group, plus our quartet, made a jolly combined meeting of eight.  The meeting
was Ken's baby, and he had planned this so-called "Meeting at the Summit" to be some-
what different than what it finally materialized as.  Ken's original plan was to have
a meeting at the Loncon of himself, Walt and me.  Ken had suggested that I invite
several people who shared my opinions anent TAFF to attend.  (He suggested Moskowitz
and Ackerman.)  This was so I wouldn't feel completely outnumbered in any TAFF discuss-
ion.  However, plans of mice and men gang aft agley - and the meeting did not occur at
the Loncon.