…’m finishing this late Saturday afternoon. I’ve been out for the day to the Tower of London, London Bridge and a walk back through the Old City including a climb up the monument (311 steps!). I went with a girl friend from the ship – she had found it hard to get in touch with me and had called and found me out – that phone number not being in the book. She then obtained the number while here and rang, and so we were able to arrange an outing and I hope to meet her again tomorrow and visit her cousin and family where she is staying.
Another friend from the ship whom I had hoped to meet quite often went off unexpectedly to Ireland for a week, flying over with some other friends from the ship who are hiring a car there and offered to take her. She’ll be back next Wednesday….
….By this afternoon it was raining, and still is. I came back here for tea at 5, for Pearl had arranged to meet a lad from the ship at 4. It looks as though I’ll have to sit around this place all night being bored stiff – it’s awful having to stay home at night, especially in this place.
Well, I’m certainly seeing things. By the end of the week I’ll probably have had enough – I’m already sick of climbing up and down stairs – they’re here , in all the old buildings and cathedrals and the underground – what stairs and escalators there!
I’m fairly sure I’ll leave London at the end of the week. I’m not sure which day yet – the week here ends on Sunday, so it may be then on Monday. I don’t know whether I’ll come straight up by train, or take a couple of days by bus and see more on the way, or see Yvonne on the way. So I’ll let you know later. I’m terribly excited about coming up and seeing you all. Meanwhile I’m still enjoying the sights here, and Pearl (the friend I went out with today) is in London until Saturday, Betty until Tuesday, and Nell the friend in Ireland comes back on Wednesday, and I want to have a couple of outings with her before I leave, if possible.
I’m just discussing going out tonight with a couple of the girls here – mightn’t be so boring after all. Cheerio and love to all from Jean.”
Jeans letter to her mother, Saturday 26 May 1951
Jean wrote some more details of her day exploring to her sister Mary: “I went to the Tower of London with Pearl, a girl from the “Himalaya”, on Saturday; we saw the crown jewels, bloody tower, etc, and were eating lunch in the tower restaurant where we were able to watch (and hear) the 21 gun salute for Queen Mary’s birthday, and I thought of Marj*. We walked over Tower Bridge, watched the centre part go up and down, but were disappointed that the towers were closed and we couldn’t walk across the top. On the way back we climbed up inside “The Monument” – 311 steps! That night I went dancing at the “Astoria” with a girl from the hostel.
from jean’s letter to her sister Mary, 30 May 1951. *Marj, Jean’s sister, whose birthday was 26 May, the same date as Queen Mary.
