Jean’s account of her experiences gets underway again in a letter to her sister Mary who she last wrote to 2 weeks earlier – this letter dated 19th June was sent from Scotland, and picks up with a recap of the last few days of May, and sets the scene for the next exciting stage of Jean’s journey!
Dear Mary
I don’t remember what I was up to in my London tripping when I last wrote. I probably told you I’d been to the Tower of London, and was there when they fired the salute for Queen Mary’s birthday, and thought of Marj. I’d been with Pearl, a lass from the ship, and went with her to her cousins for tea on Sunday. I spent two interesting afternoons in the British Museum, and enjoyed Madame Tussaud’s Waxworks one morning, but we weren’t game to go into the “Chamber of Horrors” there.
I’d been to the ballet, and saw a musical “Kiss Me Kate”, a comedy around The Taming of the Shrew”, and a Chekov play, “The Three Sisters” with quite famous actors in it.
Thursday, of the second week in London, I had a wonderful surprise. My girl friend on “Himalaya” returned from a week in Ireland and had called on a young Indian couple, with whom we were friendly on board, at the London hotel. They’d just taken delivery of a new Vanguard, and were leaving on Saturday for a tour of England and Scotland – and would we like to go with them They wanted company, and would pay all petrol and car expenses, while we simply paid our accommodation.”
Excerpt from Jean’s letter to her sister Mary, 19 June 1951, written from 40 Arduthie Road, Stonehaven, Scotland (Jean’s aunts’ home)
