London: The end of the "great train journey" Singapore to London by rail.

Hello this is belated as most of you know we have returned to Australia. However it is for me closure. I must complete this blog in order to complete the journey.
UK was to be the last stop to visit friends, visit our old work places, and the birth places or our kids and go back to our roots.

We left Australia in 1970. Worked a constant amount of pubs and ran foul of the Immigration police in 1973. We returned to the UK in 1974 on the strength of Pam's Gran being born in Newcastle. Our stay was till 1981 when we decided the time had come to return home to Australia for education and family.

So it was our stay in the UK was from 1970 till 198. It is impossible to live in that country and not make friends that will last forever and so it was.

This blog is not in order as we arrived in UK via the Euro star from Paris and stopped in Ashford Kent where our pub the 'Ben Truman' was> It has now been demolished. (see you can't leave anything to anyone else).
The Pub industry changed with EU membership. The central Brussels government believed that a monopoly existed. So the big brewers lost their Pubs. It was exacerbated by Aussie cowboys Alan Bond, Elliott and Spalvin. In time the big brewers Watney, Whitbread, Courage, and others were broken up and closed. The industry and the way of life for most Brits changed, the local pub became an endangered species. Some sold to become free houses, then small management companies were created and took on several licences. Most were sold off to become shops, restaurants and residential.

We left the UK and the pub business at a critical time when the managed house system was being abandoned. Smart guy hey David?
Before this all happened we got on with our lives, met a great bunch of mates and worked with the best "A team". David Sutton (Management) and Valerie Smith (marketing).

Friends change and multiply, families get bigger.

In Kent our friends hosted us. Tony and his beautiful wife Philippa and of course Charlotte, Jonty, Daniel, Lea, Jack, and Alex.
Then there is Janet and Andy (Blogs) and grandson Kelvin. Our old mate Hucky who left hospital to have a beer with us. This guy used to say "my idea of a good night is to watch my arse go up and down in the mirror on the end of the bed". Our friend Hucky is older and wiser but still believes in a good time.
Reminds me of Rosco.

Time is a killer.

You know it is interesting with friends! You can be away for years and within 5 minutes it is as if you were never apart. It is 38 years since we lived here and look at the photos! Are we all enjoying company?

Love our friends. Pam and I will travel miles to make contact; yeah Singapore to London is far enough.

This journey was always about people not things.

We visited our old haunts and places of employ.
The Western Counties (Paddington)
The Kings Head (Bayswater)
The Three Horseshoes (Kellie-Ann birthplace) (Hampstead London SW)
The old brewery (Truman Hanbury Buxton, Brick Lane E1)
The Ben Truman (Ashford Kent, demolished) Citt's Birthplace.
The New Inn (New Romney Kent) favorite watering hole.

For us it was about closure,

The Journey. This journey will officially end when we hear the tones of Big Ben. Why would you put yourself through the pain of traveling on a train? For Pam and I, seeing a country is about the people. It is important to get in amongst the people. This cannot be done by flying from one capital city to another with 3 day stopovers.

On a train it is a simple life. The train starts and you are on it. In our case we were always in a sleeper carriage for overnight travel. Pullman class for day travel. The sleeper carriage carries 4 or 6 depending on hard sleeper or soft sleeper. (There is no cattle class as people are not cattle)! Linen is supplied so are pillows and blankets.

The locals are the same as us. Families are important. In most cases in these parts. There is little left after wars, natural disasters and political upheaval other than families to cling to and support.

For us it was always a bonus to have children in the carriage. Some may not like this but for us it was the key to making friends with our fellow travelers.Twisty balloons, sketch pads and some nail color changed whole cabins and in some cases the mood of the carriage. I only wish I had taken time to learn some magic tricks it would have been really cool.

The fact is the train goes and it is on a time schedul. You are either on it or you are not!
The train goes along a designated line without danger of trucks, police, and other things that bug travellers.
The dining car sometimes delivers a meal with local flair.
The scenery unfolds outside the air conditioned cabin window or heated depending on the country and the temperature of the country outside. It is not insular like a plane or a bus.
The journey gives you time to make friends with fellow travelers, irrespective of language, nationality sex or age. It also gives you time to sketch, read or reminisce about life.

Photographic opportunities abound and at stops along the way traditions, dress and architecture change. If one is quick some great shots can be got.

Our journey was from the Equator, Singapore, to the Arctic area of Siberia and Saint Petersburg.
We traveled through 12 countries with untold languages, dialects and currencies. Religious beliefs changed daily. Hindus, Moslems, Christians, Buddhists and other religions. We took care not to contravene local beliefs, using hair nets, leaving cameras outside, not eating pork, taking off shoes when required, wearing hats and covering skin to respect local customs.

Our "Great Train Journey". Thanks to Kellie, Rich and Citt for encouraging us. Thanks to our friends in the U

K for making our stay 'WOW' factor again. Thanks to our friends we met along the way. Thanks to the people who made our journey so memorable who will remain nameless. But most of all thanks to you for reading and travelling with us on this long rail journey, 22,413 kilometers.
There and back 40,000 kilometers in round figures.
You visited 13 countries. Walked countless miles to visit monuments, temples and churches. Ate local food from stalls and local cafes. Visited local markets where people worked and sold their goods. Stayed in Hotels, Guest houses, Gurs and even a rail station.
Travelled on trains wherever we could. Boat (Mekong), buses, mini buses, trolley buses, tuk tuks, bikes, horses and even a local plane. You are exhausted thinking about it. It is all too hard? Our friends, our advice is find a journey for you and just do it.

Our theme: Wilie Nelsons song "on the road again"

And I can't wait to get on the road again.
On the road again

Goin' places that I've never been.
Seein' things that I may never see again

I can't wait to get on the road again.

Thanks Willie Nelson you made our day.

Image 1 The usual suspects Hucky,Pam, Jan,
Back Me, Sandra, Tony, Andy (Blogs)
Image 2 Pam and the London Eye
Image 3 Street Art Brick Lane E1
Image 4 Arriving London Cannon Street station
Image 5 Management part of the "A" team David and Ronnie Sutton having tea at Bournmouth.
Image 6 Our London mates. Wally Willie Pam and I
Image 7 Valerie Smith and Pam the other part of the "A" team
Image 8 The Weavers, Alex, Charlotte, Tony, Jonty, Phillipa, Jack. (Daniel & Lea missing)
Image 9 Looking for Paddington Bear
Image 10 Heading home. Stanstead shuttle
Image 11 Air Asis X KL Malaysia
Video 12 Big Ben strikes


More to come...........(: Route 66.