Chatting with the Londoners: Sometimes It Works; Sometimes It Doesn't

Bonnie: You’re a people person. What were some of your memorable encounters in London?

Scott: I had to visit Trafalgar Square of course. There were so many people to talk to. One fellow I met had bleached blonde hair spiked nine inches into the air. A woman approached and asked to take his picture and he said, “That will be ten pence.” She said, “I'm not paying to take your picture.” His response was, “Then you won't be taking my picture!” I was taking his picture without even asking. (Laughing)

I also attended a silent observance of the bombing of Hiroshima. There must have been 3000 people in the square and I only heard slight murmurs. 

I visited the grounds of Kensington Palace and watched the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. At completion of the guard change, I followed the relieved guards back to their barracks. I knocked on the door and some one said, “Who are you?” 

“My name is Captain Scott Haverly of the U.S. May I come in?”

“Sure come on in, mate.” I spent 20 minutes just chatting. I did it because I could. No one told me I couldn't.

Another day I started talking to someone in a business suit inside the fence at Buckingham Palace. I asked if I could talk to him for a bit. He turned out to be the head of security. He was the one who told me the crown jewels were in the Tower of London. The conversation ended when I mentioned a break-in at the Palace where an intruder had made it past the guards and ended up sitting on the queen's bed with her in it!  He wasn't about to engage in that discussion and abruptly ended the conversation. Not all of my conversations ended on a happy note. (Smiling).

Scott's Military Science Fiction Novel, The Last Apocalypse, written while on this European cycling tour is available at:
Createspace https://www.createspace.com/4569527
and
Amazon Books http://www.amazon.com/The-Last-Apocalypse-Scott-Haverly/dp/1494465531/

London: What Impressed You Most?

Bonnie: What impressed you most about London?

Scott: Of all the castles and palaces I visited, the artifacts I saw were fascinating and unforgettable. When I visited the British Museum of Natural History (The Brit), I saw a shelf surrounding one of the great rooms where statues that told the story of Greece were displayed. They were the original statutes which the British had looted from the Greek Parthenon. I thought it amazing that the British had stolen priceless art objects and that they were actually displaying them along with all the other artifacts that had been taken all over the world. I could have spent days in there and not have seen everything.

But what affected me most was what one of the Beefeaters said to a tour group in which I participated visiting the Tower of London where the crown jewels are kept.

"Please remember this. This is the famed Tower of London and it is nothing but a stack of rocks. What is important is what went on inside this prison, who stayed here and who died here. You are standing in the same place that kings, queens, and heads of state have stood. They have heard the same stories and responded with awe. As you travel keep in mind this is a shared experience with all who have been here before. You are sharing an experience with the world.  If you look at things from that perspective you'll look at everything a little differently even in your own hometown.”

That changed how I saw everything from that moment on.

Scott's Military Science Fiction Novel, The Last Apocalypse, written while on this European cycling tour is available at:

Createspace https://www.createspace.com/4569527
and
Amazon Books http://www.amazon.com/The-Last-Apocalypse-Scott-Haverly/dp/1494465531/

London Bridge and Abbey Road

Bonnie: Since you didn’t spot the Loch Ness monster, what was next on your trip?

Scott: Several days after leaving Loch Ness, I found myself standing in the middle of the Tower Bridge so named because of its proximity to the Tower of London. Since the London Bridge was moved stone by stone to Arizona, the London Bridge has become the symbol of London. It was 7:30 at night in a city of 10 million and 610 square miles and I was wondering where I was going to sleep, but I never felt wary or afraid as I had sometimes felt when I lived in New York City.

I was approached by a fellow named John who asked me where I had come from. It was obvious I was touring. I told him I had been in Scotland for about three weeks and expected to stay in London and then to continue my journey and end up in Greece by fall. He said he’d made a bicycle trip to Greece three years before and he would love to show me his photos and share stories of his travels.

He lived just half a block away from the Tower Bridge in Southwark. I agree to accompany him to his flat which was well appointed and very comfortable.  We spent the evening and John and his male roommate fixed dinner.  Both worked in Soho as waiters in a very upscale restaurant. John told me the largest tip he'd ever gotten was from an Arab who gave him $10,000 for serving seven people. His roommate had similar stories so I had no reason to disbelieve him. That day they were both off work, although their normal working hours were 3 or 4 pm until 3or 4 am. I was taken aback when they asked me to stay as long as I wished and use their flat for a base from which to tour London. They wouldn't let me pay anything. The only thing they asked was that I move about quietly in the morning so I wouldn't wake them.

I only saw John once in the three weeks I was there. Ironically he had been asked by a recording artist to sing backup in an upcoming recording. That one day I saw John, the recording artist visited and we all began to sing some songs I was familiar with and knew well. He looked at John. Then he looked at me. He looked back at John with a frown and said, "I'd like Scott to sign backup on this song. I hope you don't mind".  John said, “Of course not. The song is what’s important ".

The artist gave me the recording date and time which was three days hence. Interestingly enough the location was only a few blocks away from Abbey Road which is where the Beatles recorded. The recording went off without a hitch and I was happy that I'd had a part in it. It was the last I ever heard that song.

Scott's Military Science Fiction Novel, The Last Apocalypse, written while on this European cycling tour is available at:

Createspace https://www.createspace.com/4569527
and
Amazon Books http://www.amazon.com/The-Last-Apocalypse-Scott-Haverly/dp/1494465531/