The seventies Hippy Trail 15

19-7-1974
Abbey Wood, England

Hiya folks,

As you can see I am now in merry olde england I have got a job as a fitter in a factory outside of London about ten miles out. It was a matter of necessity as I landed in London with only six pounds. It is not a bad place at all. The pommies are pretty nice people and I like them, although they do whinge a bit sometimes. Things are not as bad as they make out in the papers and things. Except Yesterday The RIA exploded a bomb in the Tower of London and one person was killed and people were seriously injured - mainly tourists. Where is the sense in that?

The economy here is not so bad and there is plenty of jobs in London and surroundings. Things are a little expensive(especially food) and some wages are not so good, but it is not too bad really.

Amsterdam

Well I reached Amsterdam all right and hitched from Frankfurt in a day and a half. Amsterdam was all right but not all it is made out to be. The canals are dirty and the only thing going around in them are the tourist boats. And there are loads of both of them. There are plenty of hippies there and all sorts of bums and they just hang around the Main Square playing guitars and smoking hashish.

I slept in the park while I was there and there were lots of young people doing the same. In the middle of the night someone would start playing a guitar then others would join in with bongo drums, tambourines, flutes and tin whistles, and you would have an almighty jam going. It was a good experience but I got a bit bored - nothing to do.

London

H is is Belgium at the moment working as a pipe fitter and getting good money. I am not getting real good money - about thirty five pounds a week but it will do till I get a bit of money together and find a better paying job. I have seen a few spots in London. Picadilly Circus, London Bridge and they are pretty good, except things are pretty old and grotty. I might be here for a while so I will give you the address to write to on the back.

Hippy Trail Resources

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London is the capital of England and was once the largest city in the world. It is also the capital of the United Kingdom. It is located on the River Thames, about fifty miles from the sea. London is made up of around twenty eight boroughs. Some of the famous buildings are : Saint Paul's Cathedral, The Tower of London, the Houses of Parliament, and Buckingham Palace. London is the center for commerce, trade and finance.
Antwerp is in Belgium and is or was a large fortified trading city on the River Scheld and is a principal seaport with fine art treasures.
Brussels is the capital of Belgium and the seat of the administration of the European Union. It has a grand university, and the products that are manufactured or traded in Brussels include lace, linen, silk, ribbons, cotton goods, and paper.

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