( just Like) starting over. Introduction. Our travels together.

LONDON upon arrival 1971 In 1971, I had a visceral sense of cities as forcefields of energy, by such noise, by such movement. They are bridges, crowds, textures, smells, sounds, history, money and glorious polyglots of people. Impacts are vivid for those of us who are visitors from small populations. I got to feel such privilege as a visitor, taking in the parks, fountains and monuments, places, courtesies and smiles. I found moments to get into the businesses of pieces of work and moments of consumption. To be in the enormous throngs, in the presence of architectural ideas and engineering, are experiences that really do take hold. Who had each vision? Who paid for what ? BESPOKE David and I both went to buy tweeds: jackets, skirts and trousers as soon as we arrived in London the first winter. We went to an ‘old school’ tailor on High street in Dulwich. A new friend was a massively happy Greek Cypriot who taught with me at Lullington school. For light recreation David could take in rugby and cricket and I could move to ankle length hemline exploration. A teacher acquaintance of David’s had a barge parked on the canal. We got a view of Windsor one Saturday afternoon with him.

Regent Street on a Sunday afternoon. LONDON. 1971. Photograph by Stephanie.

First time in London, we lived in Notting Hill. Then, as we both gained teaching jobs, we shared a flat in David's father's junior school neighborhood, Dulwich, with two Englishmen.This gave David all the rugby and cricket outings that he wanted. He may mention the tones of schooling then, not too dissimilar one term, from the the film. If(1968) , by Lindsay Anderson, about a Boarding school riot, except that this was a cross - colonial drama between African and West Indian males attending two state schools. The Nottinghill district neighbourhood, was abuzz with its weekend bric a brac market. Mike Jagger, we knew, lived around the corner in his basement. He had just been active in the film, Performance. ( 1970) I had not yet seen a star. This was to be not until I crossed out of the exterior at LA airport one day, four decades later, in 2010 just behind Lady Gaga. Her hands up, shielding elegantly, neat and petite in black, including her cap hat, she bustled quickly to a car, head down, paparazzi footfalls and quite discreet shouts bouncing off the ceiling of the concrete overpass.
Delighted views. England. Photographs by Stephanie Beth. 1971 London York York Castle St Ives Fell ponies

We visited David's mother and grandmother first in Ontario. in 1972. Made savings from odd jobs. Drove on a huge holiday through the states and lived in Mexico. Back from Mexico we could only jingle coin in our pockets. We stood in an elevator one day in Vancouver. Standing with us there was David's old Maitre de, Fred Whelan. After talking with him, this time, David, this time, did cut his hair and shave. Fred gave David a job. Next, we saw all of David's sister's family, seeing as we had cash again. ( tips ) in Northern BC, except for Sharon. They lived up in Mackenzie, BC. David's sister's husband , Bill's work was in the pulp industry, it defining where the family lived. Mackenzie is at latitude 55.3381° N, 123.0945° W.

David and I London. Barnes. 1971. Photograph by Glenys Bowman

>>

Page 25