18. Letter Home: Planning My Parents' Last Visit

Tuesday 30 June.  Early morning: Left at three yesterday to pick up the children, returning to Audley End for the 4:54 train to London.  We took the Tube to Baker Street and walked to Regent's Park for "Midsummer Night's Dream."  Lovely evening.  The play a success with everyone.  Walked back afterwards to Baker Street, anxiously looking for District/Circle Line to make our train at Liverpool Street.  The train, a new one, finally came at 11:15.  After passing up King's Cross Station (thankfully!) for security reasons, we arrived at Liverpool Street at about 11:25 for the 11:33 train.  I never worried (!) and told Robert I had no plan B.

An Evening of Shakespeare in the Park

Bit of rain today.  I began running again.  Cathy and I watched a bit of Wimbledon.  I read Ulysses.  Preparing changes of address.

* * * * *

30 June 1992

Dear Mom and Dad,

The weather is definitely warmer.  My last letter until I see you.  Today is cloudy, but yesterday was warm and humid, a sticky day.  The evening before (Sunday) was lovely: Cathy and I watched a television show on the British spy, code named "Snow."  At ten o'clock all the lights were out and the children were in bed, and the house still suffused with a shadowy light sufficient to see clearly.  We sat out on the steps to watch the end of the light.  I thought of going back to Las Vegas, how Las Vegas is now a faraway place, and how I have always been enamored of faraway places.  (Whether that is genetics or upbringing or both I do not know.  Even before we left for England in 1958, I used to look out across the ocean, trying to see or imagine Catalina.)  Living here, sitting outside Sunday night reminded me of faraway places.  In a sense the desert is like the beach: you can see sometimes forever; though it is not quite as romantic as looking out to sea.  It occurred to me in this reflection that I have thought of many places since we have been gone; I am now reminded of summer in Pasadena: hot days and deliciously cool nights.  But, except for one dry, windy night in Tuscany, when I could see across a valley miles away, I have not been reminded at all of Las Vegas.  I wonder if this is because we have not been anywhere near a desert or because Las Vegas, lovely as its views are, has never "taken" as a place to live.  Can one ever really "take" to a place as inhospitable to human life (aridity, alkalinity, blazing sun, etc.) as the desert? 

In any event, I thought it strange that I should have been reminded this year of so many places in my life, but, except for that night in Tuscany, not Las Vegas.

We look forward to your visit.  I am sure now that we will be tired when we return to Las Vegas.  A sense of panic has recently settled in as we realize the game is up and try to cram in as many things as possible into our remaining weeks, just like regular tourists.

Since I last wrote:  We went to a children's play based on Edward Lear poems at St. John's; the same day (the 9^th) Robert went to France for the day to practice his French.  I spent about a week putting photo albums together, so we can say, "Look at the pictures if you want, otherwise we do not need to talk about it!"  Cathy and I saw "Henry IV, Pt. 1" at the Barbican with tea afterwards at the Rees' (11th).  We had lunch where we did in '89 with the Rees' (now under new management).  It was a magnificent, sunny, breezy day. 

School out for half term on the 12th at noon.  We had lunch in Cambridge at the Anchor, by the bridge on the River Cam.  Relaxed by weeding and BBQ on my birthday, fielding calls, drinking lager!  Sunday the 14th we took a chauffeured punt with Adrian, a dancer (his friend dances in Las Vegas), on the Cam, upriver to Grantchester (a charming village about two miles from Cambridge; Jeffrey Archer has just bought a home there).  Brought along a bottle of champagne.  Lovely, relaxing day, lots of picnickers on the banks of the river, which is crowded at parts, but not overly so.  The river is cold and, outside of Cambridge itself, clear, the water lilies just beginning to flower.  We got a bit sunburned.  The weather cooled the 15th on.  Children content to stay home, sleeping in, horseback riding lessons on Saturdays. 

Thursday 18th was a holyday (Corpus Christi).  We went to Chartwell (Churchill's home) and Leeds Castle in Kent.  Both very interesting, especially Churchill's house with his libraries and awards and paintings. 

Friday 19th, Robert and I went to London to finalize our tickets home, settling on Virgin Atlantic Airways "mid-class" (business class for full fare coach tickets).  We leave from Heathrow on the 28th of July at 5 pm.  (Originally we thought we'd leave early in the morning, but settled on the latest flight in order to prolong our time in London).  R and I on a walking tour of London ("Dickens' London"), this time in the rain.  We stopped afterwards for tea at Browns, the steam coming off of our wet pants legs as we sat in the taxi on the way over.  The day cleared and we decided to go on the 7pm "pub tour" of the Docklands area.  The evening turned clear and beautiful, with a cold breeze.  We walked downriver along the Thames from the Tower, stopping at Dickens Inn, Captain Kidd and, at last, across the river, at the Mayflower -- the captain of same ship lies buried nearby.  Robert kept getting kicked out of the pub areas.  Home on the 11:33 train. 

Saturday the 20th, I dropped the car off in Ramsgate, a poor cousin to Dover, but lovely Victorian brick wall along the cliffs at the harbor.  The car to be shipped over to Emden and on a July 3rd ship (10 days) to Wilmington DE, from there to Queens where we will pick it up.  The winds were blowing "Force 8" the shipping fellow told me.  I stopped in London on the train back (two hours from Ramsgate to London) at the antiquarian book fair at the Hotel Russell. 

Sunday 21st I was back in London, this time with Jeffrey and Robert, to Baker Street underground and a walk to Lord's cricket grounds: warm, sunny day, bit of a breeze.  We arrived at 11 and didn't leave until the Pakistan - England test match was all over at 7 pm.  There was a break for lunch (40 min) and for tea (20 min).  We had front row seats and the newspaper accounts said it was one of the most exciting games ever seen at Lords.  There were 17 wickets (i.e., outs), a good deal more than usual, and the grounds were "knee deep in chewed fingernails" (obviously these guys have never seen a basketball game!).  Pakistan won.  Regular hot dogs, beer, but also a champagne stand.  We watched the match with the sun at our backs and our cricket hats on our heads.

Nothing much Mon/Tues (22nd/23rd).  Wednesday 24th, Robert, Mara and I went to Paris to pick up the new car.  Visited Versailles and Monet's gardens in Giverny.  All beautiful, but jammed.  While we were in France, Cathy visited Hampton Court and wants to take us back.

 Saturday we had a lovely dinner with Lucy and David J. in a beautiful old house/garden setting in Whittelsford, between here and Cambridge.  He is a nephrologist going to Harvard for a year.  Last night to Regents' Park for "Midsummer Night's Dream."  Family ticket got us front row seats.  The setting was perfect.  It was a warm night.  Everyone was well briefed on the plot and, surprisingly, Shakespeare turned out to be one of our favorite plays.  Now you are up to date!

 Our car is big enough to accommodate us and I think we can comfortably squeeze you in with the crew.  It's manual transmission, no a/c, but gets 38 miles to the gallon.  Here's our schedule:

 Thursday, 16th:  You arrive morning a.m.  Easy day. 

 Friday, 17th:  London?  I want to go on a walking tour of London, called "T.S. Eliot's Wasteland."  Starts at 6 p.m. (you just show up, two hour walk).  No other plans.  Perhaps a morning trip in, lunch, a visit to the food halls at Marks and Spencer for the picnic on Saturday.

 Saturday 18th:  This is the big day at St. John's, Speech and Sports Day.  Parents gets dressed up (Blazers and straw hats, summer dresses) and everyone picnics on the sports field at school.  10 am: open.  11:30: speeches and prize giving in the marquee.  2:15: Athletic sports.  4:00: prizes.  4:30: Tea in the marquee.  We have four tickets for prizes and four for the tea.  (That's the four of us, the children are on their own, unless one wins a prize, in which event a ticket will be supplied.)  Perhaps dinner at a nice place in Cambridge in evening or Saffron hotel. 

 Sunday 19th:  Day open.  7:30 p.m. fireworks concert at Audley End (8 tickets) in Saffron Walden.  Sunday lunch here?

 Monday 20th:  Open.  We have reserved tickets for the school (student) production of Bugsy Malone, matinee.

 Tuesday 21st:  Cathy has got us tickets for Grand Hotel at 8 p.m. in London.  (It is just opening, won a lot of Tonys, but a new London cast.)

 Wednesday 22nd: Invited parents luncheon at St. John's (Cathy, Robert and I).  School is out.  Open except for lunch. 

 Thursday 23rd:  West Side Story in Cambridge (8 tickets) in evening.

 Friday 24th: You leave.

 Saturday 25th: We leave Westfield House, to London for the weekend; depart for New York (JFK) Tuesday afternoon, 28th.  I drop the car off in Calais.  (If you want to meet us in New York, let us know!)

 That should be all you need to know.  We can do more or less as you desire, leave you here or take you with. 

 The removal company (movers) comes on the 14th to pack up our furniture (antique cupboard, desk, chair, table and end piece), china, books and extra clothes.  I don't see how, but they say a day.  When you arrive our lives should be relatively free from further complications, just a little on going cleaning and finishing off the food and booze.  See you soon!