Going My Way? or Hitch-Hiking in England

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GOING MY WAY' or HITCH-HIKING IN ENGLAND. First of all, I must make it clear that to hitch-hike round the country was not MY idea of "how to see Englando I I had beautiful visions of the two of us gliding along peaceful country lanes, sniffing the new mown hay etco on an ordniary, common bicycle. But NO: That was too much like hard work for Peggyo Hitch-hiking it had to be, so for everyone's peace of mind (particularly mine) I gave in and said that I wouldtag along as she secmed willing to do all the necessary hitching, Imagine my horrcr-, when two days before we were due to start, Peggy said to me 'By the way, just what do you do when you want to get a lift?" After recovering my balance, I replied that as this was all her idea then it was about time she did some research on the subjecto In spite of this setback all arrangements were made and among other preparations, I painted a Kiwi and "N.Zo a on my pack, which was to prove very useful at times. In due course the fateful day arrived and we set off in a bus to start from Guildford, We cause quite some considerable comment at the bus stop as many people had deep discussions on what we must have originated fromo I was dressed in the usual tramping gear of our country a tartan shirt, slacks (shorts underneath) and ski cap resplendent in badges and emblems. Peggy was dressed in the same with the bright yellow McLeod tartan of her family, but somehow the novelty of these outfits struck quite a few people as being unusual. After staggering off the bus with our 351b packs (we were prepared for everything) and had begun our trek out of town, I noticed that a woman was looking at us rather queerlyo As I was preparing to return the peculiar lookshe stopped us and said, "Pardon me, but I see from your ruck-sack (horrible word) that you come from New Zealand. I say, I must do something about that a come round to my place for some lunch. i Looking rather bewildered and wondering if our luck was going to continue in this vein, we pottered along behind her to her home where we had a lovely meal and a long conversatione Eventually we tore ourselves away and headed for the main road. Ahad Now was Peggy's chance to prove the necessity of her presence on this earth, but did she? NO! As the first few trucks and cars began rolling along, Pegzy walked steadily on-ward without showing any activity in her right hand thumb at all. Grinning to myself, I mentioned that it was about time she provided us with a chariot. Screwing up her courage, Peggy bravely turned around and faced the nearest oncoming car. As it grew nearer a forlorn little hand was raised in the air and as the driver sped by, seemingly without noticing us, the movement ended in a pointing position as Peggy, looked after him crying 4 "Ooh look at hime : I roared with laughter at this feeble attempt, and Peggy grew quite annoyed at my irreverent outburst, tolling me that I should be helping also instead of cluttering up the road making eilly noises. Suddenly the situation struck her as being rather funny and for the next few minutes we were doubled up with laughter. However, the situation was getting serious, our first attempt had failed. So back to work again. This time we both tried some pawing motions in the but still nothing happoned. Peggy was indignant. those Billy s0-and- Thouadrl, sos in those cars sec that we wanted a lift? It was jolly cheek for them to go sailing past with empty cars and their noses in the air. Just then a likely looking lorry cano along so we both made more flapping motions, only to have the lorry go sailing past us. By this time we were convinced that we would be camping out on the side of the road for the night, until I noticed a minor traffic jam caused by a car that had pulled in to the side of the road. Wondering what could be the matter with him we were about to continue flapping, when we saw the driver of the car motioning to us to hurry up. Perhaps-he wanted to ask us directionsor something. However, wo staggered up, only to find that he had stopped to give us a lift in answer to the signal we had made to the lorry. After tumbling in wib great gusto, we discovered that our first victim was a telephone inspector. We informed him that this was the first ride we had ever received like this and by the time he dropped us off he had heard all about us and where we had come from. Needless to say, our second attempt at the thumbing" technique was a little more polished, but still far from perfect. Our next lift took us to Southsea where we made out way to Gosport to stay the night at a Youth Hostel. Our first day of hitch-hiking had been rather successful alt though we were still nervous about our future attempts.

D. - H. SMALL & Son Ltd. ("FOR THE ROAD") pur For-Equipment and Friendly"Service.

ll. The following day we made for Weymouth and with four lifts we arrived in good time to look for a camping site. You see, we had brought a tent and sleeping bags in case we could not get into a hostel. As there was no hostel at Weymouth and we were both itching to spend a night out, we asked the bus drivers at the depot where would be the best place to campo We certainly owe a lot to bus drivers and conductresses. They were always helpful and most sympathetic when they saw our packso This time thoy suggested that we camp out at Chesil Beach in Portlando It is not a camping ground, has no amenities 9 but is a nice spoto We duly arrived (via Bus) and prepared to pitch our tent between the beach and the main road. Before long we discovered the presence of four small boys whowere also camping outo They lived in Portland and as it was the school vacation they were allowed to camp out on the beach. Fortunately for us they had a bucket which was regularly filled with fresh water brought from home. Before long we were great friends with them and for two nights we had a marvellous time sitting round a huge camp fire eating fish and chips and swapping yarnso By the second night our numbers had increased, as a few more small boys had similarly persuaded their parents to let them canp outo Those two nights were unforgettable and it was very sad to say good-bye to those wonderful kidso However, we had stayed long enough and it was time for us to move on to our next port of call - Exeter. Fortunately we picked up a lift which took us the whole way by lunch time. At one part of the journey it began to raino It really poured down, and when I tell you that it was the day of the Lynmouth Flooding, you will understand what it was like. However, we were not to know of the tragedy for another dayo As the truck ploughed through the torrential downpour, we saw many cyclists struggling along with their rain-capee ono Further along about half a dozen of them were standing in a ditch just letting the rain pour off them in bucket loads. Peggy turned to me and smiled sweetly. Nothing was said, as the contrast between the cyclists and us, sitting safely and dry in a comfortable cab was only too obvious. Peggy had won hands down and from that time onwards, I was a convert to hitchhikingo We did not stop the night at Exeter as we had arrived too early, so we kept on to Plymouth and the following day to Penzance. No doubt an odd bod reading this might have noticed the obvious lack of descriptive prose, extolling the beautiful English countryside. However, as I have never been over fond of reading such stuff, let alone writing it, I will let your college education of Shelley's odes and someone else's daffodils do the dirty work for me. Let it suffice.that it is as beautiful as you have no doubt read about. However, at Penzance we had to spend another night out at a really delightful little spot called Mousehole. The hostel was full and after seeing the lovely little place W6 were not sorry. Unfortunetely, Nouschole was liberally êndowed with insects. If there is anything tha t will make Peggy panic in a hurry, it's insccts. We had settled down for the night in our nice cosy sleeping bags and I WaS about to drop off to sleep when suddenly - "Karin, I can hear some thing," from Pegey. Fearing what could happen to our little tent in the ensuing strugglc between Peggy and some mighty insect, I promptly put on thc torch to have a look round. Nothing, except Pegsy's face adorned her sleeping bag, so out went the light and I prepared for sleep. A few minutes later 1 "Karin I can still hear somcthing, it's at the back of my head I KNOW," On with the torch again and this time I spied a little insect about the size of a flca roaming around near Peggy's head which I promptly dispatched while looking for something bigger. But nothing bigger did appear, however I had to swap sides in the tent before I was finally allowcd to go to sleep. We still do not know what the noise was, My theory is that the "flea" was thc culprit. The following day we decided that w6 ought to see the Scilly Isles (pronounced Silly a very appropriately applied to us in this vcnture). We duly presented ourselves at the boat to be transported in a four hour sea journey to a group of islands somet whore or other. As it was raining at the time and the boat began tossing about like a cork, we knew wE were in for a merry time. Presently the first of the victims were struck. I wondered why ell those littlc pans were placed conveniently around for anyone to trip over. My curiousity was rewarded as a number of people made wild dashes at them and procceded to lose the best part of their breakfast. Peggy soon disappeored from the deck and I did not SCG her again until our arrival. I stayed on and watched the waves go up and down, up and down, and soon became lulled into thc dangerous state between sleep and consciousness. My, poor stomach did not have a chancc. Eventually the timc arrived when I prosent ced myself at the rail to get a closer look at the seao Believe me, I was NOT admiring the water at close range. FOUR TIMES I had to suffer the indignity of that rail vigil. My only consolation was that others were being even sicker. After about six years we arrived and set foot on some very firm terrao We promptly went off and had a large mealo We felt that we had cheated thefish on our way over and if we had to be sick again, then it was best to provide them with something adequate.

Our few hours on the Island of Sto Mary's was spent in a sightseeing tour, then camo the ordeal of the journey backo This time, we went straight downstairs and lay down, firmly declaring that we would not move our heads from those pillows until we arrived and it workedo We were able to keep our 5/meal after allo At least we can say we have been to the Scilly Islese By this time in our travels, Peggy and I had this thumbing technique down to a fine arto While we were not 'working - (thumbing rides) we would amble along at an easy pace knocking an odd pedestrian off the footpath as we swung round to look in a shop window. But when the time was ripe for our 'work - Peggy would call a halt, I would mark time on the spot, she wouldmove to the front and we would quick march off, saying "To the hills MacGregor, 11 and begin our watching outo As to the cars and trucks we tackled? We soon learnt from experience that Royal Mail vans, British Road Services, Petrol tankers and Army lorries would not stopo Anything else in the lorry or van line was eligible. Only cars with one person in were safe to thumb as it took all the space available for the two of us and our packso So we soon knew which were the best to tryo Once we were waiting at the side of the road and an Army motor cyclist sped byo A few minutes later he came back and stopped by use I say, he called, "have you seen an Army convoy go past? We lost oneo 1 Honestly, he looked so silly I just had to laugho Apparently the ones ahead had taken the wrong turning somewhere and he was supposed to see them safely to their destination. When we picked up a lift we noticed about half an hour later that several Army trucks went tearing past, heading in the direction of the motor cyclisto Presumably he found them againo Several of our drivers were really marvellous to us and could not do enough for uso The really nice ones W. ill be receiving some tinned cheese and some other items of rationed food from us in the mail. As I mentiened before, we had come prepared for anything. Included in our gear, WE.3 a dress, in case the occasion demanded anything a little morg formal than tramping gearo So there were times when we evén looked like sightsecing tourists, instead of one of the sightso Our nightly stopping places in order were 1 Gosport, Weymouth (-), Plymouth, Penzance (3), Elmscott, Barnstaple, Bristol, Salisbury and then home again to London. It was certainly a great trip and one which we won't forget in a hurry. Now we have to settle down to earning some hard cash to make up for our earlier extravagances and save up for our next trip when once more we will be able to sny 'To the hills Mac@regor. 1 Karin Wilson.