One of my earlier memories in life is driving down to Heathrow from my grandparents house in Norfolk, as a family we were about to depart for a new life in Botswana, to be honest I don't think at the age of 3 you really comprehend what that includes, you just know that you don't want to leave your grandparents and from what I recall most particularly, in my case my Grandad Jim.
There are two moments in particular that are vivid in my mind, the first was that we reset the trip mileage on the dark chocolate brown cortina, he was driving at the time. I recall wanting to know just how far a journey it was, I suspect this may have been a diversion tactic to keep me out of the way, whilst my parents packed the bags. By the way, what is it with chocolate brown? its a colour that we never seem to be able to escape, even over here its seems no house has been built in the past without having had its walls painted chocolate brown, at least once in its life.
Is it obligatory that in a house over the age of 20 years old that it must have been painted chocolate brown? was there a time when all houses were simultaneously chocolate brown? This must have been in the era of the black and white TV. I can see it now, ooo that chocolate brown looks nice Arthur, do you think we should decorate the hallway chocolate brown its looks very good on TV, everyone's doing it you know, they say its the new magnolia
Anyhow back on topic, the second memory of that day is standing in the car park overlooking, what I presume was Terminal 2, stretching below as far as I could see, well I was only 3! were a sea of aeroplanes, this was certainly the first time I had seen a jumbo jet, I was enthralled and recall not wanting to leave the car park.
... So fast forward some 35 years and there I was at Heathrow, albeit sat in the lounge with my own 3 year old, ok so sat is the wrong term... trying desperately to keep her entertained whilst her mum had a break would be more truthful. At some stage I happened to look out of the window and I happened to see the plane that would fly us off to the next chapter in our life, suddenly I couldn't help but cast my mind back all those years.
We never did check the mileage on the trip....
Muswell
There are two moments in particular that are vivid in my mind, the first was that we reset the trip mileage on the dark chocolate brown cortina, he was driving at the time. I recall wanting to know just how far a journey it was, I suspect this may have been a diversion tactic to keep me out of the way, whilst my parents packed the bags. By the way, what is it with chocolate brown? its a colour that we never seem to be able to escape, even over here its seems no house has been built in the past without having had its walls painted chocolate brown, at least once in its life.
Is it obligatory that in a house over the age of 20 years old that it must have been painted chocolate brown? was there a time when all houses were simultaneously chocolate brown? This must have been in the era of the black and white TV. I can see it now, ooo that chocolate brown looks nice Arthur, do you think we should decorate the hallway chocolate brown its looks very good on TV, everyone's doing it you know, they say its the new magnolia
Anyhow back on topic, the second memory of that day is standing in the car park overlooking, what I presume was Terminal 2, stretching below as far as I could see, well I was only 3! were a sea of aeroplanes, this was certainly the first time I had seen a jumbo jet, I was enthralled and recall not wanting to leave the car park.
... So fast forward some 35 years and there I was at Heathrow, albeit sat in the lounge with my own 3 year old, ok so sat is the wrong term... trying desperately to keep her entertained whilst her mum had a break would be more truthful. At some stage I happened to look out of the window and I happened to see the plane that would fly us off to the next chapter in our life, suddenly I couldn't help but cast my mind back all those years.
We never did check the mileage on the trip....
Muswell
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