This posting begins the series of photos from the bicycle trip that I took by myself thirty years ago in England, Scotland, Wales and France. I left Seattle, WA, on a Pan Am 747 out of Sea-Tac Airport on May 29, 1979; and arrived at London’s Heathrow Airport on May 30, 1979. My bike was in a large cardboard box along with my bike bags and gear; and I reassembled the bike and attached the bags over in a corner of the airport near Heathrow’s baggage claim area. That first day I stopped at a home while still in the greater London area called “Little Place” in Farnham Common, and asked permission to camp in a little wood beside their property. I was met by the most gracious family - Bet, Ian, George, David and Jayne; who not only took me into their home but showed me London as well. From that first day of my bike trip onward, family after family in the U.K. took me in and treated me in a most gracious and hospitable way.
I regret not having kept in contact with every family that I met during my many travels and adventures, as I was never organized enough to keep in contact with so many people. Perhaps someday the families that helped me along the way will know how much I appreciated their hospitality - and for that I say ‘Thank You’ from the bottom of my heart.
As usual, I traveled on a shoestring budget while on this bike trip, and didn’t have much of a budget for niceties like film and developing – but I did bring my camera. I had an “open-ended” return ticket with Pan Am, because I had no idea how long my money would last. I planned to travel around the British Isles and then head to the Continent. As it turned out, that spring of 1979 was one of the wettest on record in England, and it wasn’t long before I decided to go to France to look for drier weather. In France, I found out that I couldn’t communicate with anyone as I don’t speak French, so I returned to England and completed the bike tour up through Scotland and Wales prior to flying back to Seattle on July 14, 1979 from London Heathrow.
As this was my first overseas trip out of the country, I put all of my film through the x-ray machines at both Heathrow and Sea-Tac; and in the process, I lost much of the exposed film prior to developing it – as most of it turned out “blank.” So what I’m posting here are all 57 photos that survived, which being better than nothing, still provides you with a “flavor” of my adventure. Enjoy! 
Cheers,
Mark
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- This photo of my bike and the English countryside is one of my two favorite pictures from my bike trip to the U.K. and France. (Scanned from an original 8″x10″ print.)
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- This is the same picture as shown previously, but the colors are washed out in this photo – I love the fields defined by hedgerows and different crop colors. (Scanned from an original 4″x6″ print.)
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- The English countryside Is timeless, without a sign of modern life to be found; which makes it easy to imagine an earlier time and place.
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- Here’s another rural English landscape, pure, natural, authentic and timeless; how I enjoyed these scenes from my bike.
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- A patchwork of fields bordered by hedgerows; framing each individual field like a giant mosaic or puzzle, with so many interlocking and connecting pieces.
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- This picture could have been taken in the Cotswolds; as the terrain is gently elevated and the countryside extends out to the distant horizon.
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- A nice reflective photo of rural beauty and tranquility; probably taken in Wales because of the rising and forested terrain ahead.
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- I rode over to Windsor Castle, in Windsor, Berkshire, England – just outside of London; and here I gaze down the long approach lane towards the castle.
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- Here’s another view of the approach lane to Windsor Castle, in Windsor, Berkshire, England; one of the Queen’s primary residences.
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- I took this photo of Windsor Castle as I rode into the town of Windsor itself; and you can see the castle’s elevation over the town on a slightly rising hill in the distance.
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- A view of only a small section of the Tower of London, in London, England; which sits on the River Thames beside the Tower Bridge.
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- The Clock Tower or “Big Ben,” a part of the Palace of Westminster, in London, England; is one of London’s most famous landmarks.
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- The middle section of the front of St Paul’s Cathedral, in London, England; which is one of the world’s most beautiful cathedrals.
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- The dome of St Paul’s Cathedral is 173 feet above the cathedral’s floor, and is an amazing and beautiful structure to view – both from the inside and outside of the cathedral.
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- The interior of St Paul’s Cathedral – looking west through the Nave from the High Altar.
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- Another view of the interior of St Paul’s Cathedral – looking to the east towards the High Altar.
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- A picture of tourists with London’s world famous pigeons – most likely taken at Trafalgar Square.
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- The Changing of the Queen’s Life Guards, in London, England; an amazing ceremony of Old World pageantry and superb horsemanship.
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- The Changing of the Queen’s Life Guards – is a most impressive ceremony, and a “don’t miss” event on anyone’s visit to London.
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- The Changing of the Queen’s Life Guards; an event where perfection is the standard and the excellence of both horse and rider is the only option.
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- The Changing of the Queen’s Life Guards; here one of the guards takes a quick glance towards my camera out of the corner of his eye, without much of a noticeable turn of his head.
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- Part of the procession of the Changing of the Queen’s Guard, in London, England; closely observed by a mounted police officer, as they make their way through the streets of London.
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- The Queen’s Guard, in London, England; standing watch at his post, and looking like a real-life toy soldier from the Nutcracker Ballet.
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- The famous Buckingham Palace, in London, England; the primary London residence of the British monarch, Elizabeth II – the Queen of England, Canada, Australia and the other Commonwealth realms.
