June 25, 1968

 June 25, 1968

     Set out after 8:00 am breakfast to do our shopping.  Decide to split up at Piccadilly and meet up at 2:00pm at B.O.A.C. office.  Again go to the tube - Earl St. Station.  No lift working, spiral steps again.  Dave and I walk down Regent St. to Carmandy to get Janet’s skirt.  Finally got one at Lady James.  Also Dave buys an umbrella.  After a little debate Dave takes cabby back to hotel before skirt gets drenched in the now pouring rain.  I continue down Regent Street in search of shoes - and Oxford street.  Tom on own. Ray goes to London Hotel to straighten out bill.  Pouring rain.  Shoes don’t fit and Ray and I are to meet at Selfridges at 12:00 and might as well have lunch.  Have friendly talks with waitresses at Selfridges Restaurant.  Look at paintings.  Split up - getting ready for sale tomorrow.  I buy kilt skirt and luckily run into sweater set of cashmere that lady gives me at sale price after learning we are leaving day of the sale.  I take cabby to B. O. A. C. Where there is Ray and Tom.  Dave comes a split second after me.  ( Remember lady at Selfridges that looks like Tellulah Barkshead and helps me find exit).  Everybody successful.  Dave gets nice jacket.  Tom gets nice jacket and sweater.  Ray settles bill satisfactorily.  Immediately go to British Museum - wonderful - more mummies , pottery, figurines, etc.  Then we take cabby to Victoria and Albert. Then split up.  Amazing collections of every single thing.  Even copy of the statue David.

      We walk a bit afterwards - very cold.  Too early for our reservations at Simpsons.  Take cabby to Strand. Walk some more. Go to Strand Hotel lobby - stall - make our 7:00 pm reservation. Just as we feared.  David had changed at hotel into a turtleneck and wouldn’t be accepted unless shirt and tie.  Restaurant man fixes and lends him a shirt and tie.  Have a drink waiting for our table.  Get nice food.  Dave has a steak, so so.  Tom is a  few tables away from Charlie Chaplain and has the Charlie Chaplain Roast Mutton.  Ray and I have roast beef and Yorkshire pudding.  Have a ball with the waiter.  Grab cabby to hotel and so to bed for last night in London.