Casual Acquaintance

 

It began on a beautiful sunny afternoon in early September 1950.  

 

"God was in His Heaven and all was right with the world."

 

The quiet steady beat of my trusty Triumph Thunderbird was reassuring as I banked this way and that around the curves of the hilly Perthshire road. The heather was in full bloom and covered the hills with shades of greens, browns and purples. Cotton wool clouds drifted in the clear blue sky. Light and dark shadows were moving across the hills. My fishing rod was slung across my back as was my bag that held some fine fat trout. It was one of those absolutely beautiful idyllic days in early September.

My 650cc Triumph Thunderbird

 

I rounded a curve and came upon an elderly couple whose car obviously had a flat tire. It appeared that they were having trouble with the jack. I stopped and did the honors.

  

Little did I realize that I was setting wheels in motion that would change my entire life.

 

After getting the tire changed and the jack stowed away we sat by the side of the road to admire the view and exchange a little about each other. They were Jim and Marian Denham, Americans, from the Pacific  Northwest State of Washington. They had a forty acre farm and lived near the small town of Marysville, not far from the City of Seattle. Their occupations in their retirement years were that of raising about 5000 mink on a continuous basis for the fur industry and growing strawberries for people who liked to pick their own. The Denhams were in their 70s. This was their first trip out of the USA. They were on a mission to find their roots and the home places of their Scottish ancestors. I told them who I was, where I lived and a little about Earlsferry, the village where I was born. After about a half hour we went our ways.

 

At Christmas time a letter with my name and only Earlsferry, Scotland for an address found it's way into our letter box. It was a Christmas card from my American friends with words of thanks for helping them and the best wishes of the season. The envelope had their address so I sent them a similar card back. For two more Christmases the same thing happened. No correspondence, just the wishes of the Christmas season. Then in April of 1953 a letter arrived from them.  "We have no living relatives and we would like to sponsor you to come to the USA and make your life here.  We have a guest cottage that you're welcome to use for as long as you want. We will assist you in all ways possible as you settle in the USA." Wow!  I gave this offer consideration. Although, at that time, my place of employment was The English Electric Company in Stafford England, leaving Scotland was the last thing I ever wanted to do.  Earlsferry and Scotland was it for me. I had absolutely no desire to go or be anywhere else.  I finally answered, thank you very much, but, no. They didn't reply.  Christmas again came and another card arrived and I returned one back.

 

In April 1954 a second letter arrived with, again, "Our offer is still open. If you don't come to stay we'd like you to come to visit."  I thought about it again then responded, "Thank you very much but, again,  no."

 

The products that we designed and manufactured at The English Electric plant in Stafford  were huge turbo alternators such as are installed at very large  hydro-electric dams for the generation of electricity.

 

It was a day in June.  Rather than leave the plant in the middle of the day I always carried a brown bag lunch. On this particular day the plant was stiflingly hot. Rather than eat inside I decided to discard my bag and go out to quite a pleasant little restaurant just down the street.

 

As I walked out of the plant I had to step aside to allow a huge truck to exit the gate. On the truck was one of our completely assembled alternators which was roped down and covered with a heavy tarpaulin. A large placard attached to the side declared, Another Product of English Electric. Destination, Seattle, Washington, USA. I looked at that sign, and I looked at that sign and I looked at that sign.  It seemed like an omen. Right next door to the restaurant I was going to was a travel agent. I forgot about lunch.

 

The travel agent informed me as to a big problem in visiting the USA at that time, namely money. Britain was still paying down it's war debt to the United States and severe currency restrictions were in place as to the frivolous spending of Britain's balance of payments and it's stockpile of dollars. At that time in order to visit the USA the cost of the round trip had to be paid for in Pounds before leaving and a total of 10 pounds to convert into dollars was all the money that was being allocated for non essential visiting expenses.  Essentially, as a visitor, all of ones expenses within the United States had to be paid for by American friends. The travel agent suggested an alternative. The quota of British immigrants to the United States was 8000 per year and only about 6000 per year were going.  If one went with immigration status then the British Government, at that time, would allow the immigrant to take 700 pounds per year for each of 4 years out of the country. But if one went as an immigrant and got the dollar allowance but was in actual fact truly only a visitor and returned to the UK, having spent and minus the allowance of dollars this could result in a charge of fraud and a possible heavy fine and/or jail sentence.

 

Next thing was a visit to meet with the United States Consul in Liverpool. After hearing my story the Consul looked me straight in the eye and said, "I would like to have you come stay with us." 

I elected to take the money and take my chances. I reasoned that I could easily earn the dollars within the USA to replace those  that I'd spend and I'd return with as much or more money than I left with. Besides I had other tremendous assets, health, skills, a gold mine between my ears and a good Earlsferry Scottish tongue in my head. Who could ask for more? 

 

1954 My brother, Noel, took, developed and printed this picture, that

 I used on my British passport, all on equipment of his making..

The backdrop is the outside wall of our house. 

 

 

 

At short notice the travel agent booked passage for me to the USA and I wrote my friends that I was coming to visit. The ship that I was booked on was the 20,000 ton Greek liner, The T.S.S. Neptunia, which would be sailing from Southampton on the 17^th of August for New York. I had no idea when I'd be returning. Since I was footloose and fancy free I had thoughts of possibly working my way right around the world. (I didn't know that America had other plans for me.)

 

 

My friends at English Electric threw a big surprise going away party for me and the next day I returned to Earlsferry. I spent three days visiting all of my favourite places in and around the village then set out on my Triumph on a two week trip going all around the north of Scotland and down the west coast. Seven of these idyllic days I spent living with salmon fishers in their thatched cottage on the shores of  Cuil Bay, in Loch Linnhe, Appin. They had seen me walking along the shoreline. After a short exchange they invited me to stay for a time with them. Each day I helped to row the cobble as we tended and emptied the salmon nets. It was hard to leave but when I did they wrapped a salmon in sheilisters (long wild iris leaves) that grew by the door and tied it up in twine to form a package and gave it to me.

I left on the last leg of my journey to return home.

 

My English Electric Surprise Going Away Party

I'm the one without a jacket and tie, back row, center

 

My Earlsferry Beach

 

Salmon Fisher's Cottage Cuil Bay,Loch Linnhe, Appin

 

Finally the day came for me to leave home. All of my possessions that I left with to venture out into the great big world fitted into one hand bag. A change of clothes, an extra pair of shoes, a sprig of wild purple heather that grew by the salmon fisher's cottage, (which I still have) a few tiny pink cowrie shells from my Earlsferry beach tucked into my shirt pocket and a book that I was in the middle of reading, by Maurice Walsh, "The key above the door." A simple love story with a setting in the heather clad Scottish highlands.  What was I doing? It seemed like an invisible force was propelling me.  My mother gave me one last hug.

 

With misty eyes and in a soft spoken whisper she said, "The Lord will take care of you." As I moved away she tucked something into my shirt pocket. I was to find that it was a small New Testament. Inside it was a picture of her holding a rose from her garden and a card which had a picture of Jesus holding a lamb as he tended his flock of sheep and with the words from the Book of Genesis, 

In the beginning God made the Heavens and the Earth.

 

 

 And so I set out on my journey

 

The cabin that I was to share with others was down in the bottom of the ship, right by the propeller shaft.  After stowing my bag there was but 10 minutes until casting-off time. I made my way up on deck and joined all the others who were lining the side rails. Then it hit me. What madness had come over me to place me where I was? What was I doing? My eyes misted over and I could no longer see the pier. I made a wild dash for the gangplank to get off the ship before it was too late. When I got there the ships crew had just thrown ashore the last of the mooring lines and the ship was edging away from the dockside. The gap was more than I could jump.

 

The ship's schedule was to go to Le Havre in France to pick up more passengers then go on to Cobh in Ireland to do the same thing. The only thing I remember of going to France and to Ireland is of standing by the railing and blubbering. 

After Cobh the ship set out in earnest for the Atlantic Crossing.

 

Ahead lay America and a big unknown.

 

In no time I made the acquaintance of three young lady school teachers who were in the next cabin. They had spent their entire summer in Europe. They had first landed in Southampton, England where they bought three speed Raleigh bicycles.  With these they traveled around the south of England then on to France, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Italy. Occasionally they put their bikes on to trains with them. They seemed to be charmed by my Earlsferry accent and insisted that I keep talking and telling them about Scotland. They invited me to spend the nights of the crossing with them. This happy adventurous threesome suggested that we each take a blanket and spend our nights in deck-chairs on the topmost deck instead of in our stuffy cabins by the noisy propellor shaft.  Each night we eventually fell asleep as we watched the millions of stars, the planets and the  great constellations. By day my favourite place to go was right up on the forward bow  of the ship, which really was an off-limits place, where I would stand on the railing and "fly".  (As DeCaprio did in Titanic)  What a sensation it is to step up and balance on the bow of the ship as you hang on to the rigging  with your knees and your arms straight out like wings and the ship is forging ahead with the stem below you cutting the waves and all that's out in front is the horizon.   

 And of course I had to find my way down to the engine room to check on the inner workings. 

 

On the crossing I met several influential business people and in no time I had a handful of business cards and  offers of a number of interesting, demanding and responsible jobs. I was also invited to their homes. One family from New York insisted that I spend  at least a week with them before I headed west. They went to great lengths in taking me to see the wonders of the city including the top of the Empire State Building, a show by The Rockettes and dinner as the guest of Joe Louis, the boxer, at his restaurant to name a few.

 

Eventually on the evening of August 26^th the Neptunia made its way up river to anchor for the night at Hoboken, New Jersey, right opposite the Statue of Liberty. The word quickly spread throughout the ship; There she is The Statue of Liberty the symbol of free people.   Evening turned to dusk and the lights came on. No one went to bed that night. The ship took a definite list as everyone on board huddled together, awed and mesmerized, by the magnificent sight of the Lady with the light in the darkness

 

On the ship were a number of European immigrants who for years must have been thinking about coming to America to make a new life.  Many were so overcome with The Statue and the final realization that they had arrived that  emotional sobbing was heard all night.

 

 

On the morning of the 27^th of August 1954 I stepped ashore. The first thing I saw was a man with a broom sweeping the sidewalk. As he swept he was smoking a huge fat cigar.

 

Then, it was true what I'd heard.

 

The streets of New York must indeed be paved with gold.

 

And so I set out for the Pacific Coast another good 3000 or more miles away.    

 

 No looking back now.  Go west young man.  Go west.

 

Adventures lay ahead.