Top letters home
Here are some of my favourite letters, whether they’re funny, fascinating, terrifying… or simply atmospheric. I’ll add more when I have a chance – Tiffany
* A hillbilly nightmare * Tarantino-esque corrupt cops * Palm Sunday tornadoes * Mingling with Mafia hitmen * A completely bonkers boss * An incredible tale of Alaskan survival * Paradise, bliss – and drunken Legionnaires, Tahiti * Time to Wrestle!
1965 – Australia
4 Nov 65 : Sailing into little Auckland, New Zealand
2 Nov 65 : Riding rough waters : The Cap Finisterre, Tasman Sea
31 Oct 65 : Wharfie trouble and poker nights : The Cap Finisterre, Tasman Sea
27 Oct 65 : Poor Jim and the Aussie flies : Melbourne, Australia
23-24 Oct 65: Another wedding and disappointing Sydney : Sydney, Australia
1965 – Pacific Ocean
19 Oct 65 : Time to wrestle! : Cap Finisterre, Pacific Ocean
16 Oct 65 : The days are long : Cap Finisterre, Pacific Ocean
14 Oct 65 : Special moments on board : Cap Finisterre, Pacific Ocean
10 Oct 65 : Paradise, bliss – and drunken Legionnaires : Tahiti
7 Oct 65 : Sailing to Tahiti : Cap Finisterre, Pacific Ocean
5 Oct 65 : Approaching the equator : Cap Finisterre, Pacific Ocean
2 Oct 65 : Boredom and booze at sea : Cap Finisterre, Pacific Ocean
29 Sept 65 : On board with life’s runaways : Cap Finisterre, Pacific Ocean
1965 – USA, Canada and Mexico
24 Sept 65 : Farewell America, New stop Tahiti! : Los Angeles, California
20 Sept 65 : A big shock from home : Los Angeles, California
19 Sept 65 : Theme park thrills : Disneyland, California
17 Sept 65 : Last days in America, San Diego, California
16 Sept 65 : Short and sweet, San Diego, California
14 Sept 65 : Highs and lows in Mexico – a trip to Tijuana, Mexico
11 Sept 65: Giant trees, film stars and cowboys, Malibu Beach, California
6 Sept 65 : Beauty and Bears, Yosemite National Park, California
5 Sept 65 : Caught looking silly, San Francisco, California
Extra info: Helen Klaben and Ralph Flores, An incredible tale of Alaskan survival
3 Sept 65 : Soon we’ll be sailors, San Francisco, California
1 Sept 65 : Living with the girls, San Francisco, California
31 Aug 65 : Tomato picking torture! San Francisco, California
29 Aug 65 : Desperation for tomato pickers, a cliffside in California
28 Aug 65 : Making friends, Santa Cruz, California
27 Aug 65 : Beach holiday, Carmel, California
26 Aug 65 : Scenery and thick fog, Monterey, California
25 Aug 65 : Breakdown! San Luis Obispo, California
23 Aug 65 : A friendly police warning, Morro Bay, California
22 Aug 65 : Zion, hail and Vegas – Barstow, California
20 Aug 65 : A Grand Canyon Disappointment, Zion National Park, Utah
19 Aug 65 : Fun, friends and fire, Grand Canyon, USA
16 Aug 65 : Mormon marriage and changing plans, Salt Lake City, Utah
15 August 65 : Dramatic landscapes, location unknown, USA
14 August 65: Dodging bears and singalongs, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
10 August 65 : Garden of The Gods, Colorado Springs, Colorado
9 August 65 : Entering cowboy country, Kansas
late July 1965 : Carol’s wedding, Bristol, UK
13 July 65 : They make it hard to leave America! Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
10 July 65 : Sweaty labour and top hats, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
08 July 65 : Preparing for change, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
05 July 65 : Independence Day! Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
03 July 65 : VW campervan bliss and charging for culture, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
20 June 65 : Unemployed again! Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
17 June 65 : Corrupt America, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
16 June 65 : Dodging police and exciting news, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
14 June 65 : Drunk in chanrge of a mule, Alabama
12 June 65 : SKF misconceptions, girls in curlers, Panama City, Florida
11 June 65 : Meeting Governor George Wallace, Panama City, Florida
9 June 65 : Vultures and hungry cattle, Montgomery, Alabama
6 June 65 : Dixie Jazz and home news, New Orleans, Louisiana
5 June 65 : Music and riverboats, New Orleans, Louisiana
2 June 65 : A very curious postal drop, Jackson Alabama
1 June 65 : Off the beaten track, Alabama
31 May 65 : Post problems, heat and mozzies – Mobile, Alabama
30 May 65 : Luxury, poverty and rain in Mobile, Alabama
23 May 65 : Visiting the home of President Jefferson Davis – Montgomery, Alabama
16 May 65 : Atlanta, the Civil War Cyclorama and the Great Locomotive Chase – Atlanta, Georgia
15 May 65 : Frog gigging nightmare – Gadsden, Alabama
13 May 65 : Fun and fear in motel pools – Gadsden, Alabama
9 May 65 : Drag racing! – Gadsden, Alabama
7 May 1965 : Investing, explaining work, US foods and allsorts – Gadsden, Alabama
5-6 May 1965 : A quiet week, general chit-chat – Gadsden, Alabama
1 May 1965 : Finding paradise and Lookout Mountain – Chattanooga, Tennessee
30 April 1965: Hitting the US headlines – Bristol, Tennessee/Virginia
29 April 1965: Unimpressed by the White House and US politics – Charlottesville, Virginia
26 April 1965 : World’s Fair, colour TV and adopting US style – Tom’s River, USA
25 April 1965 : Big Apple, Mama Leone’s and the World’s Fair – New York
22 April 1965 : Corrupt cops and wealthy nurses – Rochester, USA
21 April 1965 : Hotel life and future travel plans – Rochester, USA
18 April 1965 : Clashing with Canada and discussing 1960s celebs – Niagara Falls, USA
17 April 1965 : Dodging the Vietnam draft and drinking with Peter O’Toole – Toronto
16 April 1965 : Colour TV and comparing Canada to USA – Rochester
14 April 1965 : Niagara Falls border problems – Rochester
13 April 1965 : Back in Canada, the horror of the Palm Sunday Tornadoes – London, Ontario
11 April 1965 : Visiting Chicago Police HQ and escaping the deadly Palm Sunday Tornadoes
10 April 1965 : Spectacular Chicago and a peek inside luxurious Marina City – Chicago
9 April 1965 : Incredible roads and skyline – Chicago
8 April 1965 : Shriners Circus, Perry Mason and Red Skelton – Cincinnati
4 April 1965: Indianapolis 500 Speedway and backstage in American TV – Indianapolis
2 April 1965: Niagara Falls – and under arrest! : Springfield, Ohio
29 March 1965: A postcard home from Niagara Falls
27 March 1965: Finally enjoying the freezing Falls – Niagara Falls
26 March 1965 : Crossing into Canada – London, Ontario
25 March 1965 : A crash into the moon – Cincinatti
23 March 1965 : Nasa launches Gemini III, and US-Russian relations are strained – Cincinnati
21 March 1965 : A road trip into American poverty – Cincinnati
17 March 1965 : US food and civil rights history being made – Cincinnati
15 March 2018 – 53 years later and still adventuring! – Alta, Norway
14 March 1965 : On the road and unwashed from East to West – Kentucky
11 March 1965 : More civil rights action and important memorials – Washington
9 March 1965 : Seeing the sights – and civil rights marchers – in the US capital : Washington
7 March 1965 : An expensive baby and travel complications – Philadelphia
4 March 1965 : The team divided, unhappy US marriages and hangovers – Philadelphia
28 Feb 1965 : Good and bad news, hot pools and shopping malls – Philadelphia
24 Feb 1965 : Sporty Mustang, drunken mayors and American cinema
20 Feb 1965 : Off-Broadway oddity, awful chat shows, luxury hotels and liners – New York
19 Feb 1965 : A dodgy offer and future plans – New York
18 Feb 1965 : Short and sweet – electric shocks and New York cinema
17 Feb 1965 : Getting in with Brooklyn’s mafia dons and hitmen – New York
15 Feb 1965 – British BRI Nylon wows America – New York
13 Feb 1965 – Visiting Connecticut and New England – New York
8 Feb 1965 – Air crash, British poverty and American healthcare – New York
7 Feb 1965 – Catskills Ski Resorts and Chinatown New Year
4 Feb 1965 – Tempted by a Jaguar 2.4, scrap car culture, plans for skiing and setting sail
30 Jan 1965 – Winston Churchill’s funeral and weird electric shocks
27 Jan 1965 – Women drivers and a spectacular demolition derby
26 Jan 1965 – Memories of home – news from Bristol, UK
