Our Family Trip to Europe in 1985

Late June of 2020 had me sitting & pondering about what personal history I might bring online…
    a 35+year-old memory popped up of an “undocumented” family trip to Europe, allowing me to build this report!

Coincidentally, that fabulous movie “Back to the Future” was released on July 3rd, 1985… while no evidence is apparent, we'dve certainly gone to see this!

I took my family to Europe in 1985 for a 3+ week trip from mid-September to early October; we were each aged 30 at that time, living in our Brundidge Terrace house in Germantown, Maryland, with our sons Stu (who had just turned 5) & Alex who was then 3½
    Allow me to beg a little patience with the report—unavoidable memory “gaps…”
        The trip snaps (converted from the original slides by my son Stu in early 2020) visually share some of the places & events, etc (click any image to view it & then click the image
            to zoom in/scroll for details?) *but* the dates & the overall order of the trip are just too fuzzy for a precise recollection :(

So, we flew overnight from (I suspect) Baltimore, eating dinner & a snack on route, landing at Heathrow in London early on Thursday, September 19th, 1985

While I've no actual data for the flight, the airline we flew on (or even a date!), we'dve done one of those cost-effective mid-week out/back flights (as I vaguely recall) that did include 3 weekends… On the flight, Alex had actually been reaching over the back of his seat (quite late at night!) to fiddle with the cabin exit door release, which luckily was securely locked! A stewardess spotted Alex doing that & asked me to have him stop…

We got off of the plane quite early in the morning after enjoying that morning snack/coffee/juice/etc provided by the flight, found our luggage & headed to the Swan National car rental place

We then (unhappily!) found that the mini-van we had requested for our upcoming Wales visit ended up being one of their 16-passenger vans…
After mumbling a bit, we loaded up & drove down to Bournemouth… We stopped en route for a break and then drove on to check into our B&B (which I suspect was on St Valerie Rd, quite near to Meyrick Park) to drop off the luggage, wash up a little, etc

We went over to 70 Elmes Rd (the open window was my room in the 60's) to visit in the afternoon with my parents, who sadly are each R.I.P. today…
We visited with them for a while Stu did take a nap! We then ate something light (somewhere!) & headed back to the B&B where we slept really well

On Friday, we meandered around my childhood places in the pine woods on the common (at the end of Elmes Road) & down to the river
One of the things I snapped as we walked was the milkman's daily delivery to someone's doorstep, that “non-homogenized delight” that I had loved on my breakfast cereal!
We also visited a go-cart place (near Matchams, St Leonards, Ringwood) to rent & “race” around their dirt track… Alex & Stu went hauling along around the track—Alex scared us to death when he tipped his go-cart right over! I also did a few laps after that for fun :)

While the rest of that day is a tad fuzzy, dinner would have been at 70 Elmes, with several orders of deep-fried Fish'n'Chips (cod) which my brother Alan & I would've picked up from the nearby chippy … my Dad would've had his much-loved jar of cockles and I'dve had a pea fritter (mushy peas) as would've Alan, and we'd have gotten some pineapple fritters for Stu & Alex! While such delights still exist today, a recent Guardian newspaper article shared that “They're bad for you”!!

We then headed back to our B&B, where we hit the hay early, sleeping well

On Saturday (after awakening & likely enjoying one of those British full breakfasts!) we departed for a day-trip, sight-seeing around Dorset. We started out by driving north-easterly (view a Google map for that day's trip?) from Bournemouth (with a full van!) up through the New Forest, and then north to our lunch near a White Horse carved into a hill (which you can see in the distance) & a close-up … View a little history of the chalk carvings if you're interested? Also, today's Trip Advisor view of our White Horse stop would have been quite similar to the trip planning we had done with our AAA membership (the US travel folks); they had crafted a set of paper maps for us for the entire trip.

After our picnic lunch we meandered southerly (via Warmister/Shaftesbury/Blandford Forum & Bere Regis; see the map?) to spend time visiting the Tank Museum at Bovington… Stu was caught driving one and Alex was caught flying a helicopter (for a few delightful minutes!!)
We also got to see a British War Tank, the Centurion ( info ); this was the primary British battle-tank of the post-World War II period and is widely considered to be one of the most successful post-war tank designs, remaining in production into the 1960s & seeing front line combat into the 1980s. Watch a great video of the tank? The Museum also showed us a split full-sized model that shared where the 3 tankies sat to win battles (l-t-r) the driver, the gunner & the commander.
Next, we visited the beach at Lulworth Cove where we saw some groynes ( info ) and we then drove past Corfe Castle to visit Swanage, where we saw quite a few swans (the snap is actually from the river at the end of the common!!)… We then crossed on the Sandbanks ferry to head back home

On Sunday we spent some time (after our normal day startup: showering, shaving, getting clothed with breakfast, juice, coffee etc at the B&B) visiting family around Bournemouth.
We visited with my Grannie (RIP, reaching the age of 97 in April, 1999) and Dad (her son) for an hour or so… we would've absolutely gotten a fresh cuppa with some bikkies! Gran was living at that time in an upstairs flat at my Uncle Doug & Uncle Reg's (RIP) Tape-recorders shop (Dad's brothers) in Boscombe, which (I think) was at 886 Christchurch Rd; a Google location shares that it's been replaced by a “Modellers Loft” store. We then drove out to Doug & Daphne's farm [which I suspect was where they were in 1985] to spend a little time there — we had lunch with them.

After lunch we meandered around for the rest of the day & hit the hay

We checked out of the Bournemouth B&B on Monday (after starting up the day) to enjoy a few days in Wales with Mum & Alan… we stopped on the way for a visit to an Owlery walking to the entry (20p/at least a quid today!!)and watching an owl watching us !! As I couldn't find the actual place to share it, a similar Owlery can be seen near Bath!
We drove on to check in & stay for 3 nights at the Menai View Hotel with 2 rooms booked on the 3rd floor…
(I suspect that this was actually in “Lon Ty Mawr, Llandegfan, Menai Bridge, Wales” but that's not on Google search <eSigh>)

We awoke a.OK to have breakfast etc at the hotel on Tuesday and then spent the day exploring.
We visited “Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll” (pronounced “fan-fare putt-gwin-jill”), a Welsh village with the longest town-name “Llanfair­pwllgwyngyll­gogery­chwyrn­drobwll­llan­tysilio­gogo­goch”… (click for more info?) This is where we caught Stu (kind of groaning) & Alex (happily laughing) standing at each end of the railway station town name! We went on to spend some time at one of the many ancient Castles in the north-west of Wales with both of them clambering around as we toured the castle,
and where Alex was snapped in one of those arrow-portal holes in the wall

We spent Wednesday enjoyably meandering around Wales looking at the sail-boats in the river stopping for a picnic lunch
visiting King Arthur's Seat on a hill snapping Stu & Alex as we walked up one of the hills and another of Stu, showing the Welsh mountains

We departed Wales for Bournemouth on Thursday after breakfast, etc, bidding a fond farewell at 70 Elmes with a nice family snapshot and headed off for Harwich to stay overnight in a nearby B&B as preparation for the northern Europe segment of our trip. On Friday we dropped off the van & boarded the ferry to Hamburg; view the 2nd trip map?

The route that I had chosen for this leg was from a part of my 1970's life. Here are a few views of the trip across the English Channel, which I had taken to England & back several times in the 70's… a view from the back of the ferry after we departed from Harwich a visual image of the ferry where you can see the decks, cabins, etc. Here's the Cafeteria where we had our lunch, and our rather “minuscule” overnight cabin with Stu & Alex in the top bunk; I was in the empty bunk below them

We docked at Hamburg on Saturday morning & I went to get our 2nd car (a German BMW) with Stu, which had been delivered right around the corner from the port…
I caught a snap of it & we loaded w/luggage etc, driving to Soltau (see the trip map?) on that high-speed German Autobahn, under an hour!
When we arrived, we were visiting the town & I caught Stu & Alex enjoying some fresh/cold German-brought Coca-Cola!
I'd been on that street (right behind where they're sitting) many, many times, refreshing a 12-years-earlier memory of my purchase of a freshly-made “BockVurst Mitt” (meaning “a steamed sausage w/German mayonnaise”) which were always simply a delight!!
As an extra couple FYIs for this trip report, some of my memories of Soltau are here and here… Also, an aging snap (around 1976) of me in Soltau

We went on to take a short tour around town to see some of the places I had been and lived, and then checked in at Solly's bar (a fellow Army mate that I knew from the 70's who has sadly passed on since then) for dinner, staying with them for 2 nights.

Alex later actually tramped thru a puddle in his yellow wellies after much encouragement!

On Sunday, we went to the nearby Heide Park (after a *fabulously GREAT* German Frühstück at Solly's!!) with the absolute intent of having Stu & Alex be able to
    enjoy riding the rides!! They also got to go rolling along with a delightful train!!

After enjoying the morning and lunch in the Heide park, we traveled south to spend the afternoon visiting Bergen-Belsen, one of many WWII concentration camps—a horrific place where millions of people were killed by Hitler's hatred for Jewish and other people
Entrance a Memorial a grave of 5,000 and a Memorial to the Jewish People to remember the evil, evil years of the camps

I visited the camp several times, once with my family at Christmas, 1976, who had come to visit me at our flat after my arm injuries… Dad wandered off alone at the camp, later sharing that “the silence with no animals or birds” was clearly an indication

After the somber afternoon, we spent a far more enjoyable evening socializing at Solly's with dinner; I recall having several beers (!) / hit the hay and slept well!

Leaving Soltau after breakfast & farewells on Monday, we drove on to the south; see the trip map?
We viewed the East German border near Böseckendorf/map: … The border was active in 1985 …… with a little info
We went further south in the afternoon to visit a church in the Dilsberg Fortress Ruins, which are well-known for their sweeping 360° views of the Neckar Valley & Odenwald forest.

This was our approach … and a detailed map of the fortress … Stu & Alex posed in the coloured lighting from one of the stained-glass windows in the church… Another highlight of the fortress is found underground: a subterranean passageway in the depths of the wall where Alex once noted that he had "Seen a DUNGEON with a skeleton in Germany when I was 3!!"

We stayed overnight locally; I recall walking with Stu after dinner over a nearby bridge whereupon he stepped on a "stone" that squished… clearly a horse pucky!

Tuesday, we checked out & drove East thru the Mosel valley across the bridge
We visited a winery and saw the huge wine barrels that were deep inside … here are the 2 bottles of German wine that we purchased

We then went on to an old castle… driving towards it closer lookin'up … Alex & Stu were snapped in the entrance-way
Alex was snapped by the cannon and later, we caught them sitting in the late afternoon sun with a view of the river from the castle

We stopped in the area for 2 nights, visiting the area / riding on the river / etc on Wednesday.

On Thursday we drove for ~6 hours thru Brussels and northern France (see the route map, above?) to the port of Calais stopping for lunch, etc; I dropped the car there.
We then boarded a high-speed Hovercraft ferry to cross the English Channel with a 35 minute ride into Dover. A Very Rude (!) French guy elbowed his way past us to get to his preferred seat on the ferry… typical, I guess :(
We caught a snap of Alex pointing to the incoming ferry in the distance and another of the ferry as it docked in Calais …

When we docked in Dover in the afternoon, we disembarked and took the train up to London, arriving at our B&B in the evening, where we had dinner and relaxed a little!

We then spent the weekend (Fri/Sat/Sun) touring London using the Tube, buses, a boat ride, a Taxi & some walking… I cherry-picked a few from the dozens of snaps:
Walking around London which (as ever!) was very busy … past London Bridge on the Embankment we visited the Tower of London with a guided tour, including a discussion about the historical Ravens at the Tower, by the guide: “[…]The future of both Country & Kingdom relies upon their continued residence, for according to legend, at least six ravens must remain lest both Tower & Monarchy fall”
We took a tour on the River Thames, starting from the Westminster pier we floated past the Houses of Parliament & Big Ben (which we heard ding-donging)
as well as many others on the boat; more snaps of this may appear!!
We visited the London Zoo in Regents Park for a while (more pix may come) & later that day we did a little laundry at a local place, with someone hiding in the baskets !!

We visited with Jim & Bev at their Enfield house (which was in northern London) on Monday with our kids at the playground near the river and lastly, a farewell …

Bev had stayed with us at our 4th-floor apartment in Silver Springs, MD in July of 1981 while Jim was at a 6-week class at Burroughs in PA.

On Tuesday we rented a car for a couple days to visit w/Tim & Karen Bowler for the day where we spent an enjoyable morning at the nearby beach playground!
Captain Alex (Stu is in the background) on the boat island at the playground Croc! … Both are on the swing (Stu is blurred) with Tim
They both loved the sand-digger (Stu) … here they are clambering over the “assault course” / I was helping Stu
Sliding down a huge slide and down another slide Alex on a scooter and Stu on another

We then had lunch, visiting Pevensey Castle for the afternoon. Approaching Pevensey, a Saxon fort (from Roman times) & the entrance info sign
Caught both boys running towards Tim at the entrance and Alex waving back as we approached
Some active cannon repairs and a stack of cannon-balls …
A stunning place to visit… consider for a second that the thousand-year-old historical fact for the Bay of Pevensey, right against the Castle at that time (today the coast is a mile to the south) is precisely where my ancestral 27th parental GGF, William the Conqueror (who was not known to me at all in 1985!!) landed his 700 ships before dawn on 28 September 1066, having sailed from Normandy, France. He went on to kill King Harold at the Battle of Hastings on October 14th, 1066, becoming King of England & subsequently changing many, many things in England

We left for dinner after our visit and then headed back to our London B&B for the night.

We checked out on Wednesday afternoon (after relaxing a little, for the final day) & drove to our overnight room in Heathrow, ready for our departure. We headed for the airport after breakfast in the morning of Thursday, October 17th & took the return flight home around noon, arriving home safely

As this is the end of my report for our 1985 trip, I'll close my aging thoughts with a single memory: “Stu & Alex each had an Extraordinarily **Fabulous** time on the whole trip!!”

While it's never easy for me to remember my son Alex (yes, tears came as I built the report), his sad 2002 departure is remembered here / R.I.P.…