A day of trains 24 July

Monday morning I am off to Kingston The days was to be rain, trains, and trains.

I checked out of my hotel, walked through the automatic doors, turned left, down an escalator, and onto the platform for the monorail to Terminal 1. After short, quick, and silent trip on the driverless monorail I stepped out at Terminal 1 and walked to the end of the platform and straight through the doors of UP train. Placed my luggage in the loading racks  and I settled into a seat. Less the five minutes the door closed and I was off to Toronto’s Union Station.

The view from my seat and the end of my carry-on bag in the luggage rack, followed by view out the window while travelling the first elevated section of the trip with the hotel I spent the previous night.

The UP train is a relatively new direct link from the airport to Toronto’s Union Station. A twenty minute ride with just two stops and trains leaving every 15 minutes. A quick comfortable ride that cost $12 return.

At the end of the UP ride  it was a short walk and I was in the main foyer of the Union Station.

From the foyer it was a short walk down a sloping floor to a lower level to the area where my ticket was checked and I headed up an escalator to the platform. I found carriage number three  the guard help load my bags, I found my seat and I was soon off to Kingston some two hours away.

Before pulling out I lent over and took this photo of the inside of the carriage.

In Prison in Kingston 26 July

The day really got underway with a drive into Kingston for lunch at Woodhouse Italian Restaurant. Here we met Maureen’s son Joel and after a excellent lunch we headed to the Kingston Penitentiary or KP as it is known locally. Here we met up Sarah, Joel’s wife, and entered into the old prison through the main gate to be blocked by a old battered wooden door with peephole that afforded a view into the prison yard. The prison, now closed, dates back to1835 and when originally built had cells just 29 inches wide. During its lifetime the prison had many changes and the cells got a little bigger. A maximum security prison it house some Canada’s worse criminals.

We didn’t go through wooden gate but headed off to our left to sign a form indemnifying the tour company of claims injury etc. Once signed, and complete with green wrist bands, we passed through the prison’s visiting area and out into open area inside the main gate.

  

From here to the family visiting facilities—a later addition—villas a bit like those at my retirement village. OK, we don’t have the wire fence and barbed-wire!

Then on the cell blocks set out in a cross format with a round full height centre guard post at the intersection. The guard-post was added after a riot in 1971. It was fortified provided the armoury for the cellblock. All prisoner movements passed through the central hub and were followed by the guards rifles poking through slits in the widows of the central guard-post.

Throughout the tour we heard many stories of riots and escapes. Even the story of one man on being released broke back into the prison and stole 12 shillings then the next day he returned to the prison to pick up his coat he had left behind. Another who was caught after the authorities tracing his letter of apology for hitting a guard over the head with a shovel handle during the escape.

A two hour tour well worth while and extremely interesting.

Trenton 27 July

After an early lunch on Thursday Maureen drove us down to Trenton about an hour from Kingston. We met up her brother and his wife then headed of to the Trenton Aircraft Museum along side the Trenton Air force Base.  A hot day as we discovered when getting out of the air-conditioned car at the Museum.

On walking inside you come face-to-face with a four engine Halifax bomber. A bomber that crashed and sunk in a Norwegian lake  back in April1945. It lay 750 feet under water until 1991 when it was brought to the surface, restored and had the museum building built around it at Trenton.

Both inside and outside the buildings there  were many interesting aircraft, stories to read, engines to see, and plenty of aircraft associated items. And just for Gary a Hercules Bristol Freighter engine.

Outside you can go from WW11 aircraft to the Korean War, the Vietnam and later. I even walked around and early Hercules that reminded me of flights out of the Antarctic in the sixties.

After walking around the aircraft outside, getting very hot, and spending some time sitting down in the shade we returned inside and the air-conditioning.  Inside we all took advantage of the lift to the mezzanine floor.

 

The day finished with a salmon meal in one of the local restaurant and an interesting drive back to Kingston.

Hotel and monorail

Off the plane at Terminal 1 and quickly through immigration and customs I was in the Arrivals Hall. Turn right follow the signs then a hard left and through a set of automatic doors I am standing in the UP and monorail station. The UP, the fast train into Toronto’s Union station, that I will be taking tomorrow, and the monorail linking the terminals at Pearson International Airport. It is free, quick, and has something like a five minute schedule. Within minutes the monorail pulls in, I climb aboard and sit down in a bright blue décor, and cool atmosphere which is a relief from the extremely hot terminal.  A few minutes later at Terminal 3 I head up the escalator turn right and through the automatic doors, first trying the exit without success. Through the doors and I am the reception desk of my Hotel.

The monorail is a set of two trains operating in opposite directs, on separate tracks, powered by cable like a cable car. The following shows the single track with the drive cables and the glass doors opening into the station.

Then the train as it came into the station.

Back at terminal I walked along the platform to find the UP train ready to leave for Union Station in central Toronto. A twenty minute ride and I step out of the UP  and cross into the main station ready to board the VIA train to Kingston.

The Toronto Flight 23 July

My seat had slight problem with  adjusting the Back, but everything else was fine. There is an adjustable air vent and fold out table that could be adjust to give me at least 6  cm clearance. The two previous flight, Air New Zealand and Cathy Pacific had my stomach hard against the table even when fully adjusted. Thank you Air Canada.

Then a good a breakfast, much appreciated as I had been on the go since 4 a m. Sorry I  ate it all before taking the following  the photo.

Half way over the Atlantic and is ice cream and pretzel time. Then an hour out Toronto an Italian Meatball Hot Wrap and tomato juice. Sorry again I have just eaten it.

Excellent flight, straight through emigration and custom. Took the monorail too next Terminal 3 and my hotel. Sat down with my feet up enjoying the cool air and silence

Sunday23 July

Alarm and wakeup call 4 a.m. Up dressed, finished packing, and down for the Hopa Bus to terminal 2. Into a lift at the airport and off to Departures on the fifth floor. Checked in using using a kiosk and after a couple tries it asked me if I wanted to upgrade--yes please just what I wanted. Now all set everything turned to custard. I had to go to the check in desks and shuffle along in long in long queue I handed over my passport only to be told I needed an ETA to enter Canada. Back to the lifts and down to Arrivals on level 1 to access a set of iPads to register online. There are lifts a plenty but always several lift-loads of people and baggage pushing to get in. At the iPads I couldn't get past first screen @#$%& Apple. Eventually I found some help, and after a half hour headed back up to fifth floor and up to check in. They needed my ETA number that had been emailed to me. I left the check in and looked for my email on my mobile. No sign of it, but happily after 10 minutes it came through then back to check in and this time successful. After 1.5 hours of pushing case around Terminal 2 I entered security with just carryon bag. After setting off the alarms, going through the body full body Cray standing on the yellow footprints and my hands on my head in "surrender mode" then being padded down I was off to find Gate B39  just a 15 minutes walk away. I flagged down one of those small golf carts and got ride most of the way. As the cart moved along it developed its own wind. Much appreciated in the hot terminal by hot sweaty traveller. The final leg, up a steep escalator and another 5 minute walk where I grabbed a bottle of water before continuing my trek to Gate B39 to find the plane loading. Eventually in my seat after a 2.5 hour ordeal I sat down, relaxed, took my morning pills, sent text to Jane, and started to write this blog

Monday and on to Wednesday 17–19 July

Woke this morning feeling extremely grotty. Checked on Google maps for location of a GP.  Rang the nearest and couldn’t get an appoint for two days. After ringing several more and being told I needed to go to the nearest GP and register for the NHS.

Gave that idea away, took my laptop out of my shoulder bag to lighten the load, and headed out for  SPRI. Just a 1/2 km I was at a corner, to the left was SPRI and to the right the Doctor.  I headed right with the intention of registering for the NHS and making an appointment. Eventually I got there, registered, and they took pity on me and I saw the doctor. He sent me off with letter to A&E at the local hospital and here I stayed until late Wednesday afternoon. Over the next few days I had ECGs, x-rays, a CAT scan, many blood tests, several sessions with a nebuliser, and lots of oxygen. Finally on Wednesday afternoon I went back to my digs with course of steroids and antibiotics.

Turned on my laptop to check my mail and I had one from my landlady, and one from the archivist at SPRI. They both were checking up on me. Curious, there were none from the kids at home. I skyped my daughter and although she had noticed I stopped writing my Blog, I think she thought I was being a bit lazy.  I did not have my laptop, mobile phone or my address book with during my hospital stay so I couldn’t contact anyone.

Once back at the digs I contacted my Travel Insurance people and sent off my discharge report and other items they needed. At that time I was looking at cutting the trip short and heading for home

No pictures this time but you got one of my Hospital wrist band in the last post. Not my ‘last post’ but the Blog’s.

Saturday and Sunday 15, 16 July

I am back to my Blog after over a week. Many things have happened since I last wrote and most have to do with the little band below.

But more of that later.

On Saturday I walked up to shopping area in the centre of Cambridge, about 3 km. Visited the permanent city market and went into Marks and Spence and got a couple of shirts. While there made good use of their Grocery Department and stocked up some food, especially pork pies.

Nothing really exciting happen, only the 6 km return journey and the additional walking around the town. I got very tied and woke Sunday feeling a bit the worse for the exercise, so spent most of the day reading, writing, and preparing for tomorrow’s visit to the SPRI.

Not very exciting weekend

Thursday 13 July

About 9 p.m. on Wednesday night I climbed into the Hotel’s shuttle and headed out to the airport. Dropped off at the Cathy Pacific check-in I got my boarding pass and proceeded through security. As I walked through the checking portal I was greeted by an alarm bell. My braces caught me out even though I had asked and been assured they would be OK.
Inside the departures I called into the Spaghetti House for meal and cold drink.  I needed the drink because of the high temperatures inside the terminal. The same man as last year showed me to my seat. He didn’t smile and still had the attitude of bored indifference. I had a pizza and cold drink which cooled me a little but I was amazed to see all the staff wearing jerseys.
Then off to gate 33. This part of the terminal was a long wide section, like an open tunnel with regularly spaced sets of small buildings housing toilets and air conditioning units. The direction sign read “Gates 20 to 80”. I had only 13 gates to go but with my bag on a small trolley, a bit like walking frame, and multiple moving walkways it was no trouble.
At 1:10 in the morning the AIRBUS A350-900 rose into the air for the 12 hours 35 minute flight to London Gatwick airport. The flight was uneventful as I slept most of the way until about 4 hours from landing. I checked the in-flight map to find we were somewhere over Russia. Landed about 6:20  a.m. British time and left for Cambridge on the 9:25 a.m. National Express bus. Yes I did look for my hat that I left on their bus back in February 2016 and no it was not there. The bus trip included all the London airport terminals. From Gatwick South Terminal to the North terminal, then Heathrow Terminal 2, across to terminal 4, and around the airport to Heathrow central bus station. Fromt here to Stanstead airport and on to Cambridge. The bus finally stopped in Cambridge at Parker’s Piece a large park area boarded by Parkside and Gonville Place. A short walk along Parkside and Mill Road then a right into Mawson Road then down to number 112 and I was at my digs--the Annexe that I booked through the Internet site Airbnb. The footpath was narrow most of the way but once in Mawson Road it was not much wider than my suitcase. Several times I had to go onto the road, about one car wide, to pass the occasional rubbish bin or parked bicycle.
My accommodation is good and in easy walking distance to the shops and SPRI. The landlady had stocked the unit with fruit, apples and pears, and in the fridge milk, orange juice, butter, honey, and bagels.


The front door into the Annexe with side board including fridge, coffee and tea making facilities, and TV. Then around to French doors opening onto a garden and a the view of neighbours.

Inside again and small two-seater table, the bed and one of the two easy chairs. The bottom section of the bed pulls out to form a double. Continuing around is the door into a bathroom with a shower wash basin and toilet. To finish is a double size wardrobe with a full length mirror.
Tomorrow I start work!

Friday, 14 July

My first full day in Cambridge and my first day in the archive reading room at Scott Polar Research Institute, and my first day, for a long time, sitting at a desk writing for seven hours.

Woke early, beating the alarm, had breakfast, showered and then had to fill in some time before leaving. The walk took me twenty minutes and I soon learnt that cycles were the danger here. Everyone seems to ride bikes or catch buses. Bikes are like mobility scooters back in my retirement village—you can’t hear them coming.

The reading room hours are from 9:30 a.m.  to 1 pm and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. with a compulsory break for morning and afternoon tea. During the hour for lunch I walked down to the corner of Lensfield Road and Regent Street to a Chinese restaurant for meal of stewed pork belly and rice. Next week I will venture further up Regent Street and try  Italian, Greek, Thai or an English pub meal.

Today I went through two of Campbell's field note books extracting some of his survey data. Each day, either at lunch time or at their camp at night, he took a round-of-angles to local features. These angles fixed their position and will allow me to plot their route during their sledging in South Victoria Land.

After sitting all day I got a sore bum and was glad when the bell tolled 5 p.m. Yes the bell did toll on the reading room clock at 5 p.m. and every hour and half-hour. On the walk home I called into Tesco Express and bought some beer, a bottle of Dr. Pepper and some fruit. Before going to my Annexe I called into the owners and got the WIFI password. Now I am connected to the world.

Since leaving home I have had some communication problems. I forgot to buy my mobile roaming before leaving and had not been able get it as all the WIFI connections were unsecured and Spark won’t let you purchase items over an unsecured network. Also since arriving in Cambridge I couldn’t connected with the WIFI in my accommodation. Now that all is rectified, the connection is secure, and Spark will sell me my roaming. These problems have resulted in the Blog posts jumping from Wednesday to Friday. Thursday will turn up sometime, possibly over the weekend.

Now all is well, I am connected to the world and after one day at work I have the weekend free.

Wednesday, 11 July

Arrived at 7.30 a.m. (11.30 NZT). A quick trip through emigration and customs then a long walk to terminal 2, bay 29 where my hotel transport was located. An easy walk as terminal 2 was down two levels and the route I took was a gentle downward slope. No stairs!
The Novotel Citygate  being just outside the airport as was there and checked in by 9 a.m. Unfortunately my room was not ready until 11. Soup the escalator for a coffee and a look at the shops in the Citygate complex. Yes to the coffee but no to the shops. I forgot nothing starts in Hong Kong until after 10 a.m.
Citygate  a large multi-storied complex across the main highway into Hong Kong and joint to the Hotel by large shop lined enclosed bridge. The photo is of the section of the walkway over the highway.
At eleven I got into my room, medium size and standard layout with the bathroom on the right and wardrobe on the left as you walk in. However the bathroom is different. The wash basin and mirror are open to the room with two doors leading to the loo and shower.

Starting my Cambridge and Kingston 2017 trip

Monday 10 July

The start of my 2017 overseas trip. A couple of weeks in Cambridge, UK, to finish collecting data for Scott’s Northern Party’s sledging in South Victoria Land, Antarctica. Then a time visiting  friends in Kingston, Canada. Both being in the Northern Hemisphere gives me a chance to escape from some of our Kiwi winter.

Jane arrived at 3 p.m. to take me to the airport for my connecting flight to Auckland. Just before she arrived there was hard rain downpour and while listening to the rain on the roof I checked the weather on my mobile. Yes it was raining in Auckland and in Hong Kong, my next stop. However I noted the temperature there was 32⁰C. A bit warmer than our current 12⁰.

My check-in using one of those automated kiosks was flawless. Easy as pie, especially when the nice lady operated the machine and all I had to do was answerer her questions. All this while Jane parked her car. While waiting she took this photo of me showing that I am bit older and heavier than my last trip. I guess it doesn’t matter much as these modern planes can carry extraordinarily heavy loads!




Finally it was time to go and Jane took this last photo of me going through the doors to my aircraft.



In Auckland,  after a 6 hour wait, I flew by Air New Zealand to Hong Kong. The wait was too far too long but I couldn’t do much about it as I had taken the last plane out of Palmerston North and the Hong Kong flight flew out at midnight.

I finished my book on the Kindle and got three-quarters the way through the next one. Watched the waiting passengers - a lot of Britishers going home after the rugby series. Eventually I boarded, got settled down and the trip had started.

The End of the Heroic Era-day 3

Sunday 26 March 2017
Sundays programme:
1000  Commemorative Service, St Christopher’s Navy Chapel
1100 Walking tour of the Naval Base; includes US National Science Foundation Antarctic Research Vessel Nathaniel B. Palmer in the historic Calliope Dry Dock 1200  Lunch, Vince McGlone Galley
1250 Introduction
1300  “In Shackleton’s Footsteps, Weddell Sea Party 1914-16” – Dick Reaney 1345 “Scott’s Changing Image” – Lesley McTurk
1420 Afternoon Tea
1440  “In the footsteps of Mortimer & Tim McCarthy, Irish seafaring bothers” –Peter McCarthy
1525 “Scott – a personal reflection” – Dan Asquith
Dog Watch Drinks:
1610 Social gathering, “Wine in the Wardroom”, Officers Mess, HMNZS PHILOMEL
Sunday memorial service at the chapel at HMNZS Philomel at the St. Christopher’s Chapel. The chapel was divided in half with 5 foot screens. One end a conventional church, the other end had a small stage, kitchen and set up for the afternoon session of the conference. After a short me memorial service we headed off on walking tour of the Base.

Lesley McTurk speaking  at the Memorial service with the Chaplain seated.

 

Getting our instructions for the walking tour.

 

During the walking tour of the base we saw the US National Science Foundation Antarctic Research Vessel Nathaniel B. Palmer in the historic Calliope Dry Dock.  A repair facility first built in the late 1800s and still in use today. Although with some mods especially to the doors that keep out the sea.

 

The delegates in front of the Nathaniel B. Palmer  and the dry dock.

The Nathaniel B. Palmer  in the dry dock.

 

We all retired to the mess hall a very good lunch. Sailors are very well catered for these days. I had bacon and egg pie and some excellent chips.

Queuing for lunch in the Vince McGlone Galley

 

After lunch we returned to the chapel and finished the last four papers. One given by the grandson one of Scott's Terra Nova sailors whom I met at Scott Base in 1963 (the grandfather that is .

At the end we had our dog watch drinks. These were going to be in the Officer's Mess but as it was raining so the drinks were brought over to the chapel. Near the end there was only the organising committee and 3 of us who had been in the Antarctic in the early 1960s.

 

The stayers.

 

Then realising we were late for our dinner booking we rushed off to the Dixie Restaurant were another from the 1963 winter party joined us. The evening ended with all of us running (walking fast) through torrential rain.

The End of the Heroic Era-day 2

Saturday 25 March 2017.

Up early and was down at the museum by 8.05 am and into the café for breakfast. Order eggs on toast and went and sat down. While waiting I looked down at my white shirt and thought what a place to spill some yellow egg yolk. Then thought about the wisdom of my order. Anyway my breakfast arrived and I ate it very carefully and came away with stain free shirt--the day had started well.

The venue at the Navel Museum, Torpedo Bay, Devonport.

After breakfast I registered, picked up my conference name tag and programme, all nicely laminated and on a cord to fit around your neck. At 8.50 am the conference started and from then until the end on Sunday it ran like clockwork or in Naval fashion. The leader of the organising committee, Brett Fotheringham, is a Naval Officer. The days programme was a full one and all presentations were good and too the point. The last by Oliver Sutherland who I last met in 1962 as nineteen uni student down south to study penguins. He was not allowed to camp out at Cape Royds by himself and one of his companions was Grahame Billings. Oliver became Forbush in Grahame book “Forbush and the Penguins”  

Oliver Sutherland, the nineteen year of student complete with his Antarctic shirt, 1962 vintage

0850    Introduction/Programme Outline
0915    “The Heroic Era of Antarctic Exploration” – Brett Fotheringham
1000    Morning Tea
1030    “Ross – a polar Hero” – Philippa Ross
1115    “Ross Sea Party 1914-17” – Richard McElrea
1200  Lunch
1300    Introduction
1305    “Conserving the legacy of Scott and Shackleton” – Nigel Watson
1350    “The Northern party – winter 1912” – Don Webster
1430      Afternoon Tea
1450    “The Heroic Era and Beyond - an International Perspective” –
Ursula Rack
1535    “‘The Last Inhabitant of Shackleton’s Hut’” – Oliver Sutherland
1555    Brief Updates:
    1. Scott Statue – Sue Stubenvoll
    2. Polar Heritage Conference – Nigel Watson
    3. 200th anniversary of Bellingshausen's discoveries – Philippa Ross
    4. Scott tribute – Dick Reaney
1615    Key information for Sunday programme – Brett Fotheringham
Dog Watch Drinks:
1620  Social gathering, “Beers in the Boatshed”, Navy Museum Boatshed.

My talk was in the afternoon and was preceded by four other presentations. I was relieved to see that several read their papers and had little eye contact. I had practise looking up while reading at home but always lost my place. This couple with small intimate conference room made me relax somewhat.

Just before two o'clock it was my turn and everything seemed to go OK except for the couple of times when I tried to ad lib. I got through the ordeal even if sometimes my PowerPoint slides got out of sync. I had to read and work slide controller, and being a man multi-tasking doesn’t come naturally. Anyway at afternoon tea I got a few questions and congratulations.

With the presentation over I could relax and enjoy the rest of the conference.

Dog Watch drinks in the Boat Shed.

The End of the Heroic Era–day 1

May bags packed and all my tickets ready I waited for my son-in-law to arrive and take me from my Retirement Village down through Palmerston North to the airport for my 11.50 am flight to Auckland.  It wasn’t Gary but Jane my daughter that arrive in their little Smart car and we headed to the airport.
Off we went across town through the rain—yes it does sometime rain in Palmerston North.  With some time to fill in I decided to take a photo of the outside of the terminal. I got wet and photo half obscured by the flap of the phone cover. Included here for your enjoyment. You will notice I got the name OK.

Good flight, landed safely and the Shore Shuttle driver was waiting for me. He whisked me off through Auckland, across the Harbour Bridge and dropped me kerbside right outside my accommodation.

About 5 pm walked down to the Naval Museum for the meet-and-greet cocktail party. Here I met several people I knew from the Antarctic and others I knew by name. The most important discovery was the number of attendees and saw the conference room. I was relieved in seeing the small room and that there were only going to be about 50 people. I would not be talking to a very large audience.

The End of the Heroic Era

With the arrival on 9 February, 1917 of the SS Aurora in Wellington with the surviving members of the Ross Sea Party of the Imperial Trans Antarctic Expedition the Heroic Era of Antarctic Exploration was said to have ended.
Now some 100 years later the New Zealand Antarctic Society in association with the Royal New Zealand Navy celebrates the 100th anniversary with a three day conference at the Naval Museum, Torpedo Bay, Devonport, Auckland from Friday 24 March  to Sunday 26 March.

The End of the Heroic Era conference

Friday 24 March
        1745 - 1830 Cocktail Party
Saturday 25 March
        0850 – 1620  Introduction, seven papers, lunch, and discussion time
        1620 – 1730. Dog Watch drinks
Sunday 26 March
       1000 – 1100 Commemorative Service at the St. Christopher’s Navy Chapel
       1100 – 1200 Walking tour of the Naval Base.
       1200 – 1245  Lunch
       1250 – 1610  four more papers.
       1610 – 1730  Dog Watch drinks
Finally private function involving a group from the 1963 Scott Base wintering-over party having special reunion dinner from 1830 onwards.