Patrick, the lorry driver, comes from Kilburn. Kilburn is an area of north west London, which spans the boundary of three London Boroughs: Camden to the east, City of Westminster, Brent to the west.
Russell, Mary’s flame from the war, stays at the Dorchester when he goes to London. The Dorchester is a five-star luxury hotel on Park Lane and Deanery Street in London, to the east of Hyde Park.
In the memories Mary has of the war, she remembers that Russell had a copy of Instructions For American Servicemen in Britain. In 1942 the United States War Department distributed a handbook to American Servicemen advising them on the peculiarities of the ‘British, their country, and their ways’. The guide was intended to lessen the culture shock for those embarking on their first trip to Great Britain, and for the most part, abroad. The instructions are a wonderful interpretation of the differences between the two allies.
From Mary we learnt that the statue of Eros in Piccadilly was removed during the war. In 1939, when World War Two broke out, the statue of ERos was sufficiently adored to be saved from potential attack. Along with several other important monuments, it was removed and taken to Cooper’s Hill in Egham, where it remained until 1948.
During her youth Mary used to live in Ealing. Ealing is a district in West London, England. It is 12.1 km west of Charing Cross.
During the war Russell was stationed at Northolt. RAF Northolt is a Royal Air Force station 3.7 km from Uxbridge in the London Borough of Hillingdon, western Greater London, 10 km north of Heathrow Airport. Northolt became an active base during the Second World War for Royal Air Force and Polish Air Force squadrons in their defence of the United Kingdom.
After the war Mary listened to Vera Lynn. Dame Vera Margaret Lynn (20 March 1917 – 18 June 2020) was an English singer and entertainer whose musical recordings and performances were very popular during World War II. She is honorifically known as the “Forces’ Sweetheart”, having given outdoor concerts for the troops in Egypt, India and Burma during the war as part of the Entertainments National Service Association.
Mary and Abi both live in Bristol. Bristol is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in South West England.
The injured in the accident are taken to a hospital near Swindon. Swindon is the largest town in Wiltshire, South West England, lying between Bristol and Reading, the same distance to the east. The town is 114 km west of London.
Patrick, the lorry driver, makes mention of Sally traffic on BBC radio 2. Sally Boazman (born 13 September 1957) is a British radio traffic news reporter on the national radio station BBC Radio 2. Her reporting revolutionised United Kingdom traffic news with the addition of live reports from motorists on mobile phones and lorry drivers on CB radio.
One of the cars that was on the road the day of the accident was an e-type. The Jaguar E-Type is a British sports car that was manufactured by Jaguar Cars Ltd between 1961 and 1974.
Alex and Linda go to South Africa together, specifically Kruger Park where they go on a safari. Kruger National Park is a South African National Park and one of the largest game reserves in Africa.
My Reading Journal 