March AFB, Riverside California

I spent 6 wonderful relaxing weeks there on temporary duty for a war game called 'Red Flag' The only disappointment was getting to see the mountains just once (smog!) The base was literally like a vacation time share! The temp. housing had a brick courtyard lined with palm trees and iron lounge chairs. There was a pool, an arcade, and a disco. We had enough time off to see DisneyLand, Riverside dragway, and a few really big C&W bars. (got to hear Skip Stevenson sing, remember him?)

This place was an eastcoast boy's introduction to the westcoast and I'll never forget it.

High Wycombe Air Force Base in England. The best ever, and no longer in existence. They had very little housing on the base, so we ended up getting placed in the housing area in Watford! It was one heckuva drive between the two! But being that Watford was on the London Underground, I didn't mind at all. Spent many, many weekends in London, trying to soak in as much as I possibly could. I was in civil service, so I was able to work, but it was at another base entirely. I spent three years driving a minimum of two hours per day to and from work, and I never wore out so many pairs of shoes in my life.

But, I'd do it all again.

everyone I know that went to England, even for a short time, loved it and brought back cool stuff we could not get here, especially stereo equipment.

what did you bring back?

Well, first off, we brought home the obligatory schrank, from Belgium. Do you know what I mean? One of those big, ginormous wall units that no house in the world is big enough to accomodate. Ours is modular, so we have it scattered in three different rooms.

Other than that, we have pint glasses, bar towels, a yard of ale glass, David Winter cottages (only a few), every single touristy book I could grab, programs from the shows we saw, tons of photos....

I'm sure there's more, but I can't think of it right now. Oh, we bought a couple of antiques. Of course, they aren't REALLY antiques by English standards, but for us Americans, they were lovely old relics. A sideboard and a china hutch. I even bought them at a boot sale!

Does anyone here know what a boot sale is? Took me a few months before I understood.....

della,

the boot is the trunk of a car, not much room for a sale. what is it really?

Well, it is a sale from a big parking area...you pull up, park your car, and pull things from the boot of your car, and sell them. Obviously, some people bring more stuff than would fit in a boot, but still that's what they call them. I guess it would be similar to our flea markets, maybe? Or a big, group garage sale but out of the trunk of your car.

I just thought people REALLY loved buying boots for the longest time.

Hee-hee!

My post ended up in the wrong spot, dad-gummit!