England is one of the countries that I have always wanted to
see. It was so already before my four-year-long English-language
course where I was learning a lot about her within the subject
"Country studies", and also before the books of Somerset
Maugham and Agatha Christie made me take a liking of people from
there. Back in my childhood I had read "Ivanhoe" that became for
me a kind of bible. In September 1985 I had again the possibility to
take part in a Meehanite conference, and that time in Torquay,
Devon, England. That was the first time I could enter here. This time
it was my task to get everything, money, air tickets, visas. Again two
of us have been travelling. Only hotel reservation has been done by
our English partners. Our flight has been pleasant. Arriving at
Heathrow, after the official checks I was looking for the way to Tube.
Then I heard a question said in English, but with a Western-
Hungarian accent: “Where is the Underground?” It was a small thin
elderly man. I asked him, if he was an Englishman. No, he said, he
was a Hungarian. Then we introduced ourselves and helped him. I
had studied my maps and tourist information -- acquired back in
Addis Ababa -- and knew where to ride, how to walk to our hotel. The
man said his name, Péter Hanák, we recognised him as an
academic in historical fields. He was participating in a conference
about the Austro-Hungarian monarchy at the London University.
The trip of about one hour in the Tube has been enough to dis-
cuss topics of the conference and it was pleasant to see that my
maverick thoughts were meeting those of his many times. He got
out earlier, we rode one more stop. We found our hotel and our
room. It was a traditional hotel with common bathroom on the
corridor, but otherwise everything was fine. In the evening we went
walking, although it rained. Our hotel lay in the close neighbourhood
of the British Museum, we walked to Oxford Street, but the longer
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distances we left for the next day.
Our host, Mr Knight, was to meet us in the afternoon to take us in
his car to Torquay. The morning we utilised to visit Westminster and
the City and to shoot some pictures. We walked all the way, even to
the flea market. I liked very much souvenirs called “pebble crowd”. It
was like a scene from a documentary film about revolutions.
London didn't cause me any disappointment, everything looked
very well organised. Prices have not been set to meet our allow-
ance, but it goes without saying, where incomes are so much higher
there prices can also be the same. My professor in the University of
Economics in Budapest had told the truth in the middle of the '70s
that could only be said as a private opinion: at the comparison of two
different economic areas you don't have to focus only on prices and
wages, but rather on the difference of them in a certain time that can
be saved or turned into funds. The inner part of London consists of
two units, one is Westminster on the left bank of the Thames in the
central north-south section of the river's S-bend, and the other is the
City lying to the north-east from the former, also occupying the left
bank. This latter extends today almost to the Tower that was out-of-
town not long ago.
During a sole morning you can only have a quick look of the
sights, we also did it, although the Westminster-Abbey we visited
from the inside, the Parliament building we could simply encircle by
foot. At the same time we crossed the City walking, admired all
attractions, even the Opera that was no more a market hall. The
characteristic figures of the banking world, the clerks in black suits
and bowler hats could be seen in the street during lunch-time. We
have been impressed by St. Paul's Cathedral. This was the point
where we turned back, the Tower could wait for us for another year.
The City's main traffic line, the Oxford Street is full of small shops
where everything is available. The same road goes further to the
west under a different name. There you find the Harrods that was
the biggest store in the city at that time. If you go further in the same
direction, you find such institutions as the New Scotland Yard, the
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Buckingham Palace and others. St. James's Park is a place for
artists and eccentrics. A man drew the attention to himself by a
special performance: when he extended his arms, dozens of
sparrows alighted on him.
Mr Knight took us to the venue of our conference in his calm
mood. I could enjoy this trip all the way. The English countryside is
similar to our landscape, especially in good weather as it was then.
The annual precipitation is bigger than with us and for the Gulf
stream England has an altogether milder weather than Hungary.
Almost never occurs colder than a few degrees below freezing
point. The same is true to extreme heat. One of the routes leads
directly to the west, but Mr. Knight chose the highway that is going
west to Bristol, there it turns to the south and via Exeter it arrives to
Torquay, resort place on the seaside in Devon. The country lies at
about three hundred feet above sea level, the routes to the
seashore are rather steep. The small town itself lies at sea level, but
its hotels had been built up on the plateau, the view is excellent.
We had a room each in the same hotel where the conference
had been held. The numerous participants could not all been ac-
commodated there. There were three Hungarian people from the
Csepel Machine Tool Works foundry, they slept in another hotel.
We read through the program quickly and decided, when and
which lectures we did not want to hear. We wanted to see the
beautiful Devon country instead. First evening there was a dinner of
introduction. From every country someone was requested to speak
some words. From us it was me. I said only five sentences about the
fine quality we could achieve by Meehanite engineers' help.
In the morning our colleagues came late to conference. It
became clear that a false fire alarm made them sit on open air half
the night. The first lectures were interesting, but towards noon we
felt an irresistible desire to leave. We made a long walk, missed
even our lunch, but saw the miniature countryside park made in a
similar way as those in Denmark and Holland. We have decided,
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the cheapest car of the world should have been Rolls-Royce, it
valued only two wrist-watches. We saw a Rolls-Royce on sale for 50
thousand pounds. In another shop a wrist-watch has been priced 25
thousand. We also liked the marina. I had to confess that marinas
look alike all over the world in spite of national characteristics at
Germans, Italians or Englishmen.
The next day we were sitting industriously on our seats, all
lectures interested us. The farewell party was also interesting, but it
seemed people were more resistant to lectures than whisky.
Mr Knight had promised us on arrival that we would leave
through Dartmoor. Alas, because of a dense fog, it could have taken
us six hours more. We accepted his judgement to leave by the old
route. Our London hotel has waited for us, only we got another
room. We did not let out our evening walk, it was refreshing.
I had very little time left to prepare our trip to the Meehanite
conference in the next year, 1986, but at last succeeded. This time
both my usual companion and I had some bad-luck. We flew to
Frankfurt-am-Main first, there changed to a plane directly to
Birmingham, venue of the conference. Leslie had dressed informal-
ly, jeans, blue checked flannel shirt without tie, jogging shoes. By
his bad luck his baggage was sent by mistake to another place. First
afternoon's lectures he sat through in those cloths, only a necktie
could be found by the amazing helper lady -- for compensation she
presented me too with one --. His bag has arrived late night.
As far as I have been concerned, my pocket knife has been
seized from me and was given back only in Birmingham. Venue of
the conference was a hotel characteristic to the English country.
Everything was well organised, the rooms comfortable. Only to find
my way to my room has been complicated, in the two days there we
could hardly be acquainted with it. Our hotel was about 8 miles out
of town, there was no way to go for a walk. Thus all I have seen of
Birmingham was the airport, the exhibition centre and the railway
station.
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The first day was interesting, the lectures useful. The other
foundry from our country has been only represented by one man,
for him all this was a waste, as he did not speak English.
I got acquainted with Mr Dale E., sales manager of Meehanite
and he told me his plans to come to our capital for a seminar. He had
good hopes for new customers with us. He was a very intelligent
person and I felt also his appreciation toward me.
There was the usual reception dinner where some of the
managers from Meehanite appeared with their spouses.
The second day of conference was actually a visit at the inter-
national foundry exhibition in the exhibition centre of the town. As an
executive to deal also with our own exhibitions, I was interested in
the event. I have been caught by excellency and modesty at the
same time at all stands. No waste of money, only what was
necessary to achieve their goal.
We had with us our baggage. After visiting all halls we went to
the railway station next to the centre. We only had to follow the
British Rail sign. It was my first trip with BR and I liked it very much,
especially the fine view of the English countryside. Where no towns
were to be seen, it reminded me to my own country of my childhood.
But English towns, of course, were so unique, I could not find any-
thing like them.
Our accommodation in London has been in the same hotel as
last year. Our old partner, Mr Knight, had arranged it. We went to the
Tower by foot, walking south to reach Oxford Street and along that
past St Paul's Cathedral and Lloyds to our goal. Alas, being past
sunset, it has been closed already, but I still had enough light to
make my shots about it and the bridge. We returned by Under-
ground.
The next morning we went shopping. On the streets it was
interesting to see the great contrast of orderly houses and shops
and the trash everywhere. Later I learned, it has been caused by
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stray dogs during the night, they tore plastic bags open and the wind
spreaded the trash.
I have arranged our return trip via Paris for two reasons. First, a
direct flight would have been only the next day. From Paris every
day there was one and hotels in Paris have been cheaper. Second, I
wanted to see the city. This detour was successful, I will report
about it a little later.
In the next year I missed the conference. And another year later,
in 1988 some circumstances forced me to change my employer and
try my luck on a new field. However, before leaving the company, I
wanted to take advantage of my last chance to participate at the
Meehanite conference. My former companion has left the foundry
so, I arranged the trip for myself. The conference in that year has
been organised in Bournemouth. I have been received on the
airport by dr. E., the sales manager and he was so extremely kind
that I was accommodated with their family. His wife has been pregn-
ant, she had had a daughter of 6 from her former husband, a
German, as she had been working with British Army units assigned
to Germany. She was an amazing woman and a fine housewife
judged by the lunch and dinner served to me, too.
They were living in the small town of Reigate, where also the
office of Meehanite was situated. It lies in the territory of the North
Downs. In the afternoon we went walking on the popular gathering
place of the townsfolk, that is a beautiful hillside with a music
pavilion and retail booths.
The next morning dr. E. took me with him to Bournemouth, the
seaside resort with an excellent seashore for vacationers. At the
shore several fine hotels and an excellent beach was waiting for the
holiday-makers. As I looked along the slightly curving line of the
seashore I felt myself in an Agatha Christie novel. The conference
was to begin in the afternoon, Meehanite people were busy with
preparation. I went to discover the environment. After the long walk
on the shore I tried the town too, but it was not fine for its industrial
character.
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Returning to the hotel, I still had time. I was tired from my long
walk, but, as the hotel crew was still doing its work in my room, I
went down one floor to the library. There were interesting books,
generally older ones for the age of the hotel. On one of the shelves
there were some copies of the Bible, all a little worn from use. Then I
went up to my room, by then it was finished by the cleaners. I lay
down on my bed and discovered a brand new volume of the Gideon
Holy Bible in my drawer. As I opened it, on the page below the cover
a printed line read: “This book is not to be taken away.” Well, I did not
want to do it at that moment. I began to see the information, how to
use it and it began to amaze me. Soon I had to put it down and go to
the conference. There we greeted each other with good friends and
the opening of the event was followed by various lectures.
What has been evident for me from the beginning was that we
enjoyed being together, but we had nothing new to say. All of us
knew everything about topics lectured on that first afternoon. And I
remembered our trip with Dale (dr. E.) here. I had tried to draw him
into discussions many times, but he did not let it happen. The only
information I got from him beside the feeling that something was
wrong about this common business of ours was, that he had great
plans to develop the activities of their branch in the near future.
The session was followed by the usual opening dinner and
there our friendly conversation continued. Some of the participants
stayed there long after the dinner was over, but I returned to my
room. Taking my usual shower, I lay down and took the Bible into my
hands. Usually I am an early bed-goer and also go to sleep soon.
When I put down the book in the middle of Chapter Genesis, it was 2
a.m. I was astonished to find the Holy Book so interesting.
My father had been a great believer and he had been reading
the Bible from time to time. Then I had found the texts boring, per-
haps for their ancient language in our tongue. This book has been
re-written in the finest modern English. I have to tell the truth, I have
never been a true believer, but I have always been a great fan of
mythology and I consider the Bible the greatest book of all books.
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A quick calculation has led me to a conclusion that I could
continue reading it only, if I had taken it with me. In the afternoon I
discovered the library one floor below and there I had seen older
copies of the same Bible. That time, in the middle of the night, I went
down, took one from the shelves and placed it in the drawer. The
other one I have hid in my bag. God would forgive me that fault.
Since that time my favourite book has been the Holy Bible in the
Gideon edition. I have read it all from the first to the last letter. There
were favourite chapters and there were others I read through with
less interest. But as a whole it has been my greatest experience
ever.
It was my last trip to England to this day. On the second day I
informed my friends about my transfer to another employer. Some
of them have not forgot me, to this day I get for example the Foundry
Trade Journal quarterly. By the way, some years later I tried to get
into contact with their office, but the contact lines proved dead.
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