I had a dream.

The core of the Group

The dream was very vivid and, unlike most dreams I remember, it seemed quite logical. In the dream two of my friends, Chris and Pete, and I went on a journey. There was a third friend in the dream, Keith, but he told me he could not go as he needed to stay home and look after his wife.

This small band of brothers meet up in Banbury, usually on a Friday morning from about 10:30 till midday. Over the last few years we have met at various coffee shops in town. Our favourite, the ‘Whistling kettle’, has sadly closed. It was handy, as when the sun shone, as it does quite often in Banbury, we could sit outside and watch the world go by. Since its closure we have most often met up at the ‘Salvation Army Superstore’ café. I’m told by my friends that the coffee is good. They also do snacks and soft drinks, all at very reasonable prices. The atmosphere is good but there is no natural light and it can sometimes feel like sitting in an illuminated cave.

The name we are affectionately known by is ‘The Old Codgers Coffee and Coke a Cola Club’ OCC&CCC for short. I am not allowed to drink coffee so drink cola. I do prefer Coke Cola however the Salvation Army Café only serve Pepsi. It was decided that as we didn’t want people confused that OCC&PCC might somehow imply we were Politically Correct. As a group we believe that we should be able to talk about or argue about anything as long as we part knowing we were still friends. As, I am sure you can imagine, this helps when putting the world to rights.

We are an eclectic group. Chris is ex-army and still organises and attends regimental dinners. He is now at an age when the government pay you for being alive. He does still drive any size of lorry that someone will pay him to. He is a keen motor cyclist and the proud possessor of a bus pass. He is married with adult children.

Pete is indeterminate age and is still working for a living as a self-employed gardener.  He tells us that he took his retirement early (early 20s) and now has to continue to earn. During his retirement he travelled extensively around Europe and the Middle East. He like Chris is a wise man with great insight and a knack of seeing beyond the obvious. Pete is also married also with adult kids.

Keith is also ex-army and what he doesn’t know about fishing isn’t worth knowing. His knowledge on a lot of subjects is encyclopaedic. It’s a delight to sit by a stretch of water and find out the names of wild flowers, bird and insects. I sometimes suspect he knows the first names of the fish we catch. It’s a shame Keith, who is married also with grown up kids, couldn’t come on the trip as he knows a lot about things that go ‘bang’ having worked a lot with ordinance.

I (Bill) retired early at age 63 having been in the RAF, Prison Service and having worked in a college of Further Education. I enjoy seeing what is around the next corner and I also have a bus pass. I think they are one of the great things about being the age I am. The other is – I saw England win the world cup. I am married and have two adult daughters.

We three met and became friends at Banbury Community Church. For several years we had met and chatted at men’s breakfasts, BBQ’s or at people’s meetings or parties.

A lot of our chats are informed by our understanding of Christianity but that does not restrict debate or even argument. The topics covered in our chats are many and varied. In one Friday meeting topics covered were Brexit, dishwasher tabs and welding. There are so many methods of welding, I knew a few from school and having seen some in college but there were so many more. All of which I will probably never use but you never know!

As close a group as we are, we are not exclusive. I think we are very welcoming of others. Other men from churches in and around Banbury sometimes join us to chat. Sometimes to talk through things they are concerned about. Not all who join us are Christian, all are welcome. We as a group do not discriminate on the grounds of gender or age. Although it is rare for a lady to join us, it does occasionally happen.

Banbury Community Church has a new pastor and although relative to the group, quite young, is presently an honoured member.

We three met to plan the trip (sorry Keith). Initially it looked simple, just follow the dream. Looking back I now realise that the dream was more of skeleton upon which we three were to build the flesh.

The trip

Having obtained ample funding for the trip via a two pounds fifty lottery ticket investment. We were ready to put our plans into action. We decided to fly from Manchester to New York as they were the departure and arrival airport in the dream. As we were planning on doing a lot of driving in the USA the decision was made to get to Manchester Airport (Ringway to those of our age) by train. None of us fancied driving to the airport and then having to drive back upon our return. None of us fancied the hustle and bustle of Heathrow.  We decided to ‘Let the train take the strain’ as the saying goes.

After a little research we had decided to make the trip in September/October as that seems the best time to complete the drive down the Pacific Coastal Highway. Apparently in much of the rest of the year the coast road can be shrouded in fog. Something to do with the difference between the on land temperature and the temperature of the sea. Apparently the temperature of the two even up somewhat in September and October.

I had travelled on cross country trains the previous year and had spent from Penrith to Birmingham in a reserved seat. It was comfortable apart from backside of a chap who was crowded into the aisle being scant inches from my face!  I had managed to persuade Pete and Chris to invest in a senior rail card each and having booked early we got ourselves very reasonably priced tickets for travel in first class.

We arrived at Banbury station about 30 minutes before our train was due to depart.  We waited in line and eventually after showing our credit cards and senior rail cards were given our tickets. As we had a little luggage (cabin bag size) each we decided to take the lift up to the concourse. We picked up a few copies of the Metro – Chris to do Sudoku and me to read the sports pages. Deciding this time to take the stairs down to the platform we checked which end of the train first class would be and stood on the platform to await its arrival. First class was at rear, we were stood where the engine stopped. A brisk walk down the platform and we made our way to our seats. Comfortable with loads of room. The train pulled out on time at 07:57.

This was the first time any of us had been officially in first class. We soon picked up that snacks and drinks were part of the ticket price. Two coffees, three breakfast sandwiches and a coke later we settled down to chat and enjoy the scenery. Leamington Spa, Coventry and Birmingham international seemed to pass by quickly. Birmingham New Street is an amazing structure. Modernistic but functional. It reminds me of the cloud sculpture I saw in Chicago many years ago. We decided to wait until after Stafford to order more drinks and eats. Stafford came and Stafford went. Sandwiches and drinks arrived and the sandwiches and drinks also went. We were soon passing Macclesfield and heading towards Stockport. We could have gotten off at Stockport and caught a bus to the airport but we had decided to go to Piccadilly, change trains and head back to the airport.

We got off the train and followed the other passengers along the platform to the ticket collector. Pete saw the signs for platform 12 first and as that’s where we were to catch the ‘Trans Pennine Express’ off we went.  We had a little time to wait so made ourselves comfortable at a seating area. It wasn’t too long before we boarded and were seated on the train. Twenty or so minutes later we arrived at Manchester International Airport.

From the train stop to the airport building proper is a short walk along the sky link. We found Terminal two, once again Pete leading the way. It’s a toss-up whether Chris or I spotted the ‘Virgin Atlantic’ ‘check in’ first but Pete steered us away from ‘economy’ to ‘Premium Economy’. Upper class just didn’t feel right for us. Having missed the self-service check in, we strode up to a young lady behind her desk. We were issued our boarding passes and directed to security.

We all three had decided to travel light, reminding each other of the liquids rule, and all the things that are not permitted to be taken on board. Having now dumped an oversized tube of toothpaste and a pair of scissors. I won’t mention from whose case. We were ready to go through security to duty free.

Pete had a metal hip joint and I have a metal knee the portal scanner bleeped for us both. Consequently we both had to be searched, hand scanner and pat down. We caught up with our cases, change, phones, watches and belts. We then caught up with Chris who had breezed through without delays and a smug look on his face.

Duty free around the world seem to offer copious amounts of booze, tobacco and grooming products. None of which we three wanted. Caffeine and snacks is what we wanted and we found them found easily enough. Reminding ourselves that we would be eating on the plane we avoided the various eateries, although I did fancy some of the menu items on the Camden café. A healthy food place. Our gate number came up on the monitors so made our way there. We finished our drinks and snacks and after another look at our paper work we were ushered through quite quickly to take our very comfortable seats for the nearly eight hour flight.

Eight hours felt like a long time until I remembered that under sail it would have taken three weeks plus and that the fastest time for a motor powered ship was three and a half days give or take an hour or so. Concord was quicker at just three and a half hours. Alas long since a museum piece.

I have never flown on a Boeing 747 of any sort. The first one I saw was fifty years ago. It flew over RAF Watisham at 1500 feet the same height as the six lightening aircraft in the circuit!! This one was a 400 series. There were no empty seats on the plane that I could see so there were 400 plus travelling to JFK airport New York. We three were handed a glass (glass not plastic) of bubbly. The plane was pushed back and when on the taxi way went forward towards the runway under its own power. The sounds coming into the fuselage of the hydraulics being tested alarmed a few but most seemed seasoned travellers. We read the safety page and watched the safety talk by the crew. We kept having to be stationary, presumably we were in a queue.  Soon after the ‘welcome aboard’ talks by the captain and the chief flight attendant we were lined up for take-off.

It seemed the plane trembled in anticipation of flight as the engines roared and the brakes held. This is, along with the landing, my favourite part of any flight. I watched along the aisle hands holding the arm rests. For many the hand is placed upon the arm rest.

The brakes are released and the plane lurches forward looking for the speed it needs to leave the runway and be in its element. The hands on the arm rests push down in the hope of keeping the plane firmly on Tera Firma. The nose of the aircraft lifts off and the plane is suddenly free and climbing. The hands on the armrests have moved under the armrests and are pulling up to help the 390 ton aircraft remain aloft.

Very soon we had reached an altitude considered safe for folk to unstrap or loosen their seat belts. Passengers could leave there seats should they wish to do so.

Chris was next to a window and I was in the next seat. Pete was in the next seat over the aisle. Chris was exploring the music channels and Pete was reading. I decided to have a nap. It seemed that I was no sooner asleep than I was awoken to receive snacks and a drink. As we wouldn’t be driving for a few days I decided on a scotch and dry ginger. I nodded off again but was again woken this time for a three course lunch with wine and liquor to follow. The food was good and made better being served on plates and using real knives, forks and spoons. It always seems such a waste when all the plastic is binned.

I decided to settle down and re-watch Dunkirk. I found the film fascinating and brilliant. One and half hours in the life of the pilot, twenty four hours in the life of the small boat crew and a week in the lives of the soldiers. The lines that really brought home the horror it must have been was; “‘the tides coming in.’ ‘How can you tell?’ ‘The bodies are returning.’” The film finished and I started to play with the in-flight entertainment. I noticed, as Milton Brown says ‘That boring film where a little plane follows a line from England to America.’ The little plane showed we were well over half way to JFK NY. I watched bits of several programs and wished I had put a lap top in my hand luggage. I could have used the in-flight internet and read my library book. After checking with Pete and Chris, I went off to search for more snacks and drinks. Why do the drinks come in such small cans?

Like most flights I have been on, it was uneventful and apart from the film, quite boring. Note to self, find a book shop and buy a book. Eventually the attitude of the plane changed and a quick look at ‘the little plane’ showed we were approaching NY. The descent was very gradual, occasional glimpses through the windows of ships, some land and houses. Our seat belts were checked and the detritus from our flight was binned and we came in to land. I would like to tell you how exciting it was but it wasn’t. The ground got closer, the wheels touched down on the runway. The engines went into reverse and the air brakes on the wings came up. The deceleration was dramatic and soon we had left the runway and were taxing to our disembarkation point. From our seats it looked to be a nice day. The pilot reminded us of the local time and confirmed what our eyes had already told us, it was a nice day. We came to a halt the seat belt sign went off and we were up and getting our luggage from the overhead compartments.

We passed the flight attendants and followed a group in front who seemed to know where they were going. We left them at luggage collection and went to immigration. The system seemed well organised and we all three had our eyes scanned and hand prints taken, passports, ESTA, and open return flight tickets read. The border control officer asked for a reason for my visit, he seemed amused with my response but still smiling he waved me through with ‘Welcome to America.’

Welcome to New York New York.

Day one

We had booked ourselves into the ‘Travelodge Wyndam Ozone Park’ now all we need to do was find it.

We three, trying not to look like tourists, casually left the hall and made our way to the ‘airtrain’ platform. We knew that we needed to take the green to ‘Federal Circle’ but no real idea of what that meant. It became obvious as the train gently rolled into the station and a public announcement told us that this was the train we needed. We didn’t manage to get seats, we just were not either quick or aggressive enough. The train slid out of the station and took us around the airport. We could see lots of new building work and lots of car parks. We stopped at the pick up or put down platform for terminals five and six. Some got off a lot more got on. We had mutually decided we would continue to stand. We got off at the next stop and followed the signs for ‘Federal circle’. It was advertised as being a four minute walk which we managed in a little over two. I felt sure we would get used to the American pace of walking.

Federal Circle is a pick up or drop off point for the airport train and several other modes of transport, including car hire. Pete and Chris were debating who was to make the call to the hotel for our shuttle. I was looking around for a phone completely forgetting that I could use my mobile. 

While looking for a public phone I saw a shuttle bus with the name of our hotel on it. We made our way over to it. The vehicle looked a little old and worn but it was here and by now we just wanted to get to the hotel.  Glancing at each other we decided it would do. We were welcomed by the driver who like his bus looked a little old and a little worn. Bags in the back door us in the side passenger door. Three more passengers joined us then the rear doors banged shut, the driver climbed aboard and took his seat. The engine started and the bus rattled. Out of park and into drive and we were en route to the hotel. There was a lot of space around and the area seemed mostly commercial enterprises. The roads seemed empty, probably because the working day for most had ended. In just a few minutes we entered the hotel compound. In reverse order the driver then the six passengers disembarked. We all trooped to the rear of the vehicle and our luggage having been first on was last off. This had unintended benefits as we saw how much each of the other passengers had tipped the driver. As there were six passengers he made twelve dollars for that shuttle trip. I never did find out if his pay was tips or that the tips were a bonus.

We straggled into the hotel lobby and up to the desk. A young lady smartly dressed and seemingly very enthusiastic greeted us, checked our documents and issued us with plastic key passes for our rooms. Chris enquired about restaurants we could eat in. We were handed a sheaf of menus that we could order in from.

We went down a few steps and sat in the hotel dining area and glanced through the menus. After a little discussion we decided on a place called ‘Aldo’s’. Back to the receptionist who helped us with the ordering. A credit card was produced and numbers read – the deal was done. According to the receptionist we had about forty minutes or so to wait.

We again descended the few steps and walked through the breakfast area to the lifts. We went into, then up in, then out of the lift. Our rooms were adjacent to each other and we agreed to meet down stairs in thirty minutes.

The room I was in was just like many other hotel rooms. Some furniture a desk to work at and a place to hang up clothes and store luggage, a huge bed and a bathroom. Shoes off, lay down, the bed seemed comfortable enough. I got up found the television remote and lay down again. Turned on the television and flicked through the channels. I settled on a baseball game which seemed very slow but then Americans probably think cricket is. I texted my wife with the news of our safe arrival.

Remembering my key I left the room as did Pete and Chris, great minds and all that. We decided to walk down the stairs. On our way we found an ice machine and near by a station where there were snack and drink machines. We found the stairs and descended into the eating area. Chris detailed himself to collect the food from the lobby. Pete went in search of cutlery and I went to the vending machine and got two hot chocolates and a can of caffeine free coke. I also picked up three one litre bottles of water.

Regathering in the eating area Chris distributed the food. Pete and Chris had gone for a couple of slices of Pizza each. Pete’s were a cheese slice and the other chicken, bacon and ranch. Chris had opted for Thai chicken and a grandma’s pizza slice. He also choose a side salad that looked quite good. The slices were huge. I have a fondness for clams so had ordered pasta with white clam sauce. Using the cutlery found by Pete and after stating our thankfulness for a safe arrival and the food, we tucked in. We didn’t talk much so I assumed they were enjoying their food as much I was mine.

This was confirmed once we had finished. Over the drinks we discovered that all three of us had been watching the same game of baseball. Chris and Pete seemed to understand the game better than I did. As we were all three feeling tired we decided to have an early night and to meet up at seven for breakfast.

Good nights said outside our rooms we parted company for the night. I had a shower and got into bed. I slept but I suspect a little fitfully. I still felt little tired and it takes a little time to get used to sleeping on my own.