Start - Christmas Eve 1968 - The Plan

On Christmas Eve 1968 Brian Ridgway and I were sitting in the Railway Hotel at Acton Bridge, Cheshire. The hotel was a converted farmhouse first licensed in 1841 to serve Acton Bridge railway station which was built in 1837. It was renamed the Hazel Pear Inn in 1972. The original name was not trendy.

Brian and I were contemplating Christmas and the coming year. We had a yen to go travelling.
"Where shall we go?" "We could go to Canada, but Australia is further and the journey is more interesting."
"How shall we get there?" "Well, we could be 'ten-pound Poms' and go by sea, but overland would be more exciting."
"When shall we leave?" to which Brian responded, "I have a wedding to go to in Le Havre at the end of August, so it will have to be after that."
Thus, was our adventure born.