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... On 15 September, Andrew & Wendy Clark joined a 100 strong party on this 20 day trip from Calgary to Vancouver. Andrew served in Korea from January-July 1954 in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Background From the outset, Members knew that the Organiser, Frank Fallows had stressed to his Canadian Korean Veteran Legion Members / Contacts that our BKVA visit was primarily intended as a holiday. Furthermore, events of 11 September in New York may have curtailed, on account of perceived risks, some of the formal occasions and parades, which might have been planned in outline, before leaving the UK. Whether this was a disappointment to some, I am unable to say, since this was a series of firsts for my wife, Wendy and me. Clearly, with flights into American air space banned, there was uncertainty whether we would leave on schedule at 1300 hours. In the event, the Gatwick party, numbering 52 were delayed some 36 hours and the Manchester flight with 48 Veterans some 40 hours. In the reception halls at Gatwick, it was practically impossible to establish floor space on account of the mass of people, making communication for the party organiser, George Lakey extremely difficult. The Wessex branch members, Jim Burgess and I beat a retreat for home using the train and taking with us five fellow travellers, who had caught a National Express Coach from South Wales at 3.am. Others, less fortunate, had to camp out at Gatwick before booking in for our Canada 3000 flight at 1715 hours on the Sunday evening. Canada 3000 posted Voice Mail messages about their re-scheduled flights, which one could track but the most up to date source was their web site. Gatwick to Calgary Security was paramount and the creature comforts one is accustomed to having with one in the flight bag were banned and were stowed in the 'aircraft hold'. The plane was largely empty, so many passengers, no doubt exhausted, were able to lie down across 4 seats. After a superb 9 hour flight, we arrived around midnight local time to be met by a baggage party provided by Calgary Korean Veteran Legion members, who transferred our cases to a nearby Airport Hotel, whilst we followed by bus almost hands free. We had to be booked in, so it was around 2 am before we hit the sack and were to say our holiday had started. The Legion stalwarts stayed on to assist the Manchester flight, which tailed us by two hours. Calgary, Alberta Calgary has a thriving population approaching 800,000 compared with 75 recorded in the 1881 Census. Albertans pay lower income tax and no provincial sales tax on account of Royalties from the Petroleum Industry located in their Province. The pride of the City's 2,000 strong Chinese Community is well defined by their Chinese Cultural Centre. Our Legion hosts, Foothills Unit 54 explained this and suggested we should buy our presents in Calgary on account of the lower taxes. John Osborne worked tirelessly to ensure our stay was memorable, passing on tips about Calgary Transit, his former employers after leaving Regular Service in the Army. The Unit hosted a barbecue, on the second day of our visit, which started with a ride on a traditional North American yellow school bus, a long afternoon ensued, during which we sat at tables in a large hall and consumed much beer, before the well prepared T-bone steaks and salads were served at about 6 o'clock. This was followed by entertainment from a Service Swing Band, individual contributions and presentations. We came to know one another better, before many of us fell exhausted into bed. There was much to see in Calgary. The Olympic Park on the outskirts of the City established for the 1988 Winter Olympics and the downtown Olympic Square used nightly for the Olympic Medal ceremonies evoked a sense of wonder for the Movement. The Glenbow museum was equally captivating with displays including the Pioneering days and the work of Royal Naval expeditions to map and record the resources of the region. There is the Calgary Tower offering a view of the City and the amazing Devonian Rooftop gardens set above a shopping complex. These Civic facilities are often a direct result of the philanthropy of self-made oil millionaires, an example being Eric Harvie and the Glenbow Foundation. There was no problem using public transport to sightsee and the longer we stayed in Canada the more proficient we became with using buses, etc. The service was user friendly - provision of rates for senior citizens and a facility to make connecting journeys over a 90 minute period, time enough in, one instance, to make a quick trip downtown and return to the Hotel. Andrew Clark in the next instalment of this article, Andrew continues his Canadian journey travelling to Kelowna through the Rockies. |
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page last updated 7 DECEMBER 2001 |
