A younger, redder,thinner jmp - vintage 1982.

My sister Maureen, my niece Anne, jmp, our Mum 

My nephew Nick posted this photo' on Facebook.  It was taken at a Restaurant on Fishponds Road, Bristol. -  Nick  remembers that it was called "The Soup Tureen".

Here's the background.

 I flew home on Christmas Day 1981, arriving at London Heathrow on Boxing Day.  I drove down to Bristol and to Maureen's home.  I needed a nap, but my sleep was disturbed when my two of my nephews (David and Robert?) came bounding up the stairs to greet their Uncle John.

We had  an early afternoon family meal at Maureen's home on December 26th 1981.

When I returned to the USA and had my films developed (remember that?), there was a snap of me -  sound asleep at the dinner table. I had no idea that it had been taken.

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The photo' above  was taken at a family gathering at the Soup Tureen the evening before I was due to return  to Boston.

Believe it or not I have kept all my old calendars/ diaries. So I know that it was January 7th 1982 when we we  gathered for that meal.

 At some time during the dinner my brother Stephen announced that it was snowing. We thought that he was joking.

But boy was it snowing!  

My plan had been to have a leisurely breakfast with Mum the next morning before driving back to Heathrow.

But by 4:00 a.m. the snow had intensified, so after a bit of toast and a cup of tea with Mum, I set out very early.

Whilst on the M 4 motorway (near one of the Swindon exits) I did a 360 and ended up with the rear end of the car in a snow bank.  I was uninjured, but my heart began to beat fast and I started to sweat, convinced that I was stuck and would miss my plane.  But I managed to rock the car out of the snow bank, and continued in a slow and cautious drive to London.  I think that the journey took me about five hours.

One at the airport and time being short I decided not to drive to the off-airport car rental lot, but to abandon it in one of the multi-story garages.  I had enough time to visit the car rental on airport desk and explain what I had done.- and was told that I had indeed done the right thing.

Wonder of wonders, my flight took off on time -  although shortly thereafter the airport was closed.

Of course I remember nothing about the menu at "The Soup Tureen", but Nick, who was then a teenager remembers his disappointment that it did not include chips (french fries).