Part 22. The End, and credits

 The train back across Uttar Pradesh to Delhi was a typical Indian journey, though it ran through what they called the badlands, areas where around that time, trains had been stopped and robbed by bands of bandits on horseback. Between some stops the carriages were unbearably packed with people hanging on to the outside of the train and all over the roof. Many of them got off as the train slowed before getting into the station.

We went back to Delhi and the same hotel in the Paharganj that I met Hillary at and set about trying to get home. We went and visited the places we’d missed on our first visit, the Red Fort area was full of anti government demonstrations (shortly to lead to ‘the Emergency’) and one we witnessed seemed to come from nowhere, one minute ordinary bustling street then suddenly noisy and violent protest with the police wielding their batons in a seemingly haphazard and brutal way, we only went the once to the Old Town for this reason.

Hillary got her father to pay for her flight home, but not mine. I got repatriated, which meant that the British embassy paid my flight, but kept my passport until I repaid them.

I remember walking through the ‘Nothing to Declare’ section at Heathrow with my ragged Indian clothes and waist length hair, weighing just under 7 stone . My baggage trolley containing my bedroll and a few last minute items bought with our remaining cash, a pair of Tabla drums, assorted brass jewellery some rolls of Sari cloth and boxes of incense.

There are a few people to credit here. The people whose travellers’ tales prompted me to take the journey were mainly Rory Fellows and Geoff Mabely ( ‘Chillum Geoff’). Rory was an ex boyfriend of Hilary’s who was a charismatic folk singer and song writer, older than me by a couple of years and sickeningly handsome and on trend , from a moneyed family ( his brother is the Downton Abbey writer of current fame) . His sidekick, Geoff, came back from India having adopted the clothing, rituals and mysticism that he had so embraced when he was there.

My other inspirations were Ase and John Wadlow, a couple that Hillary had met in Paris in the late 60s. I remember sitting in their London bedsit, with their Siamese cat looking ominously at me from the top of the wardrobe and listening to tales of their travels and encounters. Ase has kindly let me use some of her photos from Goa and Uttar Pradesh to accompany these little blogs. A lot of other pictures from other people’s blogs and stock photos, no copy write infringement intended.

‘Chillum Geoff’ visited a few times after we got back and now lives a very reclusive life as a forester in the wilds of Scotland. Rory is now a play-write in his own right and still a songwriter, I believe. John Wadlow became my partner later in the band Krypton Tunes and went on to manage Seal, among others, now lives a quiet life in Devon. Ase remains a good friend, back in Wales.

While I was away Tina and Rick looked after our market stall in Wales and returned it when we got back, for which I’m eternally grateful, Tina and I have further shared history and My Sister Liz gave us house room on our return to set up for my next adventure running a Wholefood shop in Carmarthen.

I have hugely enjoyed writing these Little vignettes, or as a friend said “pictures of a bygone age”. People's positive and affirming comment have driven me on and the process has encouraged me to go on with some writing about different periods. Apologies for any miss-remembered bits and forgetting people’s names, I may have a couple of things in the wrong order too. I stand to be corrected.

I got back in April 1975 having left in May 1974, just under a year of travelling with the £500 I had in the bank. Much of that overland route is now closed, most sadly Iran and the beautiful Afghanistan, so perhaps a valuable memoir in folk/historical terms too. The camaraderie and brotherhood of other travellers back then was astonishing, you could recognise kindred spirits by the clothes they wore and the language they spoke, easier in those days I think. The openness and uninhibited nature of the people I met and travelled with was a joy to experience.

Photos: I had none of my own, so have been given some by fellow travellers, borrowed some from public sites and shared anything relevant that appears to not incur copywrites . No intentional stealing of images has been undertaken but if you find one of yours you'd like me to take down I certainly will. We make no financial gain from the use of these images.