01 XXX                                                                                   02 XXX

03 Bill Hird - 04 XXX - 05 XXX - 06 XXX - 07 Peter Ives - 08 XXX - 09 XXX - 10 Graham Oliver - 11 XXX - 12 XXX

13 XXX - 14 Lily Dalton - 15 XXX - 16 Miss Thorold - 17 Mr Cole - 18 XXX - 19 XXX

20 XXX - 21 Betty Ryalls - 22 Alan Meek - 23 XXX - 24 XXX - 25 Georg Engl (Guide)

Austrian Holiday, 1951

It was more of an adventure than a holiday, and what finer company in which to spend an adventurous holiday than a mixed party from the City Grammar School, aided and abetted by Miss Thorold and Mr. Cole.

The first stage of our journey was to London, of which I will only say that the famous buildings and monuments were all in their correct places, and that some new ones had sprung up on the South Bank.  The "Continental Express" left Victoria Station at ten o'clock next morning.  We eventually found our seats and two hours later we were aboard the Prince Charles, in Dover Harbour.   It was pouring with rain.  We did not mind-until the ship had to climb over some very big waves at the harbour mouth.  I will quickly add that the crossing was fresh and bracing . . . Very!

Ostend, with it slightly heaving quay and swaying houses, was our destination and we were very glad to see it, some of us having given up hope.  We had a quick look round the town, and then climbed on to the "Basle Express".  It was late afternoon now;  the wind had dropped and a golden sun made the flat countryside look warm and rich.  As we travelled through Belgium, tall poplar trees swayed to greet us, and brown women, on their knees in the fields, waved white scarves in welcome.  Bruges, Ghent and Brussels passed by in a rush of steam, whistles and excited conversation, leaving a lingering fragrance to tall Gothic spires silhouetted black against the deep blue of early night.

Through Luxembourg and into France we travelled on, but sleep was catching up with us and we were only roused into action by Passport and we steamed into Basle Station a brilliant sun in a cloudless blue sky made everyone feel gay.  Coffee and rolls for breakfast and then we went for a short walk to stretch our legs.  The Rhine sparkled and glistened in the early morning sunshine, and the gardens and hanging baskets were full of bright flowers.

An electric train carried us to Zell-am-See in Austria.  We went round the beautiful lake at Zurich, with its green shores dotted with white and red villas.  On into the mountains we went, where verdant greens gave way to brown pine trees which, in turn, pointed to the pale, delicate, blue-grey spears that were tipped with snow.