Organisation (British spelling) of the Glasgow Stake

Hello Dear Reader,
On the morning of August 26, 1962 at seven o'clock a.m., as requested, Grandpa (Wes) Carter reported back to the mission home and informed President Tanner of the results of the previous night's visits to Brothers Graham, Wylie, and Martin. President Tanner was pleased and told Grandpa that the new bishopric would be sustained that morning and set apart immediately following the conference sessions.

The conference consisted of two sessions--one at 11:00 a.m. and one at 3:00 p.m. David O. McKay presided and Bernard P. Brockbank conducted both sessions. The members of the Church in Scotland were inspired by beautiful congregational hymns, solos, and choir music not to mention talks given by assignment under the direction of President McKay and then the address by President McKay himself.

Immediately after conference the newly called and sustained bishopric and their families were invited into a room where Marion D. Hanks set Grandpa apart and gave him the keys to preside over the Paisley Ward. It was unnecessary for him to be ordained a bishop again. Then Grandpa assisted President Hanks in ordaining Bill Graham and Sammy Wylie as High Priests and setting them apart as his counselors. Then all three men assisted in setting Brother Martin apart as the ward clerk. Grandpa said, "I feel that this experience was one of the highlights of my life."
Love,
Aunt Genni

Cause for Concern

Hello Dear Reader,
Grandpa (Wesley) Carter knew that the new stake would be organized the following morning so he was concerned about what to do regarding counselors and clerks. He asked, "President Tanner, what do I do about counselors and clerks as I know none of the brethren in the Paisley Ward?" It was suggested that he might work with Bill Graham as First Counselor, Sammy Wylie as Second Counselor, and Brother Martin as ward clerk.

Of course Grandpa didn't know these men so concluded that if it was President Tanner's recommendation to have them assist him he would be happy to do so. Grandpa was then told to go out that night, get acquainted with these men, and ask them if they would serve with him in the Paisley Ward bishopric. When the meeting ended it was eleven o'clock pm.

Grandpa got home at 2:30 am after he had called Brother Wylie and they had gone together to meet with the other men. This call to serve as bishop was way different than when he had been called the first time.
Love,
Aunt Genni

Bishop Again

Hello Dear Reader,
When Grandpa (Wesley) Carter found himself facing three important church authorities he was a little dumbfounded and wondered what he had done wrong. President Tanner smiled at him and invited him to sit down. Then President Tanner, who was president of the European Mission (which was equivalent to what is now called an Area Authority Seventy), told Grandpa that the three of them had prayed about who they should call as bishop of the Paisley Ward which would be formed the following morning when the new Glasgow Stake was to be organized. They felt inspired that Grandpa should be the one.

Grandpa said, "I was flabbergasted . . . [and] said, President I don't even live in the Paisley Ward." President Tanner replied in his sweet, mild manner that they were aware of that but after praying they felt impressed that Grandpa should be the bishop and asked him if he would accept the calling. Grandpa wrote in his history, "Of course I said, 'Yes.'"
Love,
Aunt Genni

A Call in the Night

Hello Dear Reader,
The night of August 25, 1962 Grandpa (Wes) and Grandma (Mary) Carter were getting ready to go to bed when the telephone rang. President Brockbank was on the phone. He said, "Brother Carter, I want you to come to the mission office immediately." Grandpa replied, "President, what have I done now? Can't it wait until morning?" President Brockbank replied "no" that he needed Grandpa to get there as soon as he could. Grandpa said, "So to appease him and try to keep him happy as I had done many times in the past, I put on my clothes and walked over to the mission home."

Upon Grandpa's arrival, President Brockbank emerged from him office and asked him to sit down and wait a few minutes because he was busy at the moment. Grandpa sat wondering what he had done wrong to receive such a late call. It was about 10 o'clock pm. After a short wait, President Brockbank invited Grandpa into his office.

Grandpa recalled, "As I entered the room, there sat President N. Eldon Tanner, President Marion Hanks, and President Bernard Brockbank. I threw my hands in the air and asked what I had done now to be called on the carpet by all three of them."
Love,
Aunt Genni

David O. McKay's Visit to Scotland

Hello Dear Reader,

Grandpa (Wes) Carter wrote, "The weekend of the organization of the Glasgow Stake finally arrived and we had 22 guests spend the night with us." If Grandma (Mary) wasn't running a hotel, it was at least a B &B. These meetings took place on August 25 and 26, 1962.

Here's what appeared in the local newspaper: "The 89-year-old president of the Church of Latter Day Saints, David O. McKay, flew into Scotland to-day from New York. The Mormon mission leader is visiting Glasgow for three days for the 'organisation of a stake.' A stake is made up of 10 congregations, and this is the first to be formed in Scotland. It will be administered by local people and known as the 'Glasgow Stake.'

"I am delighted with the following in Scotland,' said the snowly-haired Mormon leader on arrival at Prestwick Airport. 'There are over 11,000 followers in Scotland, and altogether 36,000 in the British Isles.' He added--'We have come a long way since I was first here as a young man of 23--which was over 65 years ago. Then there were only four branches on the banks of the Clyde.'" This should give you an idea of the status of the Church in Scotland while Grandpa and Grandma were there.

Love,

Aunt Genni

Carter's Hotel

Hello Dear Reader,
In July Steven Covey, who had been called to preside over the newly organized North Irish Mission, arrived in Scotland to be trained by President Brockbank. Since there were no living facilities in the Scottish Mission home and it would have been inconvenient for the Covey family to live in a hotel Grandpa (Wes) and Grandma (Mary) Carter let the Coveys stay with them. Grandma tended the three Covey children while President and Sister Covey were taught their duties for several days.

This was the beginning of a long list of visitors that stayed in Grandpa and Grandma's home. It seemed that everyone that went to Scotland stayed with the Carters, invited or not. A few of the visitors included President Marion Hanks' two daughters and his secretaries, President Tanner's secretaries, President and Sister Selvoy Boyer (president of the London temple), Alice and Debbie Holland, and many of the missionaries from the British Mission who wanted to see Scotland before going home. You can see that Grandpa and Grandma were loved and made others feel welcome.
Love,
Aunt Genni

First Friends in Scotland

Hello Dear Reader,
Grandpa (Wes) and Grandma (Mary) Carter's first friends in Scotland were Steve and Sylvia McDonald and their son, Ed. Steve was the project supervisor for the new chapel being built at Drumchapel across the Clyde River from Grandpa and Grandma's new house. Were you able to click the link two days ago and see Grandpa and Grandma's house on Google Maps? Their closest new friends lived next door. It was comforting to Grandma to know that Bernard Brockbank, Scottish Mission president, and his family and staff were right there since Grandpa was gone so much. However, Grandpa was often frustrated when he was at home because President Brockbank called him all hours of the night to discuss building problems.

The family lived within the boundaries of the Renfrew Branch which met in an old Orange Lodge. The members of the Church in Scotland were very loving and welcoming and soon the family felt that they had many friends. LeAnn was enrolled in John Neilson School (the same school that Prince Charles went to) in Paisley. She was much happier there than in England and made some wonderful friends.

Billy had a hard time at his school. The kids ganged up on him every day and beat him up because he had dark skin and was a Mormon. But that didn't affect his love for the country of Scotland. He still thinks of it with great fondness.
Love,
Aunt Genni

Transition

Hello Dear Reader,
When July 10th finally rolled around, LeAnn and I were happy to be going to Scotland. It was an exciting summer for the family as we were able to travel extensively in Scotland and Ireland. Also, there were rumors going around that President David O. McKay, the prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would be traveling to Scotland in the near future to organize the first stake there. However, I had only been there a short time when I received a call as a Church Building Missionary to work in the London office in North Cheam.

The whole family traveled down to deliver me to my new "digs". We stopped in North Hampton where we stayed with the Jensens, the supervisor and wife of the building there. We were able to spend the afternoon and evening at Stratford Upon Avon and went to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre where we all thoroughly enjoyed A Midsummer's Night Dream. I think one of the reasons it was so enjoyable was because, by then, we were thoroughly familiar with the accent and understood what was going on. Billy's infectious laughter pleased the audience and we weren't sure if they were laughing at the play or with him.

Love,

Aunt Genni

p.s. This is a picture of Anne Hathaway's cottage--she was Shakespeare's wife.

Scotland

Hello Dear Reader,

Grandpa and Grandma's house was on Paisley Road and Wright Street in Renfrew just a few blocks from the Renfrew airport. Renfrew is about six miles west of Glasgow and they could often hear the music of a bagpipe band coming from the direction of the Clyde. Their house was new but the airport was a busy one and they had to get used to the sound of jets taking off right over the roof of their house. The airport was convenient for Grandpa, though, when he traveled by plane.

There were lots of new and interesting things to learn about in their new surroundings. The accent of the Scots was fascinating. So were their tartans, their songs, their customs, their folklore, and their Highland games. Although Renfrew could be considered a suburb of Glasgow it was still close to the country and the family was fascinated with the Scottish cows (which the Scots pronounce "coos"). It didn't take long for the family to love their new home.

Love,

Aunt Genni

Changing Seasons, Changing Places

Hello Dear Reader,
Spring was beautiful in the British Isles and it was a welcome relief from the cold and fog of winter. Finally, in June of 1962 the rumors became a reality. Grandpa (Wesley) Carter said, ". . . once again our prayers were answered as I found a new home [in Renfrew, Scotland] right next to the mission home." Grandpa, Grandma, and Billy moved into a duplex apartment until the new house was finished. LeAnn and I stayed in England with Church members to finish out the school year.

It was frustrating for Grandma and Billy to be left in a new place without knowing much about the area, the customs, or the people. Grandpa had to go off to work as he had done in England and they felt very much alone.

One of the first things that struck the family was that it never got dark during the summer months. Eventually they got into their new home and the Church bought Grandpa a new car. This was the start of another new adventure and the beginning of more friendships and knowledge.
Love,
Aunt Genni

Easter Break

Hello Dear Reader,
At Christmas we had had a three-week break from school so we were surprised that at Easter we had a two-week break--surprised but happy! This provided an opportunity for LeAnn and I to travel with Grandpa (Wesley) Carter as he visited the sites where chapels were under construction. It was a trip never to be forgotten. LeAnn and I began to realize how big and wonderful the Building Program was and we were welcomed with open arms by the building missionaries and supervisors everywhere we went. By this time there were about fifty new chapels being built in the British Isles.

It was amazing to see the beautiful countryside as we traveled the highways and narrow roads. Sometimes we stayed in Pubs but Grandpa had one special hotel in mind when we stayed in the midlands. He told us we would really like it. It was a beautiful place. That evening we unloaded our bags and went out to eat. When we got back our beds were turned down and hot-water bottles had been placed between the linen sheets--it seemed pure luxury to LeAnn and me.

The next morning we arose early and were the only ones eating breakfast in the dining room when Grandpa pointed out a man descending the stairs. It was William Holden who had won an Academy Award for best actor in 1954. We had never seen anyone wearing dark glasses to breakfast before. We knew then that Grandpa had planned a wonderful trip for us and we had stayed in a pretty ritzy place.
Love,
Aunt Genni

Rumors

Hello Dear Reader,
After the Christmas holidays, in the winter of 1962 rumors started circulating that because of the increasing size of the building program and the scope of the work load, the British Church Building Area was going to be divided and more missionaries would be brought in. That meant that Grandpa (Wesley) Carter would move into and be the head of another area.

Grandpa and Grandma went to Manchester first and then to Glasgow, Scotland. The purpose of these trips was to check out each area to see which would be the most acceptable. After going to Scotland they decided they would sooner live there--which decision may have been influenced by Grandma's wishes to live where her ancestors, who were converts to the Church in Scotland, had lived.

Meanwhile we all kept on doing whatever we were involved in. Grandma learned to take the train all over the London area in her capacity as Relief Society president. Grandpa kept traveling to the various church building sites. Billy, LeAnn, and I kept trying to adjust to the schools and make the most of our educational opportunities.
Love,
Aunt Genni

Boxing Day (Continued)

Hello Dear Reader,
Grandpa (Wesley) Carter was now inside the parking area for Mme. Tussaud's Wax Works. He walked around for a few minutes, picked up an old brick and went to the back gate which apparently wasn't used very much because it was boarded up. We heard a few loud bangs which could have been mistaken for gun shots but then Grandpa appeared driving the car. He drove down the street and told us to get in. He then asked Brother Holland to go back with him.

We were far enough away that we couldn't see what was happening but we heard some more loud bangs and soon Grandpa and Brother Holland reappeared and jumped in the car. Grandpa had bumped the back gate open with the car and needed Brother Holland to help him board the gate up again. Brother Holland seemed to consider it all a great adventure. He said as they were climbing over the fence to exit the lot he got the seat of his britches caught on one of the tall metal spikes and his feet were about one-half inch from the cement. He thought he was caught for sure. He exclaimed that if someone had come along just then he would have had to crow like a rooster.

Grandpa said the fence was put back together so well that he was sure the lot attendant wouldn't be able to figure out what had happened when he returned to work the next day. Our first Boxing Day was a very memorable one.
Love,
Aunt Genni

Boxing Day

Hello Dear Reader,
We didn't know anything about Boxing Day when we arrived in England but the girls at school explained that it was the day when people boxed up the gifts they had received for Christmas that they didn't need and gave them to the poor. It is considered an official holiday and an extension of Christmas.

On our first Boxing Day we went into London with the Hollands to see the lights on Bond and Regent Streets and visit Madam Tussaud's Wax Works. We parked in Mme. Tussaud's parking lot which was surrounded by a stone wall in which tall metal rods were affixed and joined at the top. We were fascinated with the tour through the museum. Because the tour didn't take as long as we had expected we decided to visit the London Planetarium in an ajoining building. The program in the planetarium took longer than we expected.

When we returned to the parking lot we were all surprized. The lot was closed, our car was still inside the gates, and the gates were locked. We tried to find the lot keeper, his phone number, or contact information but had no success. Grandpa (Wes) Carter surveyed the wall, told us to walk down the pavement a ways, and soon he was climbing over the wall. (To be continued.)
Love,
Aunt Genni

Christmas Season

Hello Dear Reader,
Christmas morning was just as wonderful as it had always been in the states. We all received nice gifts. The only downside was that we weren't able to give as good gifts as we had been used to giving (we did our shopping at Woolworth's), but Santa was very good to us and we felt blessed.

The other wonderful thing about Christmas was the long break we had from school. Typically in Great Britain, (at least at that time) there was a three-week holiday for Christmas. It was a perfect time for us as a family to make some expeditions outside of the London area. I don't remember exactly when we went where but two places we visited were Brighton and Bath. I think it was Bath we visited that holiday season.

For those of you that don't know, the City of Bath was where the ancient "Romans built built the wonderful baths and their temple around the springs of hot mineral water, and Bath became a centre of health and recreation for the men of the Roman Legions, and a shrine of healing and worship for merchants and men of culture from Britain and Gaul." It was awe-inspiring to visit such an ancient place. And it was warm inside the buildings, a nice contrast to the coldest winter Britain had experienced for 100 years.
Love,
Aunt Genni

Christmas Eve in England

Hello Dear Reader,

The proselyting missionaries came to our house a lot while we lived in Epsom. Grandpa (Wes) Carter said, "We always had someone there . . . probably because of our daughters. When we invite[d] them for dinner [the missionaries] would stay as long as possible because they weren't very anxious to get back to their 'digs'." It wasn't long until we learned the latest missionary slang. They used the words "flip" and "garbage" a lot and thought it was funny that Grandpa used the expression, "cotton-picken."

Christmas Eve fell on Sunday in 1961 and when we awoke it had snowed a lot. Since that part of England was not used to snow there were no snow plows. Our neighbors, the Birds, called a cab to take them to church but the cab couldn't get up the hill to get out of the close. We tried piling in one car with our LDS neighbors on top of each other to weigh down the car for traction but that didn't work either. In the end, we walked to church which was about a mile away. When we arrived at the co-op building there sat Elder and Sister Tanner with the sister missionaries; the meeting had already begun.

On the way home, the missionaries ran ahead of us and lambusted us with snowballs, but then they came home with us to have hot chocolate and refreshments. They wanted to see our Christmas tree which we had decorated with homemade decorations (giant pompoms made from dry-cleaning bags and artificial snow made from Ivory Snow whipped with a little water) and they were quite impressed. We were pleased because one of the missionaries' family owned a florist shop. Then they presented us with a hand-made Christmas Card. We weren't expecting a lot for Christmas but we felt very joyful anyway.

Love,

Aunt Genni

Benefits

Hello Dear Reader,
One of the benefits of being settled in our new surroundings was that now we were free to go sightseeing on weekends. Grandpa (Wes) Carter said, "We saw all the sights we could with our family such as Hampton Court [Palace], Trafalger Square, Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, and Big Ben." These were places we visited in London. In his history Grandpa left out London Bridge, the Fire Monument, Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Place, Picadilly Circus, the London Planetarium, Madam Taussaud's Wax Museum, and Hyde Park. Sometimes we rode the train on these expeditions but usually Grandpa drove us because we left early on Saturday mornings when there wasn't much traffic and he was becoming experienced dealing with British drivers.

We also went into London on various occasions to live plays and live performances. If we were going in the evening we usually took the train. We saw My Fair Lady, The Music Man starring Van Johnson, and The Sound of Music with Julie Andrews and Rex Harrison. We also attended a performance of the Royal Ballet, Peter Pan on Ice, Every Night at the London Palledium and Macbeth and other plays at the Old Vic. These were all things we did as a family.

We children also experienced school field trips to various historical places in London. I went with my history class to some of the courts of England and a session of the Houses of Parliament where both Winston Churchill and Prime Minister McMillan were in attendance. We were starting to have cultural experiences that we never dreamed of while we were in Provo.
Love,
Aunt Genni

The Upper Crust--Or a Position of Responsibility?

Hello Dear Reader,
It didn't take long until Grandpa (Wes) and Grandma (Mary) Carter began to realize what a unique position they were in. Whenever anyone of importance in the Church came to visit the London area Grandpa and Grandma were included in the socials that were given for them.

One of Grandpa's responsibilities was to buy houses for the new Church Building supervisors and their families as they arrived in England. He also had to see that the superviosrs were properly taken care of and initiated. The newly purchased houses had to be furnished, food bought for a couple of weeks, and all utilities turned on,. This all came under Grandpa's job description.

It wasn't long until Grandpa was put in charge of housing and entertainment for the semi-annual building missionary conferences. These were wonderful affairs where the project supervisors and their wives were instructed and spiritually nourished and the children of the supervisors, the local building missionaries, and sometimes local youth were entertained with games, dances, spiritual meetings, and other social activities--our first initiation to what youth conferences were to be like.
Love,
Aunt Genni

Settling In

Hello Dear Reader,

After we had been in England about a week it was time for Grandma (Mary) Carter to get us children in school. LeAnn and I went with Grandma and Sister Bradley to Rosebery County Grammar School for Girls (Grammar School = High School in the U.S.) where we spoke with the head mistress and she kindly let us enroll. The assistant head mistress was something else--she was very mean spirited and seemed to hate all girls, let alone American Mormon girls. Margaret and Janice Darley were already attending that school.

Then, around the same time, Grandma took Billy to enroll in The Church of England Infant School (grade school). School was harder for Grandma than it was for Billy. In England children start to school and are immediately reading when they are four-years old. Billy was nearly six when he was enrolled and hadn't yet learned to read. The mistresses couldn't be bothered with him and so it was up to Grandma to teach him to read. School in England was an adjustment for the whole family. Here are pictures of LeAnn in her school uniform and the Church of England where Billy went to school.

Love,

Aunt Genni

Our Neighbors

Hello Dear Reader,
The people who lived next door to us on Walnut Close were Brother and Sister Stan Bird along with their daughter Kathy and her friend from California. There were five other LDS families who lived in the neighborhood when we first arrived in England. There were the Bradleys, the Bairds, the Biesingers, the Moores, and the Darleys. All but the Darleys were involved with the Church Building Program. Roy Darley was an assistant tabernacle organist who was on a two-year mission with his family. He gave daily concerts at the Hyde Park Chapel in London.

The Church Building Missionary program was growing so quickly that soon others joined us in Epsom. One family that moved across the street from us was the Hollands--Frank, Alice, and Debbie. It was an interesting situation because when they arrived they had a son serving as a proselyting missionary in Epsom, a Zone Leader by the name of Jeffrey Holland. It didn't take long for Grandma (Mary) Carter to become fast friends with Alice Holland. LeAnn and I also adored her and little Debbie who was the same age as Billy.
Love,
Aunt Genni

Public Transportation--A Piece of Cake

Hello Dear Reader,

Because we had access to only one car and Grandpa (Wesely) Carter usually had it out of town the rest of us soon learned to use public transportation or we walked. The busses and trains in Great Britain were (and are) incredible. It was a bit of a walk to the train station but, once we were there, it was a piece of cake. We often rode the train into London, usually to Victoria Station, where we then caught the Underground (subway). There were easy to follow maps everywhere and it wasn't long until we could readily get around.

When there was a Stake Conference we took the train and then the Underground to the Hyde Park Chapel. We also went to London for concerts, school field trips, stake dances, live stage plays, and musicals. Grandpa and Grandma started taking us to London every Saturday on sightseeing expeditions.

But the trains didn't go just to London. They became a way for us to travel to other destinations as well. Some of the girls we went to school with rode the train every day and so, to visit them, we rode the train to their homes. The church youth took a trip to Boxing Hill once for a picnic and we rode the train together. It was a fun expedition.

Love,

Aunt Genni

Epsom Branch

Hello Dear Reader,
A short time after we arrived in Epsom Grandpa (Wesley) Carter was made Sunday School Superintendent of the Epsom Branch and Grandma (Mary) Carter was called to be Relief Society President. The Epsom Branch met on the top floor of an old Co-op hall; the accomodations left much to be desired. There was no heat in the building and there were no classrooms. Basically the room we met in was a big open hall with wooden floors. We clattered up wooden stairs to get to meetings. Literally, on Sundays, the cigarette butts had to be swept out of the room and the empty alcohol bottles had to be disposed of before church could begin.

In the winter we all huddled together so we wouldn't freeze. We could see our breath when we sang or spoke to each other. Nathan Eldon Tanner, later a counselor in the First Presidency, was in our branch. He was an assistant to the Council of the Twelve at the time and was president of the Western European Mission.

He and Sister Tanner and the sister missionaries who worked as secretaries were always seated on the front row (wooden folding chairs) by the time most of the rest of us arrived. They drove from Leatherhead where their offices were located. Sister Tanner and the secretaries sometimes brought hot-water bottles along and we saw them take off their shoes and put their feet on the bottles or pass the bottles along under their lap robes to try to keep warm.
Love,
Aunt Genni

Assistant Area Supervisor

Hello Dear Reader,
As assistant area supervisor Grandpa (Wesley) Carter's area included England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. When he first started there were ten or twelve jobs in progress. His responsibility was to assign building missionaries (usually young Brits) to the various jobs, to see that they were properly taken care of, and to encourage the project supervisors and see that they didn't become discouraged. Grandma (Mary) Carter's responsibility was to go with Grandpa whenever she was needed to build up the spirits of the supervisors' wives and families.

But on most occasions Grandpa had to travel alone. It was a relief to him to return to Epsom after traveling the winding, narrow roads during the week. He always felt he was putting up with British traffic. He was particularly frustrated by the lorries, the British trucks, which were limited by law to thirty miles an hour or less.

It wasn't long until Grandpa was proficient at finding his way around Great Britain and dealing with a multitude of problems. When he reached a job site everyone was always happy to see him. After some time in meetings and inspection of the work in progress he would be on his way again.
Love,
Aunt Genni

Another Visit

Hello Dear Reader,
Brother Bradley visited us again Sunday evening. As he was leaving he handed Grandpa (Wesley) Carter the keys to the car parked in the driveway and said, "Brother Carter you are on your own. No way am I going to ride with you while you're learning to drive on the left side of the road." He gave Grandpa a few pointers, the address of the office, and told him to visit the office Monday afternoon.

Grandpa took the car out early Monday morning, got lost, and had to have someone tell him how to get home. This was a new experience for Grandpa as he had a great sense of direction. But we were in a different situation. For one things there were no mountains as a point of reference and another thing was that it was foggy most of the time so we couldn't see the sun as a point of reference either. One thing about Grandpa, though, he wasn't defeated easily.

That afternoon he drove to the office and met the personnel--the people who directed the church building program in the British Isles. While there, Grandpa was told to prepare himself and his family that he would be traveling quite extensively as the assistant area supervisor. This assignment meant he would be away from home at least three or four nights a week.
Love,
Aunt Genni

Time Warp

Hello Dear Reader,
We went to bed about 2 o'clock that night. It wasn't long until Grandma (Mary), LeAnn, Billy, and I awoke and went downstairs to see what we could find to do. What we found was a board game. I don't remember which one but it wasn't long until Grandpa (Wes) awoke and came to join us. It took us some time to get used to the different time zone.

One early morning (2 am) we children all woke up and went and piled on Grandpa and Grandma's bed. We decided to try to figure out the monetary system. We had some British coins and layed them on the bed examining the way they looked. Then we tried counting them out to each other making change as if we were shopping. It took us some time to get used to the money as well.

By the time Sunday dawned we were all exhausted and didn't go to church. In fact, I don't think any of us had even been outside since our arrival at 18 Walnut Close. We were definitely suffering from jet lag.
Love,
Aunt Genni

First Day in England

Hello Dear Reader,
Due to the differences in time we were all exhausted and went to bed. After resting for a while we woke up and it wasn't long until Brother and Sister Bradley came as promised. Brother Bradley told Grandpa (Wesley) and Grandma (Mary) that he was undecided what assignment he would give them.

Grandpa said, "From the time I had received the call I had had the feeling that I would never build a building while I was in the British Isles. I informed my family that in all probability we would remain in Epsom for a time . . . in a few days this [impression] was confirmed."

After the Bradleys left we all felt starved and went into the kitchen to see what we could find to eat. There was plenty of food but it was a little different than we were used to. For one thing, the milk was in old-fashioned glass bottles. It was not homogenized and the cream was at the top.
Love,
Aunt Genni

Walnut Close

Hello Dear Reader,

We ate breakfast at the Bradley's and were then taken to Walnut Close (a cul de sac), around the corner from the Bradleys. We had seen subdivisions before but nothing like this. All the houses on the right side of the road were exactly alike. The houses on the left were different from those on the right but they were all exactly like each other as well. The only way to tell the houses apart was to observe minor landscaping differences.

As we drove to the close and down the hill Brother Baird pointed out several homes where members of the Church involved in the building missionary program lived. We were all very pleased as we entered number 18. It was immaculate. The furnishings were modern and arranged nicely. The cupboards were stocked with dishes and food. There was also food in the refrigerator. The bedrooms were nice with fresh linens on the beds. Sister Bradley had spent much effort in preparing for us. We were told to make ourselves at home and help ourselves to whatever we wanted and we would be contacted later in the day.

Love,

Aunt Genni

Sigh of Relief

Hello Dear Reader,
Having no address to tell the customs officers, Grandpa (Wesley) Carter called the mission home in London and got Neil Bradley's name and address. Brother Bradley was the area supervisor of building for the British Isles. Then Grandpa called the Bradley home and talked to Sister Bradley who informed him that Steve Baird, the area architect, was supposed to be at the airport to meet our plane; he would be there so be patient.

Brother Baird and Brother Bradley arrived a few minutes later. Grandpa said, "How releived we were." These men gave the customs officers all the information they needed and we collected our things and piled into their cars. We were nervous passengers because of our recent car accident but they didn't know about the accident and took us on a harrowing, fast ride from the airport to the Bradley home--made all the more harrowing because we were not used to driving on the left side of the road and it appeared that cars were going to hit us as they passed on the right. We breathed a collective sigh of relief when we arrived at the Bradley's in Epsom.
Love,
Aunt Genni

Flight to London

Hello Dear Reader,
The rest of our trip was to take place overnight. We had supper on the plane. Back then the trays were attached to the seats and I remember straightening up my seat and the man behind me yelling that I had spilled his drink. Cigar smoking was allowed on international flights so immediately several cigars and many cigarettes were lit and we all felt nauseated. Then we were supposed to sleep the best we could. I don't remember the seating arrangements but I think LeAnn and I were separated from Grandpa (Wes), Grandma (Mary), and Billy.

As usual, Grandpa made the best of a bad situation. It wasn't long until he saw the sun rise. It appeared to come up out of the ocean. What a beautiful sight! He quietly woke us up so we could enjoy the view too. It wasn't long until we landed at Heathrow Airport and made our way to customs. Our plane was late and we felt sure there would be someone there to meet us. But there was no one.
Love,
Aunt Genni

Touristy Things

Hello Dear Reader,

We arrived at the Idlewild Airport (now Kennedy) about mid-afternoon. Murdock travel had arranged for us to spend some time in NYC and so we took a taxi to the Hotel Taft on 7th Avenue at 50th Street. That evening we walked down to Times Square. Grandpa (Wesley) Carter said, "For a country bumpkin I was pretty brave."

The next day (Friday) we visited the Empire State Building, Broadway, Central Park, Macey's and Gimbel's, China Town, and rode the Statton Island Ferry; pretty educational stuff for a small-town family; we were getting a lot of bang for our buck. But soon we were on our way back to the airport.

We were asked to change flights as our plane was delayed and so had a stop in Boston for a brief time. Within two days, we added Chicago, New York, and Boston to the places we had been.

Love,

Aunt Genni