Trip to the USA 1973

Pumpkin pie

From the 1973 issue of the Bostonian magazine, written by Simon Harris (Science Upper)

At Easter this yeat, a combined party of eight from BGS and The High School set out from the school gates on a long and memorable journey. Under the keen, but strict, leadership of Mr Lamb, we departed to America for three weeks.

For one and a half days we experienced the nice and not-so-nice sights of New York in a hectic, maniacal bus tour. We learnt how to elbow our way through crowds. Surprisingly, no-one fell victim to the traffic, which came the wrong way, although there were some very close calls.

On our second day, we moved on to Philadelphia where the group was split up and each person went to stay with an American family. The following week was spent at school, where we proved to be a source of interest and curiosity. They had never before heard an English accent in the flesh, so to speak. All our hosts were constantly thinking of Americanisms for us to try, Each was spend experiencing some different 'Great American Institution'. These ranged from hamburgers and Coke, pumpkin pie and pizza, to three-car families, private swimming pools, eight lane motorways and electric cocktail stirrers.

A week's holiday from school enabled us to embark on our own expeditions, visiting the more celebrated tourist Meccas, such as the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty , Washington DC, the White House, and the occasional baseball game. Every spare minute was spent doing something which 'shouldn't be missed'.

By the time the day of our departure arrived, nine tired souls were seen waiting at New York airport at three o'clock in the morning, grimly anticipating the eight-hour flight ahead. A true English gale greeted us as we alighted from the plane. When we rolled up to the school gates, America seemed a whole world away.