A MEMORY OF A TRIP TO HAMPSTEAD...

Last night I watched a film based in Hampstead. From the earliest I always saw Hampstead as the epicentre of intellectual life. I dreamed of living there taking my place there as an intellectual amongst intellectuals.

Back in 1974 I made a trip to Hampstead with two of my Sixth Form school friends at Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School. We had a half day so we took the underground to Hampstead. Things started auspiciously as we saw on the station platform a full-bearded man reading the New Statesman. I thought: Wonderful! Hampstead the home of intellectuals.

We walked up the hill and saw some quite impressive bookshops and art galleries. At the top of the hill the model boats pond was drying up by the look of it.

We walked on the heath a bit. We had been told that Hampstead Heath was frequented by queers but we didn't see any.

GENE