I sat and waited on the orange plastic seat at Liverpool Street Station for over three hours. It was a chilly February day in 1984, and as the light began to fade towards the late afternoon, I finally saw a tall man running through the throng of people, dodging an old woman pulling a large suitcase, … [Read more...]
Due to Popular Demand….
Since I wrote the last episode of How I Came to be in England I've had lots of requests to carry on the story. I even had a Bring Back How I Came to be in England hash tag created on Twitter. (Fame at last!)I was reluctant because the story had moved to the UK and … [Read more...]
How I came to be in England – Part 40
The last leg of my train journey across Europe in February 1984, from Harwich to London Liverpool Street Station, seemed to take forever. I was dead tired from three days of travelling and I'd not slept a wink during the Channel crossing. By the time I'd got to the train at Harwich it was full, with … [Read more...]
How I came to be in England – Part 39
On the morning of February 25th 1984, I found my Father in the kitchen, sitting at the table looking out of the window. It was the day I was due to board the train to Stockholm and onwards through Europe to Harwich and leave my country of birth, Finland, for good. I saw my Father was in his … [Read more...]
How I came to be in England – Part 38
I spent the last few days I had left in Helsinki in February 1984 arranging the practical details of a move to another country. On the Thursday I had an oral examination in Methodology with my Professor at the Swedish School of Economics. I was ill-prepared for the exam. The old man with his untidy … [Read more...]
How I came to be in England – Part 37
I was lying face down on my bed, with my head spinning, trying to make sense of what had just happened, when I heard the front door slam shut. Had my Father left the house? I waited for a few minutes. It was quiet. I crept out of my room and walked into the darkened kitchen. The parking space where … [Read more...]
How I came to be in England – Part 36
The Englishman and I set the date for my move to England for 25th February 1984. I'd take the train through Europe, and then cross the Channel over to Harwich. This way I could send all my worldly possessions separately to my new home country, rather than be limited to carrying it all in suitcases … [Read more...]
How I came to be in England – Part 35
Espoo Old Church stood at the end of a country lane, set aside from a newly built shopping centre. In the distance lay high rise blocks to one side and a wide motorway to the other. Father and I went to see it for the first time on a Saturday in January 1984. It seemed odd to plan a wedding in a … [Read more...]
How I came to be in England – Part 34
My Father was due home from his travels on the evening of the same day, 3rd of January 1984, I'd said goodbye to the Englishman at Helsinki airport. I planned to cook his favourite meal: meatballs in a creamy sauce and peeled potatoes. I made a salad too, but knew he wouldn't want any. He called it … [Read more...]
How I came to be in England – Part 33
The Englishman and I took our first ever flight together from Helsinki to Stockholm on the day before Christmas Eve in 1983. Though there was no snow on the ground, and the landscape looked dark and miserable, it was magical. To be standing together in the passport queue, rather than saying goodbye … [Read more...]
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