With Daniel looking after Sam, the rest of us off to the US by the very long British Airways flight from Heathrow Terminal 4 to Los Angeles where we collected a Lincoln Continental Town Car and drove to The Holiday Inn, main gate Anaheim and so our holiday began.
We woke up to the start of a fine day, having plenty of time to get ready to go off to the airport. Daniel fed and exercised Sam whilst I did my packing and loaded up the car. I even had time to stop and help Pat Law whose Renault 2CV had broken down and did this by using the jump leads. Her air filter top had become completely unscrewed and loose so it was no wonder it would not start! A good journey to the airport via the A1 and M25 motorways that make the process much simpler these days. We arrived at the British Airways terminal number four and checked in with time to spare. I had a problem in posting some letters once through into the departure lounge and I had to "land myself" (go out, post them and then come back through the passport control and security checks again).
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The flight was not too bad but still very long. I passed the time by admiring a very attractive lady nearby who was dressed in green, and I offered to help her with her bag when she needed it. Through immigration on landing, claimed the luggage and then quickly took the Hertz courtesy bus to their lot where we collected a Lincoln Continental Town Car, our favourite make and model from last time. We were supposed to be met by the British Airways representative, but we were so anxious not to hang around for security reasons that we missed them and managed ourselves anyway. A longish drive from Los Angeles airport to Anaheim with traffic congestion at its afternoon rush-hour peak. The traffic was held up by accidents and the Angelinos drive on their accelerator and brakes and will not coast to maximise road capacity being terrified of another car cutting in.
I tried to even out the stops and starts and then a few others saw the benefit and began copying it but not enough to make a difference. The girls went to sleep in the car until we arrived at The Holiday Inn, Main gate Anaheim and there then followed the normal hassle over trying to get the interconnecting room. Aware of this possibility, I first left the family in the locked car and walked in to take on the receptionist on my own, parking the car properly later. We ended up with two beds in one room for the girls and then a queen-sized double bed for Diana and I in the other for us. We went straight to bed and slept until 3.00am local time (which corresponded to 11.00am London Time). Our holiday had begun.