DESPATCHES
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5.
Incident at Harper's Ferry
12th June
We
set off from David's, back over the Bay Bridge, skirt round
Baltimore on the Interstates, sandwiched between what Julian
describes as 'blocks of flats'. The trucks are something
else. Scary monsters that we can look right underneath in
the HEALEYS. They sure don't have governers on them like
in the U.K.
At last we are into quieter country, steeped in history
from the Civil War and stop for lunch at the confluence
of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers. Here John Brown was
hanged for his part in an uprising of slaves.
The American War of Independence was re-enacted
accidentally when Peter and Julian moved a barrier to photo
the cars against the Shenandoah river. This sparked
an International Incident of major proportions when an armed
Ranger spotted us and homed in on us in full flow. He was
getting very excited at the prospect of putting someone
in jail and wouldn't be mollified by any sweet talk
until he was shown the British driving licences. At this
point he conceded defeat and a quick call to the British
Ambassador was averted. He now thawed completely and
admitted sheepishly that his Dad had owned an Austin Healey
and he really liked the car, but that was still no excuse
for moving a barrier!!!!
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