Cheers, Big Red

In 1985, I got to class by one of two methods, either riding the Tube or walking to Hanger Lane to jump the #112 for the ride down Uxbridge to the Ealing Broadway stop.

For a 19 year-old, Blue-Collar Kid From Janesville, it was such a thrill to jump on London’s famous red double-decker buses every day.

Most times, I never reached the campus of Ealing College of Higher Education (now called Ealing, Hammersmith and West London College -- site.)

The temptation to simply ride the busses into central London and explore was too great for a kid who had hardly been beyond Wisconsin.

Which is why it is a sad day for those who have lived in London, and for those who will not have the experience to live and ride like a native Englishman.

The Last Ride

Randomly, I would jump off near Trafalgar Square or Piccadilly Circus and walk the narrow streets called Mew or Close, in search of the perfect pint.

Oddly, every pub I visited in London poured the perfect pint. And after several pints, games like Snooker and Cricket began to make sense.

20 years ago, I rode the Roadmasters of London. I never thought they'd be gone before I got back to the streets of London and Queen Vic's Pub.

I lift my pint to the East, across the Pond, to say thanks for adopting this American and carrying me home safely each afternoon.