James Gaston

21 Oct - Random photo

London - 23 Oct

First time in England
22 Oct 2023 First time in England 22 Oct 2023 London, UK

My first time in England was not a few weeks ago, when we began this trip.

And my first time in England was not some years ago when I worked for a Chiswick (West London) publisher. I developed software in their Boston office, and later at their Sausalito office, and made the occasional trip to their West London headquarters.

No, my first time in England was at my beginning. I was born at a hospital in the West London borough of Ruislip, then spent my first few years in the charming Farnborough home pictured below. Farnborough, a town associated with aviation, is west of, but not West London.

Of course I don't remember those years, but mom shared fond memories of that period, so I'll go with that. We were in Farnborough because my dad, an officer in the US Navy, was stationed out of Ruislip. It was the Navy that took him around the globe, including Shanghai, which is where he met a Russian immigrant who later became my mother.

After those years in England dad was called back to the states. A few more moves later he chose to retire from the military, something he later regretted, and we settled in his home state of Texas. A far cry from England, mom was never crazy about Texas, but she made the best of it.

Farnborough house (1953)

My sister Virginia with Mom who is pregnant with me (1954)

Dad and Virginia

Moi, Dad, and my sister Virginia (1954)

Mom and me (1954)

Farnborough house in winter (~1956)

21 Oct - Random photo

London - 23 Oct