Easter Trip to Rome 1960, Part 2
from Colin Rees
This second part of the account of the 1960 Rome trip contains the detailed instructions issued by the school including Mr Tom Evans’ map of the route to be taken by the train. Also some photographs taken on the trip.
The text below is a transcript of the school handouts - originals of which can be seen below.
School Handout ()
Depart from school at 6.15 a.m. prompt. Bus ordered for 6 a.m. via Aberaman, Mountain Ash, Penrhiwceiber to Cardiff.
Depart Cardiff: 7.45 or 8.00.
Arrive Paddington at 11 .00. Transfer by bus to Victoria. Lunch.
Depart Victoria 12.30.
Route. Folkestone - Calais – Lille – Nancy – Strasbourg – Basel - Lucerne - ?St. Gotthard? – Milan – Florence - Rome.
Arrive Rome late evening of Tuesday.
Address: Pensione Sette Colli, Via Marche, Rome.
Boys are advised to bring a case or grip, and a knap sack.
Knap sack to contain: shaving and washing kit, hand towel, tooth brush, paste and soap, pyjamas, sandwiches, crisps, fruit chocolate, boiled sweets, cooked sausages or hard eggs, cheese, vacuum flask or pop and a cup.
camera , binoculars (with receipt).
Grip to contain: change of underwear, socks (one per two days), open necked shirts, light shoes or slippers, handkerchiefs (one per day), pullover (for night), light plastic mac, towel, change of trousers or shorts, 2 films, nestea, some lump sugar.
Train: bring books or chess or any other game that can be carried easily. Card games will not be welcomed. In the daytime there should be plenty to see. In the night time, all boys are to settle down to sleep at every opportunity, as we may have to change trains in the night. Any boy keeping others awake will be regarded as a nuisance.
Boat: The crossing will take some two hours and the boat may be crowded. This will be the last opportunity to buy British food etc. Boys are not to fall off!
Clothing: Travel as light as possible.
When travelling, Flannels and sports or blazer or suit. school tie. Macintosh (it will be cold in the night). Proper clothing is necessary when visiting churches and in the evenings. School cap or beret.
By day - comfortable wear, according to the weather or places visited.
Customs: Every boy to supply Mr. Morris with details of any articles they have purchased, together with receipt. Receipt for cameras, binoculars etc. bought in this country, must also be available on the way out and back. To facilitate passage through the customs, every boy is to remain with the group and not wander. Custom formalities may be encountered during the night on the train.
Meals: Meals en route are very expensive, but we have arranged for breakfast on the train and packed lunches to be collected at Basel. There may be a buffet on the train. But any food the boys bring will be very useful. These should be packed to last! In Italy, we can except to have macaroni, spaghetti and salads in olive oil. Boys must be prepared for the change and enjoy it.
Between meals: Avoid tea and cakes (too expensive). No water or Iced drinks or unpeeled fruit (These often cause dysentery.) Therefore drink Fruit juice, coca co1a, coffee or bring your own Nestea, and eat plenty of fruit which is abundant, rather than ice cream.
Currency: British currency can be used on the boat, the train and Basel station. Consequently, no Swiss francs are necessary. Italian Lire will be procured at Aberdare (£12 for seniors, £9 for middle school and £7 for juniors). Each boy is allowed to take some English currency out of the country for expenses during travel and on return. Parents are advised not to give too much pocket money and not to expect costly presents, tax for which would have to be paid on return.
Insurance All boys insured for Public Liability and Medical expenses (including Personal Accident). Full details are available for any parent. Loss of baggage can be insured collectively up to £55 for 3/6. Details later to the boys.
Excursions in Rome and Naples will fill up our time, including the city of Rome, Ostia, Tivoli. On Easter Sunday, we spend the morning in Rome but leave for Naples in the afternoon. On the next two days we visit Pompeii and Salerno, Amalfi and Capri. There will be no time to visit public baths; the only possible bathing will be sea bathing, and there will be little opportunity, if any, for that. No boy will be allowed to enter the sea without a letter of permission written by his parent. I strongly advise against it.
Opera: I strongly recommend a visit to the opera when at Rome, if we can get places. I should like all parents to set £1 of their pocket money aside for this or similar purposes.
Return: Depart Naples Wed. 20th April at 5.20 a.m.
Arrive London Thurs 21st. at 4.0 p.m.
Depart Paddington 5:55 - arrive Cardiff 9.07 p.m.
Western Welsh bus should be at Aberdare within the hour.
Extra details: Three members of the staff will look after the boys and their money. All boys are expected to be on their best behaviour and do what they are told, without question. Every party carries the reputation of its own school with it and creates an impression wherever it goes, whether good or bad. This is particularly so when abroad, where the boys are to regard themselves as representatives of their country. From Rome onwards we shall be joined by a party of equal numbers and staff from Bridgend Boys’ Grammar School. We hope you will all get to know each other straight away. Remember we shall then be one party. A word of warning! Insured as they may be, it will be of little consolation if a boy puts his head out of the window (there are plenty of notices warning against this) or tries to lower one of the train windows (they are extremely heavy and have been known to fall). Remember that this is a holiday which has cost your parents a lot of money, so get the most out of it and see these wonderful places and things that have played such an important part in our European civilisation. Lastly, I am sure you all appreciate the representation of the route that Mr. T.J. Evans has made for us. It took quite a time to prepare and shows the main Geographical features and towns. Please note the points of the compass.
Supervision: During the evenings there will be some spare time. I shall be pleased to hear from any parents their views on whether their boy should be supervised the whole of the time. I am prepared to do this. Will every parent please let me know individually, also any personal points about their son. If any boy is a poor traveller, we recommend pills for Seasickness and aspirins or Disprins and also Rennies for stomach complaints.
Click the small pictures below to see larger versions with full captions
Itinerary & Instructions |
Itinerary & Instructions |
Tom’s Map |
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In the train between Calais and Basel |
Arth on the Lake of Zug, Switzerland |
Wassen Church. One of the three passes the railway makes as it loops upwards |
Wassen Church again, taken from a higher loop |
First day's sightseeing |
Vittorio Emanuelle II |
Olympic Stadium |
The Coliseum |
The Forum |
Another view of the |
Piazza del Popolo |
The Spanish Steps |
St Peter’s from |
The Tiber from the top of |
The Tiber from the top of |
Basilica of St Paul Outside |
Ostia |
Waterfalls of Tivoli |
US Navy Carrier in |
Vesuvius |
Capri Piazza |
Charles Morris |
Pompeii Street |
Another Pompeii Street |
Amalfi Coast Trip |
Sorrento |
The return channel crossing |