LONDON — I did manage to get some sleep during the flight to London but it wasn’t a lot, and not very high quality sleep either. Now when the lights go off you also have the glow from the LCD screens in the back of the seats to contend with as well.

I didn’t open the book I had bought in Auckland. Not on the flight anyway. I did read half a dozen pages of the prologue while in the departure lounge but that was it. It seemed as though much of the flight was in darkness, and what daylight we did see, we were either being served dinner or breakfast or in transit at Los Angeles.

Arrived at Heathow 10 minutes early. Initial indications were that we would be landing 30 minutes ahead of schedule but 20 minutes of flying in circles put a stop to that.
Getting through British customs wasn’t a problem. The biggest hassle was waiting in the queue to have your passport stamped. My luggage was already going round and round when I finally made it to the baggage claim area and then it was straight out the green no items to declare exit.

Caught the Heathrow Express into London, arriving at Paddington Station about 12:15 pm. Everything looked so familiar, it was as though I had just been there yesterday, not five years ago. Maybe my memory is not as bad as I thought, except that I’m sure I watched a third in-flight movie, the name of which I can’t seem to recall just now! Since I had a bit of time to kill before check-in at the hotel, I took the opportunity to reserve a seat on the 10:06 train to Truro on Monday.

After checking into the Falcon Hotel I made my way back to Paddington Station and took the underground to St Pancras. Right next door to St Pancras Station is the British Library and I wanted to register for a reader’s card. The British Library holds the archives of the East India Company and I want to see if they hold any information on the life and occupation of my 5 × great grandfather Benjamin Coles. He was apparently variously employed by the honourable company as a warehouseman, porter, and clerk.
I have made a mental note (perhaps I should write it down) that I must go back and visit the Henry VIII exhibition currently on display in the Library. I also made the mistake of visiting the Library’s shop and purchased a book that I’ve been wanting since doing an early english paper at Auckland University: The New Testament / translated by William Tyndale ; the text of the Worms edition of 1526 in original spelling. They also had it in a facsimile edition but that was more difficult to read and cost half as much again.

The last task for today is to prepare for my trip to the National Archives tomorrow.

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