53 An Air Force air field where RAF planes had been posted in 1944.
54 Letter 7 February 1946
55 This hotel seems to no longer exist.
56 Written a few moments before setting out.
57 The character Pierre (in Les Chemins de la mer) enlists in the Chasseurs d'Afrique.
58 1910
59 For background: https://www.franceinter.fr/emissions/la-marche-de-l-histoire/la-marche-de-l-histoire-20-fevrier-2013
60 Author of the cycle La Nuit Indochinoise (1950-53), which includes "Mort en Fraude", which was made a successful film: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Hougron
67 Article "Getting away from it all", The Statesman, 19 June 1956.
68 Letter dated 11 December 1948.
69 Mrs Yvonne Rentoul, business model is discussed by a 1950 newspaper article in the archive (with her photograph). All the prospectuses of the time are in the file.
70 Shortly afterwards, he moved to another address 207 ½ Victoria Street, King's Cross.
71 In a talk published by the City of Sydney Historical Association, vol. 15 n°2, December 2014
72 Guy set up a "Camera reversa" as one of the attractions (giving an inverted view of the traffic below), for which he received royalties, mentioned in a letter dated 19 April 1953.
77 On a 1929 commercial directory, there is an address for a Lidwell boarding house in Cliftonville (Margate); 12-14 Surrey Road, http://www.janetandrichardsgenealogy.co.uk/IOT%20Kellys%201929%20Margate%20commercial%20-%20N.html
78 Harry was born on 23 February 1898, Olive, née Elt, on 26 August 1903.
79 121 George Street North. Nowadays, the "North" is omitted.
80 Letter 21 October 1951, page 6.
81 22 December 1950. There had been letters to his step-mother before that, because his relationship with her was less ambivalent.
82 Letter to Louise, 5 June1952
83 Letter dated 5 June 1952
84 Presumably, from the address, 1949.
85 I'm sorry to have to notice that even for this hyper serious apology letter, Guy starts with an irreverence.
86 Probably, but not certainly, on a holiday with Auntie Louise, as Argelès-Gazost is a thermal resort in the Pyrenees, not far from Lourdes.
87 The idea that he may emigrate to the U.S.
88 This last point is the one that Maud most clearly remembers in 2016.
89 Guy is referring to the letter dated 17 March copied above.
90 In English in the letter.
91 In fact the price had already been agreed for the most valuale asset, the vineyard at Xinxarlines, for 200.000F (Hélène diary 19 September 1951).
92 The Generous Earth. Beryl indicates that Guy corrected or tempered the author's text, with numerous comments. This copy is in the Carennac library.
93 For another example, see Tony Baker's mention of Mrs Kayanaye.
94 22 December 1950.
95 22 January 1952.
96 http://enmoreparish.org.au/
97 Letter 26 September 1954
98 According to Jack Abernethy reporting to Hélène, 28 November 1953
99 Letter 28 May 1954.
100 Letter 25 June 1952.
101 Letter dated 28 November 1953.
102 Letter 22 January 1952.
103 Letter 5 June 1952.
104 Letter 28 May 1954.
105 See two letters by Jack to Auntie H. in 1953.
106 Full explanations in a letter from Guy to Hélène, 3 April 1952.
107 Letter 14 February 1956
108 They left by ship on 31 May 1955, with a call at Marseilles. Their cabin on the high bridge cost 430 A£
109 Letter 20 August 1955
110 The last letter on file from Sydney, 20 October 1955.
111 In 1958, Gabrielle published a book about their experience: "Cinq de Billancourt à travers trois continents", éditions du Seuil (one copy in Carennac).
112 Lionel Brans, Seul à bicyclette de Paris à Saigon, Amiot-Dumont, 1950. The author too was able to travel via Lebanon and even Afghanistan.
115 A fair selection is given on montin.com/lambretta.
116 I have posted online, primarily for the community of Lambretta fans, a short text, the book that Guy wrote about the adventure, and a selection of newspaper articles: http://montin.fr/lambretta . Other primary sources include Beryl's diary, present in the archives, and the collection of slides.
117 Bombayman's diary, 4 June 1956
118 Tony Barker's account.
119 This paragraph is taken from the Sud-Ouest long article (April 1957)
120 Much later, he confided to me that the idea of having three wheels is a very bad design.
121 A novel by Francis de Croisset, subtitled "Ceylan avec les Anglais", (1931) which Guy may have known, as it was in Hélène's library in Carennac.
122 Sud-Ouest Dimanche
123 A novel by John Masters which was a classic in the family.
124 26 April 1956
125 Dreamalive, p. 62
126 Anecdote told in the Sud-Ouest feature.
127 Motorist, 25 July 1956
128 Pondicherry, 1956 Ashram brochure (in the archive).
129 In this context, Yoga means "the Teaching and the practical discipline to realise."
130 Guy did not know that some of his grandfathers' names were spelt in this manner.
131 It is possible that Guy fed those half-truth about the put-put to thank Lambretta for their hospitality on the way.
132 Sud-Ouest Dimanche
133 Most informative is the feature written for Sud-Ouest Dimanche: Paradis au rabais
139 Sud-Ouest Dimanche, page entitled "Au pays des 'wash-out'"
140 Guy's expression for these temporary rivers, so marked on the maps.
141 Same reference as above for a more detailed description of the Bolan pass.
142 Nok Kundi, 30 September.
143 I have corrected some minor errors, such as the length of the journey on top of the truck, which took them all the way to Meshhed, with the help of Beryl's diary.
145 His business card states: Dr Paul Taillard, Institut du Cancer Lion et Soleil rouges.
146 Who reported its contents to Hélène, 19 November 1956.
147 It is very strange that Maud should write that, English children, in those days, were on the contrary considered much better behaved than French ones, there is a song by Brassens or equivalent that carried that common place.
148 For a good description of a little Turkish city in winter, see Orhan Pamuk "Snow".
149 This reminds of my father's offer, many years later when I was travelling with Tooty on our mopeds (we went all the way to Denmark in 1967) that we do part of the trip on a train.
178 The duration of the stay is indicated in a letter to M. Delage, 22 December 1958.
179 Not true, the stay was from July to November 1958.
180 107-109 High Street, Margate
181 Letters dated 21 and 31 July 1958, sent to Busters in Margate.
182 Montin.com/lambretta
183 Flaubert, origin of quote to be verified.
184 Letter from Auguste, 4 November 1938
185 This probably refers to the return of General de Gaulle to power in 1958.
186 See photograph with Father Christmas in Brive, 29 November 1958.
187 Termed "writer and Bearnese poet" in a dedicated Wikipedia article.
188 Letter 11 December 1958.
189 Letter 20 December 1958
190 Letter 20 December 1958.
191 Letter 20 January 1959.
192 7 February 1959
193 Letter 15 February 1959.
194 Collège d'enseignement général.
195 The loan of the van by a local family may have been a first instance of the Quandieu friendship.
196 Hélène diary for 26 March 1959.
197 12, 22 and 29 April 1959.
198 12 April 1959. Hélène posted several copies to Sées.
199 2 September 1959. The diary is full of little events on the life in the village, like a slide projection by Ferdinand Ayroles,or the funeral of a Mme Lacroix (early November) and snippets of important foreign news (like the Russian historic landing on the Moon). The fête was a particularly difficult time for Hélène.
200 Hélène sold her parents' dining room furniture for 20,000 F, getting offers in November but it was only sold to Mr Narche in March 1960.
201 Daniel Estival.
202 25 August 1960.
203 See photograph with text at the back of the picnic in a field near Cerne Abbas.
204 For a very moving tale of such times, see "Transit" by Anna Seghers.
205 Diary, 13 August 1962.
206 26 July to 4 August 1963.
207 7 August 1963
208 Letter 7 November1963.
209 In Honfleur, his old salary was 1,250 NF a month.
210 30 July to 12 August 1965.
211 Diary, 8 Sepember 1965
212 13 January 1968: diary noted "lettre éplorée d'Olive sur le retour de Charles".