Fifteen and hitching around France with Foss – the planning and execution

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Fifteen and hitching around France with Foss – the planning and execution

It was 1964. Every day was bathed in the bright sunshine of possibility. There were no clouds in the sky and none on the horizon. I could do anything.

Foss was a fellow rugby player. He was a year older than me and was leaving school that year. I was fourteen and was up for adventure. We planned an adventure. It was meticulously worked out. It went like this:

We would hitch-hike down to the coast.

We would board a boat bound for France.

We would hitch-hike around France for the summer.

We would hitch-hike back, board a boat, hitch back home and reminisce.

What could possibly go wrong?

Our meticulous planning paid off. My parents were convinced that it was watertight. Foss, who was coming up sixteen, was so mature he would look after me. They were satisfied.

In hindsight it was probably more that they didn’t think we’d ever get it together. But we did.

The reality hit home. The ferries unreasonably demanded money for the fare. We were unable to hitch a ride on a boat. Then there was the small matter of food and shelter. We would no longer have access to the fridge and my bed.

It was OK. We could work it out. I had a sleeping bag and a rucksack. Foss had a tent. Admittedly it didn’t actually have a front to it but it would keep the rain off.

All we needed was a bit of cash. Neither of us was a musician so busking was out of the question. We set about delivering leaflets. That was fun. We ran down roads leaping over fences and hedges and stuffing leaflets through letterboxes. Apartment blocks were best. You could stuff a whole series of boxes with leaflets.

By the end of the first day we could see that we were not going to make a lot of money at this. No matter how fast you ran, stuffed, leapt and deposited we could not possibly deliver sufficient leaflets to make enough money. Not only that but we were knackered.

We came up with a solution. We would deliver to every other door and put three through each of the letterboxes. We’d miss out the odd street or two and dump half of the leaflets in the bin. That seemed to work.

We did this for three months and had amassed some cash. My parents were obviously impressed with my tenacity and subsidised my efforts.

We were all set.

I packed my big rucksack with essentials – a few changes of clothes, a toothbrush and the Rolling Stones first album and latest single. The Stones had just released it and I splashed some of my money on purchasing it. It could mean that we starved but at least we’d have good music while we starved (even if we had no means of playing it). When the sleeping bag was tied on the top the rucksack was nearly as big as me. Foss’s was even bigger. He had the tent.

We waved goodbye and set off cheerfully down the road. This was long before mobile phones. We would be out of contact for nearly two months. It was OK. We had a map, some rudimentary French, a bit of cash and a booklet about Youth Hostels in France. We were heading for the far south.

The sun was shining. Everything was good in the world.

I felt like Bilbo Baggins.

20 thoughts on “Fifteen and hitching around France with Foss – the planning and execution”

  1. Good afternoon Opher, well you have made it sound so good that this has to be the next book of yours I read, that should be tomorrow night I start it. I had put them all in order when your books arrived and not too sure where this one is but it sounds too good not to read it asap.

    1. Hi Anna. How are you getting on with the Times and Tales? Nearly finished?
      You said you wanted me to do some of these aneecdotes so I decided to write them for a book. I’ve collected them together and have about a hundred pages. I thought I’d write the rest up in these little vignettes. Who knows. I might have enough for a book before long. They are quite self-contained. I think there’s variety; it’s viable. But anyway – I’m enjoying doing them. I’m building on bits that I’ve done elsewhere. The Pictures don’t necessarily relate. They might be a bit repetitive. We’ll see. I can’t remember exactly what I’ve written about before.
      One of my old school kids sent me through a link to a You Tube video they made of a short film we made at school. It has me as a news announcer. Strange to see me from ten years back.

      1. Hi,should finish the book tonight, the ordeal in Paris made me put your book down but I am back on it. You have me laughing, you have me very jealous about all you done I really do have to say that people who talk to you here have to go and buy your books, I know I have only read two so far but thy are so hard to put down – Paris was the exception. Great news, another book of yours on the way, thanks for listening to me. Now you have to tell us about that You Tube link.

        Just watched your friend Mr Richardson’s (have I got it right) short film I so loved especially the Irish music my feet are kept busy, those Gardens stunning and the Tree Lady fantastic trees. Excellent short film.

      1. I know you keep telling me, maybe I will enjoy for the first time what it was all about. “Fifteen and hitching” (above) I think is after I finish the other one tonight.

      2. You mean In Search of Captain Beefheart. That is a biography of my life with Rock Music. You might find that interesting even if you don’t like the music. We’ll see. I think there’s enough biography in there to interest you.

      1. Is it David Gilmore (is that the right spelling) when I told Jonathan he said “no way, he is one of my favourites of all time” Dylan too, he saw him in London I wish I had gone too.

      2. Yes. Dave Gilmour of Pink Floyd. I met him a number of times and was in the recording studio in Abeey Road with him. Nice guy. I think Jonathan might like my ‘In Search of Captain Beefheart’. He probably would like the other Rock ones too. He seems to like the same things as me.

  4. I will keep this to show him, I know when I mentioned other names you put in the book Jonathan would go “no way you joking” . He has just appeared and said yes I will give it a go, so when I have finished it I will pass it to him. He also said you were very lucky.

  5. Yes but your experiences are so important you need to tell us all. Been looking at Hotels on Booking.com for San Francisco, there you go. I will contact these Audley people see what they say.

      2. Here’s what you do –
        You get your passport sorted, book the trip, flights, hotel, and what you are going to do.
        You leave it.
        Then, the day before you are due to go you say –
        ‘Oh – by the way – I’m off to San Francisco for three months. I’ll see you in a while.’
        That will give them the jolt they need to get their own lives in gear.
        Good for all of you!
        (And you get the fun of seeing the expression on their faces!)

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