Sparks or "Judith, where are you"

[Henning]

"When she's on her best behaviour, don't be tempted by her favors - never turn your back on mother earth"

My first trip to London was back in 1975, together with 3 other friends. I was 17,one was 15, and the other were 18 years old. We stayed in Leinster Hotel in Bayswater, the cheapest thing we could get. The thing I remember from that trip: We trank a lot of red wine - we went along Carnaby Street - we hang around Picaddilly circus - we stole a package of sex pills in a sex shop, but being cautious country boys we bit one pill into two halfes and each of us swallowed a half-piece and waited for something to happen but soon our attention was caught by something else. In our hotel bar we listened to Wings "Listen to what the man said" and "I'm not in love" by 10CC. I loved that song. My friends always teased me there because I was the only guy they knew who was a huge Sparks fan. These weird Mael brothers, Ron and Russel you know - this town ain't big enough for the both of us - Something for the girl with everything.

We went to Alton, Hampshire, after a week or so for to visit my pen-friend Judith. We took the train to get there and vomitted on Alton platform when we arrived. Too much alcohol. What a nice welcome ceremony. Then Judith's dad took us to their house in Upper Farringon. They let us sleep in a caravan. The next morning we had breakfast together. To start some kind of conversation I remember I made acomment on English butter being rather salty. Then J's dad smiled and showed me the back side of the package and I read "Made in Germany". An hour later we walked to Alton to meet with two of Judith's friends, Virginia from Bently, and the other one whose name I forgot. We hang around in a pub and had a really good time together. Later J's brother Simon joined us. At evening time we kissed goodbye and promised to meet again. We changed some letters later but things faded away. I remember that Judith's relatives lived in Australia and that she had plans to go there, too. One of the last things that I wrote to her was that I had found an album called "Songs of Leonard Cohen" and that I got hooked by that one.