I was in London, England on July 4, 1976, with two friends — Virginia from California and Odette from France.

David was on sabbatical leave from Sir Sandford Fleming College that year, and we were living in Whitchurch, a small Oxfordshire village on the banks of the Thames.

I met Virginia at Reading University, where we were both taking a post graduate certificate in Education, and practice-teaching at Little Heath Comprehensive. (Virginia referred to our students as “little heathens,” which was perhaps just a trifle unfair.)

David met Odette in the 1950s when he was studying in Aix-en-Provence. We had become close friends, and she was visiting us that July.

David had decided to sit out the celebration of America’s bicentennial back in Whitchurch, but Virginia, Odette and I were keen to join the activities in London.

That’s why we found ourselves along with 70,000........

© Peterborough Examiner