28 January 1977 Friday
We took the Underground to Hampstead to G. Knight Agency and got appointments to see two apartments. The first was up two flights (on the lift) and dreary. Then we got a bus to Golders Green and had lunch at a Lindy’s. The second apartment was on the second floor of a house. It was quite large and bright, and attractive. The landlady is Miss Dannerberg. Then we returned to Knight. The agent, Mr. Bloomberg (?) showed us a 7th floor apt. in a high-rise building. We returned home for supper. Alice called again regarding an ad for a flat in Finchley. We agreed to look at it at 11:00 am. I called Reaves again and found out he had already arranged to send the money to N.C. Nat’l Bank here (I called this bank in London this morning).
28 January 2022 Friday
Nothing really to add, except that when I was confirming the spelling of Golders Green (Dad's handwriting is sometimes open for interpretation) I came across this poem by Spike Milligan:
Death Wish
Bury me anywhere, Somewhere near a tree Some place where a horse will graze and gallop over me. Bury me Somewhere near a stream, When she floods her banks I'll give her thanks For reaching out to me In my childhood scene; But please - don't bury me In Golders Green. -Spike Milligan, Italy, 1944
But I also found another version that goes:
Bury me anywhere, Somewhere near a tree Some place where a horse will graze and gallop over me.
Bury me Somewhere near a stream, When she floods her banks I'll give her thanks For reaching out to me In my childhood scene; But please – don't burn me In Golders Green.
I don't know which is correct. I think the joke works for either one.
Golders Green Crematorium is one of the most well known in the world and one of the oldest in Britain.
"Don't burn me," could easily be a reference to the crematorium and the desire to be kept intact.
"Don't bury me," is potentially a little more clever as it could mean that cremation would be an acceptable alternative.
I'm sure someone has the answer and has thought this through more than I have.
What do you think? Which "Bur" are we dealing with here? "Y" or "N"?
I have a cassette tape of Spike reading poems from Small Dreams of a Scorpion in the early 70s. In Death Wish he says "Don't burn me in Golders Green"