Earl's Court

We arrive in Earl's Court. Geoff, Phil and myself. The plan is that the other two are the spearhead. They find a flat while I return home, sell the van and join them later. We walk out into Earls Court Road. Intoxicating. Many people from "the Colonies" - i.e. Australia, Canada, South Africa. The whole scene is busy but friendly, more or less as I had imagined it. Burger in a Wimpy Bar. We check out the advertisements for accommodation. Come up with something that looks good - No1, Earls Court Square. Make the telephone call and arrange to meet the landlord the next day, a.m. This means sleeping in the van for the night, so we walk around for a while taking in the sights, and then head back to the van. Great optimism and enthusiasm.
We get back to the van to find that it has been broken into and all Geoff and Phil's stuff has been taken. All they have are the clothes that they're wearing.
Downer.
Next morning, they check out the flat. It is a huge overall room with the bedrooms located on a big balcony. This is called, I think, a mezzanine set-up. We have enough money to secure the place and feel somewhat encouraged. They ring home to get some funding from their respective parents for new clothes etc., while I head back to Wales to tie up my loose ends.
Two weeks later, I arrive back in London to take up residence. Within a couple of days I manage to get myself a job at the Labour Exchange in Hammersmith where I meet a guy called Iain Hines. Iain is a piano player who did the whole Hamburg thing around about the time the Beatles were doing the circuit there. His tales of that time are fascinating and we strike up a friendship.
We start writing some music together and he introduces me to his brother, Fraser. Fraser is an actor, and has currently secured a gig in "Doctor Who". He is a wannabe bass player, so I show him a few licks and we become friends.
The job at the Labour Exchange is wearing thin. I am shown how to enter a "Derog" notice on the files of ex jailbirds (Derog stands for derogatory, which means their access to certain jobs is restricted). Also, I get paid monthly, which takes some getting used to - I managed to blow most of my wages in the space of two weeks the first time I got paid. I got by on spaghetti and butter until the next pay check.
I get to visit the Dr.Who set on an invite from Fraser. Me and Iain wandering around checking out the Cybermen and the various sets. One of the sets is an intricate model of a scientific station situated in the arctic. Lots of "snow" and desolate wastes. It covers a table measuring about six foot by four. Iain and I find some plasticine and make a very small father Christmas, which we place next to the door of the model arctic station. We wander off onto the Simon Dee set, and watch the rehearsals during which good ol' Simon does a fake introduction for Jack Warner (Dixon of Dock Green!). "And now ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Jack Warner - King of the Queers!". Jack's dead now, and the last I heard of Simon, he was driving a London bus. C'est la vie.
We got back to the Dr. Who set to find that they had already finished shooting, and the model arctic station would be shown to the nation complete with a plasticine Santa standing next to the front door. Incredibly, no one had noticed him.

Next time, the one and only Marc Tracy steps into our lives; the flat in Earl's Court is lost, and Belgravia beckons.