From: Clive W Kemp
Subject: A winter week's barefoot holiday (Feb 97)
Date: Fri, 4 Apr 1997 15:51:09 -0500

I met Joe Huntington from Rhode Island at Manchester Airport (UK)
at around 7.30am on Saturday morning 22nd February 1997 for a
week long barefoot holiday.  In the event, the weather was quite mild
and it did not seem strange to be barefoot at the airport to meet Joe.

After driving to my home and settling in, it was lunch time so we had 
a pub lunch (both barefoot and no one seemed to notice). The afternoon
was spent in the country - the ground was damp under foot. That night, 
Joe rested up while I went to a formal party (oh, those shoes nearly 
killed me - on for two hours!)

After Church on Sunday, we went to my seaside hideaway on the east
coast.   We did not take any footwear with us (I persuaded Joe to remove
his shoes from his case and to leave them behind)!

On Monday, 24 February, we went to Boston, Lincolnshire (the original
Boston).  Having parked the car, I wanted a coffee so we went to a 
nearby small cafe. I went to the toilet and one of the customers noticed
and said "oh, you haven't got any socks on - aren't your feet cold?"  I.
gave the assurances that they were not cold and proceeded to the
mens' room!  Joe told me that a conversation then got going within
the cafe. The customer again commented on my lack of socks (they 
had not noticed my lack of shoes - nor Joe's barefeet). The waitress
then said that last week they had a lady customer who hadn't any
shoes or socks on   and she said that she was OK.  (Joe & I just 
wished that we'd been able to have met this other barefooter).
After coffee, we visited the Boston stump (the largest parish church 
in England). A very fine old building from whence many of the pilgrim
fathers came. (The Vicar, John Cotton went to New England with the
pilgrims).  The Church floor had lots of different textures that were 
just great to feel (Folks with shoes on do not know what they miss!).

We wondered round the town, had lunch in MacDonalds (Joe could
hardly believe the lack of "No Barefeet Signs").  In fact, no one took 
any notice that we were both barefoot in Macs!   Later, we visited the
Boston museum and left  to visit the nearby village called "New York"
 (I believe that there is somewhere in the States named after this
 village! - I took a photo of barefoot Joe by the town sign!)

The Tuesday was spent on the beach and we returned to the city on 
Wednesday.

Thursday was a trip to see the ancient city of York.  After a "Pizza Hut"
lunch, we took a trip on a sightseeing bus (the driver commented on
my barefeet - he & some teenagers were the only comment makers). 
After a walk through the "Shambles" (very old, narrow street) and on  
to York Minister. We spent some hours here and ended up going to  
Choral Evensong (no one noticed barefeet).

Friday was the last day, some sorting out / Joe went for a walk while I
did some shopping.  Off early Saturday morning 1st March for Joe's
plane back to the USA while I went on to a study day school (suprisingly
I was the only one barefoot).

We discussed the attitude to barefeet that Joe noticed and although it
was winter really no one noticed / bothered.  We decided to call England
"barefoot neutral" rather than "barefoot friendly" because the latter 
suggests that some consideration has gone into the attitude. We 
reckoned that generally it was not an "issue" the people had even
thought about.

The weather in general was mild for February in England (around 10 
degrees C  or 50 deg F).  But, it was good to be able to be barefoot 
for almost a week.

Stay happy, stay barefoot,
                                                          Clive