CHAPTER 7:

Thursday began our excursion to Niagara Falls which meant travelling 250 miles, stopping for breakfast at a place just south of the Canadian border. Our waitress sat down with us as she took our order. I think our accents were again working their magical charm as she responded to her colleague’s jovial remarks by saying, “Yes, I am sitting down with my customers.”

Pete finally had pancakes for breakfast. Well, it was late in the morning, so it's allowed.

We then drove to the border to go through Canadian Immigration. I think the lady got confused about us when we tried to explain that we had landed in Canada, but had passed through US Immigration at the start of our visit.

Initially she couldn’t understand why we didn’t have a Canadian immigration stamp in our passports confirming our arrival in her country. Was she confused? You try and write it up so that it makes sense.

She eventually waved us through and we continued on what we thought would be the short journey to the Falls. We began to doubt our navigational abilities as we drove mile after mile without seeing any suggestion of water. That's when you appreciate that maps are to scale and you just don’t realise the long distances involved when travelling within North America.

Relief came when a sign for Niagara Falls suddenly appeared which took us off the highway, down to the Falls. We found our way to very empty parking lot and struggled in the wind and drizzle to the viewing areas over the Falls.

If you are going to visit Niagara, it’s probably best to do so in summer, although you will certainly have to fight your way through the crowds. In November, it’s cold, dreary and wet, but the chance to take photos without hordes of tourists in the way, provides plenty of compensation

The highlight of the visit occurred when Pete was booking us into our hotel in Buffalo. The look on the young receptionist’s face when I calmly remarked, “We are in Pittsburgh, aren’t we?” Well I guess wearing a Steelers scarf and hat, together with strange accents, she probably thought we were aliens who had landed in the wrong place.

I had used that ploy on a previous visit to Buffalo in 1995 when standing in the queue outside the 7-11 store, adjacent to Rich Stadium. In the freezing snow before the Bills played the Atlanta Falcons, dressed up to the nines in Steelers gear, I asked the guy in front of me, “It is the Steelers’ that the Bills are playing this week?” Only after he picked himself up off the ground, did I tell him that I was only kidding.

While we were travelling back to Pittsburgh on the Friday, KDKA rang Pete asking for a radio interview, but Pete explained that we were not in Pittsburgh and declined their request.

The one benefit of having to travel back to Pittsburgh via I90 then I79 is passing Grove City. Having set off early from Buffalo, it was the ideal place to stop for breakfast. While we were eating, I ordered my Linkin’ Park tickets, for their London January show, via the wizardry that is modern day communications, so many thanks Jimmy (and my colleagues who bought the tickets for me as a birthday present - overwhelming.)

Just fifty miles north of the ‘Burgh on I79, the Prime Outlet at Grove City should be an integral part of any visitor’s itinerary. It gave me an opportunity to restock my wardrobe with the Calvin Klein jeans that I live in.

We had to check into the Doubletree on our return to Pittsburgh as as no hotel could accommodate us for our total stay. Or, perhaps they couldn't stand my humour for too long.

We checked our emails after unpacking and I was overwhelmed to receive one from Dino DiGiacobbe, a police officer from the City of New Kensington, 25 miles northeast of Pittsburgh or a few miles north of Monroeville - I know all the shopping malls..

"Heard that you came over from the UK to see the Steelers. KDKA radio said yesterday you don't have a ticket for the Browns game. I have an extra ticket if you still need one."

What an outstanding offer! KDKA got it wrong I'm afraid. I did have a ticket to see the game, but Dino's offer was another indication of how great Steelers' fans are. Unfortunately, we didn't meet up, but it's already on the agenda for this season.

Friday night was going to be a busy night beginning with first, a visit to Jerome’s Bettis’ restaurant, Grille 36. Situated just across the road from Heinz Field and overlooking the Allegheny River. The restaurant is worth a visit.

Invariably Jerome Bettis visits on a Friday night. On cue, he arrived around six o’clock and willingly signed autographs for his customers.

Having indulged in a (far too big for me) hamburger, we made our way to Ed’s to enter a fantasy world that would allow me to relive my youth. It just doesn’t bear thinking about Well, for me it certainly was an invitation to throw back all those years.

Ed has a huge game’s room in his backyard, full of old, new and certainly very interesting pinball machines plus an array of electronic game machines going back to Space Invaders, Pac Man and whatever else you can think of. The majority are in full working order and just sitting there, waiting for you to play them.

We were joined by Jodi, Sheri, drummer Dave (Ashes to Ashes), Dave Dave, Mike, Shawn and Kelly. We spent the evening wandering from one machine to another rediscovering a lost youth that had been so innocent, with no mortgage or other financial concerns to worry about.

It was an evening to forget about what was happening to the outside world. A perfect opportunity to reflect back a few decades to those happy days when our only concerns were getting out of bed without a hangover.

From the distant past, memories of those enjoyable evenings spent trying to beat your mates and the machines came flooding back. The evening gave me the incentive for to get my own pinball machine working. It has been resting in my garage for thirty years, so it’s about time I put it together again and put some life back into it. Just give me the time!

CHAPTER 8>>>