Our flight to London, England was filled with anticipation for the events ahead: the 60th anniversary celebrations at the University of Warwick, and a long-awaited rendezvous with our son who works in Ireland.
As my wife and I boarded a train to Coventry, my mind drifted back to 1979, when I first set foot in England as a naval cadet officer at the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth.
My journey then was aboard a Sabena Airlines flight from Singapore to London, transiting in New Delhi, India. Upon arrival at Heathrow, we, four “budak boys” from the Royal Military College in Kuala Lumpur, were met by a military assistant from the Malaysian High Commission.
He first took us to Soho for a short tour, before we headed to the embassy. We took a train to Exeter and then to Dartmouth to begin our naval training. How different this journey felt now, with our own children pursuing careers abroad.
On this trip, travelling by bus from Coventry train station to the Warwick Campus on a wet winter’s day – luggage in tow – was an experience my wife and I won’t forget. We stayed at Radcliffe, which is conveniently close to the Warwick Arts Centre where the events were set to take place.
The alumni reunion was Warwick’s largest ever, with over 1,000 alumni and guests from across Britain and overseas – from as far as New Zealand and Australia – returning for campus tours, live performances, and opportunities to reconnect.
As an overseas Masters’ graduate, I was honoured to be the sole attendee from Malaysia.
Coventry, an English town well-connected to cities like Birmingham, was buzzing with festive energy – it was the Christmas holiday season after all. The night was alive with shoppers hunting for bargains, and my wife was pleasantly surprised by the prices of clothes and shoes in the shopping centres.
Next, we went to London, staying at a hotel within walking distance of the Euston and King’s Cross stations. Unlike my first encounter years ago, London now struck me as a vibrant metropolis brimming with cultural diversity.
Navigating the city via the Underground, we visited Buckingham Palace, the British Museum, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, Tower Hill, and the British Library. The winter weather was rainy and gloomy, so we retreated to the comfort of our hotel before dark each day.
From London, we flew to Dublin, where we took a hop-on, hop-off sightseeing tour to explore the Irish capital. Stops included Dublin Castle, Christ Church Cathedral, the Wellington Monument, and the famous Guinness Storehouse.
The highlight of our trip was Galway – not just for its medieval charm and creative culture, but because it was where we met up with our son, who lives in the nearby Irish-speaking Connemara region.
The train journey from Dublin to Galway cut through serene farmlands and quaint Irish towns.
In Galway, we wandered through winding streets lined with restaurants, pubs, vintage stores and tiny bookshops. We chatted with locals, soaked in the history, and sampled treats at the market by Church Lane.
But as Malaysians missing our nasi lemak, wantan mee, and roti canai, we couldn’t resist going for a meal at a Malaysian-owned restaurant there.
On another day, our son drove us through Connemara. Along the picturesque route, we stopped for lunch at an Irish pub before continuing to Clifden, Carna and the iconic Kylemore Abbey – a beautiful castle-like abbey celebrated for its dramatic architecture, love story, religious history and breathtaking scenery.
My university’s alumni reunion at Warwick, rediscovering the charms of London, and exploring Ireland were brief but unforgettable. Just like in 1979, the English and Irish people we met throughout our journey left a lasting impression – friendly, helpful, and courteous.
This trip was a well-deserved holiday for me and my wife. We look forward to more trips visiting our children in the distant lands.
The views expressed are entirely the writer’s own.
