Month: June 2015

Whenever I can find a place by water I move in that direction and the English make it easy…Upton upon Severn is on a lovely wide river that floods almost annually turning the town into an island and flooding the first floor (bar kitchen dining room reception). Last evening we sat outside with our host who showed us pictures before 2007 when the town was turned into an island and the river rose to fill the lower rooms to a level of 8 feet. Then a flood barrier was installed and he showed us a picture of a swan floating by and looking in at him through the glass top of the flood barrier! Funny and really wierd. We had 2 days in a bright room overlooking the river with a nice bath…tiny shower! …the key to the bedroom door is the old fashioned stick type. In fact I think most of the doors are original 600 years old (mind your head!) Anyhow…I tried to go out early yesterday for coffee as I am wont to do…and I couldn’t get the key to turn to unlock the door. I had to ask Chuck to let me out. So much for sneaking. We sit outside or inside the pub if it’s chilly and last evening a narrow canal boat pulled in. We talked with the folks. Keith is a 1 /12 th owner so he takes the boat out for a month a year. We went on board and I took pictures. Well today we are off with heavy hearts as our friend Mervyn is ill. We might not be able to see him, but will be nearby in Bude. I will be able to go to Mass in Bude. God bless Mervyn and all of us.

We traveled with an end goal in mind, but stopped as we drove through Upton on Severn, "just to have a look." Found the river Severn, boats playing in her waters, the Swan hotel, and table 10 outside on the river, parked the car directly outside on the river, booked room 3 for 2 days, and are planning a river cruise to Tewkesbury (a return ticket takes us by boat to and from with a few hours for wandering around the cathedral and market.) We spent yesterday wandering around Upton and hanging out where the canal boats tie up. Met a Mum with her little boy named Owen who first fed the ducks and then chased them. He asked to have his picture taken and I promised to email it in September! Sometimes the best surprises start at the bottom of the street! Saying for today: Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass; it’s about learning to dance in the rain. God bless you.

When we told Sally we were headed for the town of Ledbury, she called it black and white. When we enter the town center there is a building on stilts all black and white! Ledbury has preserved as many Tudor buildings as they can afford to. I imagine the upkeep on a 1000 year old building is pretty complicated. Tudor buildings are constructed from massive black beams and white washed. Imagine the pictures we have seen of Henry VIII. He seems to be 4 ft high and 4 ft wide. So do doorways seem here. And enter at your own risk! Bump… Rub your head. Bump. Stub a toe. The floors slope, and there are little steps. Whoever is first has to say, "Mind your step or head" so the one behind doesn’t bump too! We are out far from big cities today so we will follow a rather large scale map and have to depend on little signs at roundabouts to get to my final planned destination of Bretforton. We will travel from Ledbury to Little Malvern, Pershore, Evesham, to a pub that is a National Trust location and old inn with nightly music. We will see… Also plan to see several National Trust houses in next few days. Just go from town to town…seeking town centers and neat stuff. Onward we go. Might not find internet… Will write if we find work! God bless you.

This morning we left Charlotte ‘s lovely flat at Portishead and drove north to Ledbury. Spent the afternoon eating, exploring the parish church for Peter Skipp’s ancestors, drinking in local pubs, strolling main street, then eating dinner back at our home pub. We’re ready for bed. Spring blooming has us hacking and blowing our noses. Big hot shower and nice big bed. Have to get up by 8:30 as breakfast stops at 9 am. Onward a little bit north tomorrow for more English adventure. Ta ta for now. God bless you.

Chuck took us over across the way for a light meal at H &W pub. Today Charlotte took us to Tyntesfield a Great house and gardens that started allergy attacks in me and Charlotte. After sniffing a lot of flowers, my nose started running and is still stuffed up. Charlotte advises that pollin counts are rising. Thanks for that mother nature. We are closing the evening quietly after a light meal and will head for Ledbury tomorrow. If I can’t find a WiFi hotspot, I will save info and write on Thursday when we get to Bude. Please pray for our friend who lives in Bude. Whom we have known and loved for many years. He is ill and we pray for his health and well being. God bless you Mervyn.

When I wrote this we were in the H&W pub in bright sunshine… Now mother nature has taken a nose dive again. Anyway… Sunday morning at H&W with cappuccinos with well as Chuck says, "something something something on a shortbread." We are feeling old as we continuously ask, "what? Pardon me? What did you say? I didn’t hear you." we’re not hearing the lilting English accents. That range is gone from our old ears. So the other day the soup was something and tomato. OK. Mystery soup, mystery pastry with a layer of caramel sugar. My teeth hurt from the sugar and candy. Royal news is full of whether Tony Blair should have gone into Iraq and a 10 year old report that isn’t published yet… War cost too much…Blair didn’t have support of gov’t etc etc. My advice is"give it up dear British cousins. Forget the 10 year old report. You are going to repeat your mistakes. We all do that. Fortunately there is an excellent generation of English young people coming up. Charlotte is out running and swimming this morning, and many young people come and go outside in the sunshine with little ones. Chuck and I were walking along the pier and looking down into the water wondering if this is a good place to raise small children as there is no barrier to falling into the water. A father carrying a tiny child and bike came by and we asked him. "This is my 3 year old’s bike. He falls into the water, it’s cold, he cries, but he can swim." Chuck and I shuddered at the thought, but we see a lot of small blond children. These Britain’s are tough in tee shirts while I’m in two jackets and a scarf. Cunard sent an email that we are to board the QMII early as we will get a fly by. The RAF Red Arrows will fly over at 3 pm and the Irish Guard will play on the upper deck before we leave Southhampton. In Liverpool, we will be bussed to the Liverpool Cathedral for a 1 1/2 hour concert "triumph of a great tradition." On 4 July we will celebrate 175 years of transatlantic sailing by Cunard. What a great holiday this is. I have complained due to Chuck’s cough and my own sick head cold and lest we forget, mother nature’s snootiness, but watching people and being taken care of by such nice people is wonderful. God bless you.

We strolled through the marina, over the lock, and to the end of the pier to an excellent Italian restaurant called La Marina where we sat at a corner table on the window and I watched the moored sailboats drop into the mud. They are outside the lock at moorings and they settle into the mud when the tide goes out. We dined sumptuouslly and tomorrow Charlotte will swim and run before we go to Tyntesfield. I will sip cappuccino at what we now familiarly refer to as H&W pub. Sumptuously I bid you goodnight. God bless you.

Lest I seem grumbly let me say our visit to see our English friends has been heavensent. We are in portishead near Wales in a beautiful marina that has a lock to let boats in and out. The first day was sunny! Then mother nature took a nose dive. Meanwhile Chuck and I both have colds and unfortunately he hacks and coughs during the night and he says I snore. As I said…lest I seem grumbly. We go for cappuccinos in the morning and then do pub lunch and then I take a nap. But tomorrow we will be back out again to visit Tyntesfield near here. Charlotte will join us and we will have another authentic English guide. We will have dinner with Charlotte tonight. She has been exercising, running and swimming preparing for a half marathon. So she is surprised when I suggest a nap. God bless you.

We are back in jackets and scarves as we wait for summer… On June 7 we had turned in our car so we rode with Bill and Sally down to Bristol to visit Harriet, Rob and Isaac age 18months. Rob is on business in Boston and Harriet has been working long hours but we had nice dinners with her. Chuck and I have been sleeping in the 3rd floor loft with is roof tops view! On this portion of our holiday we have visited old town Bristol and taken a cruise of the port and water front, looked at much new building since WWII except a few bombed out churches that are memorials. It continued cool and windy as we pegged laundry and read books on our day in while Sally and Bill took Isaac to the zoo. Today was fun with visits to two houses. One of the great houses called Dyrham Park is under a total renovation and a giant tent is over scaffolding that visitors are allowed to walk around on and look in. So it was like standing above the roof and looking down on the gargoyles! Then we walked through the deer park and took photos of the deer for Dave and Chuck. Mature deer are speckled here. I forgot to mention that these houses are built in about 1650s and are still standing and used. The second home was in disrepair so two gentlemen from Texas who fell in love with England in WWII got a repair lease and lived in the house for 30 years repairing and renovating. All in all the drive through the Cotswolds today was fun and narrow roads were interesting in Bill’s camper van. Tonight Harriet took us to Pie Minister and we ate pies such as steak and kidney or chicken with amazing vegetables. My pants are finally getting tight. I think that is because I just washed them. Tomorrow we are moving on to Portishead (the mouth of the river severn) to stay with Charlotte for two days and then on to Ledbury which is north and on the Welsh border. We are going to a look for a church that houses the bones of some of Pete Skipp’s ancestors and try to stay at the pub near the church. I might not have access so trace us on the map and I’ll write when I can! God bless you.

I’m greeting you on a sunny, breezy afternoon. We are sunburned and full of laughter and fun. Yesterday after visiting the Workhouse (substitute the word poor house where paupers can go to get a meal and a place to sleep… taken out of use in England in the 20th century) then we ate a great pub lunch in Southwell and visited the Minster. A beautiful cathedral that goes from Norman to Gothic as you walk down the aisle. On Saturday (today) I woke up about 4am to the most amazing chorus of happy birdies and daylight. I thought I will just wait until I hear the house stirring and then get up… So I lay there and waited and finally Chuck heaved a big sigh and rolled over. Is it about 8am? I asked. Closer to 5:20 he replied. Yikes… After a little while I realized those happy birdies are not shutting up and so I got up and warmed up the shower. We went to return the rental car and I left my glasses in the car so had to walk across the airport to get it. Got a good exercise. Off finally to picnic at a great house called Wollaton which has been turned into a natural history museum. It was windy and cool when the sun wasn’t shining. We reviewed our history with the Trewin family… They first came to America when Sally was celebrating her 30th birthday. Harriet was 6, Emily was 8, and Charlotte was 10. Now Emily is 34 with 2 little ones aged 19 months and 1 month. It seems we go through a lot of nappies… We then traveled to the Tollerton Village Event and got a big surprise – the commemoration of D-Day with a living history group that wears the gear and drives the jeeps etc all of the 82nd Air Borne in an absolutely amazing reinactment. Of course Bill and Chuck found them and I joined them to talk about the Americans and the Brits and D-Day. My camera battery quit so two of the gentlemen took our photos with the group and will email them to us. Today was another great day. The baby and the 18 month old have been absolutely grand in behavior and potty habits! As i said, we go through a lot of nappies!!! God bless you.