Relatives, Antiques and Antique Relatives

Relatives

 

When Dave Wilkey brought a big group to London, we met up with them several times.

First at the Churchill War Rooms.

Then in Windsor, where we took Andrea to McDonalds for dinner...

Her kids were concerned there may not be a McDonalds over here, 

so she had to send a picture to them to prove there was.

 

That McDonalds was right across the street from beautiful Windsor Castle.

 

 

  

Of course, seeing Andrea meant seeing Duane, Cindy and Megan....

Dave, Lynne, Bill, Matt,their wives, and people we know from Nephi and St George.

Duane, Cindy and Megan stayed with us a few nights....

 

If you go to Stansted Airport to rescue their luggage, you may as well see

 

Mountfitchet Castle,

a Norman Village of 1066,

and the

House on the Hill Toy Museum

 

Because you're there.

And you can.

 

 

 

 

 

Antiques

 

Rick decided to take July 24th off

(well, as much as he takes off with a cell phone attached to his hip)

so we drove to the Ardingly Antiques Fair.

 

We've noticed gramophones many times whilst in antique shops, and are quite taken by them.

So when we found one for an incredible price, we had no choice but to consider it.
 

Found some of the old vinyl records for next to nothing, took them back to the stall

with the gramophone, and it worked!

 

So we bought it.
 

Good thing....

 since we owned some really, really, really heavy records.

 

Here's a snippet of the Blue Danube waltz for you....

 

 

Glad we had the car.  Would have been tough to get the

 gramophone and two big binders of vinyl records home on the bus, train and tube.

 

I also picked up some more serving tong thingys.

Now we can play Downton Abbey when we entertain.

 I think I'll need some servants to do that properly.....

 

 

  

Antique Relatives

 

There is a story behind this section.  I love antiques and I love family history.

I am reminded of my friend, mama Carolina.

Since I speak no Spanish and her English isn't always the best, 

we have many funny conversations whenever we're together.

My favorite is talking about old things.

She calls anything older (people, cars, anything)...antique.

So it makes sense to me that ancestors are

Antique Relatives!

 

Now you understand the title of this post.

 

I've been surrounded by relatives, antiques, and antique relatives!

 

My most recent ahah family history moment:
 

On May 22 I did a post about a blue plaque for John Hughlings Jackson,

cousin of Samuel Pitchforth and the father of English Neurology.
 

Last post I showed where William Wallace and protestant martyrs were executed right outside 

St Bartholomew's hospital and near the Priory Church of that name.

 

Looking through a book on Dr. Jackson, he spent many years working at that hospital.

Just a fun moment when I read that.  I'd been there.  Seen it.  Can picture it.

 

We finally got Family History launched in our YSA ward last Sunday.  I'll be teaching Sunday School the next couple of months to train the Family History Consultants.

I'll also begin manning the stake Family History Center on Mondays.

 

Hope I'm prepared for that.
Feeling quite inadequate.


Flowers

And just to prove I can grow things in London,
these beautiful begonias are outside our front door...

Thank you Costco for a pot with dirt and pre-planted bulbs.
 Just add water regularly, wait for forever,
and you get lovely flowers!

Not quite so easy with herbs (say it with the "h", please).
I can only keep basil (say bawzil) alive indoors.

Still working on my British accent.....

 

 



Deaths, Wimbledon, Relatives, More Relatives, Castle, and another church calling....

A week ago we visited the London Museum, which was AWESOME, then took our

"London's Hidden Walks " book.and went on part of the Clerkenwell walk nearby.

 

On our walk we discovered many interesting things.....

like the square where William Wallace (Scotland's "Braveheart")

was hanged, drawn and quartered in 1305...

 

 

Also, in this square, many protestant martyrs were either

burned or boiled alive in the 1550s.  What a place.

 

Close by was Priory Church of St Bartholomew the Great..

begun in the 1100s.

 

 

A bit down the road we went to a 12th century crypt,

 the remains of the Priory Church of St John.

Think of Knights Hospitallers, Knights Templars, crusades, Henry VIII,

Elizabeth I, Shakespeare, and Dickens...different times, different uses for the buildings.

 

This book of hidden walks could keep us busy finding unusual places for a VERY long time...

 

But on to Wimbledon....

 

Twas on my bucket list one day, and checked off the very next.....

 

 

Rick met Dave Wilkey there on Tuesday and decided to take me on Wednesday.

Because we could.

We watched a couple of matches and he taught me about tennis.

One errant ball almost hit the person sitting next to Rick... 

it made a dent in the wood behind her.

Who knew you could serve a tennis ball at 116 mph?

 

Wimbledon was beautiful...purple and white flowers everywhere...just a fun atmosphere...

could wander around and watch numerous matches.  Even if you didn't have tickets to Center Court or the other two pricey venues, there was plenty of tennis going on.

 

And who knew that you MUST have strawberries and cream while there.

 

 

LOVE British cream.

 

And on to Sandra....

 

Sandra Gregory, my Third Cousin Once Removed, came to London.

Sandra and I started communicating on Family History 4 years ago

 and were thrilled to finally meet.

 

Her great-great grandfather, George Gregory, 

and my great-great-great grandmother, Ann Gregory (wife of John Wilkey),

are brother and sister.

She was born in Beaulieu, Hampshire, England, where the Gregorys had lived for generations.

(See earlier posts for our trip to Beaulieu.)

 

She spent a lot of time in London, but has lived near Washington D.C. for 20 years.

Has worked for BBC, National Geographic, Discovery Channel....

So lucky she came to London while we are here and wanted to meet!

Had a delightful chat over coffee and juice.

 

 

On Friday Dave Wilkey called and wanted us to meet his pre-tour group at the

Churchill War Rooms.

So we did.

Dave and Lynne, Duane, Cindy and Megan, others we know from St George and Nephi,

but especially....

Andrea!

So glad to hug her and spend some time.

 

 

Today was Warwick Castle,

a family-friendly castle where kids can have a more hands-on experience...

Knights fighting demonstration, birds of prey demonstration,

Trebuchet Fireball show, princess tower, etc.

 

 

Soooooo, for our children's information, we bought a years pass.

With those passes came 8 free tickets.

Wonder which of our children and grandchildren will be using them.....

Thinking it's worth the 1 1/2 -2 hour drive from London for the kids!

 

We also walked into Warwick and had to go to

St Mary's Church and Cemetery.

Love cemeteries.

 

 

Whew! Busy, fun, eventful week.

 

AND, I was sustained to another calling on Sunday....

Assistant Stake Family History person...

will be getting the YSAs going on Indexing and Family History...

and helping to open and staff the Stake Family History Center.

Will be good.

 

Life is good!