THREE WEEKS HOME AND STILL COUNTING

Well the 'fun' continues. I don't think I told you earlier but when we left Bury to go to Heathrow I set Deidre to take me there. OE (operator error) took a front seat. I did not realise that 'she' was set for shortest route instead of quickest route. Because of this she took us right through London. To say that things were tense for a while would be an understatement. But when I realized that Deidre knew where we were going I sat back and enjoyed! the experience. That event had a (costly) consequence this week. I received a letter from the Car Rental Company (notice how I deliberately left their name out of it). Those of you in the UK will probably guess what is coming next. For the others let me explain. There is an area in central London called the Congestion Zone or some such thing. There is a toll or tax payable if you drive thorough the zone. Yes you guessed it, I went through that zone apparently. I did not know where the boundaries of the zone were, in fact I did not even know where I was. I just followed Deidre's direction blindly and thought I was pretty clever when I arrived at Heathrow safely and on time. The letter I referred to advised me that the Car Hire Company had been approached by the authorities in relation to my 'offence'. I was advised that they had given my name and address to the authorities (whoever that may be). Here comes the best part, they had debited my card for the cost of this, not the fine, just the cost of supplying my name and address. That was equivalent to over $257 Australian!!!! And I thought that computers made this sort of thing easy! No doubt I still have a fine coming my way which will probably be another $500 or so. All because I didn't pay an eight pound ($19 approx) tax.

My insurance claim is still coming. A week ago I received an SMS message to say that it had been finalised and the details had been posted. When I had heard nothing after 5 days I phoned to see why. Even though I had been advised that it had been posted it seems that the SMS was generated by the computer after my claim had been dealt with by the case manager, it then had to go to the auditor, payment section and mailing section before it would actually be mailed. Still I wait. I am still using the borrowed monitor.

My report to the Bank about the fraudulent withdrawals from my account received very prompt attention. In a word it was my fault. It appeared to be a stock letter giving a list of reasons why it was my fault. No I'm a pretty placid bloke, some of the time anyway, but that got my hackles up. Using the information that they supplied in their letters I pointed out to them that the withdrawals were made over one and a half hours after I had reported the theft and the card should have been stopped. In about 2 days from posting the money was back in my account. Top marks to the Bank.

Well enough of my miseries.

We have settled back into 'normal' life again. Ann was due for several medical check-ups so we have spent several days doing the rounds of the medical fraternity. All the news is good, there is no evidence of any re-occurrence of her cancer. She has an appointment to go to her eye specialist soon but we know that there is nothing that can be done. We are coping OK with that but would obviously prefer not to have to.

Our summer weather is with us now, it is starting to get hot and steamy. We have also had some useful rain which is a good sign. Our summer months are our 'wet' time and we have had quite a few years with below average rainfall. I hope this year can change all that. Actually last year was better than we have had for ages so while it was below average it was still pretty good. Water rationing is now a way of life and I suspect that it will remain for ever now. That is probably a good thing as we were too wasteful with that precious resource for a long time.

I think I will leave it at that for now. Next post I hope the lap top is fixed as using this monitor is a bit awkward.

Until the next time, cheers to all and God bless. Dave and Ann.

THE FINAL ANALYSIS OF TRIP (I hope!)

It's now been 6 days back in Oz and we are starting to get back to some normality. I am unable to work out if it is jet lag or just plain laziness but by afternoon I am having trouble keeping my eyes open but come bed time and I'm wide awake and bright eyed.

I look back on the trip with very mixed emotions. The highs were unbelievably high but there were some equally incredible lows. I have listed some of these events in previous posts on the blog but have kept some of the downs secret. As I look back I am satisfied that the highs well and truly overshadow the lows. The true significance of that statement will become more clear shortly.

To have met so many relations who had been nothing more than names, and in quite a few cases not even that, was a wonderful blessing. Without exception I, make that we, were instantly made to feel welcome and part of the family. Going to meet so many 'new' family members can be a bit daunting, we are all from different life styles, different customs, different backgrounds, different surroundings and you can never be sure how we all will react with one another. All of my concerns about this were a complete waste of energy. I am truly blessed to be part of such a wonderful family, both paternal and maternal. None of the lows could come close to dampening that wonderful feeling. Two years in a row now I have met family from the other side of the globe and in every case I have come away with the same wonderful feeling. What more can I say.

Also to have visited the places where so many of my ancestors lived and worked was great. I will never cease to be a 'Dinky Di Aussie' nor will I ever have any desire to live anywhere else. I do not know if it is physcological, emotional, genetic or imagination but I did feel a bonding with the Suffolk countryside, especially the smaller villages. This was especially so when I visited some of the Churches where significant events in our family history occurred. There were times when I did feel a 'presence', maybe I'm losing the plot! As I said I have no desire to go back there to live but still did feel a kind of sadness when it was time to leave. Maybe it is a good thing I had to leave!

There was also the visit to the area of Cambridgeshire where Ann's ancestors came from. In the area around St. Neots. I know that was very special for Ann but I also thoroughly enjoyed that occasion. Now that can't be genetic but maybe it was a transmission from Ann and her pleasure in going to those places. This was certainly another high.

The Lows started before we had disembarked the 747 at Heathrow on our arrival. I refer to the failure of the air-bridge and the wait for suitable stairs to be found and brought to the aircraft. It was only an hour or so but seemed longer. I will now list the lows without dwelling on them. Suffice to say that their effects will soon be behind us, I hope!

Hire car scraped by someone unknown in shopping centre car park on the day of arrival.
Lost (temporarily thankfully) car keys.
Broken dental plate (3 times!)
Loss of 290 pounds in cash.
Car accident when hit from behind at traffic lights.
Broken screen on lap top computer.
Theft of my credit card at a ATM (teller machine)
Fraudulent withdrawal of over $1800 Australian from my account.
But by far the worst feature was the effects of Ann's failing eyesight. Because of this she was continually terrified by the sudden appearance and the apparent closeness and speed of other traffic. This made any car travel a most uncomfortable experience for her and her obvious tension and concerns had their effect on me. It also had the effect of shortening time we spent with family on occasions. To those affected by this I can only say sorry but thank you one and all for your acceptance of us and our 'ways'.

The final chapter of all this will unfold over the next few weeks as I have dealings with insurance companies. There I go again, probably worrying unnecessarily!

My final overview of the trip? I wouldn't have missed it for quids and the memories will be with me for the rest of my days. Thank you one and all for making it such a great time in my/our lives.

I am typing this with the lap top plugged into a monitor (borrowed from son in law Peter) but on Monday it will have to go in to get a quote for repairs. I am led to believe that it could be in the vicinity of $1000. Obviously it is still working with the exception of the screen which has the most amazing mosaic patten.

Until the next post, love to all. Dave and Ann

HOME AGAIN, HOME AGAIN, JIGGETY JIG.

Well we have arrived home safely, tired, jet lagged but happy to be here. We arrived about 7.oo am yesterday (Saturday) and were met by Amanda, Danah and Andrew. This will be a very short post as I am using Amanda's computer, mine is still dead. Will attempt to take steps towards its repair tomorrow (Monday). This is just to let you all know that we have arrived safely. The two day is Singapore were tiring, very muggy and were glad to get out of the heat. I will update with more information when my own electronic device is again up and running. Soon I hope, as I have mountains of new information to introduce to my family tree as a result of the trip. In spite of all the ups and downs we both enjoyed the experience and are very glad that we did it.

Until next time, Cheers, Ann and Dave.

THE LAST POST!

I mean that quite literally. Some fool about my size pulled his laptop off of the table and broke the screen so it is not unreadable. I am sending this from an internet cafe (at the Bury Tourist Information Centre) and expect this will be the last word prior to our getting home. I am a bit confused about what has happened since the previous post so will only give a rough outline of what has been happening. Today is Thursday afternoon (here) and we went for a drive to a new area (for us) this morning. Saw lots of interesting things and visited yet another Church. This one was unique in that it had a hexagonal tower. Like them all it had a very long history and was truly beautiful.

Yesterday we went a visited a 2nd Cousin who lives in Attleborough. It is about one hour away and once again was a beaut day. He is the brother of a Cuz I discovered a few years ago via my web page and who lives an Adelaide (South Aust). We had a great day and of course you got a bit of a bagging Brian! Ann is still very nervous in the car and particularly as it gets toward night so we (BOTH OF US) were glad to get home as it was after dark by that time.

Only about 4 days and we will be off to Singapore for a couple of days and then HOME! I hope I can shake the cold I have caught before the flight.

Until we get home, Love to all, Ann and Dave.

I'VE RUN OUT OF SUPERLATIVES!

As promised on Saturday I loaded the birthday girl into the car and headed off in a new (for us) direction. Another lovely drive through the Suffolk countryside found us at Colchester. A birthday lunch in a French restaurant for 'she who must be obeyed' was followed by a visit to the Colchester Castle. It is amazing to follow the development of mankind over a period of 4 or 5 thousand years. For me the most interesting information was the display of the bronze age. I was astounded by the quality of the implements cast from bronze about 1500 BC!

On Sunday we went to Church at Shelley, one of the churches we visited early in our stay here in Bury. It was a family/harvest festival service. Once again we were made most welcome by all the parishioners. The Church Warden opened the safe and produced the 'Burial Register'. In it I was able to discover the entries for my G/G/G/grandfather's and my G/G/G/grandmother's burial. Other family members were recorded in the 'Banns Register'. Over the after Church 'cuppa' one of the ladies said that she knew a Stannard who lives in Hadleigh. Her husband was sent to get the address book and I was given the 'phone number of Jimmy and Norma Stannard. On our way 'home' we had the usual stop off at Corn Craft at Monks Eleigh for lunch. After getting home I went for another walk to 'The Nutshell' which was shut.

On Monday we went to Little Waldingfield to visit with the local 'History Recorder'. Patricia has a wonderful knowledge of the area and it's history. Her position involves recording present happenings for future generations. We had a lovely morning and got a good insight into the village and the life style of previous generations. After that we went to Hadleigh to visit a 'Antiques Shop' Ann had seen as we drove through. It turned out to be a farm supplies shop! A hamburger in a Cafe and then a nice drive where we managed to get lost so Deidre was on duty to bring us home by a series of back roads. Following the disappointment of the previous day I again went for a walk. This time the Nutshell was open so I had a pint in 'my' corner of the bar. While I was there an Irishman with a very broad accent came in. I think he accent was affected by what he had consumed before he arrived! He had an interest in Australia so claimed me. He was a great fan of Slim Dusty and gave me a rendition of 'Pub with no beer' which amused all 6 or 7 patrons in the bar. He knew all the words too.

Tuesday was a partly domestic day and partly research at Suffolk Registry Office. I spent a few hours there going through records in search of new information with very limited success.

Today we went to meet Jim and Norma Stannard in Hadleigh. There are quite a few Stannards in the area so it is unlikely that there is any connection. On arrival we had the mandatory cuppa and then Jim gets out the 'Family Tree' which was given to him by some distant relative that he hardly knows. He hands it to me and I look at the first page to see if I can find any link to my tree. The first names I see are James Stannard who was married to one Ann Garwood. What can I say, these people were my G/G/G/G/grandparents! We then clapped one another on the back and called each other cousin. I now have a copy of all this information which will add lots to my tree when I get it all sorted. The family circle is growing daily! We followed that with another lunch at Corn Craft and then a visit to a antique shop in Lavenham we were told about by my new found cousin.

That's about it for today. It will soon be time to cook up a meal. The central heating is just coming on which will make things nice and cosy. That will please 'you know who'! We will probably go over to Cambridge for a look about tomorrow.

Until the next post, love and greeting to all, Ann and Dave.

THE BROWNS OF BOSTON

On Tuesday morning we headed off to visit my maternal relatives who mostly lived in the Boston (Lincolnshire) area. It was a beautiful 2 hour drive through the countryside. We arrived just in time for lunch. The couple we were staying with were related in some way I knew but was unaware of the relationship. We were warmly welcomed and once we were settled I asked the question of our hostess, "Where do you fit into the family?" "Your Grandfather was my uncle" was the reply. As Eileen was approximately my age I was a bit stunned. My mother passed away in early 2006 aged 92 and Eileen was her first cousin! Most of my family history research has been in relation to Dad's family so I really had no idea. Bob, Eileen's husband and a former Mayor of Boston has a part time job and had to leave after lunch. Eileen guided us on a local tour and took us to Frampton Church where my G/Grandfather and G/Grandmother were buried. Theirs were the first ancestors graves I have found on this trip. Most of the old grave headstones have weathered and eroded away to such an extent that they are unreadable. She then showed us where they (great grandparents) had once lived. It is now only a vacant allotment. She then showed me the farm where my grandfather (Mum's Dad) worked prior to his immigration to Australia in 1912-13.




The following morning we were escorted on a tour of Boston markets by ex-Mayor Bob while Eileen prepared lunch for a family 'get-together'. On our return the family members were beginning to arrive. By about mid-day 6 of Mum's first cousins and three of their husband's together with Ann and I were assembled. What a wonderful day ensued. Out came the photos, stories, facts AND the most wonderful family Bible. WOW! Two family members who children of some of those attending are into genealogy and sent the printed results of their work for my information. WOW! WOW! What a wonderful day. It is amazing how you can meet family members who you do not know and never even knew of their existance and feel so comfortable with them. When the meeting broke up and everyone went home I was suffering a bad case of information overload. That evening Ann and I took Bob and Eileen to the pub for a meal. What a pleasant end to an amazing day.

Thursday morning we again visited Boston to visit 'The Stump' which is the local name for the Parish Church. Parish Church! This Parish Church has a tower 272 feet high (83 metres) and the nave is 74 metres long by 32 metres wide. The area of the Church is 1864 square metres. It is sure SOME Parish Church! I think this is one of the most astounding Churches in a land of astounding Churches. It is not known for sure why it is called 'The Stump' but is suggested that it may be because the tower looks like a stump rising out of the flat ground from up to 40 kilometres away! While in the Church I found an Australian Memorial acknowledging locals who were involved in the early explorations in and of Australia. These included Joseph Banks and several men from Cooks Ship the Endeavour, both Bass and Flinders, and several other significant explorers in Australia's history. Unfortunately it was very embarrassing to see an Australian Memorial in such a shocking state of disrepair.

After that we then visited the Guild Hall, another old building with a very colourful history over a period of about 600 years. You never stop learning over here!

After a quick bite of lunch Ann and I were off for another very pleasant 2 hour drive home to The Lodge in Bury St. Edmunds. Today was another quiet one, wandering around the shops for a few hours, the supermarket to fill the larder and some necessary laundry.

Tomorrow we will head off in some new direction to see what we can find. Until the next post keep well.

Cheers and blessings from Ann and Dave.

MORE FAMILY MEETINGS

Saturday morning dawned bright and sunny and was a good start for out trip to Felixstowe to meet some more of my family members. That soon changed; on our way at the second round a bout (fitted with traffic control lights) I stopped when the light turned yellow. BAD MOVE. The car behind 'thought' I would go through the lights so instead of stopping he accelerated. The inevitable occurred. No great damage to the car (but no doubt the insurance excess will cost me!) but Ann's nerves which were settling down well were all 'shot' again. With the feelings I had after this incident I was most proud of my calm discussions with the other driver. As an infamous Australian once said, "Such is life". For the information of my non-Australian readers those were allegedly the last words of the Australian Bushranger (outlaw) Ned Kelly. At least my troubles were somewhat minor compared to his!

Following that we went to my Aunt "Mickey's" home. It was her 80th birthday. Mickey (real name Annemarie) is German born and married Dad's brother Charlie (known as Stan) when he was stationed in Germany in the RAF after the last War. There were some beaut misunderstandings about names and people. My father was Albert George, known as Bert to us in Australia and as George to his English family, Another of his brothers was Bertie Frederick, known the the family in UK as Bert and to us in Australia as Stan. What with the Berts, Stans and George it was very necessary to concentrate carefully. It was a wonderful day and it was easy for me to bond with the Aunt, 1st, 2nd and 3rd cousins. Mickey also had a Sister and other family/friends over from Germany for the occasion which not only made it a multi-cultural day but also multi-lingual. I increased my knowledge of my family origins and picked up heaps of further family stories. Like any genealogist I found these steps backward to be progress. The day ended far too soon but we did not stay late as the shock of the morning was telling on Ann.

This morning we went to Church at Elmsett. This is the Church associated with my earliest discoveries to date. There was a baptism at the service and it struck me that that was the church and font where my great/great/great/great grandfather was baptised in 1749. That really was special. Once again we were made very welcome and enjoyed a cuppa after church with the parishioners.

On the way home we stopped off at the "Rushbrook Arms' for a Sunday roast lunch. And very nice it was too!

There are no special plans as yet for tomorrow, we will see what happens. On Tuesday we will be going up to Boston (Lincolnshire) where my Mother's parents and descendants come from. We will be meeting with some of my maternal relatives there. We do not know how long we will be staying there.

That's about it for now so I will close and might go for a walk into the 'Nutshell'!

Love to all, Ann and Dave.