English Vacation: Day 1
Day 1 The Bracewell’s, David, Hilary, and I took an overnight flight to Heathrow, arriving at 10:30 am on Monday morning. We had not slept a wink! Well, maybe there was a bit of nodding off. I said to Hilary, I thought the ha…
English Vacation: Day 2
Day 2 I wanted to see the mansion, in Thames Ditton, Surrey, where I had been taken as an unwanted baby some 83-years previous. It was not to become the adopted daughter of some lord or lady, but rather to be cared for by Angl…
English Vacation: Day 3
Day 3 I must reminisce here and recall the symphony of bird song outside my bedroom window, and indeed, hearing birds singing where ever we went during our stay. I looked down in the garden and thrilled to see, finches, robins,…
English Vacation: Day 4
Day 4 This morning Pearl and I set out for Clivedon. Pronounced Cleefdon. For more than 300 years Cliveden was home to dukes, earls, viscounts, and for a while a prince. A glittering hub of society, Cliveden hosted exclusive pa…
English Vacation: Day 5
Day 5 Pearl, a seamstress and embroider, is a member of a sewing group that meets once a month to help each other with projects. Three in the group, host the meetings. It happened to be Pearl’s turn while I was there. The lad…
English Vacation: Day 6
Day 6 “Here they are,” I said. Pearl and I were watching out of her living room window as a red car pulled into the driveway. My friends, David and Hilary, came to the door, and Pearl invited them in. Introductions and a few …
English Vacation: Day 7
Day 7 It was an overcast day. We ate a hearty breakfast, but undeterred by the rain, and cool temperatures we set out for Cockington Village. I had shared with David and Hilary, how I would love to visit the Drum Inn where I ha…
English Vacation: Day 8
Day 8 The weather was still not up to scratch, so Hilary said, ‘Why not take the tour bus around the town. Inquiries made, off we went to wait at the Singing Kettle, a little café up the road. The time ticked on and on-no bu…
English Vacation: Day 9
Day 9 Rain! But we had plans, so after a hearty breakfast, which we enjoyed every day, we set out for Buckfast Abbey. Buckfast was founded in the reign of King Cnut approximately a thousand years ago. It fell into ruin followi…
English Vacation: Day 10
Day 10 At last sunshine, and the warm winds that John Masefield wrote about. There is almost music in the poem. The first verse reads: – “It’s a warm wind the West Wind, full of birds’ cries; I never hear the West Wind,…
English Vacation: Day 11
Day 11 With cases packed, we left the hotel in Torquay and those ubiquitous palm trees. It would be the last time on entering the lift (elevator) that we would hear a woman’s voice announcing slowly and distinctly in a very, Br…
English Vacation: Day 12
Day 12 Over breakfast, Roger urged us to detour a little from our plans and include Stourhead, in Wiltshire. “Why not,” said Hilary. And so, we did! What a treat as we visited this magnificent home of immense proportions, st…
English Vacation: Day 13
Day 13 Our last day for touring. We packed our cases into the car and headed out to Lacock Abbey, Chippenham. There are several fascinating stories about Lacock Abbey. We learned that it is best known because of its last owner …