A walk in Churchill

We had a long drive down the M5 in Friday afternoon traffic around the edge of Bristol to visit my aunt Ursula who lives in a village called Churchill. She lives in a delightful house called Dove Cottage.



We had an evening in front of a fire and talked and talked and then we ate and ate. I am enjoying spending time with my relatives.

In the morning we went on a wonderful walk to the top of the hill so that Minnie had some exercise before we left her at home to spend the day in Wells - a beautiful Cathedral town south of Churchill. We had a gentle uphill walk through a wonderful forest before we reached the top and the views were worthwhile. Keith had seen this hill on his arrival and was keen to reach the top.



We had a glorious view up and down the Yeo Valley and then across to the coast. It was windy but mild in temperature. We walked to the remains of a Roman fortress built on a large grassy mound. It would have had good views of any enemies approaching and they would have had the women and children living there as well.





We then headed back to Dove Cottage and left for Wells.

Rowton and Half Way House

Ricky Baxter's birthplace. It was a long drive to reach this spot on the map - it was just that - a spot. Apparently, Ricky's parents lived in Half Way House. There was a village with this name a bit further down the road. We returned to the "spot" and found Rowton Castle, which has become a trendy place for the wealthy to stay.

I later discovered that my cousin Susannah has a very close friend who lives on a farm called "Half Way House" in Rowton! How amazing is that? I wish we had more time so we could return and explore properly.

I have been chatting to a friend of Michael's on facebook. He said he was exogitating - having no idea what that meant, I asked him and apparently it is a smart person word for thinking deeply on an issue. I think that Ricky did a bit of this during his life, and it might well have started right here in Rowton. He had a good education but never went to university. He must have had a good mind, as he had an excellent library and read widely. His collection of books at the end of his life was impressive.

Bodleian Library in Oxford

Keith and I did a tour of the Bodleian Library. For some reason, this library has always intrigued me. Perhaps because I had to write an essay on this library during my library school training. For whatever reason, it is a place worthy of interest. To get into the library, you need a reader's card. Keith has a reader's card for the next few weeks, but little old me would have to write a letter and provide a reason for being granted permission to enter. The only way to get in, is to do a tour, so that is what we did! Again, the guide was friendly and amazingly knowledgeable.

I was able to enter the Duke Humfrey's Library which holds the oldest manuscripts of the collection. For many years many of the books were chained to the shelves. There is a chair in this section which is the "Librarian's Chair". Part of the Bodley tradition is that at closing time, the librarian sits on the chair and the bell rings telling the readers that it is time to leave. This still happens today.

The original Duke Humfrey's library consisted of a large number of manuscripts that he donated to Oxford University in the mid 1440s. However, it only survived in its original form until most of the manuscripts were burnt during the reign of King Edward VI during the 1550s who wanted to purge the country of all things "roman catholic" and to make a protestant England. Thirteen manuscripts remain, three of which are in the present collection.

Sir Thomas Bodley, a wealthy protestant, rescued the library soon after. He provided his own collection of 2,500 books and provided money to establish a library for the "public use of students". In 1610, he organised the first legal deposit, when he organised for the Stationers Company of London to provide a copy of every book published in England and registered at the Stationers' Hall.

This inscription appears above the entrance to the library. It reads "That it might turn out happily, Oxonian academics, for you and for the republic of lettered men Thomas Bodley placed this library." It is questionable as to whether his original intention of it being a library for "everyone" has been upheld, as it is not the easiest library to enter.



There are now over nine million items in this collection - which must take some housing. In reality, I got a mere glimpse of this rich and wonderful library. I would have to become a scholar to really be able to dig and delve into the treasures it holds. Keith plans to spend some time working there this week. All library users need to say an oath before being allowed to enter - basically promising to respect the collection and not damage or steal anything. That is a novel idea! This library receives 1,200 new items each week!



I am visiting the Bodleian Law Library on Thursday. I am hoping that I can ask a few questions about the use of this library by undergraduates.

Shakespeare and Stratford

The guide David was friendly and welcoming and our group was quite small. He told us the walk would last about two hours. It turned out to be a magic and inspiring time in which we were transported back into the village where William Shakespeare was born and raised. The tourists, cars and noise vanished and were replaced by a market town where oil, fish, corn and different meats and vegetables were sold.



This is the building, a replica where William Shakespeare was born and raised.

We found out about William's family. He was married to Anne and they had three children, the eldest, a daughter Susannah, who apparently had the words and wit of her father. The second two children - twins were less well known. The boy died during infancy and the daughter, Judith, married poorly, whereas Susannah married John Hall, a well known puritan, who was also a well known doctor who had patients up to forty miles away.

William Shakespeare left his home village for London where he became part owner of a theatre where the plays that he wrote were shown. They were enormously successful and by the age of thirty three he was wealthy enough to buy the second largest house in Stratford where he settled his wife and family.



This is the e land that William bought. It is now a vacant block of land with a beautifully maintained garden at the back filled with mulberry trees and flowers. It would be a lovely spot to take a picnic lunch - it is quiet, luscious and set apart from the bustle of today's Stratford. By the time of his death he was the wealthiest man in the village and bought a place to be buried in the Holy Trinity Church.



At the front of this church is a copy of some of the original records pertaining to William Shakespeare. His birth certificate is written in latin, his birth certificate in english - "Will Shakespeare, gent". This possibly demonstrates the shift that occurred during his lifetime, when english, the common language became more heavily used. It was during his lifetime, that the bible was translated from latin into english. There has been some supposition that Shakespeare was involved in the translation of the revised version. The bible in the church is open at Psalm 46. The revised version of the bible was published in 1611, the 46th year of Shakespeare's life. If you look at Psalm 46, the 46th word from the beginning is "shake", the 46th word from the end is "spear". Whether he did or didn't this is a fairly remarkable coincidence and makes for a great story!

He left most of his wealth to Susannah - as opposed to his son in law. It would be interesting to find out what she did with this money and what her relationship was like with her father and her husband. This would be a fun thing to explore, if it hasn't already been investigated by some scholar. This is a picture of her tomb and the house she lived in with her husband John Hall. They had a magnificent garden where he grew most of the herbs he used to treat his patients.





William Shakespeare left a more lasting legacy than wealth however. His writings are still read and his plays continue to enthrall. He has contributed an enormous number of words and expressions to the english language that are still in use today. Our guide recited a wonderful poem called "Shakespeare's Words" that consisted of a number of "Shakespeare-isms" - a truly remarkable contribution. We were all inspired to become more acquainted with his plays and sonnets.

An afternoon stroll to Buckland

We set off one glorious sunny late afternoon for the village of Buckland across green and muddy fields edged with blackberry bushes and dark red berries. We pass black faced sheep who seem disinterested in us Australians until Jonathan decides to chase them and then they run.

We walk uphill towards a forest, leaving behind the village of Broadway in a sleepy golden haze. It is a steep climb, and the boys leave me way behind. We then enter the forest to earthy smells that are rich and what I associate with "England". They are smells I remember from my childhood holidays in England doing similar walks.

Once at the top of the hill, we cross another field which is cold and windy and I'm glad I have my jacket and scarf on. Just below us, is the tiny village of Buckland. It is tucked away in a gap in the hills. It is dominated by the church which looks old and beautiful.



We are able to enter the church and feast on the treats inside. There are three tiles displayed on the walls dating back to the 1400s. They were dug up in a nearby field and were part of the original abbey that stood here.



Keith is excited to to discover a copy of "Fox's Book of Martyr's" - a book written in the 1550s about Protestant men who were killed because of their faith. It includes the death of Bishop Hooper, who was put to death as a martyr by burning at the stake in Gloucester on 9th February 1555. He was an austere man and a very pious churchman who had attempted during his short time as Bishop of Gloucester (1551-1554) to reform the evident abuses in the church. As a result he was revered by the common people but disliked by some powerful men whose lax conduct he had rebuked. He was burnt just to the west of the Gloucester Cathedral precincts.



According to Keith, this book was enormously influential on future generations and shaped the faith of those who read the stories contained in its pages. In a similar way today, it is inspiring to read biographies of people such as Hudson Taylor, Gladys Aylward, Corrie Ten Boon and Joni Tada Earickson (I am just naming those that I have read). I enjoy reading books about how God uses people's lives and how people were prepared to stand up for their faith. Perhaps this was the magic of Fox's book - it helped future generations remember God's hand in His people's lives. We are good at forgetting - we forget that God is at work in each of our lives. Such stories are good reminders.

Buckland is such a tiny village filled with adorable cottages and beautiful gardens that are still filled with colour and vitality.





We came home to the aroma of lamb shanks slowly cooking in Margaret's Aga.

Newbridge on Wye

The next day, we had a very long drive to Newbridge on Wye which is in Wales. It took well over two and a half hours to get there, as we missed the by-passes to Evesham and Worcester and then got a little lost at the end. It is in the middle of nowhere, but spectacularly beautiful. These hills covered in bracken and sheep, tiny little villages and not much else. My aunt Pam lives here. At eighty two, she is very similar to my Mum. We couldn't get over their simlarities. Pam was even dressed like my Mum would - in jeans and a polo shirt. Her daughter Julia is staying with her at present, as she has just been suffering an eye infection, which has not been responding to treatment. She had just had day surgery and they had scraped the eye - very painful.

After lunch, sitting at her kitchen table - I loved her kitchen, filled with lots of knick knacks and colour and warmth and vibrancy, we explored the garden and went down to the river Wye which is below the garden. This river winds its way all through parts of Wales and through the town Hay on Wye, which we would love to visit as it is filled with second hand book shops.

The boys had much fun skipping stones across the river - I think the best was ten and reached the other side. We then played liar dice and a form of scrabble with dice.



Pam has this magnificent quilt on her dining room table. It was made by someone in the family back in the late 1800s - according to the label on the back. She had it sitting in her cupboard for years and years and finally decided that it was too beautiful to hide away. I had photos of quilts I had made, which made Pam quiver - I don't think she can imagine how anyone could be bothered to cut up fabric and then put pieces together again. She is a gardener and spends all her spare time in the garden. All the Byass girls are mad, keen gardeners and all have wonderfully beautiful gardens. They also know the botanic names for most plants - Ursula claims that this knowledge is intuitive. Mum's botanical knowledge is impressive.



My mother has four sisters and the five Byass girls make a formidable team. There is a huge age gap between them - the eldest was eighteen when Ursula was born and Mum was seven. Pam was six years older than Mum. The only time that they all got together was in 1968 just after my grandmother died, and we went back to England for Christmas. I have one cousin who also lives in Sydney. Last December, her son got married, so another of my cousins came over for the wedding with her three sons. We had a lovely day with them at Mum's and Caroline and Belinda enjoyed looking at photographs of that Christmas - they had never seen them, as their mother Daphne never took photographs. Daphne is Byass number two and died about four years ago.

A day in Tetbury

Johnnie and I spent a day with my aunt Ursula and cousin Susannah in Tetbury. To get there we drove along this wonderfully straight Roman road, on each side were these stone walls, made with no concrete or cement, but beautifully pieced together, a bit like a jigsaw - stone after stone all different sizes.

We met in the Market Square - the last time I saw Susannah, she had been fifteen, Johnnie's age now. Over a cup of tea, we shared memories. I remember the birth of Susannah my cousin. I had just returned home from a week away at a camp, one January, and had arrived home and picked a bunch of fresh parsley, which I was eating with much enjoyment, while Mum told me she had just heard news that my cousin Susannah had been born. She then told me off for eating parsley. Mum was staying with Ursula when my Susannah was born. They were painting her kitchen which had been a dark blue to a rich cream and they danced around the kitchen with joy. That is rather a nice memory, as I wished my mother had been around when she was born. Interestingly, when my cousin Susannah had her first daughter, Florence, Ursula was staying with us in Sydney. It was just after Sept 11 and Ursula and Margaret were both in Australia. What I remember most is Ursula's reaction to the name Florence - it took us a while to find out what her name was. But names do grow on you - I rather like it and she looks just like her mother - absolutely gorgeous.

My Susannah is not sure what she will do now she has finished school, but might do Arts at Sydney Uni majoring in languages - eg Italian and French. This is exactly what my cousin did!

Tetbury is another delightful market town, filled with wonderful antique shops, gift shops and trendy cafes. Prince Charles has a property nearby and a wonderful garden which is very popular to visit. Ursula had to book eighteen months in advance, but said it was well worth it - absolutely beautiful. He also has a shop which is a bit like a National Trust shop, filled with beautiful things that also include things that are "green". We enjoyed browsing here.



We then visited this Antique shop that had this amazing table in the front room. It was made in Indonesia and so incredibly ornate. We got chatting with the owner, and she said that the woman renting this room to sell things was an Australian and now seventy. She left Australia to get away from media scrutiny as she came from a well known family. I asked "who". Her name is Harriet Fairfax. Instantly, I understood why she had left. She always felt like the black sheep of the family. I reminisced to when I had been a brownie, at age nine, I had been chosen to meet the "Father of the Year" one Sir Vincent Fairfax. There are a great many Fairfaxes in Sydney.



This is where we had lunch - a wonderful deli, with a cafe upstairs. It was light and airy and the food was absolutely delicious. Johnnie had Toad in the Hole - just to experience something very English.