Yesterday, after that dreadful day's driving on Thursday, I crawled back into bed after I'd made the early morning cup of tea, and stayed there until 11 am. Not like me, but I just couldn't function after that drive. So it was 2 pm before we got going. John was also feeling under the weather, so I just went for a walk into the local village, Ulleskelf where John's great great grandmother said she was born.
She was baptised in the church in the neighbouring village, Kirkby Wharfe (on the Wharfe River which flows into the River Ouse at York) and married Isaac Moxon from Silkstone there. We don't know how on earth they met, because each place is a long way from the other. Did she have relatives in Silkstone? There were some Middletons' there, and one married a Robinson which is also a family connection. We will probably never know.
Whilst investigating the village, to my surprise I found that the railway station was wheelchair friendly, so I suggested that we catch the morning train to York today. Whilst it is 17 miles away by windy road, it is much closer by train. And that's what we did, without a hitch. The trains carry ramps, which is what they should do on all trains in NSW.
York is a very interesting city and having been in small villages and towns for so many weeks, we weren't quite prepared for the crowds. It was race day, and being another glorious day there were many locals out and about as well as seemingly thousands of tourists like us. The school children have had a mid-term break so lots of English families too. Many groups of German and French tourists. As well as university students and serious looking academic types.
We spent about four hours wandering around looking at the York Minster, the gardens by the River Ouse, the Shambles and the large Saturday markets. Then back to Ulleskelf by train and a drive to Kirkby Wharfe and then to Ryther - both extremely small villages - to see the two churches where the Middletons were baptised and married from at least the late 1600s to the 1850s. John's ancestor Sarah Middleton was born there in 1804 and married from there in 1836. We couldn't find any gravestones unfortunately.
So another long and interesting day. I topped it off by going to the bar at the caravan park (it is located with a house that has a inn licence) for a gin and tonic - just one, whilst John had an early night. It is now nearly 10 pm and I have a long day's drive to Holyhead tomorrow so better finish up. Till next time.
It's been great to get your comments. We won't have broadband in Ireland unless we go to Northern Ireland (June 3-18) so we may not be able to blog. We'll see.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Meeting the other John Moxon
Thursday was a day of contrasts. A dreadful day's driving, although the scenery was wonderful. I think we must have been in the Yorkshire dales. It was very hilly anyway, lots of narrow windy roads through villages and towns with traffic lights. Including Bradford.
We seemed to take forever to get from Bingley to Tadcaster, probably because we didn't obey Jane's instructions. Jane is our SAT NAV (satellite navigation system) and she is very insistent, and has got us out of many scrapes, but gets us into some too by sending us through very narrow streets with lots of cars parked any which way on the side of the road.
English drivers however, are very polite and patient, probably because they'd always be beating each other up otherwise. The roads are a disaster, being so narrow. We will never suggest anyone hire a motor home in the UK! I don't know how lorries manage.
So I was exhausted by the time we arrived at Ulleskelf near Tadcaster. We had two one and a half hour drives with a fabulous lunch in between, so it doesn't sound too bad, but it was. Give me a motorway any day.
But back to the lunch. I'd met a Betty Moxon on the Internet, and she sounded so nice and friendly and amusing that we had no hesitation in accepting an invitation to look her up - and her husband, another John Moxon - when we were passing through Yorkshire. And we weren't disappointed.
Betty and John Moxon live in a tiny hamlet called Ryecroft, near the village of Harden (nothing like ours in NSW) near Bingley, west Yorkshire. Haworth, the home of the Bronte sisters is just across in the next valley. They have a stunning view from their totally renovated miners' cottages (three joined together) on the side of a valley overlooking Harden. And it was a glorious day. The two Johns exchanged their potted life stories. It turned out that all four of us had gained degrees as mature age students, Betty in teaching and John in Opera. I didn't know there were degrees in Opera, but apparently so. He did it by distance education after retirement. Interesting fellow. Like us, they have five grandchildren.
The two Johns, as I said on the photo album at http://picasaweb.google.com.au/JohnMoxon1/RyecroftHamletHarden29May2008
are related through a common ancestor born in 1751 (Joshua Moxon of Silkstone).
The photos tell it all. Glorious country. They have a north facing conservatory in which they can sit and watch the snow swirling in winter. However, they don't get the sort of snow they used to get. Climate change in action. They used to get 20 foot drifts, but now only six inches.
We travelled from their place to Whitecote Caravan Park in Ulleskelf, near Tadcaster where John's great great grandmother Sarah Middleton was born. More in the next post.
We seemed to take forever to get from Bingley to Tadcaster, probably because we didn't obey Jane's instructions. Jane is our SAT NAV (satellite navigation system) and she is very insistent, and has got us out of many scrapes, but gets us into some too by sending us through very narrow streets with lots of cars parked any which way on the side of the road.
English drivers however, are very polite and patient, probably because they'd always be beating each other up otherwise. The roads are a disaster, being so narrow. We will never suggest anyone hire a motor home in the UK! I don't know how lorries manage.
So I was exhausted by the time we arrived at Ulleskelf near Tadcaster. We had two one and a half hour drives with a fabulous lunch in between, so it doesn't sound too bad, but it was. Give me a motorway any day.
But back to the lunch. I'd met a Betty Moxon on the Internet, and she sounded so nice and friendly and amusing that we had no hesitation in accepting an invitation to look her up - and her husband, another John Moxon - when we were passing through Yorkshire. And we weren't disappointed.
Betty and John Moxon live in a tiny hamlet called Ryecroft, near the village of Harden (nothing like ours in NSW) near Bingley, west Yorkshire. Haworth, the home of the Bronte sisters is just across in the next valley. They have a stunning view from their totally renovated miners' cottages (three joined together) on the side of a valley overlooking Harden. And it was a glorious day. The two Johns exchanged their potted life stories. It turned out that all four of us had gained degrees as mature age students, Betty in teaching and John in Opera. I didn't know there were degrees in Opera, but apparently so. He did it by distance education after retirement. Interesting fellow. Like us, they have five grandchildren.
The two Johns, as I said on the photo album at http://picasaweb.google.com.au/JohnMoxon1/RyecroftHamletHarden29May2008
are related through a common ancestor born in 1751 (Joshua Moxon of Silkstone).
The photos tell it all. Glorious country. They have a north facing conservatory in which they can sit and watch the snow swirling in winter. However, they don't get the sort of snow they used to get. Climate change in action. They used to get 20 foot drifts, but now only six inches.
We travelled from their place to Whitecote Caravan Park in Ulleskelf, near Tadcaster where John's great great grandmother Sarah Middleton was born. More in the next post.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Silkstone, near Barnsley
We woke up this morning to thick fog - difficult to see the other side of the small campsite here at Ingbirchworth. However, after some handwashing (there is no washing machine on site), we drove to Silkstone, the village where many of John's ancestors lived up to five hundred years ago.
Silkstone has a church (All Saints) in a stunning setting, built in the 12th century, and added to in the 14th century. We were lucky enough to meet up with a couple of very friendly parishioners, and one of them opened up the church for us and gave us a guided tour for about an hour. Whilst John stayed chatting, I wandered around the churchyard looking for Moxon graves, but couldn't find any. However, I did find some Hattersley graves. Mary Hattersley of Silkstone was one of John's 3rd great grandparents, married to Joshua Moxon (b 1751).
Hattersley is still a big name in Silkstone, a village of between 4000-5000, around 6 miles from Barnsley.
We then had lunch at a very well appointed restaurant in a renovated water mill, part of a plant nursery and gift shop at Pot House Hamlet, right near All Saint's Church at Silkstone. The site has been productive since the 17th century, largely due to the Silkstone Beck, (creek). It was the first glassworks of its kind in Europe. In the 18th century a pottery took over the site. Later the site became a water mill and blacksmith.
When we got back to the campsite, we had to be rescued by another camper because we got bogged trying to position the motor home. Rain is now pounding down. There is nothing more dreary than sitting in a motor home with the rain pounding on the roof, looking out at drystone walls which are now soaking wet. Or perhaps there is - sitting on the drystone wall with the rain pounding down might be a tad more depressing. But only a tad mind you.
Our Silkstone web album can be viewed at http://picasaweb.google.com/JohnMoxon1/SilkstoneNearBarnsley
Tomorrow we head north through a hamlet called Ryecroft where we will meet a Betty Moxon, who is married to a John Moxon who is a decendant of the Joshua Moxon and Mary Hattersley mentioned earlier. Another relative found by internet. Ain't it wonderful!
And then we head for a village near Tadcaster (Kirkby Wharfe) where John's great great grandmother was born (Sarah Middleton) and where she and Isaac Moxon were married. No washing machine there either, the socks are beginning to pong (just joking).
Silkstone has a church (All Saints) in a stunning setting, built in the 12th century, and added to in the 14th century. We were lucky enough to meet up with a couple of very friendly parishioners, and one of them opened up the church for us and gave us a guided tour for about an hour. Whilst John stayed chatting, I wandered around the churchyard looking for Moxon graves, but couldn't find any. However, I did find some Hattersley graves. Mary Hattersley of Silkstone was one of John's 3rd great grandparents, married to Joshua Moxon (b 1751).
Hattersley is still a big name in Silkstone, a village of between 4000-5000, around 6 miles from Barnsley.
We then had lunch at a very well appointed restaurant in a renovated water mill, part of a plant nursery and gift shop at Pot House Hamlet, right near All Saint's Church at Silkstone. The site has been productive since the 17th century, largely due to the Silkstone Beck, (creek). It was the first glassworks of its kind in Europe. In the 18th century a pottery took over the site. Later the site became a water mill and blacksmith.
When we got back to the campsite, we had to be rescued by another camper because we got bogged trying to position the motor home. Rain is now pounding down. There is nothing more dreary than sitting in a motor home with the rain pounding on the roof, looking out at drystone walls which are now soaking wet. Or perhaps there is - sitting on the drystone wall with the rain pounding down might be a tad more depressing. But only a tad mind you.
Our Silkstone web album can be viewed at http://picasaweb.google.com/JohnMoxon1/SilkstoneNearBarnsley
Tomorrow we head north through a hamlet called Ryecroft where we will meet a Betty Moxon, who is married to a John Moxon who is a decendant of the Joshua Moxon and Mary Hattersley mentioned earlier. Another relative found by internet. Ain't it wonderful!
And then we head for a village near Tadcaster (Kirkby Wharfe) where John's great great grandmother was born (Sarah Middleton) and where she and Isaac Moxon were married. No washing machine there either, the socks are beginning to pong (just joking).
Monday, May 26, 2008
Grenoside on second attempt
Yesterday - Sunday - we managed to get to Grenoside, this time very easily by motor home. A bit tricky in the village itself - getting stuck in a dead end - but eventually we found the community centre and plenty of parking.
We felt we might just as easily be in Dubbo, at the Seniors Expo! It had the same feeling. The community centre was very similar to our centres and lots of interesting seniors to talk to. The Grenoside Family History Group is a VERY well organised group, and obviously full of energetic people (just like Parramatta Computer Pals for Seniors) who contributed a lot of work to making the exhibition a success. Lots of pre-computer displays on boards - very well researched - but also people who ran a website and helped out with email queries.
Grenoside itself is situated so close to Sheffield city but surprisingly is still a village. Like Penistone, our nearest town, the commercial operators like Sainsburys haven't got there yet. Just one little corner store and a few pubs. Have a look at our gallery of photos.
Today - a bank holiday - is wild and windy so we are having a lazy day.
John might add to this blog, but this is all for now. Thanks for the comments folks. Keep them up.
We felt we might just as easily be in Dubbo, at the Seniors Expo! It had the same feeling. The community centre was very similar to our centres and lots of interesting seniors to talk to. The Grenoside Family History Group is a VERY well organised group, and obviously full of energetic people (just like Parramatta Computer Pals for Seniors) who contributed a lot of work to making the exhibition a success. Lots of pre-computer displays on boards - very well researched - but also people who ran a website and helped out with email queries.
Grenoside itself is situated so close to Sheffield city but surprisingly is still a village. Like Penistone, our nearest town, the commercial operators like Sainsburys haven't got there yet. Just one little corner store and a few pubs. Have a look at our gallery of photos.
Today - a bank holiday - is wild and windy so we are having a lazy day.
John might add to this blog, but this is all for now. Thanks for the comments folks. Keep them up.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Ingbirchworth, near Penistone, South Yorkshire
We are currently camped at a farmyard caravan park, somewhat primitive, but the most interesting caravan park yet. It is owned and operated by a 79 year old farmer who reckons like others that you can't make a quid out of farming these days. Mind you, he's sitting on a gold mine, but only if he can develop it somehow.
The farm is in the middle of the "old village" made up of five farms, dating back to the 12-1400s. Many of the buildings have been gentrified, and the main road to Huddersfield is full of people who have moved out of towns such as Barnsley and Sheffield.
We've been able to leave the motor home at the caravan park and catch a small wheelchair accessible bus run by Sheffield Community Transport to Penistone, a dour but architecturally interesting market town of 5000 where we can connect with buses to the larger metropolis of Sheffield and also Barnsley.
Yesterday we tried to find our way to Grenoside, a suburb of Sheffield where John's ggrandfather Joshua Middleton Moxon was born. His father was an innkeeper there in 1840. We don't know which of the three inns in the original village unfortunately. The Grenoside Family History Group is holding a two day exhibition at the Community Centre.
Unfortunately, despite the bus driver's best efforts, and indeed John contacting five taxi companies, we were unable to get a connection from Chapeltown, where the bus driver left us to Grenoside. None of the buses to Grenoside were wheelchair accessible and none of the taxi companies had a suitable taxi on the road or in the area.
So we were stuck in Chapeltown, which is quite a depressing place, but fortunately we found a pub which had a great menu, and then found our way home again, via two buses. We are getting to know the operator of the small community bus very well. The bus goes on a loop through extremely beautiful farming country, through small oldy worldy villages with extensive development on its edges and then past sheep and cattle farms with barns dating back to the 1500s, contrasting with wind farms and reservoirs.
So we will try again today, being Sunday and more opportunity to park the motor home somewhere.
We had been told that we would have to do without power over the bank holiday weekend (Saturday and Sunday nights), but the old farmer seems to like us (he gave us a book of yarns about the district) and he's very laid back. When we asked when we should move the motor home, he just said "She'll be right" and when we ask when he'd like us to pay, he said "Later". Very laid back. It's only seven pound a night here. Mostly around 14-18 pound per night.
The farm is in the middle of the "old village" made up of five farms, dating back to the 12-1400s. Many of the buildings have been gentrified, and the main road to Huddersfield is full of people who have moved out of towns such as Barnsley and Sheffield.
We've been able to leave the motor home at the caravan park and catch a small wheelchair accessible bus run by Sheffield Community Transport to Penistone, a dour but architecturally interesting market town of 5000 where we can connect with buses to the larger metropolis of Sheffield and also Barnsley.
Yesterday we tried to find our way to Grenoside, a suburb of Sheffield where John's ggrandfather Joshua Middleton Moxon was born. His father was an innkeeper there in 1840. We don't know which of the three inns in the original village unfortunately. The Grenoside Family History Group is holding a two day exhibition at the Community Centre.
Unfortunately, despite the bus driver's best efforts, and indeed John contacting five taxi companies, we were unable to get a connection from Chapeltown, where the bus driver left us to Grenoside. None of the buses to Grenoside were wheelchair accessible and none of the taxi companies had a suitable taxi on the road or in the area.
So we were stuck in Chapeltown, which is quite a depressing place, but fortunately we found a pub which had a great menu, and then found our way home again, via two buses. We are getting to know the operator of the small community bus very well. The bus goes on a loop through extremely beautiful farming country, through small oldy worldy villages with extensive development on its edges and then past sheep and cattle farms with barns dating back to the 1500s, contrasting with wind farms and reservoirs.
So we will try again today, being Sunday and more opportunity to park the motor home somewhere.
We had been told that we would have to do without power over the bank holiday weekend (Saturday and Sunday nights), but the old farmer seems to like us (he gave us a book of yarns about the district) and he's very laid back. When we asked when we should move the motor home, he just said "She'll be right" and when we ask when he'd like us to pay, he said "Later". Very laid back. It's only seven pound a night here. Mostly around 14-18 pound per night.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Donington Park - home to a great Formula 1 collection
John was in his element yesterday, spending hours in a private museum which is an absolute treasure trove of formula one racing cars, going right back to a 1903 mercedes grand prix car (they were'nt called formula one back then.
I spent about one third of the time there, the rest in the coffee shop! Along with most wives and partners according the to cafe manager. John wished he had son Bruce or mate Ken with him to discuss the races and the technical specifications.
We rounded off our four day stay in this caravan park with a meal at the Shardlow Marina pub. Two huge meals for a tenner, which is great value. They make up by charging a fortune for drinks, which didn't bother us one little bit.
Our photos of Shardlow are now on our photo gallery at http://picasaweb.google.com/JohnMoxon1/ShardlowDerbyshire
Today we set off for Penistone in the foothills of the Peak District, halfway between Sheffield and Barnsley, where John's Moxon ancestors lived for 300-400 years.
I spent about one third of the time there, the rest in the coffee shop! Along with most wives and partners according the to cafe manager. John wished he had son Bruce or mate Ken with him to discuss the races and the technical specifications.
We rounded off our four day stay in this caravan park with a meal at the Shardlow Marina pub. Two huge meals for a tenner, which is great value. They make up by charging a fortune for drinks, which didn't bother us one little bit.
Our photos of Shardlow are now on our photo gallery at http://picasaweb.google.com/JohnMoxon1/ShardlowDerbyshire
Today we set off for Penistone in the foothills of the Peak District, halfway between Sheffield and Barnsley, where John's Moxon ancestors lived for 300-400 years.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Shardlow Marina, off the M1 near Derby
We arrived here on Sunday after spending the afternoon on the M1 - not so tricky really for us Sydneysiders. I much prefer driving the motorways to the narrow country roads through villages, with cars parked any which way on the sides of roads, or narrow hedged roads with no passing spaces. No wonder most English people drive small cars. Mind you, petrol is about $3 per litre, so that would be another reason!
As you know our itinerary has changed considerably. If you scroll right to the bottom of this blog, you will find a calendar.
Yesterday we spent half a day back at the motor home hirer's depot getting a few things fixed and checked out. I have a bedside reading lamp at last, and we had the tail light fixed.
The Marina we are camped at has many moored canal long boats. We showed you some of these at Banbury. There is a vast network of canals and locks throughout the midlands.
We are spending four nights here, before heading for Sheffield. It has been very cold - 13C maximum for the past few days, but we have had a share of sunshine. Starts off brilliantly blue whilst we are getting the courage to get out of bed, then goes steadily overcast during the day.
Cheerio for now.
Margaret & John
As you know our itinerary has changed considerably. If you scroll right to the bottom of this blog, you will find a calendar.
Yesterday we spent half a day back at the motor home hirer's depot getting a few things fixed and checked out. I have a bedside reading lamp at last, and we had the tail light fixed.
The Marina we are camped at has many moored canal long boats. We showed you some of these at Banbury. There is a vast network of canals and locks throughout the midlands.
We are spending four nights here, before heading for Sheffield. It has been very cold - 13C maximum for the past few days, but we have had a share of sunshine. Starts off brilliantly blue whilst we are getting the courage to get out of bed, then goes steadily overcast during the day.
Cheerio for now.
Margaret & John
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Hertfordshire
Well, it was good to find comments from three members at the Computer Club just now. John Lee also reported that the meeting went well, and members were able to view the blogsite and photos. That's great. Seems you haven't forgotten us either.
Well, after a lot of trial and error, we are back on wireless broadband. There were two problems - one was that the motor home isn't too conducive to wireless broadband reception. Fortunately the modem came with an extension lead, so I have been able to put it out the window. Mind you, it's freezing outside, so there's a bit of a draft. Secondly, it pays to put the sim card in properly! We were fortunate at the last caravan park at Horsham to have unlimited free access to a wireless network. Not so here at Hoddesdon in Hertfordshire.
We left Horsham on Thursday morning, after a great night out with Linda (Tucker) and her husband Peter who have been great fun to meet. I love them dearly, and we all got on very well. Fortunately Linda "gets" John's sense of humour.
Having not had the opportunity to visit Ightham in Kent, we decided to do so on the way to Hertfordshire. It was only a little over an hour from Horsham, but unfortunately it was miserably wet, and got worse during the day and forever after (it is now Saturday).
John stayed in the motor home whilst I made a beeline for the pub in the small village of Ightham where my maternal grandmother Kitty (Kate Elizabeth Palmer)and great grandmother Annie Ashby were born. Fortunately they had a map and I found the places I needed to explore. It was great to go to the church where my ancestors were married and baptised and to see the farm where my great grandmother was born.
We drove through streets which no motor home should traverse (so narrow and no passing spots - just breath deeply and hope for the best) to see the Ightham Common where my great great grandparents lived with my grandmother.
We then drove to Seal, the next village, close to Sevenoaks which is a bigger town in West Kent that may be better known to some of you. Seal was larger than Ightham, which is off the main roads, but even prettier. There are now photos of both on Johns Photo Gallery.
I was able to brighten up the photos, thanks to Picasa! The day was very grey.
From Seal, we found our way back to the A25, the ring road around London, which is the only toll road we have experienced. We paid a pound to travel through the Dartford Tunnel under the Thames on our way to Hoddesdon. I thought that was very cheap compared to the M2!!
However, I was not impressed with the A25 leading to the tollgate. Bumper to bumper (mostly stopped) for three miles before the tunnel. And surrounded by huge trucks coming from Europe and heading north.
Surprisingly, that is our only experience of traffic worse than Sydney. Even in peak hour (rush hour), which we usually avoid the traffic is no worse. Our main problem is squeezing the motor home through narrow streets, and even on minor A roads like the A27 in Hampshire. And parking! What a nightmare. Mostly I suppose because we don't know the towns. In villages we have to park on the curb, and hope cars can squeeze past. There are many places where there is nothing between a hedge and the road.
We arrived in Hoddesdon on Thursday evening, and it was VERY tiring driving. John was not well again, so went back to bed whilst I walked into town via a public footpath - along a lane, over the railway line, through a private field with horses and into a housing estate and through to the High Street. A real short cut and pretty as well. Coming home I stuck to the roadway and wished I hadn't. The footpaths were narrow and non-existent (I had to keep crossing the road), I had to walk through a highly industrialised area and it was twice as lengthy.
However, today (Saturday)despite the weather - 15 degrees, grey with constant showers, we drove into Hoddesdon and went to the library as well as looked at the High Street. No coffee shops for John to access. All had steps. Hoddesdon is a rather "left behind" town, and although it has a Sainsbury's supermarket, it does not have a modern arcade with shops with level access, such as .
At the library we had a bit of luck. We found information about John's 4th great grandfather, one George Cheffins born in 1739 and his career as a joiner. He was reputed to have built a staircase in one of the big houses. His grandson, Caius Cheffins was bailiff to the Marquess of Salisbury in the early 1800s.
So John has a history of skilled artisans in his family, either joiners, builders or masons. He reckons he's married beneath him, since I can only find agricultural labourers, and a yeoman in those pre-industrial times.
Keep those comments coming in. We do appreciate them, from family, old friends and our many new friends at the computer club. Thanks Judy, John, Hazel and Peter for your comments.
Well, after a lot of trial and error, we are back on wireless broadband. There were two problems - one was that the motor home isn't too conducive to wireless broadband reception. Fortunately the modem came with an extension lead, so I have been able to put it out the window. Mind you, it's freezing outside, so there's a bit of a draft. Secondly, it pays to put the sim card in properly! We were fortunate at the last caravan park at Horsham to have unlimited free access to a wireless network. Not so here at Hoddesdon in Hertfordshire.
We left Horsham on Thursday morning, after a great night out with Linda (Tucker) and her husband Peter who have been great fun to meet. I love them dearly, and we all got on very well. Fortunately Linda "gets" John's sense of humour.
Having not had the opportunity to visit Ightham in Kent, we decided to do so on the way to Hertfordshire. It was only a little over an hour from Horsham, but unfortunately it was miserably wet, and got worse during the day and forever after (it is now Saturday).
John stayed in the motor home whilst I made a beeline for the pub in the small village of Ightham where my maternal grandmother Kitty (Kate Elizabeth Palmer)and great grandmother Annie Ashby were born. Fortunately they had a map and I found the places I needed to explore. It was great to go to the church where my ancestors were married and baptised and to see the farm where my great grandmother was born.
We drove through streets which no motor home should traverse (so narrow and no passing spots - just breath deeply and hope for the best) to see the Ightham Common where my great great grandparents lived with my grandmother.
We then drove to Seal, the next village, close to Sevenoaks which is a bigger town in West Kent that may be better known to some of you. Seal was larger than Ightham, which is off the main roads, but even prettier. There are now photos of both on Johns Photo Gallery.
I was able to brighten up the photos, thanks to Picasa! The day was very grey.
From Seal, we found our way back to the A25, the ring road around London, which is the only toll road we have experienced. We paid a pound to travel through the Dartford Tunnel under the Thames on our way to Hoddesdon. I thought that was very cheap compared to the M2!!
However, I was not impressed with the A25 leading to the tollgate. Bumper to bumper (mostly stopped) for three miles before the tunnel. And surrounded by huge trucks coming from Europe and heading north.
Surprisingly, that is our only experience of traffic worse than Sydney. Even in peak hour (rush hour), which we usually avoid the traffic is no worse. Our main problem is squeezing the motor home through narrow streets, and even on minor A roads like the A27 in Hampshire. And parking! What a nightmare. Mostly I suppose because we don't know the towns. In villages we have to park on the curb, and hope cars can squeeze past. There are many places where there is nothing between a hedge and the road.
We arrived in Hoddesdon on Thursday evening, and it was VERY tiring driving. John was not well again, so went back to bed whilst I walked into town via a public footpath - along a lane, over the railway line, through a private field with horses and into a housing estate and through to the High Street. A real short cut and pretty as well. Coming home I stuck to the roadway and wished I hadn't. The footpaths were narrow and non-existent (I had to keep crossing the road), I had to walk through a highly industrialised area and it was twice as lengthy.
However, today (Saturday)despite the weather - 15 degrees, grey with constant showers, we drove into Hoddesdon and went to the library as well as looked at the High Street. No coffee shops for John to access. All had steps. Hoddesdon is a rather "left behind" town, and although it has a Sainsbury's supermarket, it does not have a modern arcade with shops with level access, such as .
At the library we had a bit of luck. We found information about John's 4th great grandfather, one George Cheffins born in 1739 and his career as a joiner. He was reputed to have built a staircase in one of the big houses. His grandson, Caius Cheffins was bailiff to the Marquess of Salisbury in the early 1800s.
So John has a history of skilled artisans in his family, either joiners, builders or masons. He reckons he's married beneath him, since I can only find agricultural labourers, and a yeoman in those pre-industrial times.
Keep those comments coming in. We do appreciate them, from family, old friends and our many new friends at the computer club. Thanks Judy, John, Hazel and Peter for your comments.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Glued to the campsite in Barns Green
Well, we've slowed right down. We've had two attempts at driving to Kent for the day, but are either too weary or feeling crook for the third day in a row. We leave here tomorrow, and hopefully will call into Ightham, Kent on our way to Lea Valley (Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire) tomorrow.
We are having a pub tea with Linda and Peter tonight.
Cheerio for now. Margaret
PS We will be thinking of you all at the computer club on Friday. Why not put a comment or two on the blog. Hazel Labka has done so, and it is always great to hear how our blog is being received.
We are having a pub tea with Linda and Peter tonight.
Cheerio for now. Margaret
PS We will be thinking of you all at the computer club on Friday. Why not put a comment or two on the blog. Hazel Labka has done so, and it is always great to hear how our blog is being received.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Horsham and London - glorious weather
Today we are having a rest day at the Caravan Park at Barns Green outside Horsham where my cousin Linda lives. We are staying here eight nights, and will visit Ightham in Kent (where my mother’s family hail from) tomorrow.
On Saturday, we spent a delightful day with Linda (Tucker) and her husband Peter Harrison live. We met a couple of their friends (also Margaret & John) and Linda’s older son Dave, his wife and three children aged 7, 4 and 2. We had brought over some Australian books for the kids, and these were very well received, especially the travel picture book of Australia called Are We There Now? Sound familiar?
Like Ray and Trish in Banbury, and Ange in Southampton, Linda and Peter have been most welcoming and helpful. Things always seem to go wrong with the van or John’s wheelchair, and this time it was the ladder to the top bunk and the bedside lamp. Being without a working ladder could have been disastrous.
Yesterday we arose early and caught the 10.04 train from Horsham to London Victoria, where we met Lisa and Jereon, an English/Dutch couple. Lisa was a backpacker journalist in Sydney in 1999, and John supervised her work at the Physical Disability Council of Australia. She stayed with us for the first two weeks in Australia, and then travelled for a year prior to going to New Zealand.
Lisa has since married Jereon, a Dutchman she met in Australia, and they took us on a walking tour of Buckingham Palace, Westminster and the Thames embankment. Due to the brilliant weather (28 degrees and very sunny) there were masses of tourists around, and especially near the London Eye. There was a lot of entertaining street theatre as well. A wonderful day yet again, but exhausting.
However, John is now well over his medical problems, and is now simply dealing with tiring days, as am I. It still takes us four hours to get ready in the mornings due to the constrained space within the motor home. Nothing we can do about that really. We have become as efficient as possible, but no way around it, due to John's lack of independence, even to turn over in bed by himself. (It ain't like home).
On Saturday, we spent a delightful day with Linda (Tucker) and her husband Peter Harrison live. We met a couple of their friends (also Margaret & John) and Linda’s older son Dave, his wife and three children aged 7, 4 and 2. We had brought over some Australian books for the kids, and these were very well received, especially the travel picture book of Australia called Are We There Now? Sound familiar?
Like Ray and Trish in Banbury, and Ange in Southampton, Linda and Peter have been most welcoming and helpful. Things always seem to go wrong with the van or John’s wheelchair, and this time it was the ladder to the top bunk and the bedside lamp. Being without a working ladder could have been disastrous.
Yesterday we arose early and caught the 10.04 train from Horsham to London Victoria, where we met Lisa and Jereon, an English/Dutch couple. Lisa was a backpacker journalist in Sydney in 1999, and John supervised her work at the Physical Disability Council of Australia. She stayed with us for the first two weeks in Australia, and then travelled for a year prior to going to New Zealand.
Lisa has since married Jereon, a Dutchman she met in Australia, and they took us on a walking tour of Buckingham Palace, Westminster and the Thames embankment. Due to the brilliant weather (28 degrees and very sunny) there were masses of tourists around, and especially near the London Eye. There was a lot of entertaining street theatre as well. A wonderful day yet again, but exhausting.
However, John is now well over his medical problems, and is now simply dealing with tiring days, as am I. It still takes us four hours to get ready in the mornings due to the constrained space within the motor home. Nothing we can do about that really. We have become as efficient as possible, but no way around it, due to John's lack of independence, even to turn over in bed by himself. (It ain't like home).
Hamptworth and Landford - our Tucker agricultural labourers
Last Tuesday, we spent some time exploring Hamptworth and Landford, the villages near Downton where my Tuckers were agricultural labourers in the early 1800s. I have posted some photos at http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/JohnMoxon1/HamptworthWiltshire , mostly of the Cuckoo Inn, where doubtless my great great great grandfather (1805-1886) and his sone George (1832-1914) would have partaken of an ale or two, and also some of Landford where there was a John Tucker, yeoman, farmer of four properties between 1735-1812 and presumably his father also John Tucker who was a village constable in 1736 at http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/JohnMoxon1/LandfordWiltshire
I am still trying to link John Tucker of Landford with my Tuckers. I suspect he was my William Tucker (1730s-1784)'s brother.
In the evening we went to Totten in Southampton, where we were invited to dinner by Ange & Paul and Ange's sister Ali, who is over from Florida where she lives, but is constantly travelling with her businessman husband. Luckily he is working in the UK at the moment, so she sees a lot of her sister. We entertained them in Sydney last December. We had a very enjoyable evening there. We will put some pictures up soon.
On Wednesday we set off for Horsham, and avoided the motorway, which would have been quicker. We travelled via the A272 instead, and it was very pretty. We stopped for refreshments at one of the myriad of old pubs on the side of the road.
We are still rather unnerved by the narrow roads, and unfortunately, I scraped the side of the motor home on the A36, due to a commercial truck being illegally parked with his side leaning into the road - on a curve - and I had nowhere to go. There was oncoming traffic. I thought I'd avoided him, but I was more conscious of the bottom of the van than the top, and so I came off worse for wear. We have taped the worst of it up with gaffer tape (what would we be without it) but bang goes our extra deposit we paid in case of such eventualities. (These motor home hirers ain't stupid!).
I am still trying to link John Tucker of Landford with my Tuckers. I suspect he was my William Tucker (1730s-1784)'s brother.
In the evening we went to Totten in Southampton, where we were invited to dinner by Ange & Paul and Ange's sister Ali, who is over from Florida where she lives, but is constantly travelling with her businessman husband. Luckily he is working in the UK at the moment, so she sees a lot of her sister. We entertained them in Sydney last December. We had a very enjoyable evening there. We will put some pictures up soon.
On Wednesday we set off for Horsham, and avoided the motorway, which would have been quicker. We travelled via the A272 instead, and it was very pretty. We stopped for refreshments at one of the myriad of old pubs on the side of the road.
We are still rather unnerved by the narrow roads, and unfortunately, I scraped the side of the motor home on the A36, due to a commercial truck being illegally parked with his side leaning into the road - on a curve - and I had nowhere to go. There was oncoming traffic. I thought I'd avoided him, but I was more conscious of the bottom of the van than the top, and so I came off worse for wear. We have taped the worst of it up with gaffer tape (what would we be without it) but bang goes our extra deposit we paid in case of such eventualities. (These motor home hirers ain't stupid!).
Friday, May 9, 2008
Southampton, Downton, Salisbury, Hamptworth and Downton
Friday 9th May
So let’s tell you about Hampshire and Wiltshire, and driving to Horsham in
Having set up camp at a really well appointed caravan park off the A27, we connected with Ange, a fourth cousin whose family never left
Having a husband of her own who uses a wheelchair, she sympathized with me about the lack of space in the motor home. However, being thinner than me, she was able to get between the fridge and John’s chair much more easily than I can. I know I should have gone on that diet.
John was still not well, so Ange drove me into
The City Archives was a treasure trove, and I could have spent more than the two and a half hours allotted to me by my chauffeur (Ange) at my request, since I did feel a bit guilty about John being home alone! He said the worst was listening to the lawn mower at the campsite all day.
The next day, Friday 2nd, we had to check out John’s battery charger since it was not charging the chair, but fortunately it was just a loose connection. Ange had come to the rescue and found us a local wheelchair fixit man.
We then went into
Both my great grandfathers were small businessmen in the vicinity of Eastgate. My father’s grandfather and father (before WW1 for the latter) had a music shop at 10 Upper Canal Walk, and my grandmother’s father, Robert Henry Reed had three bakeries, one in East Street, which intersects with Canal Walk, and the others in High Street and London Road. The
The photos for Southampton can be viewed at http://picasaweb.google.com/JohnMoxon1/Southampton
Downton Cuckoo Festival, Saturday 3rd May
This is an annual festival, and we timed our trip so we could go. My cousin Linda and Peter were also keen to go, so they drove two hours to the campsite from Horsham,
We found parking quite easily in the schoolyard and joined thousands of others in the village. We missed the Maypole dancing but caught the hoop dancing and the Morris dancing. We had a beer in the King’s Arms, where a secret passage led to the neighbouring St Laurence Church. During Tudor times, the Catholic priest could be hidden in the pub if necessary.
St Laurence Church (1150) is very interesting. My 5th great grandfather William Tucker was married here in 1761, and many of my ancestors and their siblings were baptised or married there.You can check out all the photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/JohnMoxon1/DowntonCuckooFestivalMay32008
Salisbury
On Sunday, we travelled to Salisbury to catch up with Dot Gurd, who is a very very helpful Wiltshire genealogy "expert". She is always very helpful to "newies" on the Moonrakers list, and to people who have met a "brickwall" with their genealogy research. She contacted me off-list and invited us to lunch at the Red Lion, and then took us on a tour of Salisbury Cathedral and to a Medieval Pageant which co-incided with the 750th anniversary of the church.
Salisbury Cathedral has the highest spire in England. Those stone masons and builders certainly knew what they were doing back then. They sure had some skills.
The funny thing is that Dot is also a Power wheelchair user.
The photos have not yet been loaded, but keep an eye out for the Salisbury photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/JohnMoxon1/.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Banbury April 20 to 29 - our itinerary shot to pieces
Well, all good plans go astray, and ours WAS a good plan. We just didn't allow for a) having to leapfrog over John's wheelchair in the motor home (and you know how good I - Margaret - am at that! b) John not being able to turn over in bed independently - too narrow, nothing much to hang onto. And c) John getting ill two days into the trip, with an infection that wouldn't go away and a pressure area, and a hospital visit, and recuperation.
So we spent nine days in Banbury, including John spending time experiencing the National Health Service - 99% good, he has to say. They actually listened to him! Westmead Hospital could do with some of that.
However, enough of that. We've met some fabulous people, and reacquainted ourselves with old friends (Carole from 1972 in Sydney) and Ray, Marg's second cousin in Banbury. We met Linda Tucker, Marg's second cousin for the first time, and a 4th cousin - do they count? - Ange in Southampton, as well as people from the Moxon Society, including John Moxon Hill, whose driveway we stayed in in Coventry.
Linda and her husband Peter met us in London on April 19, and put us on the train to Derby at St Pancras. We tried to get on the Tube at Hammersmith, but the train was 12 inches below the platform, and no ramps. So much for accessible underground. Plan 2 worked though. Number 10 bus to Kings Cross. We made the train with 30 minutes to spare.
The British Midlands train couldn't be faulted. Excellent customer service, ramps and friendly helpful staff. We are collecting photos of accessibility features and will put them on a Google Album.
So to Derby where we collected the motor home - just huge - and Marg had to learn how to depress a clutch (after 25 years not using one), and after two weeks, she's nearly got the hang of it. Hate reversing in tight spaces though. Bit of a coward. Meanwhile John sits behind, strapped down (takes 10 minutes to strap him in) and reminds Marg to change gears. What a laugh. But we make a good team. John is so used to driving when we go travelling, we'd both much prefer it if he were driving.
After a night at Shardlow Marina near Derby, we set off for Coventry, where we had a really great time with two men from the Moxon Society and their wives. Very hospitable. Did John tell you his DNA matches other men's from the Moxon Society in his same line? So no kidding, he really is a Moxon.
On Monday 20th, we left the van at the Moxon Hill's place, and caught a taxi into Coventry, where we met Carole and her husband at the Coventry Cathedrals. Stunning ruins. There is now a reconciliation process going on, between Coventry and Dresden, which is nice. It was bitterly cold, as it was on the previous Saturday in London. Carole and I had 34 years to catch up. We'd lost touch, and I'd last seen her when I was over on a working holiday to the UK in 73-75.
Banbury was next, and that's where John started to feel really ill again with an infection which came back despite treatment in London. And to complicate matters, his good trousers (worn to impress his family connections ins Coventry) didn't agree with him, and he developed a pressure area. So he ended up in Banbury's Horton Hospital under the NHS. After two days (and with John's encouragement) they discharged him - too soon in retrospect. Isn't it always the way with hospitals? No one wants to stay in. It has been difficult to deal with sickness in the motor home - despite its size, it is difficult to move around and especially to move equipment.
But back to Banbury. Whilst John was in hospital, Marg stayed two nights with Ray and Trish, her cousins, who had been on the doorstep almost as soon as we'd arrived. Ray gave John a lot of help by building a platform to make it easier for John to get into bed. (The bed was too high). Did I mention top bunks - just the thing for a 60 year old wife - NOT. But there you go, one of us has to climb the ladder. Meanwhile Trish lent and gave us things to get us out of strife, and they drove me around town shopping etc.
Banbury is a lovely place - it is where the peasants were advised to Ride a Cock Horse. The town is a mixture of new and old. Lovely shopping centre in between all these streets of old houses, pubs and other businesses. And the Oxford Canal with its locks and longboats (for tourists) meanders through the town. We have loaded up some photos onto a public album. We were there nine days altogether. Not much fun for John though. He didn't see anything of Banbury.
And so to Hampshire where we are staying at Sherfield English, midway between Romsey and Salisbury, and a very well appointed caravan park. Lots of kids having the time of their lives over the Bank Holiday weekend. Enough for now.
So we spent nine days in Banbury, including John spending time experiencing the National Health Service - 99% good, he has to say. They actually listened to him! Westmead Hospital could do with some of that.
However, enough of that. We've met some fabulous people, and reacquainted ourselves with old friends (Carole from 1972 in Sydney) and Ray, Marg's second cousin in Banbury. We met Linda Tucker, Marg's second cousin for the first time, and a 4th cousin - do they count? - Ange in Southampton, as well as people from the Moxon Society, including John Moxon Hill, whose driveway we stayed in in Coventry.
Linda and her husband Peter met us in London on April 19, and put us on the train to Derby at St Pancras. We tried to get on the Tube at Hammersmith, but the train was 12 inches below the platform, and no ramps. So much for accessible underground. Plan 2 worked though. Number 10 bus to Kings Cross. We made the train with 30 minutes to spare.
The British Midlands train couldn't be faulted. Excellent customer service, ramps and friendly helpful staff. We are collecting photos of accessibility features and will put them on a Google Album.
So to Derby where we collected the motor home - just huge - and Marg had to learn how to depress a clutch (after 25 years not using one), and after two weeks, she's nearly got the hang of it. Hate reversing in tight spaces though. Bit of a coward. Meanwhile John sits behind, strapped down (takes 10 minutes to strap him in) and reminds Marg to change gears. What a laugh. But we make a good team. John is so used to driving when we go travelling, we'd both much prefer it if he were driving.
After a night at Shardlow Marina near Derby, we set off for Coventry, where we had a really great time with two men from the Moxon Society and their wives. Very hospitable. Did John tell you his DNA matches other men's from the Moxon Society in his same line? So no kidding, he really is a Moxon.
On Monday 20th, we left the van at the Moxon Hill's place, and caught a taxi into Coventry, where we met Carole and her husband at the Coventry Cathedrals. Stunning ruins. There is now a reconciliation process going on, between Coventry and Dresden, which is nice. It was bitterly cold, as it was on the previous Saturday in London. Carole and I had 34 years to catch up. We'd lost touch, and I'd last seen her when I was over on a working holiday to the UK in 73-75.
Banbury was next, and that's where John started to feel really ill again with an infection which came back despite treatment in London. And to complicate matters, his good trousers (worn to impress his family connections ins Coventry) didn't agree with him, and he developed a pressure area. So he ended up in Banbury's Horton Hospital under the NHS. After two days (and with John's encouragement) they discharged him - too soon in retrospect. Isn't it always the way with hospitals? No one wants to stay in. It has been difficult to deal with sickness in the motor home - despite its size, it is difficult to move around and especially to move equipment.
But back to Banbury. Whilst John was in hospital, Marg stayed two nights with Ray and Trish, her cousins, who had been on the doorstep almost as soon as we'd arrived. Ray gave John a lot of help by building a platform to make it easier for John to get into bed. (The bed was too high). Did I mention top bunks - just the thing for a 60 year old wife - NOT. But there you go, one of us has to climb the ladder. Meanwhile Trish lent and gave us things to get us out of strife, and they drove me around town shopping etc.
Banbury is a lovely place - it is where the peasants were advised to Ride a Cock Horse. The town is a mixture of new and old. Lovely shopping centre in between all these streets of old houses, pubs and other businesses. And the Oxford Canal with its locks and longboats (for tourists) meanders through the town. We have loaded up some photos onto a public album. We were there nine days altogether. Not much fun for John though. He didn't see anything of Banbury.
And so to Hampshire where we are staying at Sherfield English, midway between Romsey and Salisbury, and a very well appointed caravan park. Lots of kids having the time of their lives over the Bank Holiday weekend. Enough for now.
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