Tags

  • Published on

    Photographs of Hope - Family Toast: Remembering Great Grandad!

    Picture

    Inspirational photographs at a time of crisis, creating positivity for the future!

    Picture
    During this week's family toast we celebrated Aunty Karen's Birthday and the installation of a new headstone for Great Grandad Thomas and other members of our family from Liverpool. I don't know much about my Great Grandfather and his death in 1930, but have come across various snippets of his life, while researching my family tree. He was tragically hit by a tram and killed at the tender age of 39, leaving my Grandmother behind, who was looked after by other members of the family.

    Image description
    It has been difficult finding out information from my Grans side of the family, which has made me more determined than ever to continue with my genealogical research. Family have become a lot more important to me during recent times and I think it is necessary for all of us to understand our roots and where we came from. Family stories, recollections from bygone times, rumour and intriguing tales have always been a part of our history. Bringing together all this information collectively and apportioning its relevance to different aspects of my tree has been a salient part of my motivation, in deciphering the clues that make all of us who we are.

    As a point of interest, I have included the letter sent to my family after the death of Thomas. My Great Grandfather was blind and this short note has been instrumental in allowing me to piece together just what happened to him and why.

    When we make a toast to one another as a family, we also remember past generations and their place within our narrative. I never knew Thomas, but, he has become integral to the search I continue today. His place within the family tree is crucial to the direction I am currently following, as I continue with my genealogical research.

    Once again I would like to offer my love and gratitude to everyone who takes part each week, keeping the 'flame of family' burning strong at this time. The people we salute today will be the memories we toast tomorrow!
    Picture
    Picture
  • Published on

    Croatia (Hrvatska) - A little piece of family life on the Adriatic sea!

    Picture
    Image description
    Croatia has been a home from home, for Darrell and I for many years now, since our first trip to Pula in 2006. Darrell's family originate from the Dalmatian coast and many of his relatives still live in this beautiful part of the World. In 2008, we made our first trip, to visit his Great Aunt and Cousins in Podgora, his home town, and neither of us were disappointed. Darrell had told me much about his relations and the picturesque village where they came from, but nothing prepared me for stunning countryside, views across the clear blue Adriatic and welcoming nature of people, we had only just met. Of all the places I have visited over the years, my annual holidays with family in Hrvatska were by far the most relaxed and special. These were important times for Darrell also, as he finally got to know his Dalmatian descendants!

    For the next five years, we spent time with Marin, Vlatka and Bartul in their apartment in Split, returning frequently, integrating perfectly and exploring this great city from wall to wall - the old town steeped in history, tiny narrow lanes, buildings huddled on each side, washing  hanging across cobbled streets. In awe of the medieval architecture, a powerful statement of this cities culture and past, Diocletian's palace, built in the fourth century AD and the small family owned restorani in every square, I felt a connection with this place through my love of history, European culture and Croatian cuisine. Family aside, Split had everything I wanted from a holiday destination - antiquity, Mediterranean lifestyle, urban excitement, art galleries and museums and access to clean, well-kept beaches. This is somewhere I would return to time after time, year after year; this was a little piece of family life on the Adriatic Sea!

    Marin and Vlatka's life and work took them away from their roots in Dalmatia to the large city of Split, but that didn't mean a break from family traditions further down the coast. Every year, during our visit we would drive along the rugged coastline, through tiny Hrvatski sela, (Croatian villages) past the larger settlement of Markaska, where Marin's family had a home and finally into Podgora. This is where the large family home is situated. The traditional imposing four/five-story building sits at the far end of the village, overlooking fishing boats in the harbour and is partly rented out to eager foreign tourists during the lucrative summer season.

    Walking along the promenade between the ancestral home and the Medora Beach Resort you are struck by the phenomenal scenery, white sandy beaches and towering green lush mountains behind. This is where the old town of Podgora is perched, along with the original family home that has been restored to its former glory, after an earthquake destroyed it decades before. The story goes, that when the Earthquake struck, the Communist Government at the time, decided to rebuild the town at the bottom of the mountain on the coast, reconstructing it in traditional style, as beautiful as it ever was. All the residents were then relocated, settling into their new homes, away from the treacherous mountain pass!

    This is a location with a resonance that echoes through my husbands heart, a destination that he and I both adore, and a big part of our life. Everywhere you look, you can see his family name emblazoned across the entrances to shops or restaurants,  and the character of those who live there is reflected in his personality and mannerisms. This is very much home to Darrell, and he feels at peace and happy in the company of loved ones, who are important to understanding his heritage and links to Europe.

    The food, laid back perpetuation, family links and dynamic outlook are a perfect recipe for an unforgettable vacation, which is exactly what we experienced every time we went. After our move to Spain, we were unable to travel to Croatia and with the World in lockdown and Darrell's Mother unwell, it is unlikely we will journey there any time soon, but the current situation does not detract from the fondness and love we both have for this important part of the World. I will often look at photographs taken over the years; family times spent together in a country both of us call home; memories of better, happier times. Darrell and I will always be travellers at heart, but there are very few places we will ever return to again and again; Hrvatska, however is the beating heart at the centre of family life!
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
  • Published on

    Newcome Returns!

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    On Saturday the 4th July The Newcome Public House reopens after three months of forced closure. The Government is finally allowing pubs, bars and restaurants to open, even though the UK's death and infection rate remains high. Hospitality venues up and down the country have to make difficult decisions, as they decide whether to open or not. This has been a difficult time for many businesses and in order to survive the coming months they need to restart where they left off and finally welcome back customers, after a traumatic few months away.

    Like most people I am apprehensive about the next steps towards the new normal. I have worked public houses, whether here in Britain or Spain for around four years now and have never experienced such a stressful, debilitating time. I have always enjoyed serving customers, chatting over the bar and the social aspect of working in a pub, but today I just don't know what to expect, as The Newcome opens its doors once again and I start my shift on Saturday night.

    I popped into work today to see how the preparations are going and Ellie seems to have everything in hand. New entrances and exits, hand sanitizer at every door and posters advertising the new rules and regulations to patrons, will now be common place. There will be no sitting at the bar, no disorderly conduct and no contact with staff. We are entering a new untested era, where the pandemic has taken over our everyday lives in a way we have not known before, so it is natural to feel nervous, just as I was working for Tesco during the first few weeks of lockdown.

    Tesco's response during this national crisis has been exceptional. The safety of staff has always taken priority and it wasn't long before I felt safe enough to carry on working in a job I love. The Newcome is also introducing new measures and codes of conduct that have put my mind at ease somewhat. As long as customers behave sensibly I am confident this adjustment period will be a success.

    It is crucial that local taverns open as soon as they are able. They remain the lifeblood of local communities up and down the country and without them, all of us will suffer, losing a major contribution to neighbourhood life. Support The Newcome however you can, be mindful of the staff who serve and understand the limitations this pandemic perpetuates. All of us will welcome you back with open arms, without the touching of course, and hope you will play a part in making The Newcome the success it always was!
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
  • Published on

    France - A Place To Call Our Own!

    Picture
    Image description
    I have always had a rather strange relationship with France; like many British people, I had a view of its people that wasn't entirely favourable. Of course, as individuals we all form stereotypical perspectives of cultures we don't understand; that has always been a British failing. As our nearest continental neighbour, France was my first experience of foreign travel, a place I visited frequently and a country I like to think I know well. In the late 1980s, along with my classmates, I travelled to the French city of Arras, our base for a week, while we toured the First World War battlefields. This was the beginning of a love/hate relationship that still lasts today. France is like Britain in so many ways, but its customs and traditions seem a world away from our own, making it a strange, alluring and intriguing place to visit.

    Between 2000 and 2004, Darrell and I lived in the beautiful village of Whiteparish, on the Hampshire/Wiltshire boarder, running a business twenty-four hours a day. Initially this was a particularly productive time for us, and we were able to do many things we hadn't done before. Despite the long hours, we managed to find the time to travel to France once a month, driving from our home in Salisbury, to Southampton or Portsmouth, crossing by ferry to Caen and other regional ports, stocking up on cigarettes and alcohol, as many Brits did back then. Both Darrell and I were heavy smokers and paying just £1 for a packet of twenty cigarettes was the draw both of us needed to continue making the journey to France each month. It wasn't too long, before both of us fell in love with this Country and started to make plans for our future.

    During our time traversing Northern France, we managed to investigate the local property market, discovering just how cheap it was to buy a home there and when the time was right, we bought a house direct from Hamiltons international Estate Agency, in the UK. During the early 2000s, foreign property was selling to British buyers fast and with our business taking priority, we decided to bite the bullet and buy a small country cottage without viewing it. Not something I would advise anyone else does, but these were different times, and we were determined to jump on the European property ladder, before prices rose too high.

    Le Coix, as the house was called, was situated in the beautiful, historic village of Le Lande St Simeon, near Fleurs in Swiss Normandy. This small stone structure was an empty shell, split in two, one half still used to keep animals and the other half for human habitation, although unused for many years.  Visiting our new French Petite Maison, I was struck by the sublime, charming countryside that surrounded the small hamlet  where our new house sat, detached, unfettered in half an acre of land. As the name 'Swiss Normandy' suggests, this was a region that looked and felt very much like Switzerland, the views were breathtaking and the feel distinctly relaxed and laid back. As we drove down the narrow country lanes into the village, I immediately felt de-stressed and nonchalant, breathing in the clean air, taking in the characterful surroundings, listening to the sound of silence.

    Both Darrell and I had big plans for this tiny chalet and were determined to restore it to its former glory, but time constraints and life took us in a very different direction. We no longer had the willpower or determination to finish the project and with the business taking more and more time, we left the property in the same state we bought it. Within six years we had sold our French dream as our sights became fixated elsewhere.

    Darrell and I have continued to travel to France when we are able - visiting Paris on a misty day in February, sat outside a chic café, overlooking the Eiffel Tower, drinking a cup of coffee and smoking a well-earned cigarette. The odd day here and there in Le Havre or taking my late Grandmother to Calais on Le Shuttle, was part of the course; so many times, we have travelled to our French neighbour, that it has almost become a part of our life together. The food, history, architecture and attitudes have always been a major incentive to return to this inspiring part of the World, again and again. Buying a property, also showed the negative aspects of French life - the red tape, corrupt officials and time-consuming stupidity that made our vision so much harder to achieve. However on the whole this is a welcoming place, that holds some special memories for us both; somewhere I will return to at any given opportunity.

    France was my first glimpse across the water, it was the appetizer that introduced me to the wider main course, spread across continents, oceans and time zones. My interest in travel stems from that first trip to Belgium and France, observing how differently our European cousins lived and just how necessary it is to have a broader sense of the wider World. My links to France through family and heritage, will always ensure a fondness that goes beyond my personal views and opinions. The door to Europe has become a catalyst for the journey I am on today, a small piece of familiarity in an ever shrinking globe!
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
  • Published on

    Photographs of Hope - Family Toast!

    Picture

    Inspirational photographs at a time of crisis, creating positivity for the future!
    .
    Picture

    It's been a week since our last family tribute, another Thursday toasting the importance of family during this pandemic and a tradition that has become a part of life for us all, during this difficult time. With lockdown rules relaxed further this week, all of us are continuing to rebuild our relationships with friends and relatives alike. On July 4th, more businesses will reopen and life as we know it now, will change yet again.  Until we get back to the way things were, we will continue to remember loved ones, every Thursday; a day to remember the importance of family life!

    We were delighted to be joined by my Mother-in-Law, Mary this week, at home with my husband Darrell in Perth, Western Australia. Mary continues to undergo a gruelling timetable of chemotherapy in order to treat her cancer diagnosis. It was wonderful to see her looking so well, despite her continued ordeal. All of us wish her well and are thankful for her good health.

    Stay Safe y'all!
    Picture
    Picture