2003 ~ April 2-6 My English cousin comes to Alabama from Reepham, England

Day 1: Wednesday, April 2, 2003

I took two of my grandchildren with me to pick up my cousin at the Huntsville, Alabama, Airport.
His flight arrived at 5:53 P.M.

I tried to give my grandchildren a little history of the Buxton Family. 

I told them that one of my great-uncles was a midget.

My granddaughter said, "Granny was your great uncle born small and did he grow small?

My granddaughter was trying to figure out why my great-uncle was a midget.

I took the grandkids to Zaxby's for supper, where they ordered hot wings.

While we were at Zaxby's, the kids asked me what my cousin looked like, and I said I hadn't seen him in 5 years but that I'm sure he still looks the same.

After we finished eating, we went to the airport to pick up my cousin. We met up with him at baggage claim.

My cousin said he was starving so we stopped a SubZone.
My grandson was still hungry, so he ordered a Meatball sandwich.

The ride home took about 1.5 hours.
We stopped at Ronald's, and then I took the grandkids home. 
My cousin was impressed by the double-wide trailer where the grandkids lived.
We live in an RV with only one bedroom, so we booked my cousin a room at the Days Inn in Florence, room 124.

Day 2: Thursday, April 3, 2003 
I picked up my cousin, and we went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast.

I ordered two pieces of sourdough toast, and my cousin ordered fried apples and muffins.
My cousin wanted to make a long-distance call to his wife, so we stopped at a pay phone booth at a local gas station.

Off to see the sights that the Shoals have to offer. 

Our first stop was the Renaissance Tower; it was closed for renovations, but the front office was open, so we went inside.

The clerk in the office said, "The Renaissance Tower will open again to the public in about one and a half years."

Then she said, I love your accent. Where are you from?

Somehow, we got on the subject of wine, and the clerk said," They have French Wine at Sam's Club, and it is marked down to $4.00 a bottle."

She said the reason you can get the wine for this cost is because of the French. They supported the Americans in the war against Arabia. 

The Renaissance Tower

We rode across Wilson Dam

We stopped at my cousin's, and she had just pulled into her drive. 
She had left her husband at the hospital in the ICU and had just a few minutes to visit with us.

We rode to Spring Park to see the beautiful manmade cascading waterfall.

Spring Park 

 Ivy Green

Next, we stopped at Ivy Green, the birthplace of Helen Keller. 
We paid the admission price, and the curator was very knowledgeable about the Keller home.
She told us how Ann Sullivan had dedicated her life to Helen Keller. 

She told us that Helen was the daughter of Mr. Keller and his second wife, Kate. 

She also told us that Helen was born in the small house next to the large house, which was once occupied by David and Mary Keller, Helen's grandparents. 

She told us that Helen had spinal meningitis at age 18 months, which left her deaf, dumb, and blind.
We thanked her for all the information and started touring the house.
Next, we walked outside to the building where Ann Sullivan took Helen, so she could teach her without interruption.

We walked by the water pump where Helen said her first word, WATER!

I rode past the house that my grandfather built and lived in until his death. 
My cousin is a relative of my grandmother on my father's side. 
I also rode past the cemetery where they are buried. 

We stopped at McFarland Park, which is along the Tennessee River.

For lunch, I took my cousin to the historic Classic Parlor Trowbridge on 316 N. Court Street. 

They are known for their different types of ice cream, hot dogs, and quick sandwiches. 

Don't remember what we ordered, but I know it was good.

Our next stop was Pope's Tavern.
We paid the admission, and the curator started filling us in on the history.
I think she said she was a former professor and a Watson.
She told us some history about the Watson family, but I'm not sure how that relates to the Tavern.
She was a fascinating person, and she kept us way past closing time.

We rode to my home, where my cousin used the computer to email his wife.

For dinner, we went to Barnhill's, where we met up with other family members.

Amelia and her husband, Peanut; my brothers, David & Terry; and Terry's wife, Caroline.
Harry and his wife Brenda, and my son Mike.
We had a delightful meal reunion.
We dropped my cousin off at the hotel and drove home. 

Day 3: Friday, April 4, 2003
My cousin and I ate breakfast at Cracker Barrel.

I ordered scrambled eggs, bacon, and two slices of sourdough bread. 

Our first stop was Wal-Mart.
My cousin had promised to give my aunt, who worked at Wal-Mart, some British coins.

My uncle was also there.

At Wal-Mart, we met a woman in the automotive department. She asked my cousin where he was from in England, and he said Reepham. Then she said, "I am from a little town not far from where you live."

She said I married an American Soldier and came to America to live. 

Next, we went to the bus station so my cousin could purchase a bus ticket to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. 

More sightseeing: 

Our first stop was the log cabin/Home/Museum, where the father of the Blues, W.C. Handy, was born and lived. The cabin was moved to this site. We saw the Handy library, with Several photos hanging on the walls. There were a couple of quilts lying on the rockers, a quilt atop the bed, a fireplace, a rug on the floor, Kerosene lanterns, a beautiful piano, and in the kitchen, a wooden dough bowl, glassware, and many cooking tools, dishes, a rub-board, dipper, bucket, washpan, soap, pitcher, and many other items. 

Our next stop was Indian Mount, where we walked many steps to the top.

We rode across the O'Neal Bridge, named for Governor O'Neal, who once lived in this area. 
We rode to Tuscumbia to the Alabama Music Hall of Fame.
We toured the museum and stopped in the gift shop.  
The woman in the gift shop said Where are you from? I love your accent. I told my cousin that he is visiting family, and he is from England. 

  WC Handy Museum 

For lunch, we stopped at Rick's in Muscle Shoals.
We ate supper at Newborns in Florence. Once again, we met up with family members. 
Amelia's husband doesn't eat fish, so he ordered chicken. 

Day 4: Saturday, April 5, 2003 
Amelia cooked supper, and everyone brought a dish.
Bobbie, Dad, Teresa, Rick, Harrison, Paula, and Robert

Amelia had prepared chicken, blueberry, and strawberry cheesecake.

My cousin talked about our relatives who lived in England.

Day 5: Sunday, April 6, 2003
My husband took us to the TVA Dam to show us how the dam works.
My husband took us inside the dam, and we all had to wear hard hats.

He showed us how the floodgates and turbines work.
He showed us the waterfall.

 Wilson Dam Turbines

We then rode to Opry Mills in Nashville.

We stopped at the Bass Pro Shop and walked through Opry Mills Mall, where my cousin bought a music box for his daughter. 

On the way to Nashville, we saw a lot of farm equipment.
My cousin was very impressed with the many different types of tractors he saw. 
He is a cattle farmer in England.

 Bass Pro Shop in Nashville 

Day 6: Monday, April 7, 2003
Sadly, we had to say goodbye.
I dropped my cousin off at the bus depot, and from there, he is going to 

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
He said he enjoyed his visit to the Shoals and would love to come back.

I am so glad he came for a visit. It is not very often that we ever get to meet relatives who live so far away.

✈️✈️✈️1998 ~ March 11-19 Trip to London, Reepham, Norfolk, Buxton, Rattesden, Orford, England

Day 1: Wednesday, March 11, 1998

On Wednesday, March 11, at 6:05 P.M., my niece and I flew from Huntsville, AL, to Atlanta, GA, arriving at 7:56 P.M. 

At 9:50 P.M., we are flying to London, England. 

Day 2: Thursday, March 12, 1998

We landed at 11:00 A.M. at London's Heathrow Airport, then we had to go through customs.

After we passed through customs, we looked for our cousins, not sure what they looked like. I saw a picture of Michael.

They had not seen a picture of us, so they did not know what we looked like.

My cousin notices this enormous woman; he says to himself, "I hope that is not my cousin."

We met up and greeted each other. Michael collected our luggage and loaded it into his Jeep.

The ride to their house will take at least a couple of hours, so we will stop at a pub to grab a bite to eat.

I slept the whole ride to their house.

Michael dropped off his wife at home, so she could cook our supper.

Michael takes us to St. Peter and St. Paul Churchyard Cemetery in Hayden, Norfolk, to see the tombstones of Michael's grandparents, Ernest and Ester Buxton.

St. Peter and St. Paul Churchyard Cemetery in Hayden, Norfolk

We drive past Blickling Hall, the home of Ann Boleyn, on our way to Reepham.

Amelia and I are standing in front of Blinking Hall. 

Michael stops in Reepham at a pub. Amelia and I get out of the Jeep and walk to the Post Office.

The Post Office is the only shop in the village that acts as a Post Office, general store, and Newsagent.

We walked across the street to St Mary's Church, which was unlocked. We walked inside, took a few pictures, and then walked outside to see the tombstones in the graveyard.

Michael comes out of the pub, and we meet up with him in the alleyway. He tells us about the town of Reepham. 

It is nearing supper time, so we ride back to Michael's house, where Jackie has prepared a nice meal.

Michael's house was once a large barn.

The house has a bathroom, several bedrooms upstairs, a huge living room, a kitchen, a washroom, and their bedroom downstairs.

For dinner, Jackie has cooked chicken with mushrooms, onions, gravy, cabbage, turnips, green beans, and baked potato wedges. 

Jackie had made jelly and filled the pie with custard for dessert.

After supper, we retired to the living room, and Michael brought out some old family photos.

We were drained, so we went to bed at 8:00 P.M. their time, which was 6 hours earlier than ours.

I could not sleep on the plane because the family behind me would not sit still.

Every time I drifted off to sleep, the woman behind me would have to get up, and when she did, she would bump into my seat, which was very annoying.

Day 3: Friday, March 13, 1998 

For breakfast, we ate cereal and drank juice. We were ready to leave by 8 A.M.

Michael drove us to his brother, John Buxton's, home, where we were served biscuits and tea. 

John brought out the Buxton family bible; it was full of information about their grandparents, Ernest and Ester Buxton. I wrote down information and took pictures of the pages in the bible.

We said goodbye to John and his family, and we rode to the Atlantic Ocean on the East Coast.

Jackie let us out of the Jeep at the park near the Atlantic Ocean. She went to park the Jeep somewhere along the boardwalk.

The Atlantic Ocean on the East Coast of Norwich, England

We walked to the bank to get our American money changed into English money. 

The exchange rate was $1.74 US dollars, which equals one pound note. 

We ate fish and chips for lunch.

Eating fish and chips

We then rode north up the East Coast to Sandringham, one of the Queen's homes.

We could not tour the home because it was closed for the winter.

There was a break in the trees, so I tried to take a couple of pictures.

We stopped to visit Michael's mother, Dorothy Buxton,

Dorothy brought out some family photo albums.

We took  Jackie home so she could prepare supper.

We went to Andrew Buxton's home, Michael's cousin's, where we looked at some more family pictures and talked.

Jackie had prepared our supper of potato soup, cheese and tomato sandwiches, sausage balls, and a raspberry pie for dessert.

After dinner, we went to Rogers' home (Valentine's son) to get the mailing address of Doreen Bowthorpe, a cousin who lived in Australia. 

Roger had a letter she had written to him several years before; he was using it as a bookmark.

We stayed at Rogers until about 11:00 P.M., talking about family history. 

Roger's family was very nice.

Day 4: Saturday, March 14, 1998

Saturday morning, for breakfast, we ate yogurt and drank orange juice.  

Our first stop was at the travel agency in Norwich, where we booked a room for our stay in London, England, for Monday and Tuesday.

Next, we stopped at Norwich Cathedral, one of the significant Norman buildings in England.

Norwich Cathedral

We walked inside, and we looked at it. It was imposing; there was a lot of history.

I bought a book about Norwich Cathedral and some postcards. 

Some of the people buried at the Norwich Cathedral:

• Sir Thomas Erpingham, KG (c. 1355–1428)

• St William (of Norwich), Child Martyr (d 1144)

• John de Gray, Bishop of Norwich (1200–1214)

• Pandulf Masca, Roman ecclesiastical politician, papal legate to England, and Bishop of Norwich (1215–1226)

• John Salmon, Lord Chancellor of England and Bishop of Norwich (1299–1325)

• Henry le Despenser, Bishop of Norwich (1370–1406)

• Richard Nykke, last Roman Catholic (before the Henrician reform) Bishop of Norwich (1501–1535)

• John Hopton, Bishop of Norwich (1554–1558)

• John Salisbury (bishop)

• John Parkhurst, Bishop of Norwich (1560–1575)

• William Redman, Bishop of Norwich (1595-1602)

• John Overall (bishop), Bishop of Norwich (1618–1619)

• Richard Montagu, Bishop of Norwich (1638–1641)

• Edward Reynolds, Bishop of Norwich (1660–1676)

• Herbert de Losinga, Bishop of Norwich (1095–1119)

• Edith Cavell, nurse, executed during the WW1 I (1I 865-1915)

We ate lunch at a pub in Norwich and all ordered a ham sandwich with salad and chips.

Our next stop was Norwich Castle, where we saw a display of silver, teapots, famous paintings, dungeons, displays about Queen Boudica, and a replica Egyptian tomb with ancient mummies.

Norwich Castle

After we left the castle, we walked through the open markets, stopping to buy candy and some cards to send home.

It had been a full day of events, and that evening Amelia and I went to our room to recall the events of the day. 

We took out a map of London to see what sites were close to where we were staying.

Jackie had prepared a Yorkshire pudding, Brussels sprouts, carrots, broccoli, and potatoes for supper, and a chocolate cream cheese pie for dessert. 

After supper, Michael brought out more family photos, and we looked through them.

Day 5: Sunday, March 15, 1998

We ate yogurt for breakfast.

Michael drove us to Botesdale, where our great-grandfather was born, and several of his siblings were baptized. 

Standing in Botesdale, where my great-grandfather and his siblings were born.

In Botesdale, I saw a sign that read, ""reyhound." I commented that it was a bus stop. 

Everyone laughed because Greyhound was a restaurant.

The Greyhound

Our Next stop was in Ipswich to pick up Joan Woolneigh, who is going with us to Orford.

Jackie, Joan, Michael, and Amelia

We arrived in Orford at lunchtime, and we stopped at the pub in Orford, called King Arms, where James Buxton spent many hours drinking beer. (Called the Crown Castle Restaurant and Inn.)

Crown and Castle Restaurant and Inn

We all ordered three kinds of cheese, rolls, pickled onions, vinegar relish, salad, and a Coke.

Our next stop was Orford Castle, the home site of our great-great-grandparents James and Pamela Buxton.

Standing in front of Orford Castle

Joan said, "I spent many of my holidays with my Buxton grandparents." 

Joan told us a story about the woman who was the keeper of Orford Castle and how she loved to drink.

She said, "The  keeper of the castle would let kids play in the castle and on the castle grounds."

Joan then told us a story about Grandmother Buxton.

She said her grandmother would walk ten miles to the store for supplies. 

She also said her grandmother would work all day in the fields picking up stones.

Grandmother Buxton was a very strong-minded woman.

We could see apartment 4 from the top of Orford Castle, where the Buxton family first lived in Orford.

Apartment Number 4, home of the Buxtons.

Next, they lived on Broad Street, which was just around the corner, next door to Orford Methodist Church.

Home of the Buxton Family

Methodist Church next door to the Buxton home, Orford Castle in the background

I took several pictures of Orford Castle, Orford Church, apartment number 4, and their house next door to the Methodist Church.

James and Pamela Buxton are buried in the cemetery behind the church.

We rode down to Orford Ness.

Michael told us a story about Sam and his brothers, and how they would go down to the Ness, get on the boats, and bring back food. 

We stopped at Buxton town to take pictures.

We arrived back at Joan Woolneigh's home in Ipswich, and I took several pictures of the group (Jackie, Michael, Amelia) all standing in front of Joan's front door.

At Joan's, we looked at pictures, and then she served us biscuits and tea.

We rode to Reepham so everyone could freshen up; we were meeting a couple (David and Janet) for supper at a pub.

At the pub, we all ordered shrimp scampi, fries, and salad. 

We arrived home at about 10:30 P.M. 

Amelia and I packed our bags for tomorrow, we are going to London.

My niece and I set up a time to talk about our visit and recall our excursions of the day. 

Day 6: Monday, March 16, 1998

We ate breakfast, loaded our luggage into Michael's Jeep, and he drove us to London.

We made a quick stop at a local store to purchase some cookies and Cokes to take with us. 

We arrived late afternoon in London.

Jackie parked the Jeep, and we all walked to the underground subway going to London.

We bought subway tickets, took the subway to London, got off, and walked 10 blocks to our hotel. Michael and Jackie came with us to make sure we arrived safely.

We thanked them, hugged them, said goodbye, and they left.

At the hotel, we freshened up and walked to the mall, which was about 10 blocks away.

We ate a sandwich for supper, then we walked around inside the mall.

We stopped for snacks on our way back to the hotel.

Amelia and I tried to watch TV, and we talked about the day's events until we were too tired to speak.

Day 7: Tuesday, March 17, 1998

For breakfast at the hotel, we ate an English breakfast of cereals, toast, eggs, and Orange juice.

We walked to the subway station and bought tickets.

We rode the subway to Central London, where everything is located: Big Ben, Westminster, the Houses of Parliament, London Bridge, etc.

We got off the underground subway, we walked a flight of stairs, we walked outside, we looked up, and staring us in the face was Big Ben.

Big Ben, London, England

Amelia and I went to the information center at Westminster Abby to ask where the statue of Sir Thomas Buxton was located.

Westminster Abby

We also asked if we could get a picture of  Sir Thomas Buxton because we thought we were related to him.

We had to take the tour that everyone else was taking, but the lady at the information center said, "When you get to the library, ring a bell, then tell what you want, and they will let you into the library."

We had to walk up two flights of a winding spiral staircase to get to the library.

When we got to the top of the staircase, we rang a bell, and a man came to the door. He greeted us.

We told him that we wanted a picture of Sir Thomas Buxton.

The man gave us a picture of Sir Thomas Buxton that had an inscription on the front of the statue. 

Sir Thomas Buxton
"To the memory of Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, Bart., born April 1, 1786, died February 19.1845. Endued with a vigorous and capacious mind, of dauntless courage and untiring energy, he was early led by the love of God to devote his powers to the good of Man. In Parliament, he labored for the improvement of prison discipline, for the amendment of the criminal code, for the suppression of suttees in India, for the liberation of the Hottentots in southern Africa, and above all, for the emancipation of eight hundred thousand slaves in the British Dominions. In this last righteous enterprise, after ten years of arduous conflict, a final victory was given to him and his co-adjutors, "By the good hand of our God" on the memorable August 1, 1834. The energies of his mind were afterward concentrated on a great attempt to extinguish the slave trade in Africa, by the substitution of agriculture and commerce, and by the civilizing influence of the Gospel. Exhausted in mind and body, "He fell asleep," reposing in faith on his Redeemer, in the 59th year of his age. This monument is erected by his friends and fellow laborers at home and abroad; assisted by the grateful contributions of many thousands of the African race."
Charles Buxton, "Memoirs of Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton", 1848.
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, 2004.

We thanked the man, and we walked back down the spiral staircase to the gift shop, where I bought a book about Westminster Abby and Amelia bought Chase a shirt. 

We stopped at a sandwich shop inside a Methodist Church for lunch.

We ordered a sandwich, chips, and a Coke.

We walked alongside St. James Park on our way to Buckingham Palace, the home of Queen Elizabeth.

St James Park 

We had missed the changing of the guard at 10 A.M. that morning.

I took several pictures, and we walked to Buckingham Palace Museum, where I bought a book and some cards about Buckingham Palace.

Buckingham Palace

We went to the Guard Museum, which was just a few blocks from Buckingham.

I took several pictures of the uniforms that the guards wore.

Guards Museum in London, England

There was one exciting uniform that was made for one of the King's children. 

We saw several types of uniforms from different parts of the country. 

Day 8: Wednesday, March 18, 1998

We walked to the Houses of Parliament and stood in line for 1.5 hours.

While we were waiting to go inside the House of Parliament, we saw an Irishman holding a sign protesting.

To enter Parliament, you have to go through several security checkpoints and be patted down.

We had made it through the first section of security, and we were told to sit down on this very long bench.

We waited for several minutes and went through another security line.

House of Parliament 

We went into the House of Parliament, where we listened to a debate. 

We sat in Parliament, and they debated about young people being used as prostitutes. 

We went into the House of Commons, and we were patted down again. Amelia had to take off her bum bag. You dare not call them fanny packs!

We saw the iconic statue of Winston Churchill near Parliament.

Winston Churchill

It was getting dark by the time we left the House of Parliament and the House of Commons.

We took the subway back to the mall and did some shopping.

For supper, we ordered a pizza and Cokes. We could not eat all the pizza, so we got a takeaway box.

We finished our shopping and walked back to the hotel. On our way back, we stopped to purchase cookies and Cokes.

We packed our bags for tomorrow, and we will be returning home. 

Day 9: Thursday, March 19, 1998

We just made it for breakfast; we were the last ones served before the kitchen closed. We check out of the hotel and start pulling our luggage up the street.

Walking the streets of London

We will have to walk up a hill for 10 blocks to get to the train station.

We arrived at the depot, but we went to the wrong train station. It was a good thing we left early, or we would have missed the train to the airport.

We make it to the correct train stop, we load our luggage onto the train, and we are now on our way to Gatwick Airport.

A ticket conductor came around to everyone to collect money for the train ride.

Refreshments were served on the train, but they were not free.

At the airport we passed through customs, where we met a group of students from Tennessee, we began a conversation with them. 

After everything was checked, we walked to our waiting area.

On the airplane, the stewardess was late serving lunch, so Amelia and I ate some of the cookies and chips we brought. 

We watched TV,  a movie, and read a book before we knew it, we were home in the good old USA. 

We had a good flight home.

The ground was covered in fog and rain as the pilots landed at Atlanta International Airport.

We went through customs, and as we descended from the escalator, guard dogs were waiting there to sniff for drugs. 

Security was everywhere, and we picked up our luggage, which had to be scanned again to make sure that we were not bringing drugs into the country.

Amelia was wearing a metal hair bow when the alarm went off; she was pulled aside and searched.

We boarded the airplane to Huntsville, and before we knew it, we were in Huntsville.

Waiting for us at the airport was Amelia's son, my husband.

The end of another one of my many adventures.

Stopping to mail a postcard