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Devon & Cleveland Counties, England, September 1998
We went to a Garden Party to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of the founding of Orcombeleigh Care Hotel where respite care and holidays are provided for people with Multiple Sclerosis. Inside a lawn tent with floral cloth-covered tables and chairs, we were served a traditional Devon tea of small sandwiches, scones with jam and Devonshire cream plus tea or coffee. We attended The Parish Church of St. John The Evangelist (Church of England) with our hosts and friends; the priest welcomed the 2 Americans. Lunch was with friends of our hosts and then we were off to find The House of Marbles and the Cardew Teapottery - "Home of the world's most collectable teapots." Then we had to rush to our Welcoming English Tea where tables were laden with a great variety of sandwiches, quiche, pastries, cake, trifle, and tea. Entertainment was provided by Roger Baron, a wonderfully clever magician who had been practicing his skill for 65 years. The evening was spent learning the game of Mah jorigg (Chinese for chattering of sparrows"). Next day our hosts, Janet and Bill, took us to Topsham. We drove through quaint narrow streets and shopped at an Antique Mall before we had lunch on the waterfront at The Lighter Inn and enjoyed fresh crab salad sandwiches on grainary bread and chips (fries) - delicious! We then boarded the train to Exeter where we browsed in shops and visited Exeter Cathedral, a 900 year old Church of England. Outside was Mol's Coffee House where Sir Francis Drake met his captains & nearby Royal Clarence, Britain's first hotel. Next morning found us on the train to Paignton to meet the mayor & mayoress with whom we had tea, scones with jam & Devonshire Cream, croissants filled with chocolate, jam pastries & other delights. We were given a 2 hour fact-filled tour of Oldway, a 100 room mansion, by our guide, Dorothy. In 1871 this had been the home of Isaac Singer, founder of the Singer Sewing Machine Company. His third son, Paris, altered the Mansion to resemble the Palace of Versailles with other areas inspired by the Place de la Concorde in Paris. The Grand Staircase and Gallery are remarkable while the Gallery is a miniature reproduction of the Hall of Mirrors, Versailles. Between the dual staircases is the huge painting of "The Crowning of Josephine by Napoleon. Following lunch, we boarded the Paignton & Dartmouth Railway Steam train which took us through coastal scenery. Art says he was able to hang his head out between train cars & get soot in his face! That evening about 14 ambassadors and hosts gathered at each others' homes for a Safari Dinner. One of the oldest towns in Devon is Totnes with its Saxon origin going back to the 10th century. The restored 15th century East Gate is one of two gateways which remain from medieval times. We walked through the village and through this gate to the Guildhall where currently the 639th mayor since the 1500s is serving. Then it was time for all of us to board a boat and leave cars, roads and noise behind for a journey on the beautiful 12 mile Dart estuary, which the Victorians called 'the English Rhine.' We passed saltmarshes, hillsides and wooded cliffs as we watched for birds, mansions, and quiet villages before arriving at Dartmouth where we lunched in the secluded library of The Royal Castle Hotel, formerly a 17th Century Coaching Inn. Prince Charles & Prince Andrew enjoyed an occasional drink at the Hotel, while studying at the nearby Royal Naval College. The Hotel was actually used as part of the set for the Agatha Christie thriller, 'Ordeal By Innocence.' Again, we boarded our bus for a trip down narrow, tree-lined lanes to Slapton Sands where American Forces' full scale exercises took place over several months in 1944 as a rehearsal for part of the D-Day landings in Normandy, France. The whole area soon took on the appearance of a large military range with guns in position, signal stations working, encampments for the troops and vehicles and supplies stored in depots. The area had been sealed off completely to civilians but it soon became apparent to people living close by that something special was going to happen here. These exercises were designed to test the efficiency of equipment and the effectiveness of small battalions of troops from which experience was gained and some modifications made to equipment and methods of attack. Every effort was made during these exercises to make them as realistic as possible through the use of live ammunition over the heads and immediately in front of troops. The troops were not informed of the real purpose of these exercises. One incident, however, marred the first rehearsal. Two German E-boat flotillas of nine J boats managed to pass the defending ships and stumbled on the exercise taking place during the hours of darkness. Two landing craft full of troops were sunk causing the death of about 700 men - more than were killed on Utah beach itself. The Germans realized that they had sunk landing craft but fortunately did not conclude that they were part of a large military exercise. The real invasion of Europe took place within a month of the ending of these exercises. A granite obelisk stands on the beach which commemorates the sacrifices made by the local people. It was presented by the United States in 1945. We visited the Memorial erected to the 946 American servicemen who died off the coast of Devon in 1944. It consisted of a Sherman tank that was to be their memorial and was dedicated on November 4, 1984. A plaque there reads: "This American Sherman tank took part in the 0-day practice landings at Slapton Beach in 1944 where it was lost at sea and there remained until its recovery in 1984. It stands as a memorial to those American lives lost during the course of the 0-day practice landings at Slapton Beach in 1944. Their sacrifice was not in vain. Be they ever at peace." An Englishman, Ken Small, responsible for bringing to the attention of the world the tragedy that took place on this beautiful part of the Devon coast, spends every day at the site. He has written a book "The Forgotten Dead" that retells the events surrounding the deaths that took place here. We met him and he signed the books we purchased out of the trunk of his car. I believe most of us were unaware of what had taken place on this beach so many years ago, known as Exercise Tiger. Our Farewell was a beautiful & delicious luncheon at the Gipsy Hill Hotel. Later we joined two other J ambassadors and their hosts for sandwiches and champagne at the townhouse of Barbara Shorman. Next morning we bid our hosts a sad farewell and boarded a bus for our all-day drive to Stocktonon-Tees. We arrived at Hartburn Village in Stockton-on-Tees. Our host families were there to meet us with a Friendship Force banner and smiles all around. We gathered our luggage and headed home with our host, Molly Wright. Over tea and hot cross buns we began to get acquainted. After supper we were off to Holy Trinity Anglican Church of England for an evening with about 50 others complete with wine & conversation. We were entertained by Jack Keane and his "Further Travels and Adventures with My Fiddle" followed at 9:00 P.M. by minced beef pies and peas. Eight of the group joined us at home for drinks and conversation about Clinton, Social Security and pensions, Friendship Force, travels, the Slapton Memorial in Devon and the differences between the north and south of England. Next day we attended the one-day-a-year Eggleston Agricultural Show held in an open field looking out over beautiful pastures with stone walls, peacefully grazing cattle and sheep - all very lush and picturesque. A school band entertained as we strolled amongst crafts & food for sale as well as judging of sheep, cattle, ducks, rabbits, poultry. There were herd dog demonstrations, horses jumped fences as well as stone wall building competitions. That evening we attended the welcoming party at the home of Pamela & Bill Jones where conversation, wine and cheese abound. Sunday was a free day with our hosts and it began with an English "cooked" breakfast. Then it was time to set off for Newcastle-upon-Tyne to meet with Ken Doyle, the exchange director for the Bridgebuilder Exchange of light aircraft pilots to Lincoln in September of '99. We had lunch with Ken and his wife, Joan at the Newcastle Aero Club Restaurant. Ken showed us around the pilots' training school. We look forward to their visit at the same time we will be hosting Manchester, England. We left Newcastle and headed to Durham to see The Cathedral Church of Christ and Blessed Mary The Virgin. In 995 Benedictine Monks were fleeing from the Vikings and took with them the body of the 7th Century bishop and hermit, St. Cuthbert. From these beginnings arose Durham's Prince-Bishops, whom the kings of England allowed to rule, from their twin strongholds of cathedral and castle, as uncrowned monarchs of the northeast, the keep the marauding Scots at bay. We parked near the north door of the Cathedral to which was attached a replica of the 12th Century sanctuary knocker, a bronze lion with flowing mane, on which criminals hammered to gain refuge inside. Durham Castle was the only northern fortress never to fall to the Scots. The castle had been built in 1072 by William the Conqueror. We attended a portion of the Evensong service and installation of two priests as Honorary Canons of the Cathedral. For 456 years Durham Cathedral was called Durham Priory where monks lived, worked and worshipped. Durham Priory inherited a lot of land; they owned farms, granges, mills, parish churches and manors. The Priory was a major employer and wherever the monks settled they brought wealth, security, education & welfare. Durham Cathedral was built as a shelter for St. Cuthbert's shrine and for the community of monks who looked after it. Today his shrine is still the most holy place in the Cathedral. On December 31, 1539, they surrendered their Priory to Henry VIII, the first victims of Page 67 the English Reformation that was precipitated by the king's divorce. Monday we were off for a walking tour of the town of Yarm. We stopped at the Yarm Methodist Church known as "John Wesley's Favourite Chapel? John Wesley had a great influence in its design and often preached here. The original church dates back to 1763 and was known as a "preaching house", since non-conformists were not allowed to calf their places of worship "Churches." John Wesley preferred the octagon shape on utilitarian and aesthetic grounds but he is also said to have added that: "there were no corners for the Devil to hide in". Most of the group stopped for lunch at a beautifully restored old pub and then headed to Stockton for a reception with Mr. Mayor Ann McCoy. Then it was home to write, wash clothes and watch Molly make two apple pies for dinner to be shared with three other host families and their guests. Tuesday we boarded our bus for the trip to York, a city with almost 2000 years of history, which reflect on various periods - Roman, Dark Ages, Norman, Medieval, Tudor, Stuart, Georgian, Victorian and Modern York. York was settled by the Romans at the height of their empire in AD 71, as troops moved forward from Lincoln, England that is! In 735 the Pope granted York an Archbishop. For over 1,300 years, worship has been offered in York Minster, the chief church in the Northern Province of the Church of England. The present building is the largest medieval cathedral in Northern Europe. In Anglo-Saxon times, the word 'mynster', was used for any missionary centre staffed by a team of clergy. York Minster has always been a cathedral, because it has from its beginning been the seat of a bishop and contained his cathedra or throne. The nave was begun in 1291 and is the widest Gothic nave in England. The east window is one of the largest areas of medieval stained glass in the world. The whole window cost 58 pounds at a time when a pair of boots would have cost the equivalent of 1 p (1 cent). The top represents God presiding over saints and angels. Next follows three rows showing scenes from the Book of Genesis, beginning with Creation. The next nine rows show scenes from the Book of Revelation. Our hostess, Molly, accompanied us on our day in York and supplied many details about the city and its history. We had lunch at Sir Williams College which had been founded in 1461 and dedicated to the nephew of William the Conqueror. Part of the college now houses a restaurant where we enjoyed delicious Mulligatawny Soup with chunks of fresh bread; just right for the chilly weather at the moment. We had started the day by walking part of the city wall around the Minister. We walked around the area known at 'The Shammels" where, until the 1930s, nearly every shop was a butcher's shop. The 'shammels' were the benches on which the meat was displayed. Molly took us to an area under a pub that is the remains of an old Roman Bath. That evening a group of us treated our hosts to dinner at the Brasserie at the Airport Hotel and then we enjoyed coffee and biscuits at the home of one of the hosts. The next day, following a leisurely breakfast, we reviewed photos of our home and family plus Molly's son and daughter-in-law's recent wedding pictures. We then set off for the 40 mile trip to Whitby, a small seaside port. It was from this ancient port that Captain Cook had set sail. Molly pointed out the Monkey Puzzle tree that is the source of jet, a petrified wood, that is found along the nearby shore of the North Sea. Jet is one of the early stages in the formation of coal. We passed areas of heather on the moors that by now had turned a very dusty rose rather than the earlier beautiful pink-purple color. Hillsides contained pastures of sheep and cattle; there were fields of recently harvested and bailed wheat - all separated by orderly rows of hedges. Our travels brought us into the Borough of Scarborough and past stone houses and country inns most with clay or slate tile roofs. Newly plowed fields were noticeably white with seagulls searching for food. We came across stone walls so typical of England and areas of gorse, a prickly shrub the Scots brought for confining animals but is now considered a nuisance. England is full of stone & brick cottages and home with lovely lace curtains, charming Bed & Breakfast signs, roundabouts & occasional car boot sale signs. We entered Whitby's narrow, steep and winding streets. Our first stop was a high area with weathered gravestones overlooking the beach of the North Sea. The ruins of Whitby Abbey provide an imposing backdrop for the entire area. The shipping of alum and growth of whaling had brought prosperity to Whitby. Medieval wealth grew under the patronage of the Abbey. The Parish Church of St. Mary the Virgin is located near the Abbey and was built in the 12th century for use by the common folk while the Abbey was restricted to the nuns and monks. Much of the work had been done by local shipbuilders and much of the timber used was salvaged from old wooden ships. The 199 steps of the church stairs leading to St. Mary's from the town are relieved by flat resting places, originally provided for pall-bearers. At the top, there is a Victorian monument to Caedmon, 'father of English sacred verse,' who died in 680 AD. The churchyard is full of seafarers-explorers, whalers and Page 68 fishermen. The oldest tombstone we could read was one from 1763 since the salty sea air has etched away many of the faces of the stones. St. Mary's Church was built on the site of a wooden Saxon one. Supports are barley-sugar columns above crammed box pews. The three decker pulpit was built in 1778 and has seating for clerk, minister and preacher. Huge ear trumpets were attached to the rear of the pulpit in the early 1800$ to enable the deaf wife of a former rector to hear the sermon. Heating was provided by a large cast-iron potbelly stove above which hangs a chandelier with an anchor hook. Around the walls are 250-year-old painted boards bearing Scriptural texts. Electricity is used for the organ and in the bell tower. When light is needed in the church it is provided by a chandelier containing candles. Molly then drove us to Captain Cook's statue overlooking the bay. Here also stands an arch made from a whale's jaw. We walked through the town of Whitby browsing at the various shops and sights. We enjoyed a late lunch of fresh Whitby haddock and chips, a delicious meal for sure. We arrived home and prepared to attend the lovely and entertaining concert by the Sydenham Singers The 30 member group has been singing together, some for 15 years. One of their selections appropriately was I'm A Small Part of The World. The concert was followed by a variety of sandwiches, tarts, rolls and sweets provided by the members of the choir. We returned to Molly's with about ten of the ambassadors and hosts for coffee, tea, and conversation. Our last day in England began with kippers for breakfast, a special treat from Molly. We headed for Elsie's for tea and a bit of her special" birthday cake. We visited for an hour or so and departed for lunch at Hartwick Manor Hotel which is one of Molly's favorite places for lunch. Here we enjoyed roast beef, ham, Yorkshire Pudding (and here we were in Yorkshire territory), roasted potatoes, sauteed cabbage with mushroom and peppers & finally blueberry cheesecake for dessert. We shopped upon our return to Stockton, packed and rested up for our farewell event. We shared another pot of tea with Molly. We must ay Molly was a surprise and a delight - full of hidden talents and interests. She has carved a large hobby horse, made the saddle, and obtained real horse's hair for the mane and tail; next she tried her hand at carving a rams head and was working on a falcon. She had painted some lovely floral watercolors, a framed copy of which she presented to us. She has done hang gliding and flown a glider. Her next objectives were skateboarding and roller blading. What a woman - humble and fearless! Our farewell was a Cerlidh - old-fashioned square dancing and new-fangled line dancing plus a pot luck meal and a last chance to visit with new friends. We were up early the next morning for our final packing and breakfast before leaving for the airport. The plane ride home was an experience. We had been up for 24 hours so we were glad to get home & to bed. |
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e were met by our Devon hosts and following a lovely dinner of both smoked and chilled poached salmon we were off to Exmouth's local celebration of 'Last Night at the Proms.' This turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip. Tired though we were, we were thrilled to participate in this patriotic British event! We had no idea what to expect prior to that night. Actually, Prom stands for Promenaders who let their hair down at the annual party following two months of concerts that nightly packed the Royal Albert Hall in London. What we attended was a local community celebration of the same event.