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We started this day by finding Judson headstone in Wilsford

Now in Ancaster where we found this headstone. There was a note to say that the church would be open in the afternoon so we rearranged our day and as we arrived in the afternoon we met the lady with the key! Read the notice. Very keen on Health & Safety!

The Romans were here and left behind this carving of goddesses. Ancaster was a Roman town at the junction of Ermine Street and King Street.

Now to Caythorpe:

Lincolnshire is RAF country, Cranwell is not far away This church has several RAF plaques

Passed through Leadenham the start of my quest:

On to Fulbeck, to The Hare and Hounds for lunch.

Hough on the Hill

Allington next, a pretty church but closed.

Westborough:

Dry Doddington. A beautiful setting and beautifully kept.

And so passing Belton House we returned to Wagtail and tried out our new toy! An excellent purchase! Just plugs in to Henry’s external socket.

The church of St Swithun, Leadenham has a headstone for a Judson family member and a headstone for Thomas Snaith. Judson is the family name of Tony’s mother and Sarah Snaith was my great great great grandmother on my maternal line. I am trying to prove these families knew each other and how they are connected to these two headstones. I’m not sure how many years this will take !

We had an exceptionally good week visiting all the villages the Judsons lived in. Lincolnshire, apart from the likes of Skegness and the seaside towns, is a very underrated county. A great part of it is designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (ANOB) and it’s not all flat!

So off to Rippingale one of may villages with a beautiful sign

Then Haconby

Bourne:

Bourne: The church was not open but we found other things that took our eye…….

Edenham. An idyllic church with former wealthy patrons:

Next to Witham:

The notice board of Little Bytham. Intrigued by saints we had never heard of. Wikipaedia gives this information

The church of St Medardus and St Gildardus in Little Bytham, Lincolnshire, England, is a Grade I listed building. It is dedicated to two 6th-century French saints, St Medard and St Gildard (or Medardus and Gildardus); the dedication is unique in the UK. Virtually unknown in Britain, St Medard is still well known in France, with at least 25 towns or villages named after him (as St Médard or St Méard). Gildard, thought to be his brother, is less well known. The village fête is held annually on or near St Medard’s feast day, 8 June.

So off to Castle Bytham where one of the Judsons was a Publican and where Tony’s direct ancestors lived. Nice village complete with duck pond.

Swayfield next:

And the Grantham Canal How could we not visit it?

So exhausted after a busy day it’s back to Wagtail Park

Re chest above: In the winter of 1683/84 even the seas of southern Britain froze and a frost Fair was held on the Thames and on 6 June 1683 the Ashmolean Museum opens as the world’s first university museum.

When I last visited the cake shop I was told there would be a “different” wedding cake display. Wouldn’t this suit a steampunk wedding?

Walking to pick up the car from Sainsburys we noticed these two guys who were cleaning the college windows. We were wrong! They were washing the exterior paintwork before it was painted , however we have yet to see the decorators!

Boats circling , waiting for the lock to the River Severn to be filled.

and reference our visits to Sharpness and the Vindicatrix memorial:

A visit to Devizes to help reclaim the model boat and Devizes letters. The allotment holder sadly passed away two years ago and since then it has become somewhat overgrown:

Then off to catch up with friends setting off along the K & A, and pleasant aroma from adjacent Wadworths:

So off cruising along the Gloucester & Sharpness.

Wildlife at Saul:

From Sharpness we walked to Purton along the towpath.

Purton church is so well kept and I just love the way they ask for funds:

Then off to visit the Hulks or ships graveyard. The ships were beached to prevent erosion. Each is named.

One of the reasons we like mooring at Sharpness is that we can sit and watch the sunset.

Woodbridge proved to be a very pleasant town with lots of independent shops and museums.

Waltham Abbey: We stayed here to meet up with friend Gary who we met some 3 years ago when travelling up the River Lee through Waltham.

The campsite was alongside Tottenham Hotspur training ground and Capel Manor College Anyone who listens to Gardeners Question Time will know of it. We just had to visit, It has everything and in spite of the rain we really enjoyed it

The Which? trial gardens The plants are inspected and assessed every two weeks:

There is small Zoo section with wild cats wallabies rabbits and so on

Whilst away we had a literary Zoom meeting and two from Devizes museum. There was a fine lecture on Eric Ravilious. These images were taken by Tony from the TV screen

I do urge you to visit the Museum for this exhibition. The second Zoom was to Explain more about the proposed new museum A considerable sum but worth every penny. I forsee a lot of fundraising!

Now a few odds & ends First a personalised tv advert: I won’t be shopping with this firm:

The Royal Gunpowder Mill at Waltham Abbey. We had wanted to visit here since our trip up the River Lee So interesting but vast area, difficult to photograph. Had wonderful tractor trailer trip with commentary from a former employee and took about 1.5 hours! Such a shame not more visitors, volunteers poised, free hot drinks and lots to see!

Then seen in Bath:

June began on a high note with warn sunshine and a cheese and wine evening aboard Lightship Sula and a very interesting and informative tour of the Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum with Rob Dixon, not to mention a Civic Trust visit to Highnam Court with its fantastic gardens, more of Highnam later.

Armed Forces Day at the Soldiers of Gloucester Museum All the dignitaries on parade

Helping out we did 16,787 steps that day, beating our target of 12,000

A week on the Gloucester and Sharpness canal:

Celebrated wildlife photographer at work. Swallows and sparrows. Enlarging holes in nest boxes evidently worked and now multi occupancy.

And so off to Woodbridge Suffolk where we spent a day with Tony’s cousins and caught up with family news and history.

Sutton Hoo

It was all a bit underwhelming until we met this anglo saxon

Orford Ness

Aldeburgh proved disappointing. Not the upmarket town I had envisaged. Steeply shelving pebble beach. Its redeeming quality was its messages about litter, that we should see elsewhere:

Framlington Castle did not disappoint

Ickworth house part hotel part National Trust. Much more interesting below stairs where the services were all labelled

Helmingham Gardens were just stunning! The house is privately owned and house not open but looks magnificent:

Felixtowe dock area. People were sitting watching boats arriving and being unloaded and containers sorted by huge cranes. We didn’t arrive until after 6pm, but cafe still open and busy. Too late to explore the Landguard fort.

The stately home we enjoyed the most was Kentwell again privately owned and quirky so different to NT

A morning visit to Ipswich, just waterside, didn’t do town, next time?:

Looking back through the diary It seems that most of the month was wet and cool! Our first cruise of the season had rain every day but nevertheless we enjoyed visiting Slimbridge and Sharpness.

We took Henry to Newark for his annual habitation survey postponed from November 2020 and the weather did not improve. We stayed at Holme Pierrepoint the National Watersports Centre. A pleasant enough site with all basic amenities but a bit dated and not secure.

Family history took us to Bingham. We were looking for the home of Percy Bramley my Great Grandfather. The Library had most helpful staff and so was the Landlady of the White Lion who told me my cousin had a table booked for dinner! The pub landlord had been Percy’s son Arthur who was helped by his son Shandy AKA Arthur Percy born 1946.

The only sunny afternoon was spent at Redhill cemetery looking at headstones! We managed to catch up with some friends and family

In Leadenham and Fulbeck just over the Lincolnshire border we were disappointed to find little evidence of our forbears but took shelter in the Hare and Hounds for a very pleasant lunch. Some years ago on a visit to Lincolnshire Archives Tony & I found ourselves working on our respective ancestors in the same village so now I am keen to follow up on both our families. Did our maternal Judson and Snaith families know each other? All may be revealed at some future date!

Began volunteering at The Soldiers of Gloucester Museum. Being on the front desk to welcome and sell entry tickets I have had to learn how to operate the till. Fortunately it tells you how much change to give! (Maths was never my strongest subject). I am learning a bit of the Glosters military history too!

In and around Gloucester:

Happily by the end of the month the temperature had risen and on 30th it 25.2 degrees

Shrewsbury is a lovely place to visit. Old buildings, independent shops, churches, lovely gardens. river trips and so on and whilst we were there

A thank you to the NHS outside the castle. Below the very handsome railway station:

Most disappointing to see the demise of Waitrose How will the town cope?

No need for Securicor in this car park!

Something more modern

Imaginative use of outdoor space at this cafe and delightful display at the cobblers

Shrewsbury hosts a renowned flower show Just a little section of the park but so colourful

Two plaques that are well worth reading

Took a river trip

The boathouse with Shrewsbury school in the background

Then a day in the Ironbridge area

Compare the old with the new. So fortunate that Warburtons lorry was crossing to add a bit of colour

I just had to have a photo with the beefeater I had a wonderful chat with the assistant in the shop who told me of the history of the Merrythought bear factory. I particularly liked these two:

Had this cafe been opened we’d have gone in!

Then off to look at Coalport and its canal and inclined plane that moved the boats from the upper to lower canal

Notice how many times it has flooded since 2000

Market Drayton where Tony purchased his very first boat Blue Samba

Then a day meeting up with sister & husband at Dorothy Clive Garden. Well worth a visit in spring

A Zoom meeting hosted by Devizes Museum with the author of the Horrible History series of books

So Au revoir to Shrewsbury and back to volunteering .

Here I am with volunteer James doing a spot of painting. I get all the best jobs!

And here is Richard a volunteer at Cotswold Canal Trust, a boater and new business owner!

And great excitement in Victoria Basin where BBC Points West were waiting to film the arrival of marathon runner Maurice raising funds for the Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum.

Welcoming Maurice was Tommy Clough believed to be the last soldier living to have taken part in the Battle of Imjin River in Korea.

Maurice is accompanied by one of the army cadets. His Mother and Grandmother are on the right

Maurice with his Dad and Tommy

Wearing Tommy’s rosette and with a very proud father

He was off for a beer and we had an impromptu Gin party!

Noticed this reflection on our way to the park

Gloucester park

Enjoying a coffee at the recently opened park cafe

Planting in the sensory garden

Unwanted litter in the park by the statue of Queen Anne. The pushchair and carrier bag were full of builders rubble! Certainly proves the strength of plastic bags!

We noticed this Easter window in a house on our way back from the park and another in a shop window

My garden!

Nielsens boatyard is always interesting

Also took a brief trip to Devizes and did a days volunteering. So good to meet everyone again. Also had an outdoor meeting with friends in the park. Very impressed by this planter and the coffee cups!

Stayed at Sells Green campsite- very well cared for and had lunch at The Three Magpies and caught up with friends. Tony enjoyed his pudding!

Whilst at Sells Green we walked along the canal and saw this cute nesting box/bird feeder

More friends invited us to dinner in their sumptuous garden room. Thank you for a delicious meal!

The death of Prince Philip was announced last month. Here he is some years ago at Wadworths meeting friend Rachel

Said Au Revoir to our lovely neighbours on Stargazer. We shall miss them.

Colin is painting in the lamp room

And they are celebrating their wedding anniversary with this lovely cake. Orange and chocolate!

Lots of Volunteering this month! First at Saul Junction with the Canal and River Trust. Welcomed back the Bridge Keeper Chris with a few new flowers outside his office and patio weeding.

Cleaning under Sandfield Bridge. I am recognisable by my yellow steel toe cap wellies!

Refurbishment in progress on old swing bridge

Finished bridge and opening ceremony

Our neighbours leaving Saul Junction on the very lovely Stargazer

Volunteering at the Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum. Not a long walk from Matilda!

Removing weeds from patio

The Folk Museum garden. More volunteering helping out the Civic Trust to prepare for opening in May. More patio clearing!

Tony raking out weeds

We continue to litter pick the park. Here’s Dave the park keeper

The first butterfly enjoying the spring sunshine.

Socially distanced band practice

A new shop opens in lockdown. Very brave!

Tony chose chocolate & Mandarin. The portion was so large he had to cut it in half and save a piece for later!

Golf buggy graveyard discovered by Tony whilst the Car was in for MOT

And how about Tony’s for full english?

Reminded us of Suez Canal!

Edward Elgar hotel boat in the dock

No yellow ribbon but we managed to find a little bow in the local shop

Now for the history tour of Gloucester! Brunswick Square

Incorporated into new flat development

Huge new development to be known as The Forum. Whitefriars monastery and the roman wall under here. From the station (hotel in the background) you will walk along here to the city centre and get a fabulous view of the Cathedral

An early morning visit to watch the Severn Bore Not quite so many surfers on this occasion

The windows of the library had a series of amusing cartoons

The colourful Census team en masse arrive days after I had phoned the ONS for an access code. I wanted my descendants to be able to find me in 2021. They were very grateful for the help Tony and Colin gave them

My £2.99 January sale amaryllis in bloom

The Gloucestershire flag blue representing the River Severn, cream the Cotswold Stone and & green Golden Valley. flying on LV14 Sula. Colin has a collection of different flags, one to suit every occasion!

For Tony’s birthday we had an indian takeaway I was delighted with the containers! Pity our supermarkets don’t follow suit!

Now Matilda & the docks

Party time on Stargazers sundeck!

And finally I hope you didn’t miss Tony’s piece in The Telegraph! See Readers Tips bottom right.