Category Archives: Family History

Jim and Elsie’s 1978 Tour – Day 35

Friday, 5 May 1978

Misty, foggy

Jennifer had to work today.

Rang Bill at Evelyn Court. He’s not too keen on all the steps in the tubes. Has had cold weather in Ireland.

Elsie rang Doreen after breakfast. She has the cold [Friends from Oatley holidaying in England].

Drove to see Ightham Mote. Walked around the mote but the house was not open. Mote is quite wide and has water running through from a small stream above.

Had lunch in the grounds to Knole House – lots of deer.

Joined the National Trust (£7.50) and then had refunded the £2.40 it cost to have the guided tour of the house.

The oldest house in England that is still lived in. Two sections still used by two Lords – Sackville. Rooms still decorated with original furnishings, chairs, carpets, tapestries, beds. Heavy silver tables and candlestick holders.

All went out to tea at the Mill – an old mill that is now set up as a restaurant. Very good decor and excellent meal. An old water wheel is fixed and turning but the stream is blocked off.

Jim and Elsie’s 1978 Tour – Day 34

Thursday, 4 May 1978

Fine, warm

(Arranged for car)

Frank came down [and] picked us up in his red Citroen – took us up to his house at Earls Colne about 1½ – 1¾ hours drive from here [London] in Essex. Out in the country. His house is right on the edge of a common and large wood.

Frank and Gwenneth’s home

Saw his father’s house that was 300 years old and had recently been used as two flats. Low ceilings, large beams, hand-hewn surrounded by 7 ft brick wall. Went into his small hairdresser’s room that he has done up.

Frank’s parent’s home – 300 years old

Elsie and her cousin, Frank, outside his hairdressing shop

Gwyneth, Frank and Elsie

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lunch with Gwyneth. Frank sprayed the wine.

In the afternoon went for a drive around, very good agricultural land. Went to an old auction sale room at Sudbury – loads of junk. Walked the town with its street stalls. Visited the Guildhall at Lavenham – back to 1500s/1600s. Floors and walls off level in some places. One room it would have had a fall of about 1” in 12. Frank said they used old ship timbers in some of the buildings.

Back to tea with Gwen. She would not come on the drive back to Bexley.

Called for 20 mins to see Aunt Lucy who has been very sick. Drove over to Felsted to see the pub where Pop Witney was born. It is called The Three Horseshoes. Took a couple of photos.

Elsie’s dad was born in this hotel

Back to Bexley by 9.15.

Jim and Elsie’s 1978 Tour – Day 33

Wednesday, 3 May 197

Fine, warm

Jennifer and Jeff picked us up at the hotel about 10. Drove to Hampton Court.

Elsie, Jennifer, Jeff and Anthony

Jim , Jeff, Anthony and Jennifer

 

 

 

 

 

 

Impressive gardens. Built for [Cardinal Thomas] Wolsey originally taken over by Henry VIII. Well appointed chapel. Large hall – centre hearthstone for open fire, wood panelled walls where all the people had a feast. King sat on slightly raised dias.

Hampton Court Gardens

Jennifer feeding a squirrel

Lunch in self serve cafeteria.

Drove to Ham House on the River Thames. Afternoon tea on the lawn. Jennifer fed the squirrels.

Back to Jennifer’s for tea.

Jim and Elsie’s 1978 Tour – Day 32

Tuesday, 2 May 1978

Rain, fog & drizzle

At breakfast Lon Cloherty and Daphne Flett walked into the room. They had been to France for three weeks to visit Lon’s daughter. Both had had a wonderful trip. Got hunted out of dining room at 9.00.

Some cleaning up and phoning by Elsie to Aunt Lucy. Laundromat, dry cleaners, photos, bought an umbrella (£3.95). Back to pick up dry cleaning.

Lon told us about the pub lunch at the Denmark on the opposite corner*. We went in and had steak and kidney pie with potatoes and vegies 80p and a ‘arf of beer 20p. Served very hot. Quite a plentiful and cheap meal.

Into Aldwych. Long delay in obtaining travellers cheques and small amounts of currency for the next trip. Took over 45 mins. Raining quite steadily. Shoes leaked. Phone call to Lucy. We headed for the tube. Went to wrong station for the interchange to go to Waterloo. At Waterloo bought a ticket for Byfleet and New Haw but just saw the 4.22 leaving the station. Caught the 4.56 pm. As we sat in the train, the passengers came along put the umbrellas and bags up on the luggage rack and sat down to read their papers. No windows open and by the time the train was to leave it was a STUFFY place. As we travelled, the train was very quiet – I wondered what would have happened if somebody busted a paper bag?

Was met by Peter [Elsie’s 1st cousin on her dad’s Witney side] and taken to the village. Saw where Vic’s shop used to be. Now subdivided and new houses up. DIGBY WAY.

Elsie, Daisy and Aunt Lucy

To Lucy’s cottage. She was so pleased to see us. Had the kettle on and the table set with hot scones, tomato cheese sandwiches, cake. She loves to have a chatter. Was very lonely in her house after being in the shop but now quite likes her neat place.

After tea Peter came and took us to meet Doris, Nikola and George. Children seemed very quiet and shy.

Caught 10.40 train. Quick trip (35 mins) – tubes and back in hotel by 11.50.

*The location of this pub may well be the corner of Onslow Gardens and Old Brompton Road where the Bumpkin Bar and Brasserie is now located.

Jim and Elsie’s 1978 Tour – Day 31

Monday, 1 May 1978

May Day holiday.

Good travelling to border [from Paris]. Slower roads through many villages. Houses close to roads, narrow streets. Good farming country, well cultivated.

To Ostend – very foggy. Gear put in the Stella Maris Hotel Restaurant. Found a cafe in a side street. 185BF (58 to Fr) for soup and a rump steak with loads of chips.

Farewelled the Scandinavian group.

Crossed in the Prins Albert – a very big channel boat. Was very full as it had all the holiday travellers on it. Very smooth crossing. Still foggy at Dover.

Train left Dover about 8.00 – [arrived] at Victoria Station about 8.30. Taxi picked up in side street. Hotel at 9.00 pm. Still foggy.

Jim and Elsie’s 1978 Tour – Day 29

Saturday, 29 April 1978

To Paris.

Unfortunately for the two nights that Jim and Elsie were in Paris, Jim didn’t record anything in his diary.

However, from Jim’s photographs we know they visited the Palace of Versailles and the Eiffel Tower.

Our tour group at the Palace of Versailles

The gardens at the Palace of Versailles

The lift on the way up the Eiffel Tower

Some of the bridges on the River Seine viewed from the Eiffel Tower

Riverside from the Eiffel Tower

 

 

Jim and Elsie’s 1978 Tour – Day 28

Friday, 28 April 1978

Fine/bright

Lucerne to Basel

½ hour into Lucerne. Very clean, quite colourful. 1½ hours to shop before boat trip on lake.

An elderly lady, Mrs Case, had a partial stroke. Ambulance called and she was taken to Lucerne Hospital for tests. She is to stay in hospital for 5-7 days and arrangements were made for a relative to come across.

An hours boat trip out on the lake, across to see a funicular railway and an exposed lift to the top of the mountain.

Lunch at Hotel Monopol.

Another Cosmos group joined us to go up the mountain (Titlis). They had considerable bus troubles.

Magnificent drive through cultivated and improved hillsides. Houses dotted the countryside. Some trees starting to blossom.

Saw cog railway. Steep climb to funicular railway.

Very steep climb. Carriage holds 50 people. Gradually the valley drops away as the carriage lifts. We progress via three cable cars and much clipping of tickets to top. Spectacular views of the ice and snow as we rise to 10,000 feet. Air was still and it was very cold outside but pleasant in the four-storey building with snack bar, kiosk and restaurant. It seemed to be perched up the rocky cliffs.

Titlis

Titlis Panorama Restaurant 3020m

Walked through an ice tunnel to an ice cave in a glacier. Cold and slippery.

Takes about 40 minutes to come back down including time waiting at the interchanges.

Drove from Lucerne to Basel. Second largest city in Switzerland. More industry.

Walked the streets. Beautifully clean. Brightly lit. Excellent window displays. Saw a craggy fountain. Nine moving mechanical displays. Wit said one appeared to say ‘I can squirt further than you.’ Large pool surrounds the displays.

People well dressed. Only shops open were bars and restaurants.

City hotel VG [very good].

Jim and Elsie’s 1978 Tour – Day 27

Thursday, 27 April 1978

Milan to outside Lucerne.

Early start (7.30) to see the cathedral in Milan – Gothic style, 1500 spires, statues large inside, poor light, many stained windows.

Cathedral at Milan

Through very interesting country to Lugano (Switz) for lunch. Beautiful lakeside. Rich colour in flowers. Cooler.

St Goddard tunnel not open (or coach too wide for train). Had to take another pass – San Bernadino. Magnificent views.

This detour involved much extra travel but traversed high mountains where you could see villages down in the valley even though it was very misty.

On the road to Lucerne

Reached the hotel right on Lake Lucerne at 7.30. Day very long and a number of people sick on the bus in the last section.

Hotel window overlooked the lake and high snow covered peaks were in the distance.

Lake Lucerne from hotel window