Quite a long drive yesterday but finally arrived in Derby in the mid afternoon and had time for a bit of a poke around. We were aware that there was a folk festival as my cousin had told us that she was going to it. I am not sure how busy Derby normally is on a Saturday afternoon but there seemed to be an extra buzz in the town. Now my views on Morris dancing may be already known to a few of you, but let me reiterate that I really do not enjoy this form of entertainment. Why would you want to do this. Each to their own I guess.
Our welcome to Derby
But wait ... there is more (Actually these guys sounded ok)
We received an Email from my cousin Jane last night staying that she had gotten into the wrong queue and nearly ended up abseiling off the cathedral tower. We had noticed this event and later Mrs Currin confessed to a long held desire to do something along these lines. Well I never!
Entertainment Derby Style
The excitement was over and we were off in search of the latest cottage that we had booked. Now this may sound straight forward given that we had the address and the ever ready TomTom , but no. How hard can it be to find Home Farm, Foremark, Milton. Found Milton, found Foremark no problem, but Home Farm, I really don't believe it exists. After much driving back and forward and asking ever so helpful passers by we suddenly struck gold. Of course it was at the end of a lane signposted as the delivery entrance for a boarding school. Not that our problems were over yet. Of the numerous houses and cars at the end of said lane not one knock on the door was answered. In the end we let ourselves in (We knew which cottage was ours) and waited for the owner to show up. Eventually the owner, Greg and daughter Emily turned up and all was well. We had originally booked a cottage called Burdett but had been given it's neighbour, Repton. Repton is a neighbouring village and is the old capital of Mercia whilst Burdett is named after the owner of the estate on which our cottage resides. Mr Burdett or Sir actually is credited with the introduction of one man one vote, not one woman you will note, but this was a major advance in democracy nonetheless and Sir became quite a celebrity, especially amongst the non aristocracy. A branch of my family, the Hunts, have many with the second name Burdett, my Grandad being the last, and I have never been able to find a reason i.e. mothers or ancestors maiden name or suchlike, maybe there is something here .. the timing is about right. Probably will never know. Today we headed south to more family connections, first lunch at GGGG grandaddy's pub in Crick for lunch, one of the best pub lunches that I have had and by the time we left the place was packed.
The Red Lion, Crick
A cosy wee pub and a great lunch.
A dive around Crick revealed a very nice village and then on to Blisworth to where GGGG granddaddy and Grandma had retired, I had never been here before and was delighted by a great little village, unable to find their graves in the churchyard though as all the headstones were just too worn away.
Blisworth village church
A very pretty little village
The day was rounded off by a visit to Northhampton and a wander around the city centre. Northhampton is the old centre of the footware industry as documented in the movie Kinky Boots. I was more interested in the All Saints Church where GGG Grandaddy and his good wife were married. One plaque on the church wall caught my attention.
On the wall of All Saints , Northhampton.
Now there cannot be too many live to this sort of age let anyone keep their hearing, sight and memory to the last, anyway it is a good story.
All Saints Church, Northhampton, built 1680 with a donation of 1000 tuns (sic) of timber from Charles II.
That about ends the last couple of days. Tomorrow we go to Burton on Trent for lunch with cousins and then Tuesday down to Gatwick to fly to Dubrovnic and our next adventure.
All the best until Dubrovnic
David
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