Sunday, June 08, 2003

 

Day 45. Monday 09 June 2003. Visiting Bromfield

In the morning we were up early to a lovely full English breakfast in the dining room just us and another couple. So we weren't then the only people staying last night. We wanted (or at least I wanted) to continue our look around the area before we left for Bromfield, for we had an appointment at 10.30 a.m. down a in Bromfield with Harry the last primary school headmaster prior to the school closing a few years ago. So our day started early.

We spent at least 4 hours down in Bromfield and looking round. As we returned we called in at Crookdake where my Grandfather once farmed at Intack House followed then by my Uncle Tommy my mother's youngest brother.

Returning we then visited Whitehall estate where my father worked as a young man and where we then lived. I was born at Hole House on the estate and so was my brother John and my cousin David Bell, his mother was my mother's younger sister.

The rest of the afternoon quickly disappeared. We had not to be too late back for our dinner this evening. Pat's sister Olive Armstrong who lives in the nearby City of Carlisle was coming to visit for the evening. During dinner Olive arrived so we squeezed her in on our small table and invited her to join us but she declined. So as we finished our dinner Olive had a couple of drinks as she and Pat shared their news.

We then moved up to our room and all to soon a cell phone call announced the arrival of Olive's youngest daughter Val Armstrong come to pick her up to take her home. Val turned out to be a bubbly 30-year-old and full of life. She was employed by BBC Radio Cumbria as a program host and producer. Val's head and shoulders photo is to be found on the station's home web page. We were to learn some time later from John and Edith that Val is the BBC Radio Cumbria’s most popular host and her program has a strong following throughout the region.

Olive gave us the directions to her home in Carlisle; we were passing through Carlisle next day on our way to visit David Bell in Newcastle. But that is tomorrow, another story.

We had 2 pleasant days in and around Mealsgate and Bromfield. The June weather was fine and balmy and the sun didn't set until after 9 30 p.m. in the evenings. We should have stayed longer.

posted by OldEric 8:14 pm