ranger49's VirtualTourist Home Page
| Page Views: 11,992 | Born in Lancashire - lived in Wales over 50 years by ranger49 - last update: Nov 6, 2009  |
An adopted Welsh Woman | An autumn sunset in Brittany |
Now I live in Monmouthshire, Wales - surrounded by the Brecon Beacons National Park - and the historical, industrial valleys of South Wales.
Less than an hour away from Cardiff, Capital City of Wales;
Less than two Hours from the Gower Coast - an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the beauties of Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire.
A bit longer to Snowdonia and the castles and mountains of north Wales.
This small country on the western edge of the United Kingdom has its own language, culture and history, and Assembly Government and is too a constituent Nation of the UK and the European Community. |
| Gramp & Grandma live just over there! |
|  | The family like it here too. We have a large family - including 8 grandchildren from 6 - 19 years - and none of them are more than a 3 hours drive away.
They are scattered in four different English Counties , and in Wales but we are able to see them all frequently.
The younger ones love to play in the garden and are in and out of Gramps' greenhouse and his "bean -cage". There are lots good hide-and- seek places and secret corners which may be outer space one moment, a magic fairyland the next |
Where I Grew up. Born in Manchester - a "pre-war baby" but during the war years I was frequently sent away (to avoid the bombing) and stayed with relatives in Cheshire, Derbyshire and Wiltshire (always a great treat to be down on the farm) .
After the war we returned to live in south Manchester and life became an uninterrupted treat - it was a great place in which to grow up.
Good schools, parks, cinemas, youth clubs, cricket and tennis clubs, theatres, Belle Vue - and the Halle Orchestra.
On Saturday afternoons we packed our cycle baskets with a picnic and set off through country lanes for "Ringway", as it was then known to us.Better known now as Manchester International Airport
If we had saved up enough pocket money, and had Dad or an older brother with us, we could have a 30 minute air tour of Manchester, in a plane that looked like an Orange Crate, for 10 shillings/50p/1US$ - peanuts!
Little did I think then that one day I would take off from there in a plane that carried hundreds people to fly around the world!
I came to University in Wales - and stayed!
I go back "home" once or twice a year and enjoy the diversity and vibrant life of the city but am always glad to return to my adopted home in a small market town. | | | 5th Form French Group - me 2nd from left front row |
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| My Dad 2nd Lieut. KRRC 1917 age 19. |
| | First memory of abroad & Travelling History My father felt he had done all the travelling he wanted to do - outside the shores of his own country - in Europe between 1914 and 1918. He survived the Somme and and several woundings but had a bad bout of Malaria in the Dardenelles which continued to affect him for many years after and well into my early childhood.
He loved - England, Scotland and Wales and made sure all his children got to know those countries too.
My first opportunities for travelling abroad were "school trips" in those days when they were of no real "Educational" value and little more than extended Sunday School Outings.
One of my relatives was fortunate to be part of an early version of a town twinning association and stayed with a family in Alkmaar in 1947 when she was still at school. It became a lasting connection and forty years later her son married a girl from Amsterdam.
Another cousin went to study abroad - quite an unusual thing for someone in my family to do in the late fifties. She too never returned to live in England but married and lived in Spain until she sadly died at only 60 yeayrs old.
An uncle went to Estoril for his holidays - which sounded very glamorous back then............. particularly as he flew to Lisbon!
Later student friends trickled abroad particularly those doing foreign languages.....
I was moderately envious but saw plenty of the UK and it was not until I had a family that in the early 60's we took our first trip to Brittany. I was hooked but for the next 10 years trips abroad were few and far between and nearly always to France or the Netherlands.
No future travel experience has ever quite captured the excitement of driving onto a ferry in Southampton for the first time, having my first "smorgasbord" (sorry minus accents!) on board, very little sleep sleep, then disembarking on to French soil in Cherbourg the following morning.
Followed by driving on the wrong side of the road down the Cotentin, stopping for breakfast and drinking coffee from a huge soup-bowl sized cup with real grounds floating on the top, and fresh croissants. Meanwhile half a dozen men propped up the zinc bar and knocked back brandies.
This was France and I was on my travels. |
Some Ancestors Top Row l to r. Great Grandma (a Gaelic Speaker); Dad's parents with me - Granny died when I was 7 but Granddad survived my Dad, the youngest of his four children and lived to 96. Mum,s Parents -he died two years before I was born. Grandma was a feisty lady; smoked cigarettes through a long holder, very practical and a great cook, a fine pianist and singer. In the days of silent movies she provided the piano accompanyment for films showing in Grandad's small chain of silent movie palaces.
Middle Row - Dad - served on the Somme in 1916 and in Gallipoli the following year. Mum about 1930 on holiday in Scotland. Dad's sister my favourite Aunt, an artist, botanist and champion high diver.Teacher of elocution (tried hard to rid me of a "Manchester accent") entertained wounded troops in local hospitals with recitals and humourous monologues. Aunt, friend and confidant. Dad's parents - my Grandparents - Engagement photo 1880.
Dad's older sister - my "famous Aunt" - Nurse, teacher and misionary in China 1913 -45. Interned by the Japanese for 4 years until 1945; Mum on honeymoon in north Wales May 1936, Dad's G/father(a Gaelic Speaker). Dad's brother my favourite Uncle. | | |
| | My Interests and Hobbies- not counting travelling! In no particular order -
Music - mainly classical and opera. Cardiff is a great centre for both and less than an hour away.
Theatre and Film. We have many excellent local theatres - Abergavenny, Brecon, Newport and of course in the Capital - Cardiff.
Reading - belong to a lively reading group which meets once a month.
Gardening. An all year occupation.
History and Family history research.
Not only fascinating but has put me in touch with distant cousins on other continents as well as in the UK.
Art and Museums.
Castles, stately homes and cottages..
Food and cooking.
Nature and wildlife
Local Community concerns
and
Anything else I can find time for. |
How our garden grew. Slowly with lots of hard work,
Little forward planning,
Lots of mistakes and changes,
Barrels of fun and laughter,
Many rewards and oodles of pleasure.
Rough hands
And a bit of back ache. | | |
| | On the Blorenge All our family and other and visitors, enjoy a visit to the top of the Blorenge which we see from our windows. At the top a walk around Keeper's Pond is a must. This is real Alexander Cordell country and here one of oor American relatives, a fan of all his books and parrticularly Rape of the Fair Country, enjoys the scenery from the top looking towards our home. |
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 Comments for ranger49 | | | | |
BruceDunning Thu Nov 5, 2009 20:41 UTC
Have a wonderful birthday and one to remember well. Have fun | nickandchris Thu Nov 5, 2009 08:58 UTC
Hi Barbara, thanks for visiting Mungrisdale. Such a beautiful area.... The pub was serving an interesting menu (although we didn't eat there, plenty of supplies in the van)and we enjoyed a drink in the garden, at the end of October!!! | Yaqui Tue Nov 3, 2009 03:50 UTC
Howdy Barbara, thank you kindly for visiting my Buttonwillow page. It's a lovely little community! I had fun exploring it! Have a lovely day! | Greggor58 Tue Nov 3, 2009 01:34 UTC
Hello Barbara....Thanks for the "heads up"...youre weathering the storm alright?I hope all is well over there!! |
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