Lavenham...a medieval wood house town

How charming! Looks like a movie set!

After leaving Hawstead we drove further south and expored a very old English town called Lavenham.  The houses are from medieval times built with timber and stone. All of the houses pictured are still occupied by business or families. As Terry says, "They are all higgedly piggilty". Some look as if they would fall down!!  It is a very pretty place to see.

Lunch at "Tickled Pink"



Dining in the "Tickled Pink" tearoom.



Wednesday...Steeped in History.

 Wednesday we had a leisurely breakfast and left the house around 10AM.  The objective of today was to explore the historical home of George Bugg's father, Charles. This would be Terry and Peter's great grandfather.  We knew he lived in Hawstead so that was our first stop. So exciting to drive into the town and see the little signposts.  As we drove further on we found the old school house. Peter went up to the gate to talk to the owner, Clive.  He was so nice and knowledgeable about the area.  He pointed us to the church and the location of Charles Bugg's address on the 1891 census.  We visited the little church but found no records kept there. So Anne has the phone number to call and investigate further.  We then drove to where the Bugg's lived on the census form. It is listed simply as "The Green".  Our friend Clive, from the school, explained that they would have lived in the almshouse there because there was no more estate cottages and they would not have been able to buy or rent a house. From 1891 to the 1901 census the Bugg family had moved from Hawstead to Hardwick.....the same estate Clive told us.  So we assume they may have moved into estate worker houses. We do not have this census form yet.  We found "The Green". It is a large grassy area surroiunded by a stream, fields and some houses.  There are only about 133 houses in Hawstead so it is still rural and beautiful.  Peter and Terry searched for the footings of the houses that still exist across from The Green. They found some stone and bricks but there is no way for us to know for sure. Our next step is to get an ordinance survey may to show the exact location of the houses. It was an exciting and emotional trip for the cousins.

Old Church



Brick footings



Facing "The Green"



Schoolhouse

.Getting to Know the Queen Better!

 

Tuesday Terry and Anne took us to Sandringham, the Queen's private family home. It is near the coastline of the North Sea set in a beautiful area of forests, ponds, and rhododendrons. The house is actually more like a palace. We were able to tour through their private rooms on the first floor and speak to the guides about the royals life in the house. The house is closed November through February and parts of July when the queen is in residence. The rest of the time it is open to the public.  In the stables we saw many cars used by the family over the years as well. It was a terrific sightseeing trip.

Home sweet home

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Anne ready to drive!



The Royal Golf Cart!



Cousins....smile!!



Even the lightposts have the Royal crest on it.



After leaving Sandringham Terry took us 6 miles further north to the coast on the North Sea. Now we felt familiar territory in a harbor town called Wells Next the Sea. Unfortunately many of the little shops were closed for a half day on Tuesday. Terry tried to find fresh crab to bring home but they were all closed. So on the way back we stopped off in a lovely little town and had dinner at a coach hotel.

Camera looking over the North Sea

We felt right at home among the boats.

Main street south

Main street north



Choices....choices.....choices!



The Buggs meet the Buggs...Again

Monday morning we left Derby around 8AM and followed Pat's Google directions and the GPS exactly. We did not make 1 wrong turn and arrived in Lakenheath, Suffolk by 11:15AM. Ann Bugg was home waiting for us with the welcome of the world.  We immediately felt at home and in the presence of family.  Just knew we clicked last May when we met (for the first time) in Bury St Edmund's.  Peter and Terry Bugg share the same grandfather, George Bugg.  After our meeting last year Ann and Terry began the process of organizing a Bugg family reunion.



Front




Terry's beautiful back garden.



Conservatory



What a gardener!























After Terry arrived home from work in the early afternoon we got papers and information out and had a great time reminiscing about family and what each person remembered and discovered through family research. 



Looking through the Bugg family bible.





Going over the family tree.



In the evening Emma arrived after her work day and we all went out for proper British fish and chips in Brandon.  This is the town that their grandfather, George Bugg, lived and worked and died.  More family history later.  After dinner we returned back home for Victoria sponge dessert.  What a great day to get to know our extended family better!!!





Sunday at Hardwick Hall

Hardwick Hall is in Chesterfield, Derbyshire and was built in 1590 by Bess of Hardwick. She was the second wealthiest woman next to the queen at the time. She was a very independent woman for her time, inviting royalty and important people to the house for lavish gatherings. The house is basically unchanged from the time it was built.



The Ole Boys!

After we toured the house we went into the back field to a food fair and sampled all sorts of jellies, chutney, breads, and candies then had lunch and an ice cream. It was a wonderful last day with Pat and Lynn. In the evening Lynn had to do her school work while Pat fiddled with Google Earth directions and we watched a movie about King Arthur.  Pat's directions were very detailed but perfect!! They were perfect company for the weekend and we thank them very much!  See you in Florida in August

A Busy Day in Derby

Today while Lynn was at her hairdressing appointment we went to an indoor mall with Pat to walk around the shops. Peter bought some really nice shirts, one of them being his first with the color pink!!

When Lynn was done we went to the Royal Derby China facility. They have been making fine china for many years and were one commissioned to make dining sets for the Titanic. We walked through an exhibition depicting artifacts and recreations of life aboard the Titanic. Jane found out that the Titanic left Southhanmpton, UK, and made stops in France and Queenstown, Ireland before crossing the Atlantic. It left Ireland April 12, 1912. This date is significant because her grandfather immigrated to Ireland in April of 1912. Thank goodness he was not aboard the Titanic!  It was a fascinating tour and we left buying another little china bird to join the one Lynn & Pat gave us one when they visited a few years ago.

Kate Winslet'ws dress from the movie

Recreation of first class suite



Royal Derby china for Titanic's first class dining



Petere, Steven, Pat



After lunch Steven Wilkins and his wife Wendy arrived from Wales. Steven was also a Blackrock schoolmate of Peter and Pat who we met at the school reunion in 2007. Steven is responsible for reconnecting Peter with his cousin, Terry Bugg. He had met Ann Bugg while on business in Bury St Edmunds and made it possible through phone calls to Ann for us to meet them last year on our UK trip. It was that meeting that began the Bugg family reunion process. 

We drove to Atwell to see the "well dressing". This is an annual event which has groups decorating well locations with pictures created from natural items like stones, flower petals, vegetables, twigs, etc. They are really beautiful to see.

 

After our little trip to Atwell we had dinner together and then said our goodbyes. It was so nice to see Steven and meet Wendy. We are forever grateful to Steven for his insight in reconnecting Peter's family.