Sunday, August 31, 2014

A Quiet Last Day . . .

The Back-Yard Garden of
Bob Crick's 300-year-old home.
August 31, 2014 -- Today was a quiet last day in England. After an early-morning get-together for coffee and making some plans for the day, we made our way to visit Roger's good friend Bob Crick. Bob is an 85-year-old retired "school master" who lives in Minchinhampton. His home is two-homes joined together, and are 300-years-old. There is a basement as well. Originally, the home was a "brewery". The construction is stone, wood and plaster -- and is "s-o-l-i-d"! After a tour of his home, we enjoyed coffee and snacks in his back-yard garden. We talked of language, bird-watching, flowers and gardening. Bob is an interesting and intelligent individual who is very much "English"! We enjoyed every minute.

More of Bob's Garden.
Helen, Linda and I walked the village of Minchinhampton as Helen pointed out various points-of-interest. The narrow streets were quiet as it was Sunday  We saw the beautiful church, primary school and library. The "market square" is the site of a World War I War Memorial and lists those who gave their lives in the conflict.

Bob Crick, the Ole' Schoolmaster!
Later, and early in the afternoon, Roger took us on a car tour of Gloucester and the surrounding villages. As we drove over the ridges of the nearby hills, one could see "Wales" in the distance. The rolling hills, villages, and churches were beautiful. It was a sunny and warm day which added to the pleasure of the drive.