7 December 2011 - A trip to Somerset begins (sounds so dramatic!)

And so the time finally came that I was able to visit the land and country in which my maternal grand mother was born and raised, and conclude the week by spending a night in the home in which she spent a good deal of her time growing up in. At the same time, I was treated to the wonderful hospitality of three of my mother's cousins, and so had a wonderful chance to get to know them a little and learn a little more about my family!

It all started with Aunt Pam dropping me off at Thatcham train station to catch a train bound for Taunton, Somerset, where I would jump off at Castle Cary Station and be met by Mum's one cousin, Rosie. I certainly did not time things well in terms of the traditional "holiday ailments", as I left here feeling a little as though I had something of Luke's cold, and it certainly did the full eruption during the course of the week, and has continued into this week - so, that could have been timed better!

I was sitting in a carriage on the train that was meant to be the "quiet" coach. Aunt Pam had nipped into the shop and bought me lunch which she thrust into my hands before I left to catch the train (thanks again Aunt Pam!), and so I was a little cautious about unwrapping the feast aboard the carriage - what for?

No worries that each window had on it a sign stating that this was the "quiet carriage", there was a woman aboard, in the company of two men, who spent my entire trip regaling tales of her office party - and I have to confess I was not too sure that the effects of the night before's drinks had not still lingered with her and so she carried on regardless of the "shhhs" that were spat in her direction.

I tried to get my head around the fact that I would indeed be spending time in my grandmother's area with cousins of my mother. I am not quite sure what I expected of the trip down, but there was definitely a feeling in me that I ought to be kind of absorbing the atmosphere of the environment and in some way or another become enveloped in the spirit of my grandmother. Nothing quite as mystical happened, and so it meant that I finally arrived at the station, alighted and cast around for another person looking for someone whom they were not sure of.

Rosie and I "recognised" one another quickly, and it was then a case of carrying the bags over the railway bridge and to her car, where I was greeted by her two pups (one 11 years of age and one just on a year). Then into the car, and chatting away we made our way into what for me was uncharted territory and all a surprise.

As we travelled over a particular area, Rosie informed me that we were now travelling over what is called "The Levels" - areas of land that at one stage (and I could not work out how far back this went, but suspect that it was something like people often say about the Karoo in South Africa) that was once all sea, but now with time land had emerged - and despite it basically being peat and wet, it was land. There were odd abodes built on these levels, but Rosie did assure me that they were built above a certain flood line, as the water table could rise and the area could become quite water-filled. Next thing I knew, Rosie announced that there was Glastonbury - and suddenly there was another aspect of my interest peaked.

This was the land of the Arthurian legend, something I have always been rather fascinated by, and so, in many ways, this was a rather surprising turn of events for me - but also a wonderful surprise!

The first stop was a tithing barn.

Okay, so I know and knew what "tithing" was all about, and I know (quite obviously) what a barn is - but the two together - that was a new one on me. Rosie then explained that in days of yore, this was something that was used for people in order to carry out their tithing to the church - one tenth of their produce (people being agriculturally-minded) would be placed in the barn and thus the tithe would be contributed to the church. Well, new one on me - and there you have it. Rather gorgeous old place, next to which is a museum of a time a little lost in terms of our modern lifestyle - the only hassle - it is that time of the year when people do not normally come to the UK, and so, like a number of other places of interest, it was closed!

Right there though, was another piece of natural history about which I knew nothing - and that was the whole concept of willow-weaving. Later in the week Pat took me to a place where that showed me more of this craft, but here I now had the chance to see something that I had seen just the week before on a TV show that Kirstie Ally is doing, and that is willow weaving.

The whole structure that you see below the tithing barn is made by weaving willow branches - here is it used to create both a fence of sorts and, as you can see in the next pic, the curved section jutting out to the left here actually has a seat in it.

See Mum - there is a pic of me!!!

I believe that Glastonbury is also a place where there is quite a music festival held each year - another thing of which I was blissfully unaware - and from what I can gather it is a festival that at times can be regarded as somewhat bohemian. Well, there you have it - another thing learnt and to carry away with me from this trip.

It is also starting to get a little nippy here - although, I HAVE to confess I have been loving the weather here as it has been pretty mild in the main - and then I heard a radio announcement last week that this had been the second mildest autumn recorded in southern UK! So, I guess that would explain it - so much for Mum's panic about whether I would be warm enough! I am seriously doubting that I will even see snow in the UK!

Okay, that brief stop, and we then wove our way back to Rosie's lovely home, where once more I was treated to wonderfully warm hospitality. I discovered that the cousins had decided to "parcel me" as follows: Monday and Tuesday evening - Rosie; Wednesday evening - Pat; and Thursday and Friday evening - John and Shirley.

Rosie, like both Pat and John and Shirley, has a home that is upstairs/downstairs. My bedroom was upstairs in all three homes, and the view from my room at Rosie's was as you see in the pic below! Quite picturesque.

You can see a little of Rosie's front garden here and then in the background the house over the way. All very beautiful and very countrified! Those of you who are "gardening gurus" will notice that there are things flowering and doing things that they oughtn't be doing in autumn in the garden - and in fact there were a number of lovely fuchsias that Rosie had in pots and in her garden, still in beautiful and full bloom!

I was due to meet Pat that evening (Rosie I had met some time in the seventies - although both she and I have changed a little since then!) as she came and joined us for a lovely dinner.

And thus concluded the day - and as I have said, I am guessing that this will become a serialised version of my trip, although I know me, and know that I will need to try and ensure that I do this in something of a hurry, or the muse will leave - doesn't that sound all pretentious - think it must be time for me to return to "deepest, darkest Africa" so that I can become as normal as I ever will be!

Love to all!