Sisters, Aunts and Grand Kids

 Finally we drove back to our old favourite Arrowe Brook Farm.

You may see that I have returned to English spelling of some words. It’s my blog I can do what I want!

I hooked up with a Wirral art group

A fun day.

The return to Arrowe Brook and the Wirral was due to my Aunt Maud having passed away just before we flew in. Aunt Maud had a good run, reaching almost 97 before she slipped away at the care home she has been in for at least 10 years.

My sisters have been looking after her affairs all that time bless them.

I always remember her as a dainty lady and the leader of a dance school where both of my sisters learned tap and ballet. As a tiny kid in short pants I would go to their rehearsals for the annual Christmas show they would take part in. As I got a little older I would help out behind the curtains hauling in the scenery. Not that I did much hauling as I was probably 8 or 9 at the time, but I felt like I had helped out.

A spinster all her life, her house was always full of little trinkets, china ballerinas and music boxes. When they played the “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies” at her funeral the memory of the music boxes came rushing back.

We hooked up with Ken and Angie again for a trip to Liverpool for the celebration of the end of the Battle of the Atlantic. Fought between the German U Boats and the Allied convoys that crossed the North Atlantic during World War 2.

Big crowds

The famous "Ferry across the Mersey"

Hurricane, Lancaster and Spitfire

It was very crowded as there were Navy ships in for visits, Royal Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine exhibits. Historic military vehicles, helicopters, planes and seemingly endless soldiers, sailors and airmen showing off their hardware.

The highlight was a flyover by the Lancaster Spitfire and Hurricane of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. All very rare authentic WW2 aircraft and the Lancaster one of only 2 worldwide still flying.

I had some maintenance chores to do on the Motorhome and finally got the “Leisure” (house) battery to charge up. A hidden blown fuse was all that was stopping it.

We grabbed the chance to visit one of the historical places around Liverpool  - Speke Hall which dates to before 1066.

A genuine Tudor House

Lots of places in UK are said to predate 1066 and the reason is that William the Conqueror invaded England that year and after he had defeated the English he had a survey taken of everything in the country, The survey is known as “The Doomsday Book” and if a house is listed in it then naturally it has to predate 1066.

Most of these old houses have reverted to the government due to scandalously high estate taxes which forced the families to sell or have them seized by the government. There are a few “Trusts” who oversee the running of the properties, the main one being “The National Trust” who manage most of the big intact houses, and the other the “English Heritage” who seem to have all the ruins!

Speke Hall is English Heritage and we bought a membership which gets us in to all their properties free plus lets us park free where non members have to pay.

While we were around the Wirral we took the opportunity to grab our Grandkids and take them to a country fair in rural Cheshire. Much like a US County Fair with fairgrounds, animals, old cars etc.

Niail was having a Mohawk day!

They had a blast and so did we although I think we were more tired than they were at the end of the day.

Flying chairs

The "Twister"

Kaitlynd on trampoline

A model steam engine named aptly "Maud"

Vintage cars.

My sisters had reservations for “The Everly Brothers Story” at a local theater and we managed to get seats next to them, we all had dinner at a Turkish restaurant before the show (And it was excellent). All in all a very enjoyable evening.

Then it was time to move on again, but with my other Aunt Sheila’s celebration of life coming up in a few weeks we decided not to head for Cornwall just yet but instead to visit some more English Heritage sites in what is called “The Midlands”, which as the name implies are in the middle of England.

History is all around in UK from the town of Greasby near our home town which dates back to 8000 BC thru the Angles and Saxons, Romans, Vikings, William the Conquerer, Tudors, the English Civil Wars. Take your pick.

Next episode will be heavily into all that!

The National Boat Museum at Ellesmere Port.