Five on a Friday in August

 Five random things to ponder upon on a Friday.

The Marigolds in the jug were taken out of the greenhouse where they had been companion plants for the tomatoes.  I love their bright colour but I had a feeling that they weren't seen as joyful flowers so I looked them up in the language of flowers.  Apparently in Victorian England they were seen as flowers of grief or despair, oh dear - but in Hindu and Mexican cultures they represent the warmth of the sun (well we certainly have that) positive energy and creativity.  I'll go with that one.

On a recent visit to a stately home (of which more later) we found this unusual monument in the nearby churchyard.  I've tried to find out more about it but with little success.  It is covered in moss which was bright green in the sunlight.  It was under a tree near a wall and was quite small.  Is it a child's grave?  It also looks a bit like an 18th century clergyman's collar with his two preaching bands at the neck,  or am I dreaming? Does anyone have any ideas?  

I've been enjoying reading in the afternoons or late evenings.  The Museum of Second Chances by Jo Leevers I enjoyed very much.  I've taken another book out of the library written by her and hope it will be as good.  The Burning Tide by William Shaw is also from the library.  It's the second of his Eden Driscoll series set in Teignmouth in Devon and I've just started reading it. Memories of childhood holidays in Teignmouth and Shaldon drifting through my mind when the author mentions certain places. A Year on the Fosse by Rick Thompson has been on my list for ages and I decided to treat myself to a copy.  The Fosse Way is a Roman road, 230 miles long that runs between Lincoln and Exmouth in Devon. We recently watched a tv documentary by Tom Fort called A303: Highway to the Sun in which he mentions the Fosse Way, seeing this reminded me of the book.  It was a programme we'd seen before but we enjoyed it a second time.  The Hawk is Dead by Peter James is a DCI Roy Grace novel, the derailing of the royal train just outside Brighton takes the detective up to London and into the very highest echelons searching for clues. 

Two of our Heritage pottery attractions are closing or have been closed for filming.  The Gladstone Pottery Museum will be closing soon for filming of The Great Pottery Throwdown which I always enjoy watching.  

Middleport Pottery  was closed for a few days last month for the filming of a new series called The Cadburys.  I assume about the chocolate manufacturers.  I know that another Birmingham set series, Peaky Blinders, has done some filming there once or twice.

As well as reading I've been pottering with family history.  I recently found out that an ancestor was a Chelsea pensioner.  

Thomas Parker served with the 3rd regiment of foot guards from 1798 to 1820 before being discharged after suffering a head wound whilst in Holland.   As this was during the time of the Napoleonic Wars I'm intrigued to find out more.

All for now.

A Bit of Family History

 I've been taking advantage of the free access to the 1921 census offered by Find My Past over last weekend.  I'd already paid for the copies of returns for both my sets of grandparents and found my parents listed along with some of their brothers and sisters.  This time I was looking for great grandparents.  On my father's side three of the four great grandparents were still alive.  On my mother's side all four were no longer alive.  Three of those great grandparents are buried in the same cemetry as my maternal grandparents and my father.  My mother is buried with my step-father in a nearby village churchyard.

I've also found my father's elder sister Millicent Mabel (always known as Millie) on the 1921 census.  She was in service with a retired land agent and his wife.  Edwin Henry and Emily Ada Story lived at  Brownhill House in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire.  Millie was one of three girls working for them and they were cook, housemaid and under housemaid.  There was also a butler called William Lionel Graves and he came from Tewksbury in Gloucestershire.  Two of the girls were from Upper Midway near Burton-on-Trent and one of them was my Granny's younger sister Clara so an aunt to Millie.  The other girl, had the wonderful name of Eveline Modwina Staley and she came from Ashby-de-la-Zouche, Leicestershire.

All this is quite fascinating, probably only to me but I'm enjoying myself with family history again.  

Granny Rose

 For years I've wanted to do something about my father's grave as it was rapidly deteriorating.  It had been there since 1955, although the stone surround was added by my Granny Rose in 1961.  I applied to the local council and was recommened a memorial stonemason and then had to apply to take over the management of the grave from my Granny who'd died in 1963.  It entailed a visit to a solicitor to get a witness signature. 

My father, middle back, his cousin and uncle both called Tom and a couple of pals.

 All done quite quickly and the replacement stone is now in place.  I've been sent photos but have yet to go and see it.