We all know it’s a long flight to London, even longer when you have a 2 hour train journey prior to even arriving at the airport, so it’s very annoying when you start taxiing (finally leaving five hours since you left home) and everything comes to a grinding halt. Apparently one of the brakes failed and we had to return to the gate but as we had already cleared customs we had to stay in the plane. They jacked up the plane and busied about, only to discover something else was wrong that they had to replace. They gave out water and cheese and biscuits (but unfortunately couldn’t serve any alcohol) and I felt for all the poor parents of little babies who had all their best laid plans of feeding times etc thrown out of the window! 3.5 hours later we took off – a great start to what was already a long journey! Once I got to London I had to whizz across town to Paddington to catch a train to Wales (another 2.5 hours) until I finally collapsed into the arms of my Mum and Sister waiting for me on the platform. Of course it was all worth it once I was with them but I always forget what a mammoth journey it is for me door to door until I actually do it again!
I had a few days to adjust before we headed off on our little side holiday to Jersey. I caught up with my lovely Niece, had some great food, walked every day with my sister and watched on rather horrified at an unexpected escalation of things in the Middle East. You feel a lot closer to everything in the northern hemisphere – our usual life “at the other end of the earth” seemingly elusive and very far away. Needless to say we adopted a very British attitude to the whole thing and decided the only way was to carry on as usual and enjoy our holiday together!
A quick 45 minute flight (on a rather scary small prop plane) took us from Bristol to Jersey in the Channel Islands – a small 9 x5 mile island located between Cornwall and France and sharing traits of both. Within an hour of landing we were settled into our beautiful Somerville Hotel and had made it onto the terrace for a late lunch of prawn sandwiches and French rosé in the sunshine – all overlooking the turquoise water of St Aubin harbour. Any thoughts of war and danger immediately disappeared as we soaked up the atmosphere and congratulated ourselves on making such a good decision to visit Jersey!
The hotel had an air of faded grandeur, from a gentler age and was positioned to capture the view mid way up a steep hill. Mum was a real trouper, stoically attacking the hill several times a day despite being nearly 89 and we thanked the powers that be every day for the little sandstone wall that we could perch on half way up until we got our breath back! The staff were so lovely – mostly from South Africa – and so smiley and friendly. Nothing was too hard and they somehow magically appeared just when you fancied a drink or needed some advice! Some guests just bunkered down with a book by the pool but we wanted to explore the island. This was made very easy by an amazing bus service. There were just 4 routes and they seemed to stop every 10 minutes or so to whisk you off to all the local sites. ‘Le petit train’ pootled along the pavement from St Aubin to the capital, St Hellier, with an accompanying audio telling us the history and folklore as we passed by. A plethora of restaurants, cafes and wine bars made eating out a dream and our days passed in a whirlwind of loveliness!
What had attracted me to Jersey was the fact one of Laurens very best friends from Hong Kong days came from Jersey and she had always talked so passionately about her upbringing there and she planted a seed with me to go there one day as it was so close to the UK. The Somerville Hotel was her suggestion and her delightful parents came and picked us up and drove us on a guided tour around the entire island. They were 4th generation Islanders and their stories were so interesting. Jersey was occupied during WW2 – the only part of Britain that was – so this is a big part of Jersey’s history and a fascinating visit to the war tunnels proved a great day out.
Nicky and Gerry showed us lots of the various structures used in the war and after our circumnavigation of the island we had a delicious seafood lunch under the watchful eye of Gorey Castle before returning to their beautiful home in La Rocque for a tour and some bubbles! They were very generous with their time and we very much appreciated their local input. I’m hoping they come out to Australia sometime so I can return the favour!
After visits to St Brelades Bay, La Corbiere with its lighthouse, shopping in St Hellier (Mum found her special emerald ring that she had been searching for) and walking Mum up hill and down dale our time in Jersey came to an end. Jersey definitely punches above it’s weight with beautiful sandy beaches, great food and warm weather all contributing to our wonderful time there. Happy chappies all round!
The second part of our time together was special in a different way. My Grandmother was killed in a car accident in 1940 when my Mum was just 4 and as you can imagine it caused a lot of sadness, chaos and upheaval for her (especially as it was in the war with all its additional unknowns) and she never remembers anyone really explaining it all to her. She was sent off to her Grandparents in Cornwall for a year or two and when she came back her Dad had met and married again so the subject was never really raised again. Over the years it niggled at Mum’s mind – wondering who she was and what had really happened that fateful night. Fast forward 84 years, my sister met a friend of a friend who was one of the investigators on the program ‘Who do you think you are’ – a program where genealogists investigate stories just like Mums. She agreed to privately look into Mum’s story and as a result at Christmas Sandy was able to present Mum with a beautifully curated history of her family tree and the story behind the accident all accompanied by the original various certificates authenticating the story. After 84 years she finally knew what had happened. As a result we decided to go on a trip down memory lane when I visited this year. A trip to London, where we followed the story from my Grandma’s Christening, to where Mum grew up and joined her Church Youth Group (who she is still in touch with today) to the pub where Dad had a drink of courage before marrying Mum and the church where they tied the knot and finally to the cemetery where Grandma’s ashes had been scattered all those years ago. SUCH an emotional day and a real sense of closure finally as we laid flowers accompanied by notes to our Mum/Grandma in the Garden of Remembrance. Needless to say there were tears and hugs all round, our Grandma is no longer forgotten and Mum finally has some answers and some peace in the wake of her loss. Best present ever Sandy xx
So our girls trip came to an end and so much fun had been had. From experiencing new horizons in Jersey to walking the local beach to playing games after dinner EVERYWHERE to catching up with family and FINDING family, we had the best couple of weeks together and I am so very grateful that I get to see them despite living so very far away…
Next year sees Mum celebrating her 90th in Australia! Cannot wait for the next adventure girls xxxx
My Move To The Meadow 