Saturday, June 26, 2010

I awoke at 4:27am, with daylight breaking through the window.  Mike got ready to go with Adam to pick up the rental at the car hire shop.  I didn't need to be ready til 7:30am, so I drifted in and out of sleep, finally rising around 5:30am to ready myself for this adventurous day ahead.  We left the hotel at 7:45am and headed on foot to the cafe on High Street to get a quick breakfast of eggs and toast.  


After the meal we returned to the hotel to get the car and drive on to Ipswich, the city we would pass through on our way to little village of Holbrook.  We snapped photos while loading into the car and waited on Mike who had gone back to the room for some car supplies.

Adam proved to be a good driver.  He managed to keep on the left side of the road, and even handled the "round-abouts" fairly well.  The round-abouts are the intersections over here.  There are not many true intersections, unless the road dead ends into another, such as High Street does with London Road.  Instead, they have circular intersections, and everyone "gives way" to the one on the right heading to those heading left.  A round-about may have 5 roads coming off of it.  You pull into it, going to the left (with the driver on the wrong side of the car), and continue going around the circle til you spot the street you desire, then you will move to the outer lane, and exit out of the round-about, with a left hand turn.  There are not right hand turns to be made at any round-about.  All things would come to a halt quickly if this were to take place.  So, Adam pulled us into our first round-about, and I closed my eyes as he moved around to the correct road, while Mike commented (stay to the left) as we exited.  Now breathing deeply, I opened my eyes and realized how very well he had handled that.  I could relax the rest of the way.


Derek is so good at driving round-abouts that he whips in the circle with other cars and is out before I can get the screams completely out of my mouth.  He has become a pro at zipping as the English do through these cross-streets.  Adam wasn't as practiced as Derek and took it much slower, but no damage was done, and no honking had occurred, so we were good.


Driving to Holbrook, from Brandon required us to pass by Bury St. Edmunds, on our way to Ipswich.  Viewing Bury from the 2 way carriage (4-lane highway), we could see the Abbey steeples.  As we neared Ipswich, it was decided that we needed a map for getting to Holbrook.  So we stopped a local gas station then headed out again.  

Now reading a map without locating where you are first is truly futile, but that seems to be what we did.  Mike and Adam located Ipswich on the area map.  Ipswich is one of the cities of Suffolk.  The area map did not provide street information, so we circled around the loop of Ipswich at least 5 times.  It was as if we were stuck in the movie with Chevy Chase - European Vacation.  We saw the same roads over and over, as we kept taking the same exits over and over. 

Finally, I discovered by looking to Holbrook area and tracing it back to Ipswich that the road we needed to be looking for was A137.  Locating this sign, we circled round the round-about to this A137, and then quickly came to our next turn, B1106, to Holbrook. 

Once on the right road, it was evident we were going to the southern coast of Suffolk.  We stopped and took pics on the beach as many boats sailed in the waters behind us.

















Next stop, Holbrook, Suffolk.  Holbrook was a tiny town.  It had one main strip with various shops, a large church, and an orphanage for wayward children of sea-faring men (as told us by a local).  

As we toured the town, Adam spoke with several along the way asking of his ancestors.  Going in several shops, we purchased candies and postcards.   

Walking on down the road, we found the post office, and general market.  It was like Dollar General, only on a much smaller scale.  


Adam visited with a lady who owned a small tea shop.  She, as well as others, directed Adam to the one chapel/cathedral in town.  They were having an open house there today, a 1940's day, and people were exhibiting their wares from the 40's.  We could go to the chapel and possibly someone there would be able to tell more of the history of the town.  

Inside the chapel we found many exhibits and Adam talked with several towns people.  One man wanted to talk about the history of the town, but he only went back as far as the latest residents of the Holbrook Manor, which were not Holbrooks at all.  After talking with the Priest/Pastor of the church, he was able to find out that it was Richard de Holbrook who had built the chapel back in 1046.  We believe him to be an ancestor to Adam, though more evidence is needed to prove this out.  

We took more pics of the grounds and area, and found most everywhere we looked we found the name Holbrook.  

This was a great moment for Adam.  He had accomplished his desire while here in merry old England - to see the area where his ancestors had come from.  He was very pleased with his findings for this day.

 We stopped to eat lunch at the Compasses Inn, a local restaurant.  The meal was superb, as all our meals have been, except for the Chinese Take-away.  We found that even the place settings here had Holbrook on them.  


























Loading back in the car, we drove back through Ipswich, up toward Bury St. Edmunds, on into Brandon, then over to Lord's Walk to Derek's house.  He wasn't at home, but we quickly located him and headed with him back to the base to finish up our shopping, as this would be our last chance to get gift items from the base mini-mall.

Derek & Nelle posed for a pic while we shopped.  Then it was off to their home to have an evening of relaxation - video games, visiting, and holding precious Baby Drew.

Gwamma;s little Drew was looking more like a papoose every day!  




Derek & Nelle are really getting to know Drew, and he them.  His eating cycle is more recognizable, and his cries or screams are more defined as to wanting food, or needing diapering.  And they are figuring out how to handle him when he fights sleep.  Who would think a 1 week old would fight sleep?  But Drew does.  His eyes will be so tired, and he will not let himself fall asleep. He wants to be in the big middle of all going on.  


Nelle placed him on his tummy-time mat when he didn't want to sleep, and was so tired, and it wasn't long before he was out.  He loves his mat and the little pillow.  And I think he enjoys being on his tummy too.  

Just a side note about Drew:
Through out the week I observed that Drew had what I will call the "10-step wake up method" which includes certain stretches, digging in his eyes with his little clenched fist, grunts, groans, "Puffin" face, more stretches, one eye open, then closed again, then finally both eyes open again.  After a little more digging and stretching, he wakes ready to hae a meal.  So very precious.  Eyes bright and big he looks at you then begins to fuss as if to say, "You already know I want food."  So very much like his daddy.  And like Daddy, once he is fed he is a most pleasant charmer, with his big large eyes, and his mommy's sweet dimpled smile.  I love him so very much!  


The latter part of the evening Norma and I spent time with Nelle filling in the information in her "Little Pond" memory book.  We had a good time as we wrote information on both sides of the family.  Nelle thought back over the past week and recorded first reactions, visitors, and much more. These remembrances were very interesting to me.  




During this time it was decided that Norma would be called "Normita" by Baby Drew, Adam would be "Pappaw", Mike will go by "Papa", and I will be Gwamma (Grandma - it's all in the pronunciation).  

With the evening behind us, we headed off to Brandon to pack, and get ready for tomorrow morning - our last few hours in England.  So at midnight, I retire til tomorrow.