Saturday in Oxfordshire

Kevin sent me this photo taken last Saturday in the Northern Hemisphere. With the exception of Jack W. who lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA, Frank's mother's great grandchildren all gathered at her grand daughter Helen's place in Banbury.

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The Roll Call is below!

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Helen's Kids - (L to R). 1 - Thomas, 2 - Sophie and 4 - Cerys.

Dan's Kids - (L to R.) 3 - Emily and 8 - Jack F. (drove down from Sheffield)

Ian's Kids - (L to R.) 5 - Imogen, 6 - Superman Ethan, and 7 - Daniel Frank (Kiwis)

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They had a great time catching up, and now the Kiwi Wroes are in Bristol, then they are off to Ireland to visit Sarah's family.

Geneology - present and 7 generations prior

Well, tracing back my family's geneology has totally involved me, - just incredible when you are in a country so young, which has been basically built on "convict" stock, and others who wanted a start a life in our rather wild large island - loads of avenues to research!

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However, some really recent family things - away from this computer -have been happening as well. Last Saturday, Sue and Ash's twins, celebrated their 18th birthday, think it was their 3rd night's celebration in a row - this party was for the extended "family"!! A delightful evening - as usual.

The Twins - Alex, Maddie and Uncle Steve

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As I have said, and my spreading body will prove, I have been stuck to the computer, trying to get as much information as I can about this family I am in. Yes, my Mum did a pile of work years ago, and that is helping us so much, but of course I want more and more information!!!!!.

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During this search, I contacted last Wednesday, a Voluntary History Research Organisation to request information on a relo - 6 generations ago. Today I get a reply from this researcher to say that she and I are "rather" distantly related. My great great great grandmother, and her great, great, great grandfather are sister and brother. Their Dad was a "political" convict (a catholic) from Monoghan in Ireland, no "charge" was ever found, and eventually he was given a very nice section of land (1825) - 40 acres - in Kurrajong on the outskirts of Sydney, which he left to his kids - the researcher's relo, and mine!!. To think I had only tracked down the grave and headstone of this "political irish boy" last Thursday. He was so young when shipped across the sea on the convict ship "Rolla" which left Cork on 4th November, 1802 and sailed into Rio on 15th January, sailed from Rio on 6th February and 95 days after came to anchor in Port Jackson 12th May 1803. (The Sydney Gazette reported) " During the latter part of the passage the Rolla experienced much bad weather, in the course of which she sprung her main mast and carried away her main yard - she arrived in Port Jackson 189 days after leaving Cork, with prisoners of both sexes from Ireland - 119 men and 37 women, 7 of whom died on passage."

The headstone of my Great, Great, Great, Great Grandfather at the St.Matthews Catholic Cemetery in Windsor, NSW.

Last day in Amalfi - then Rome

We woke up to another great day, our last in Amalfi. After a leisurely breakfast we strolled into town.

This morning was perfect for exploring the magnificent Amalfi Cathedral

Not too many humans sitting on those numerous stairs climbing to the Cathedral today

It is a magnificent 9th Century structure

fronted by a rich 13th Century facade

It's characteristic Bell Tower (1180-1276) is decorated in the Moorish style with polychrome majolica tiles.

The Bronze doors - they were brought by Constantinople as a gift from a noble amalphitian who had them made by a certain Simone from Syria, around the year 1060. The St. Andrea Cathedral

The Cloister of Paradise

The ancient cemetery for the noblemen of Amalfi, built between 1266 and 1268

interlaced arches, supported by 120 slender column in the Moorish style Along the side of the Cloister is the ancient Byzantine pulpit of the Cathedral (1174-1202)

and small fresco arches from tiny adjoining chapels (1100's)

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Our last Amalfian mussel pasta - wonderful - you can really taste the sea in this pasta. Back to our room, to pack for Rome

and "toast" that view

On our last evening in Amalfi!!!!

Off to England and Ireland

Well, today is the big "take-off" day for the Kiwi Wroes, they fly out of Auckland to Heathrow around midday - with a few hours stop in Singapore. Ian and Sarah will take the kids for a swim there and a general sticky beak around - Singapore Airport has all the necessary facilities to amuse little ones.

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Ethan is very excited, old enough to have a good understanding of this big event, plus this would be his 3rd flight of this length. and for Imogen, "Miss Christmas in June", this is her 2nd long flight, she did not enjoy her first one at all, but older now - many more things to amuse her.

Daniel Frank's first ever long flight - always seems to have a smile on his face - and for he and his parents and fellow passengers sake - how wonderful if that smile stayed there in between sleeps en route.

I sent over some flight packs for them, baby toothbrush and toothpaste, eyecovers, socks, and boiled candy for take off and landing - hope Air Singapore don't mind the little Emirates flight packs these kids will have!

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Frank's brother, Pete and his wife are kindly housing them in Banbury, and Frank's Sister, Husband and co. will drive from Sheffield and catch up with them there. Then they are off to Bristol to sort out their Apartment for sale, and finish their trip off in Northern Ireland, to get some good time with Sarah's Dad and his wife, brother, sister in law and 4 young cousins. After that, time with Sarah's Mum and husband Noel, who have just moved into their newly built large Irish Farmhouse near Coleraine, which should be loads of fun. They will hopefully catch up with their great grandmother and maybe their great aunt in Coleraine as well. After 6 weeks, back on that plane, 18 hour stop in Singapore and home to Auckland. HAPPY FLIGHTS AND HAVE FUN EVERYONE.

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Richfield Baseball Tournament - St. Paul, MN, USA

Jack Wroe was part of this winning team at Richfield, Ice Hockey in Winter and Baseball in Summer - loves that bat and ball!

The Whales are back - north and south

Great news today, the Whales (Humpback) are working their way north, and came into the Gold Coast to play for long periods of time yesterday.

I will never forget the wonderful experience we had in August last year 3 hours north of here in Hervey Bay - those huge wonderful creatures would just not leave the bow of our boat - so superb!!.

I guess this took me back to our great trip in 2008 over the Nullabor to Western Australia to hunt down their wildflowers, and the lazy whale - the Southern Right Whale. Travelled with the caravan, stopped across the Nullabor, where at least 60 Mum's were nursing their babes in the Great Australian Bight. The Mum's grow to about 18.5 metres and weigh up to 80 tonnes! They are called the "Lazy Whale" as they don't venture north past the south of Australia, N.Z. Argentina and South Africa.We also did a flight from the Nullabor Roadhouse in a tiny 4 seater rather ancient plane (Kiwi pilot) to get a good look from the sky as well. We continued to follow the Whales and of course the wildflowers as we wandered around southern Western Australia.

On the way back from Albany we decided to leave the van in Bremer Bay and 4WD into Fitzgerald River National Park - our goal was to reach Pt. Ann.

The road had piles of corrugations -

so we bumped and throttled along with a sudden skid to a quick halt on the gravel

for each wildflower the human GPS navigator spied the State's pretty bells wild spider orchids and the wild Iris in sandy soil.

We reach Pt. Ann

and there they were - those black marks in the sea the Great Right Whale cruising and showing her huge nose below

and unusually for a Right Whale (they are shy compared to the Humpback) - a quick tail whip!

and we then found a deserted beach except for more wonderful whales - those dark figures cruising along

I scrambled onto the beach

and they were playing so close to the shore

and then they surfed the waves - couldn't believe it!

Think it was Mum, teenager and new bub - cropped the photo to see.

National Geographic estimated in 2008 that the world population of Great Right Whales was around 10,000, a good improvement on previous population results.

A day at the Races

We have been home from Italy for just over 2 weeks now, a tad of jet lag, and a couple of after flight sniffles, but apart from that eveything is back on track. Weather here has been up and down still - not sure about Queensland's nickname - the "Sunshine State" right now!! We have had a drinks and nibbles "thank you" evening with our neighbours, the boys loved their Limoncello - great time with them as usual. Have managed a couple of walks at Burleigh and necessary hair cuts, lunch here with the Marsh's,and last Wednesday,Gail, Auntie Beryl and I started working on our family's geneology. Mum had done so much of it at Somerset House in London in the late 70's, but we have decided to do more, and we are now on our Maternal Grandfather's side back as far as our Great, great, great, great, great Grandfather and Grandmother - so we are now starting a search in Froxfield Parish, Wiltshire, and Hungerford in Berkshire. This little venture will continue over here on Friday. Auntie is going to sort out some of the very old photos we have. Gail and Steve have spent some time while we were away checking out some of the mentioned graveyards in towns in NSW, and we will continue this in October on our way down to the Snowy Mountains. Nal and Ross have also done some checking., so we will get there!!. Today the sun was shining, and it was our Race Day, organised as a Charity event for the School Sue and Ash's twins and Lachlan go to. Sue, our great organiser, below.

We were in the Paradise room, right above the show and finish line area

Sue and Ash below

Gail, Steve and I

Who knows what he said?

Auntie Beryl, daughter Gail and Steve studying the race guides

prior to checking out their pre-race form (as if any of us would know!)

A race

A winner - don't know which one!

Looks like a few happy punters here ($1 each way - top bet)

Auntie, Sharon (Sue's friend) and Sue back out watching those next contestants parade,

Well this Number 2 below actually won us a little money ($10), our 2 before this had come in last - Miss Napoli (Italy) and Magestic Sound (the Cathedral's bells in Amalfi) our reasons for choice. This time we went for a Kiwi influence in our name choice - Mount Ruapehu.

Gail and Steve are very happy, they have just won the top raffle prize, a $550 Portrait Photo option - they'll save this up till the kids and their kids are up here over the Christmas holiday period. Their son and his wife are having twins (girl and boy) at end of July - so great excitement there - and his tie is now off!!. Steve is wearing a blue and white check ribbon, in remembrance of a young policeman who was basically murdered by a group of robbers on the Gold Coast last week. Steve is a retired Policeman.

Sue's hat is on the rounds of the table again!

Better on Gail

The Brig gave me a tough time "avec chapeau"!

Yes, he was right, not that hot "sur ma tete"!

We also won a couple of raffles, a rice cooker, and 18 holes on a local Golfcourse. ***** Another lovely family day