Norwich Cathedral Refectory restaurant and cafe. Meeting up with Auntie Janie Hampton to go the flower festival at the cathedral. Cousin Sang (Auntie
Rachel Bradby son) works at the Refectory and just happened to have his lunch break so we joined him and had a cup of coffee. Robert also turned up as his chess buddy was late for his chess match across the road. The refectory floats on the side of cathedral.
Jubilee weekend and Janie is wearing her jack pants and clothes. Standing as a guard of honor in the enclosed green
labyrinth of the cathedral.
If you are wondering what my twitching Uncle gets up to on the internet everyday. About half way down the spire there is a bird box attached with
nesting Peregrines. They are captured on a web cam so the world can spot them, as they grow up and fly the nest.
Very nice children's fashion drawings of bishops costumes.
Here is an arrangement at Norwich flower festival inside Norwich cathedral done by my mother Marian's flower club. This arrangement is in memory of Henry Blogg. No not the founder of blogs on the internet, he was a famous life boatman who first went out to sea to save people from drowning in 1894. He saved lots of people and everyone in crab fishing Cromer adores Henry and will never forget him. Henry Blogg has a
museum in Cromer dedicated to him.
Look up! The ceiling of Norwich Cathedral, which is so high up no one can see the detail of the sculptures up there. Apart from volunteers that wonder around with photo albums under there arms and the history of the building bursting from their minds.
A very well painted baby.
A mablelous lady looking down.
One of Granny Verily's last visits to Norwich cathedral was the unveiling of a plaque for cousin Joseph Thomas Fowell Buxton born 1786-1845 in castle Hedingham, Essex. He had a social conscious and freed the slaves. Making friends with the Gurneys of Norwich then joined the Quakers meetings and began a life of do gooding. Starting with the distressed weavers in Spitalfield in London, raised £43,369, to improve there conditions by giving a speech. He helped out Elizabeth Fry with Prison reform and reduced the number of capitol punishments. Joseph married Hannah Gurney in 1807 and moved into Northrepps Hall in Cromer. He worked tirelessly to abolish slavery having written detailed descriptions of there conditions and constantly explaining them, to the house of commons. I am sure Joseph Thomas Fowell Buxton would not approve of David Cameron's, 'Big society', in which Cameron makes money out of everyone being a volunteer. Joseph Thomas Fowell Buxton would think that everyone should be paid a wage, whatever their job is.
Wow! It's
Granny Verily Paget Aka Anderson's floral tribute. The Thetford arrangers have really captured the Verily we all knew. The children's rocking boat which she always had in the garden and was in the garden before she was born. Little plates of canapes is a symbol of her love of party's, hospitality, socialising, fun and fairies. Verily believed and always made every child believe, there were fairies living in tree stumps. At 80 years old she threw a fairies ball and dressed in purple and yellow ball gown. At 90 years old her party was of a Spanish theme with all female performers. Her daughter Janie performed a monologue of Verily's best friend Joyce Grenfell. I took along fantastic flamenco guitarist Caroline Martin and good looking young actor Andy for Verily to dance with, Verily threw caution to the wind and danced with everyone that night. Verily lived to 95. Her last party was at cousin Pam Gurneys birthday garden party where Verily sang Happy
birthday like she was bellows of Norwich Cathedral organ, letting people hear for miles around. 2 weeks later, the morning after finishing editing her last book, the history of
Herstmonceux Castle, where her father Francis Rosslyn Courtenay
Bruce was once a Vicar, Verily passed away in her sleep in 2010.
Pink roses were Verily's favourite flower, which grew climbing up her traditional Norfolk Flintstones garden wall, Verily was not keen on having a conventional English garden instead she had a wild English woods.
The campfire which Janie is pointing at made of twigs on the floor is a flame of light for her love of the Brownies. Verily was a Chief Brown Owl in many parts of England. She wrote many Brownie books and was always keen on adventures and camping. Verily having many children and grandchildren they were her source of story's for nearly all her books. Verily lived in Northrepps where she wrote "Northrepp's Grandchildren" a history book, which is placed on the floor, by the roses.
Janie pointing Joseph Buxton plague surrounded by Verily's flower arrangement.
Janie and I having our photo taken by a Verily voyeur at the festival.
I walked Janie to Norwich train station through Norwich cathedral grounds and we came across, a Girl guide tearooms in the Pulls ferry historic icon building by the river. The 1st Thorpe St. Andrews Brownies were taking there hospitality badge and started serving us tea and cake on hand embroidered table clothes. It was like stepping into Verily's past for a moment. Even the curtains were her sort of design she would have liked. A very emotional moment. We chatted to Brown Owl Sarah Brock, about her amazing Brownie pack and Janie's book,
"How the Girl guides won the war".
Here the escape route out the window is a rope with knots, strapped to the side of the building. The home-made cakes on the table and a Norwich Girl guide flag on the wall.
