Category: United Kingdom

Posted on

West Midlands Wrap-Up

The purpose of this post is to give you a wrap-up of our West Midlands adventures. I have to apologize for my absence over the past week and a half. On the second to last day of our vacation, I suffered a fall in Dublin. My glasses broke and cut my forehead, and I fractured the radial head of my left arm. Fortunately, I did not have to seek care overseas. I just need to keep it in a sling for a few weeks. It hurts like crazy though, especially with certain movements, so typing is not real comfortable. I’m going to try to post an installment each day until I get caught up on our whole trip.

Further Travels in the West Midlands

This post will cover the rest of our stay in the West Midlands with my family. I previously posted on our visit to Ludlow Castle. On that same day, we visited Croft Castle. Unlike Ludlow, which is in ruins, Croft is still occupied! The first floor and part of the second were open to the public, as well as the little church and the gardens. I greatly enjoyed its beauty and history!

Approaching Croft Castle in the UK with my son Seth in the foreground.
Approaching Croft Castle in the UK.
Beautiful gardens on the grounds of Croft Castle.
The amazing gardens at Croft Castle.

Dinner at the Salway Arms

After the castle we had dinner at a lovely place called the Salway Arms. Seth had roast pork with real life Yorkshire Pudding! The top picture shows  his dish with the Yorkshire Pudding on the upper left. I had pan-seared cod with a lovely white wine sauce. Most important was the wonderful company of Linda and David!

My son's meal at the Salway Arms, roast pork with Yorkshire pudding.
My son’s meal at the Salway Arms, roast pork with Yorkshire pudding.
My meal at the Salway Arms, pan-seared cod in a white wine sauce.
My meal, pan-seared cod with a white wine sauce.

The Black Country Living History Museum

On our last full day with Linda and David we enjoyed the Black Country Living History Museum. It is a lovely area that is like a little period village from the past. They have moved buildings there brick by brick! There have been many things filmed there, the most famous being Peaky Blinders. We also got to watch them make nails and links of chains by hand! The women of the area made nails in sheds behind their homes while many of the men (including some of our ancestors) forged chains. It was so incredibly interesting and educational!

One of the quaint streets at the Black Country Living History Museum in Dudley, UK.
One of the quaint streets at the Black Country History Museum.
An historical plaque describing a Backyard Chain Shop at the Black Country Living History Museum.
An historical plaque at the Black Country Living History Museum.
A man at the Black Country Living History Museum demonstrating how links of chain were forged.
A man demonstrating how links of chain were forged.
An old-fashioned fire truck at the Black Country Living History Museum.
An old-fashioned fire truck.

Canal Boat Tour

We also enjoyed an incredible canal boat tour which is part of the Living History Museum. It meandered through tunnels that used to be part of a limestone mine. It was fascinating!

Seth and I on the canal boat tour at the Black Country Living Hsitory Museum.
Seth and I getting ready to embark on our canal boat tour.
A mine shovel that serves as a memorial to all those who have died in the limestone mines in Dudley, UK.
A memorial to all of the people who have died in these mines.
A beautiful wall covered with vines, a part of the canal boat tour at the Black Country Living History Museum.
A beautiful wall covered with vines that was part of the canal boat tour.

Afterward we enjoyed the most delicious fish and chips I have ever tasted! Even better than those we had in London! The little shop did it all the old-fashioned way!

Fish and chips done the old-fashioned way at the Black Country Living History Museum.
The most delicious fish and chips ever!

West Midlands Wrap-Up

That evening we watched the Royal Wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle–Linda had recorded it for us to watch. I really enjoyed it, and couldn’t help wondering what those royals thought about that sermon! We also did FaceTime with a couple of our cousins from Yorkshire. I look forward to getting to meet them during my next trip!

One of my favorite pictures is this one of Seth with Ben, Linda and David’s black lab. They got on fabulously!

A picture of Seth with Linda and David's dog, Ben. They unfortunately lost Ben in July 2019.
A picture of Seth with Linda and David’s dog, Ben. They unfortunately lost Ben in July 2019.

So that wraps up the Midlands leg of our European trip. Tomorrow I plan to move on to London and Dublin! Arm permitting, I intend to write daily until the full trip is documented!

Posted on

More West Midlands Fun!

We had a lot of West Midlands fun when we spent two full days with my cousin Linda and her husband David! They were generous and gracious hosts and took us to see some marvelous sites, as well as places my ancestors lived and worked. In addition, they taught us so much about the area. For instance, did you know the anchor and anchor chain for the Titanic were both made in Netherton, W Midlands, UK? This is one of the towns of my ancestors, and some of them worked forging chains! This is a replica of the Titanic’s anchor!

A replica of the anchor from the Titanic, forged in Netherton, UK.
A replica of the anchor from the Titanic, forged in Netherton, UK.

Places of Ancestral Interest

Some of the places of familial interest included the cemetery where Joseph Darby (the jumper from my last post) is buried and the church where my great-grandparents got married–Christ Church in Oldbury.

The headstone of my ancestor, Josiah Darby, who was a famous Victorian spring jumper, and who won a world championshiip!
Josiah Darby’s headstone
The church in England where my great-grandparents got married.
The Church where my great-grandparents got married!
Another view of the church where my great-grandparents got married.
Another view of the church.

Castles and History!

We also visited two castles–Ludlow and Croft. On the way to Ludlow we passed fields where sheep just roam free–no fences or anything! Some were marked with a colored stripe and this signified that they were pregnant. In the picture of the sheep you can see the hills of Wales in the distance. Ludlow castle was important in the defense against the “savage” Welshmen. Read more about it here. It is mostly ruins now, but an incredible piece of history.

Sheep just roaming the countryside on our way up to Ludlow Castle.
Sheep just roaming the countryside on our way up to Ludlow Castle.
The ruins of Ludlow Castle, with my cousin Linda in the lower left!
The ruins of Ludlow Castle, with my cousin Linda in the lower left!
More ruins of Ludlow Castle, which was important in the history of the British vs. the Welsh.
More Ludlow ruins.

The town of Ludlow is rich in Tudor architecture which I love!! I took way too many pictures but will share a couple.

Examples of Tudor architecture in Ludlow, UK.
The Tudor architecture in Ludlow, UK.
Other examples of Tudor architecture in Ludlow, UK.
Further examples of the Tudor architecture in Ludlow, UK.

Well, I have gone on for too long tonight! I will cover Croft Castle, our foodie adventures, and the Black Country Living History Museum tomorrow! I will share even more West Midlands fun! Thanks for following our trip! I can’t believe that we will be coming home on  Sunday! But do not fret! I will continue posting since I have to cover our London and Dublin legs of the trip!

Posted on

Skipping Ahead

I have had so much fun hanging out with my British cousins that I haven’t posted since I have been here in the beautiful West Midlands of the U.K. I appreciate the hospitality of my cousin Linda and her husband David. They have been generous and courteous hosts and have introduced us to many extended family members, as well as shown us places our ancestors lived, worked and married! We also got to see castles and museums and sheep just roaming around! There is even a statue and museum display honoring my great-great uncle who was a world famous Spring jumper in the late 1800’s!

On the first night we had a dinner with several of Linda’s extended family at a quaint and delicious pub called The Barnt Green Inn. Meeting everyone was lovely, the food was amazing and our server was so much fun! He was from Portugal and getting ready to return there next week.

Seth got a ginger carrot soup as a starter then finished with lamb shops over a pea and potato mash. I had pork belly with scallops over a squash purée. Some of the party got a cool chocolate dessert called a Chocolate Bomb where there is ice cream inside a chocolate ball. The server pours hot chocolate syrup over the chocolate ball and it melts dramatically! It was fun to watch!

Well, we are getting ready to leave for the airport for our flight to Dublin. I will add more Midlands later then try to catch up on London. It is hard to believe we are starting the last leg of our journey! Thanks for coming along!!

%d bloggers like this: