The Cotswolds - Leicester

What a big day it's been!!! Lots  of really interesting times and of course a couple of inevitable dramas based around GMaps...

I had a lovely stay at The  Cotswolds hotel. Great dinner last night and a lovely breakfast this morning. Needed my strength for a big day.

Checked out early and on the road, as I knew I was meeting my second cousin Josephine around 12 noon in Leicester. (Some may remember the story of Josephine and the pheasant from my last blog) . Josephine and I share a mutual great grand father, and our Grandmas were sisters. Took Jo's advice and drove through the Cotswolds to Leicester, rather than wrestle with the trucks on the M5. So the drive was relatively pleasant. Had a few GPS issues, but nothing I couldn't manage.

Stopped at Moreton in the Marsh for morning coffee...

Moreton in Marsh

So, I found my way to the motel which is directly on the M1 at a wayside stop. Think it might be a bit noisy later, but aaaah well... I'm here now and it's a bed for the night.

Found my way to the Leicester Park and Ride and it was an easy journey into the city. Had arranged to meet Jo under the clock

Meeting under the clock in Leicester is a bit like meeting under the clocks at Flinders St in Melbourne.

We had a lovely day and Jo took me to heaps of places where our relatives would have lived or worked. Unfortunately many of the places have been pulled down so we could only look at similar buildings and what might have been.

One of the places where our Great GrandFather lived is now a First Communion Shop!

Building where our Great Grandfather lived

One special moment was when we went to the Fish Market where one of our relatives is working in the stall that could be linked directly  back to TB Hunt (our great grandfather)

That's me in the pink cardigan

The owner is Leo, and he is descended from one of TB Hunt's sons. There is both seafood and Game sold at this store as Jo pointed out to me - a family tradition in this industry. There were only wood pigeons being sold as they are the only ones in season.

That's Jo in the green with the hat.

Here's the entrance to the old Fish market, where our Great Grand Father would have sold his wares. Apparently he started his business by pushing a hand cart of fish around the streets of Leicester, but soon built it up to be very profitable business. Many of the relatives were also funded to start fish market businesses, but not all of them wanted to be involved in this business - including my Grandfather, who was a cabinet maker by trade, and he came to Australia, some might say to escape the fish market!!

This is the entrance to the old fish market.

The next highlight was going to Holy Cross Church, which was the centre of Catholic life for my forebears. We found the Church and went in and oohed and aahed about it - it certainly was an impressive building!

Holy Cross Church - a Dominican Priory

Inside Holy Cross Church

Top left  candle is one lit for all my family.

While we were inside, Jo was surmising that it looked too new and too big for what we knew of those times around the late 1800s.

As we walked outside, a young man walked out from inside the Priory and Jo goes up to him and asks him if he has anything to do with the Church. Turns out, he's Fr Matthew and he is a Dominican, and he knew heaps of stuff about the history. It seems this new Church was built around 1930s and the old Church was built in 1819, because they're going to have the 200 years anniversary next year. So he asks would we like to go in and have a look around at the old Church, which is now a Church Hall. Would we ever!!!!

Outside of old Church

Another view of old Church

Door of old Church

Interior of old Church. Can see the old pillars...

So that was a lovely bonus to see the actual place where our ancestors worshipped.

We kept walking around the town and saw a few more landmarks....

Leicester Railway Station

Richard III statue

Old Guild Hall

Leicester Cathedral

So, after all that walking we both needed a little pick me up before parting ways...

After all that walking....

.... We needed a bit of a rest....

So, I'm saving the GMaps story for last, cos that's where it happened. I took the Park and Ride Bus back to the car and set GMaps for my roadside motel. First time round, there was heaps of traffic and I missed the turn off, bus as they say in the classics "Oh happy fault" because it led me to a little pub where I could have some dinner.... not many alternatives where I'm staying! Dinner was lovely - steak and veggies.

Anyway, when I'd finished the traffic had  died down a bit and I reset my GMaps on my phone. One little problem was my phone battery was nearly dead, because I had been using it so much during the day. And whatever that did, it seriously affected little GMaps, because it acted like it was drunk. It couldn't keep a signal and kept telling me random places to turn, which were totally incorrect. Anyway, as  result I ended up on the A69 heading for God knows where.... I had to go 10 miles before I could exit and take the over pass and head back towards Leicester.... Meanwhile little GMaps is still sprouting Gobbeldy Gook to me..... Hope she has recovered  by the morning.

There's so much more I could have added to today's adventures, but it's long enough as it is. Will happily share the other pics with my family when I return. Just been a lovely day in which to celebrate my family

PS It was 23 degrees today and very warm for this time of year. Didn't need my jacket...