Monday, October 19, 2009
Busy Pilgrims. Busy in Minster and Ramsgate.
I thought my news of the day was going to be very sparse indeed.
At 2 o'clock the sales sheet in Pilgrims Antiques had no entries.
Then the afternoon began and we were on the go all the time and the sales sheet ended the day looking very pleasing.
I sold a Dr Who jigsaw today - bought at the boot sale on Anglesey a month ago.
The buyer was Mr No Short Term Memory - who spent a while with us again, causing us to open all the doors.
You might think that as he repeats everything over and over again, not remembering what he has just said, that he might be the same with washing himself. We could wish that he would be washing himself frequently - but seemingly he just forgets to do it altogether!
We were so busy that it wasn't until home time that I realised the dull drizzle of the morning had given way to blue skies.
And now for a look back to Kent once again.
The weather on that Sunday was better than earlier forecasts had predicted. For much of the grey day there was, at least, no rain.
We made some tentative plans and added to them and changed them as we went along.
We were on our way to Ramsgate. My map informed us that at Minster there was a ruined abbey - an interesting focal point in what might be a pretty village, we thought.
Minster was one time the ancient capital of Thanet.
And on September 1st this year, Minster became Kent village of the year.
The ruined abbey was part of the property of a small group of Benedictine nuns. The nuns gave guided tours at certain times - but not midday on a Sunday.
We talked at length to a friendly woman just leaving Mass at the church.
She lived in Margate - but didn't think very much of her home town - though I am sure there are some interesting parts.
She didn't always live there - before that she lived hardly more than a mile from us in Crawley!
She mentioned, in passing, that she was an oblate of the Catholic Church - not an "ordinate" as I originally told Ashley.
This is a view of the house where the nuns lived. This group of nuns are a continuation of the original nuns who had fled Nazi Germany from Poland.
A web picture of part of the abbey ruins.
Bill like the variety of boats to be seen. This huge monster was in dry dock. Its purpose was in construction - the erection of the giant wind generators being installed all around the coast.
I snapped this scene just so as I could have the title "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay", one of my favourite songs.
Walking round the harbour.
The picture adorning the wall of Pete's fish factory looks old - but is dated 1997.
At 2 o'clock the sales sheet in Pilgrims Antiques had no entries.
Then the afternoon began and we were on the go all the time and the sales sheet ended the day looking very pleasing.
I sold a Dr Who jigsaw today - bought at the boot sale on Anglesey a month ago.
The buyer was Mr No Short Term Memory - who spent a while with us again, causing us to open all the doors.
You might think that as he repeats everything over and over again, not remembering what he has just said, that he might be the same with washing himself. We could wish that he would be washing himself frequently - but seemingly he just forgets to do it altogether!
We were so busy that it wasn't until home time that I realised the dull drizzle of the morning had given way to blue skies.
And now for a look back to Kent once again.
The weather on that Sunday was better than earlier forecasts had predicted. For much of the grey day there was, at least, no rain.
We made some tentative plans and added to them and changed them as we went along.
We were on our way to Ramsgate. My map informed us that at Minster there was a ruined abbey - an interesting focal point in what might be a pretty village, we thought.
Minster was one time the ancient capital of Thanet.
And on September 1st this year, Minster became Kent village of the year.
The ruined abbey was part of the property of a small group of Benedictine nuns. The nuns gave guided tours at certain times - but not midday on a Sunday.
We talked at length to a friendly woman just leaving Mass at the church.
She lived in Margate - but didn't think very much of her home town - though I am sure there are some interesting parts.
She didn't always live there - before that she lived hardly more than a mile from us in Crawley!
She mentioned, in passing, that she was an oblate of the Catholic Church - not an "ordinate" as I originally told Ashley.
This is a view of the house where the nuns lived. This group of nuns are a continuation of the original nuns who had fled Nazi Germany from Poland.
A web picture of part of the abbey ruins.
Having not seen the abbey ruins our attention turned to the parish C of E church.
The very first thing I spotted was a grave - not so unusual of course; but this one had a name that interested me - John Kesby.
The very first thing I spotted was a grave - not so unusual of course; but this one had a name that interested me - John Kesby.
One of my maternal grandmothers is a Kesby - and she and all known Kesbys in the family were from Kent.
Could I have stumbled on a missing Kesby?
If John is related in some way then at the moment we don't know how - and maybe we will never find any link, however tenuous.
And yet I want to believe that here a distant relative was laid to rest.
The church was large.
The church was large.
The carvings on the choir stall seats were fascinating.
Ramsgate is just a few miles from Minster and we drove down from the hills to the harbour. We spent time by the yachts and fishing boats.
We did once cross the channel to France from Ramsgate and thought then it looked an interesting town.
Bill like the variety of boats to be seen. This huge monster was in dry dock. Its purpose was in construction - the erection of the giant wind generators being installed all around the coast.
I snapped this scene just so as I could have the title "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay", one of my favourite songs.
The thoughts and situation of this young man could be the basis of a similar song or short story perhaps.
The building which is now the Maritime Museum was topped with a clock.
The building which is now the Maritime Museum was topped with a clock.
The notices on the building were a reminder of the days when time was not standardised.
Ramsgate seems such a short distance from Greenwich - but once ran to its own time 5 minutes ahead of Greenwich.
Walking round the harbour.
The picture adorning the wall of Pete's fish factory looks old - but is dated 1997.
We ate at Pete's.
Being thrifty diners out (sometimes) we opted for saithe and chips.
Saithe is deemed to be an inferior fish to cod - because its flesh is more grey.
I think it might be that saithe and pollock are one and the same - but pollock, as a name for a fish to eat, is a little out of favour owing to it sounding like a vulgarity!
Saithe is fished and eaten widely in Norway.
The rain began as we walked back towards the car.
The museum option that we had originally planned seemed like a good idea.
So, next time, I will take you to Manston aerodrome - now East Kent International Airport.
