We had planned to go to the beachbut it was wet and grey and cold
and so we had a pub lunch instead.
Afterwards we strolled through the town.It is a tiny place surrounded by water
and full of interest.
Here is the Town Hall - if you go insidethere is a ducking chair for Refractory Women
and a small room for the women to dry out afterwards.
Here is the parish churchwhich contains a carved stone of great antiquity
that may have been intended as a shrine
for the relics of St. Augustine.
The houses line the busy road
Medieval, Tudor, Georgian.
You could live in Primrose Cottage,Sunflower Cottage, GiveAle Cottage...
Do not think that this quaint little townis irrelevant to you,
dear friends from Australia
In this house lived John and Gregory Blaxland
Pioneers and Explorers
They set off from this tiny, historic townsailed around the world and landed in Sydney.
And then "On Tuesday, May 11, 1813,
Mr. Gregory Blaxland, Mr. William Wentworth,
and Lieutenant Lawson, attended by four servants,
with five dogs, and four horses
laden with provisions, ammunition, and other necessaries,
left Mr. Blaxland's farm at the South Creek,
for the purpose of endeavouring
to effect a passage over the Blue Mountains ..."
15 comments:
Refractory Women -- at last there's a name for people like me! (I'll wager that Eurolush will want to occupy GiveAle -- that is, once her pre-birthday masochistic frenzy is over.)
i should imagine that once a passage through the blue mountains had been effected then 'give-ale cottage' would have proved welcome respite!
Now I've googled what a refractory woman is, I realize I'm in the club.
Hubby is in the dunce's corner, because I asked him and he told me it was a place where people get fed.
So at least I get to feel intellectually superior to someone.
I'm a little tired tonight - so I'll leave the brilliant comments to Mary.
I hope it wasn't such a grey day as they stomped across the blue mountains!
I love the sound of Give Ale Cottage - I've lived in a Yew Tree Cottage before now but this is a much more entertaining name - although I can't believe that Nigel would approve - he might have to dispense his precious Boddingtons a little too regularly :o)
If I had not such a large family - I mean FAMILY, not just my husband and children - I would go to live in England. I never saw a more beautiful country.
Or, if I had a lot of money, I would go there every month. I think this one is easier. I just have to gain the lotery.
Alfazema
I am confused. My 'refractory' googling has provided me with links for cystitis and fire cement.
I cannot imagine how a ducking stool can be useful for either of these things.
As a matter of fact, I may just bestow the name "Give Ale Cottage" on my own home from now on. It has a decidedly nice ring to it. Or maybe "Drink Ale Cottage" would be more accurate...
As for refractory women and ducking chairs...I have a feeling I'd have been hanging out in the drying room pretty regularly, had I lived in smalltown England centuries ago.
I liked hearing about the Blaxlands and their travels to the Blue Mountains of Australia. What a small world it is...from small quaint English villages to Mary's Blue Mountains. All in one day...
I hereby declare MrsM a polymath
verification word : obasha. Surely a reflection on my keyboard skills
What a wonderful day! I want to live there!
What a pretty town.
A good way to start the week MrsM by increasing our vocabulary. Perhaps this could be a regular Monday morning class?
I will be thinking of all the ways I can use this word this week.
Fortunately since she has married and left home my offspring MrsC is no longer "stubborn and unmanageable" (although she did have her moments when younger!).
Such a lovely place.
Though I suspect I would have been to to the ducking chair on a rather permanent basis.
Every suburb here has street named after those explorers...
Give Ale Cottage? My husband would be in heaven!!!! (I know, they don't *really* "give ale" out there, do they?)
Anyway, a pub seems like the perfect spot for one to spend a cold and rainy and gray day! Hope there was a fireplace inside!
Great post.
I live in The Blue Mountains!!!!
its a lovely place.
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