WALES: MY FAMILY'S HERITAGE

CAERPHILLY CASTLE (MY CASTLE!)

This is my sister Jean and I posing with the castle in the background.
My father played in this castle when he was a child and I grew up hearing stories about it. So I call it "my castle".

My cousins tease me that the reason the castle has a leaning tower is because I took home some shards from it as a souvenir. It's really leaning because it was knocked over in a bombardment in one of the sieges.

My dad, Fred Filer, was born in Caerphilly in 1903. He came from a family of coal miners. The year he was born, his grandfather (my great grandfather) and several members of his family (uncles) were killed in a mining explosion in Senghenydd. Dad became a miner himself when he was only 14 years old.

OUR FATHER'S HOUSE ON WINDSOR ST.

Dad lived in this house along with six brothers and two sisters (one died very young). His mother died when he was young and my grandpa remarried. It's a very small house for such a large family. I was lucky enough to visit here several times while two of the old uncles still lived here so I am very familiar with the house. Now it has been sold, so we can't go in. But it happened as we were taking the photo, the new resident came along. I don't suppose it's anything like when the uncles lived there when there were still remnants of the family around.
A lot was lost when Uncle George died and Uncle Reg went live in a home. Apparantly a housekeeper is suspected to stealing a few of the precious artifacts like the family bible and grandpa's fiddle and an old tea kettle belonging to my grandma that my dad really wanted me to bring back to Canada.

SLAG HEAP, BEDWAS NAVIGATIONAL COLLIERY

Dad worked here in the Bedwas Navigational Colliery. When I first visited Caerphilly in the '70's there were still remnants of the mine, but now this is all that remains. Dad went down into the pits when he was just 14 years old. He worked down there, sometimes never seeing the light of day for weeks, until he was in his mid 20's. At that time, there were problems in the mines and Dad was a union organizer so he lost his mining card, forcing him to leave the country in order to obtain work. He immigrated to Canada as a farm worker, but later, because of his oratory skills and desire to be a preacher, he was invited to attend McMaster University Theology college and he became a Baptist minister, working in the south Saskatchewan near the mining fields there.
He teamed with another Baptist minister to work among the mining communities. His friend was Tommy Douglas, "the Father of Medicare" in Canada, who became a well-known and well-loved political leader.

A few years ago my cousin and I visited the Big Pit Colliery in Wales and went down into the mine to see what it was like. It gave me a clear vision of what kind of life my father and other Welsh miners had to live. I also visited Senghenydd where my great grandfather's house still stands. His name, and those of his son-in-law and other of his family who died in the Senghenydd explosion of 1903 are listed in the miner's memorial book in the small mining museum in the town.

THE GREEN LADY OF CAERPHILLY CASTLE

CAERPHILLY CASTLE, WALES

May 29. CAERPHILLY, Wales.
This is the town where my father was born. When he lived here it was a small mining village but in the years since I first started visiting Caerphilly, it has grown extensively and is now almost a 'bedroom community' of the big city, Cardiff.

We arrive late last night (May 28) after a long day touring Bath and Old Sarum, then back to London to pick up our luggage at the Indian Y. Fortunately my cousins came and picked us up at Cardiff train station as there were no available hotels due to the Eisteddfod and no more buses running to Caerphilly.

The next morning, we wanted to show Debra around town. I've been here many times and my sister was here once before. Of course, the big feature in Caerphilly is the Norman castle, "Castell Caerphffili" Wale's largest moated medieval castle where you can see working replicas of seige engines. The fortress spreads over 30 acres and is the largest in Britain and one of the best preserved. It was built in the late 13th century by the Anglo-Norman lord, Gilbert de Clare, in order to consolidat his grip on the lands he had captured. The castle's outstanding water defences were more than a mere moat, but created around lakes forming three artificial islands. Notable features inside the castle include the gatehouses, banquet hall and full sized replicas of seige engines. The banquet hall is still used for functions.

I call this "my castle" because for as long as I have memory, from my earliest childhood, I grew up hearing stories about this castle. My father played in there when he was a child and when he left Wales to find a new home in Canada, his friends presented him with a framed photograph of the castle (which I still have) that always hung the walls of our homes.

THE HAUNTED BATTLEMENTS

There is an intriguing legend associated with the castle: the Green Lady who haunts the ivy-covered battlements. She was once Princess Alice de la Marche, niece of King Henry II and the wife of Earl Gilbert de Clare. She was also the lover of Tew Teg Gruffydd the Fair, the Welsh prince of Brithdir. Disgraced and banished, they say that on moonlit nights her ghost can be seen walking the castle battlements searching for her lost lover.

I was first told this story on a moonlit night as I walked by the castle with one of my cousins. Was she there then, a misty figure hidden in the ivy? I find the story appealing and want to know more. Perhaps it deserves being written down in a novel. Perhaps there's already one written.

A DRUID'S STONE CIRCLE

Yes, there are still those who practice the Druid's religion and that's why Stonehenge is now blocked off and you can't get into the inner circle as I did on my first visit some years ago. But in Caerphilly there's this small circle overlooking the castle. I think there may still be the occasional ceremony held here. And whenever I am in town I like to go and visit.

RETURN TO OLD SARUM

FORTIFICATION DITCH, OLD SARUM

May 28, after leaving Bath by train we arrived at Salisbury. Our intention (even before visiting Bath) was to head for the Iron Age hillfort at Old Sarum. We didn't regret our unexpected side-trip to Bath, however, and lingered there quite awhile before taking the train to our next destination. We got the hop-on-hop-off bus from the Salisbury station and set off for Old Sarum.

FORTRESS RUIN

This part of the trip, for me, was a renewal of some research for my W.I.P. novel "Dragons in the Sky: A Celtic Tale". As soon as I complete work on "Shadow of the Lion" I want to return to this beautiful first-person narrative that I'd set aside years ago in order to work on Alexander's story.

DRAGONS has a magic quality to it -- right from the beginning when I was searching for a setting for this story that was told to me by a Celtic girl, Olwen, in a voice that was almost as if I was channeling her. (Or maybe she was me in another lifetime.) I had gone to visit a friend in Bournemouth and then on to Stonehenge and later, while waiting in the bus station at Salisbury I'd noticed a sign that said "Old Sarum Iron Age Hillfort, 4 kms". I decided to walk there.

As I approached the earth mound where this ancient fort has once stood I had one of those dejas-vu moments where I actually could 'see' it all unfold as if I had actually been there before.
This, I knew, was the setting of my story about Olwen, the Druid's child.

I've made a couple of trips back to Old Sarum and made lots of notes, impressions, etc. But it's been some years now and I needed to refresh my mind and see if I could pick up any new 'vibes' at the site.

The times before I'd been alone, and this time I was with my sister and niece and as well there were other people on the hill. It was difficult for me to 'feel' anything, but I did take some video footage so I'd be able to refer to it later. I also discovered a part of the earth mound that I hadn't known was there on my first two visits. On top of the hill are the remains of the old fort.
This one would be at a much later date than Olwen's story, for DRAGONS is set in the 4th century B.C.

Old Sarum was developed in about 500 BC by Iron Age settlers and later occupied by Romans, Saxons and Normans. They built a castle and a royal palace and by the mid-12th century it was a busy town with a fine new cathedral Later a new settlement was made by the river, now known as Salisbury and Old Sarum was abandoned and fell into ruin.

After looking around and taking photos, we went back down to the road with the intention of hopping on the next bus to Stonehenge. Unfortunately we hopped on the wrong bus and then had to hop off and go back. No time for Stonehenge as we needed to get back to London to fetch our luggage and head for Cardiff.

VIEW OF SALISBURY FROM OLD SARUM MOUND

BATH: The Roman Baths

THE ROMAN BATHS

Bath's Roman name was Aquae Sulis (the waters of Sulis) named after the Celtic goddess, Sulis. The building that houses the Roman baths is from the 18th century. There's a Georgian Pump Room on the ground floor. The baths are below street level and include four main features: the Sacred Spring; Roman temple, and the Roman bath houses.

The baths were not discovered and explored until th elate 19th century. Their complex structure allows you to glimpse the genius of the Romans who loved their baths and made it part of their daily ritual. (I've seen the ruins of Roman baths in Greece as well, however none so complex and beautiful as these at Bath).

BATHING ROOM

The baths were formed from the natural hot springs that the area is famous for. In the Sacred Spring, which is the heart of the site, the water temperature is 46C. The mineral rich water burbles up at the rate of 1,170,000 litres every day as it has for thousands of years.

SACRED SPRING

The Romans believed it was a work of the gods and built a Temple next to the spring dedicated to Sulis Minerva, a deity with healing powers. The first shrine at this site was built by Celts and dedicated to their goddess Sulis who the Romans identified with Minerva.

GORGON'S HEAD

The Gorgon's head was a powerful sign of Minerva and this carving has a distinctly Celtic style to it. The Temple was constructed in 60 - 70 AD and the bathing complex built up over the next 300 years. After the Romans withdrew from Britain in the first decade of the 5th C. the baths fell into disrepair and were probably destroyed in the 6th C. Over the centuries they were redeveloped and now are housed in 18th century buildings. They were a popular tourist destination in the 18th and 19th centuries.

If you go, allow yourself lots of time to browse around. It is truly one of the most fascinating sites I've ever visited. There are even a few "Romans" roaming around, dressed in togas.

We were limited in time at Bath because we wanted to make it to Salisbury and had to get back to London later that day to pick up our luggage and head for Wales. So, regretfully, we left this beautiful, interesting little town and headed back to the train station.

BATH: A Short History of Bath Abbey

BATH ABBEY

Thursday, May 28
We had started out that morning intending to go to Salisbury (Old Sarum) but we got to the wrong train station in London. (We went to Pennington instead of Waterloo. Confusing!) The ticket seller suggested we should go to Bath, because he said it was much more interesting than trying to get to Old Sarum and Stonehenge. He said we could take the train from Bath to Salisbury. We decided to take his advice. I'd been to Bath several years ago with my friend Anne and we spent a couple of days there. I remembering having been quite impressed with the town and what there is to see there -- mainly the Roman baths.

One of the other big features in Bath is the impressive Bath Abbey. It dominates the town and has for many centuries. In fact, there's 1600 years of history in this magnificent church and, in the town itself, even older history.

THE NAVE, BATH ABBEY

A brief history of BATH:

AD 43: Romans invade Britain

60: Romans begin to develop Bath as a spa around Bath's hot springs. Bath becomes the centre of Pagan worship.

5th century: End of Roman Britain.
577 Saxons capture Bath
676 Convent of Christian nuns founded in Bath
757 Cynewulf, king of the Saxosn, grants land at Bath to the monks of St. Peter

973 in Bath Abbey, Edgar crowned as first king of E
1066 Norman conquest

1090's new cathedral founded

1499 Norman cathedral ruined. Present Abbey church founded to replace it.

1539 Bath Abbey largely destroyed

1611 Abbey restored

18th Century Abbey church popular with visitors thronging to Bath's spa.

1860 major restorations
1942 Bath bombed and Abbey damaged

1991-2000 Abbey restored. Mesuem opened. Organ rebuilt; capels dedicated,, new frontal for high altar.

THE HIGH ALTAR AND EAST WINDOW

It really is an awesome cathedral and well worth a visit. 'we didn't take time to visit the Heritage Vaults Museum which is underground, built over the medieval monks' cloister and burial ground. Maybe next time, because we all agreed we wish we had planned to spend more time in this lovely little town.

But what we'd come there to see were the Roman Baths, so that was our next stop that day.

BATH, England

HENRY'S HAUNTS #2

TAPESTRY

I took a lot of video footage inside the palace and also still shots. These are just a few of the rooms and treasures that you will see if you tour Hampton Court. To see the way the royals lived is an awesome experience. (All that dusting and vacuuming!)

HENRY'S BEDROOM WINDOW

Okay, I did get to see in Henry's bedroom. I also saw Mary II's bedroom-- at least, it was a lavish red canopied affair in a sitting room. Seems it wasn't really a bed for sleeping, rather one to sit in while one held court with one's visitors. Oh my! I couldn't help but imagine the goings on in Henry's bedroom. Much more fun! And isn't the window pretty?

TUDOR WORK TABLE

This might have been a scribe's desk. There was also a dining room in the Tudor palace. The banquet room in the baroque palace was immense. I wondered how many waiters they had serving the guests and how the host would manage to keep track of who was there.

I understand Henry dined lavishly on all kinds of exotic fare. Possibly why he had a weight problem in his later years.

INNER PALACE GATE

This is part of the inner court of the baroque palace. You need a map to find your way around Hampton Court. I wonder how the residents kept track of where they were and where their guests where? Well, I guess you just sat in your bed and summoned them.

If you happen to be in London this summer, be sure and check out this fascinating display of events and artifacts at Hampton Court. And the biggest event of all was to be held on June 20 and 21st on Henry's coronation weekend when a spectacular flotilla of boats carried Henry and his Queen from the Tower of London to Hampton Court palace to be greeted in the Privy Gardens. There was also Tudor contests and games on the River Thames.

There will be events and displays at Hampton Court until January 2010 including theatre performances, jousts and a display of the world's rarest arms and armour from the treasures of the Royal Armourers and other international collections. Don't miss it!

CRUISING Part #2: HENRY'S HAUNTS

HENRY VIII

Henry VIII was an interesting (and controversial) character and one of the things you can do at Hampton Court is listen to "the Henry VIII talks" (which we missed). Who was the man behind the majesty and why do we still find him fascinating after 500 years? You can also attend a Tudor music festival, learn about Henry's women (we were already at the Tower were a couple of them met their unfortunate end thanks to falling out of favour with the king.) You can also see close up the 'virtual' restoration of Henry's most magnificent tapestry. (we missed that too!)

What did we see then? Well, as I mentioned in Part I of the Cruising up the River blog, we only had a few hours to tour around before the palace was closed for the day. So we went through the rooms and halls and saw as much as we could, starting with the Tudor part of the palace which was Henry's haunts.

TUDOR KITCHEN

You could actually attend a show demonstrating Tudor Cookery, experiences the sights and smells and learn about the recipes that were Henry's favorites. Too bad we missed that one!

POTTERY ON THE HEARTH

There really was so much to see. The baroque part of the palace was especially ornate and amazing. We toured around Henry VIII's apartments as well as the apartments of William III and Mary II and there are private Georgian apartments where today's monarchy sometimes gather for special occasions.

I'll post a few more photos so you can see more of the palace interior, both Tudor and Baroque.

INNER COURTYARD OF THE BAROQUE PALACE

CRUISING DOWN THE RIVER: Part #1

CRUISING DOWN THE THAMES

May 27, 2009

"Cruisin' down the river...on a Wednesday afternoon..." We decided it would be fun to see London from the River Thames, so we caught a boat that was going all the way down as far as Hampton Court Palace. They are celebrating the 500th year of Henry VIII's ascension to the throne so there are a lot of reenactments happening around London, mainly at Hampton Court, Henry Tudor's old palace where a lot of things happened, including his wedding to his sixth wife, Kateryn Parr.

It was a nice relaxing cruise, a chance to rest our feet from all the previous two-day's walking tours. We sat back and enjoyed the slow journey and all the scenery as it slipped by. Little did we realize when we set out just how long the journey would take, what with waiting to pass through the locks and all. I suppose in Henry's day it must have taken a couple of days to get into London, docking at the Tower.

GOING THROUGH THE LOCKS

About four hours after leaving London's docks we pulled into the dock at Hampton Court.
It was by then late in the afternoon and unfortunately, we'd miss the wedding reenactment and some of the other events. We didn't even get to 'see' old Henry wandering around the palace halls. The wedding celebrations included a lot of events including helping Kateryn choose her wedding dress and joining Henry to celebrate his last hours as a single man. (Now that would have been quite the party!)

We did have time to almost get lost in the famous maze, part of the gardens, and a tour around the palace itself.

There are actually two parts to the palace: The Tudor part of Henry VIII and the newer, beautiful baroque palace of William III and Mary II. In Part II of this River Cruise (Henry's Haunts) I'll describe what we saw with some photos of the awesome interiors both Tudor and baroque.

It was quite a day! After our palace tour we had dinner in a very nice little pub in Hampton Court village, then took the train back to London.

HAMPTON COURT PALACE

WAITING TO SEE HENRY

THE LONDON DIARIES

TOWER OF LONDON: me, my niece, Debra and my sister, Jean

These London adventures started on May 25,2009 but because I didn't have time or internet access to post daily blogs, these 'diaries' are from notes written in my daily journal.

I've been to London many times, and so has my sister. But Debra had never been. So, with my friend MJ, who lives in London, acting as tour guide, we made sure Debra saw all the main sights. Of course, we made sure Debra took the Tower of London tour and saw the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace.

TOWER BRIDGE AND DOLPHIN SCULPTURE

We walked our tootsies off those first two days in London. I even managed to see a few things I've missed on previous visits. That's what I like about London -- you'll never get bored because at every corner or tiny lane there is something to capture your interest.

I saw this lovely little sculpture when we were walking to St. Katherine's Dock and Dockside. St. Katherine's dock is right near the Tower of London. Some of the original buildings dating from the 1820's have been kept but most demolished to make way for restaurants. The dock basin is a marina where there were some interesting yachts and old ships docked. It's a pleasant area for wandering. We liked the look of the vine-covered Dickens Inn, a building which dates back to 1740, but instead of stopping for a pint there, we went for lunch by the dockside.

THEY'RE CHANGING GUARDS AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE

As many times as I've been in London, I always enjoy the spectacle of the changing of the guards. And each time I'm standing there watching, I remember that little ditty from Winnie the Pooh: "They're changing guards at Buckingham Palace. Christopher Robin went down with Alice..."

VIRGINIA WOOLF''S HOUSE IN FITZROVIA

As I did on my last trip to London, we stayed at the Indian YMCA in Fitzrovia, right by Fitzroy Square just a short walk from the Warren St. tube station and Tottenamcourt Road. I highly recommend this pleasant, reasonably priced hostel (breakfast and dinner included.) It's an interesting district, once the hangoug of the Bloomsbury Group. And right across the Square from the hotel is the former home of Virginia Woolf. Before she resided there, so did George Bernard Shaw (1887-1898). When Virginia moved in she started writers meetings and met a man named Leonard Woolf. She became famous as the writer/critic Virginia Woolf. She lived at this house from 1907-11. Here she wrote "The Voyage Out" and with her husband formed Hogarth Press and the Bloomsbury group.

Other famous writers an dpeople of historical note also lived in this area, including Chrales Dickens, Karl Marx, Charles Darwin and the tempesuous poets Paul Verlain and Artheur Rimbaud. Elsa Lancaster ran two night clubs here in the 1920's whose members included HG Wells, Aldous Huxley and George B. Shaw. A poor, unknonw Welshman, Dylan Thomas, arrived in 1934 and would recite passage of "Under Milkwood" at the Wheatsheaf Pub. The FitzRoy pub just a few blocks down from the hotel is another place these literary characters hung out.
We went one evening but it was packed full of young Londoners -- obviously a popular hangout even now!

After two days of walking, enjoying pints and pub food and the pleasant company of my friend MJ, my travel companions and I decided to take a day out of London, so we went on a boat cruise down the Thames to the haunts of good old Henry VIII.