A Sneaky Genealogist!

Most of you know how obsessed Paul has become with golf lately. Well, I’m going to be a very considerate wife and allow (well, encourage) him to play in Cornwall. One of the ‘must play before you die’ courses is Cape Cornwall, not far from Penzance and St Just.

Cape Cornwall golf course

Of course, this is a difficult course, being right out on the far western coast of the UK – on the cliffs, and then he’ll need a good stiff drink or two to relax. This will give me a good 5-6 hours to drive the 30-45 mins or so to the Cornish Studies Library or the Cornish Family History Society.

A few sets of my 3 great grandparents came from Cornwall:

James GRENFELL and Nanny HATTAM came to Victoria, Australia in 1866 from St Just in Penwith.

Philip BLUETT and Mary Jane HUNN came to Victoria, Australia in 1871 from Tywardreath / St Austell.

Theophilus OLD and Mary Ann SPEAR came to Tasmania, Australia in 1844 from St Merryn, Carnevas and Padstow.

William LAITY and Elizabeth FRANCIS came to Victoria, Australia in 1852 (William) and 1868 (Elizabeth) from Padstow.

Their offspring continued to marry within the Cornish community right down until my grandfather, Keith GRENFELL. I guess this probably make me 25% Cornish!

I now have to get organised to pre-order various items to view. Unfortunately our dates haven’t worked out well for the Cornish Records Office as they close one week a month and this is the week. I think I have enough to follow up on without them.

...and gives me an excuse to go back sometime (soon)!

A Surprise Bonus in Cornwall!

We originally booked a bed and breakfast in St Just in West Cornwall, the home of my father’s ancestors. Unfortunately for us and the hosts, the lady became ill and they suggested we book elsewhere, and gave us a couple of options.

We decided to go with our original plan of staying in two different parts of West Cornwall and chose Penzance and Padstow (where some more ancestors came from).

Friends had recommended a B&B in Penzance but that was booked out for our days. One of the recommended B&Bs from the St Just couple was just a few doors down and had a vacancy for 3 nights – booked.

After booking the other 2 nights in Padstow, we got an email from the hosts expressing their inability to provide breakfast during our stay. Disappointing at first, until reading on and seeing that they have arranged for us to have breakfast at a local café - Rick Stein’s café!

The links for our stay in Cornwall are:

 B&B in Penzance

B&B in Padstow

Yummy breakfast

Figuring things out!

I think I've now got the date and time right now
And, added the 'follow this blog' icon
I'm glad I started before I went away

Paris here we come!

Paris here we come!

I've set up my blog at last! We head off next week for 6 weeks. 
Travel and accom booked, housesitters organised, pilates classes maximised, work and packing... mmm. Well, can't have everything.

I'm going to write some 'practice' posts before we go, so I can learn how to post links and photos etc. Please feel free to comment because then I'll know if it's working or not.
If you are like my husband and your eyes glaze over every time I start to talk about my ancestors or family history, well, bad luck. This blog will cover our travels and family history.

First we go to the US and visit some friends in New Jersey, then to Amsterdam where we'll stay at a canal hotel, then to Paul's cousin in near Maastricht (in Belgium). Maastricht has been the home of Paul's father's ancestors for many centuries.
Then we pick up a car in France and visit Fromelles where my great grandfather's cousin was one of the identified soldiers, and stay in a farm B&B. 
Next to Monet's Garden and onto Amboise in the Loire before arriving in Paris on May 26. 
I have been promised Paris by my darling husband for so long! We even booked twice and paid a deposit one of those times but his work always got in the way. I got so disillusioned I didn't even bother to renew my passport. Saved myself some Paris shopping money there anyway, because it would have expired all over again if I had.
After a week in a B&B in the Marais we catch the Eurostar to the UK, pick up a car and drive to Bath.
Then onto the home of my father's ancestors, West Cornwall. I've even found a 'must play before you die' golf course for Paul to amuse himself with while I sneak off to the family history centre.
Then to Berkshire to visit ex-neighbours before flying home.
Here are some links to our accommodation (I hope):
Petite Paris B&B in the Marais
Manoir Les Minimes in Amboise, Loire
Les Jardins d'Helene, Monet's Garden
I'll put more links when I know these have worked.

Looks like my post date and time are coming up wrong - any hints from you experienced bloggers on how to fix that? Not that it will matter soon as I'm sure I won't know what day it is when I start travelling.