Finding my roots, Celebrating, Reconnecting, Indian Food, ciders and Cars

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Hello everyone,

It is a rainy day here in Coventry and it is quite cool outside which is a big change from the amazing weather of the weekend. I had a wonderful time in Beenham with the Salts. On Saturday we hosted a big BBQ with family and friends of the Salts. There was a wonderful buffet of salads, my favourite being the broccoli with cranberries and sunflower seeds along with chicken and sausages from the BBQ. I had fun playing baseball in the yard and playing with the little kids as they swam in the puddling pool in their swimming costumes (translation: wadding pool in swimsuits).

On Sunday we went to Aldermaston Church which is in the village of Aldermaston a few kilometres away. The church was built in 1391 and is situated on a manor. I got to hear the ringing of the England Church Bells. So beautiful! In the afternoon we went for a beautiful drive to Waltham-St.Lawrence. I had learned from my cousin and aunt that the home my great-grandparents lived in was not far from Reading so off we went to find it on Hungerford Road near Shurlock Row. What an amazing experience to see where they lived in a beautiful brick and wood home with a high brick wall built in the 1800s. I took so many photos of the house that is now a horse farm and house with signs saying Whitfield Farm and Whitfield's House. It was like stepping into the past. I am grateful for the opportunity to have found my roots.

I took the train back to Coventry on Sunday night after saying goodbye to Lynne and David my wonderful hosts and came back to stories of my drama friends of all our amazing adventures. We were back in class on Monday and celebrated our return with a wonderful Indian Dinner at a restaurant called Tumeric Gold on Spon Street. We had amazing onion baji, curried vegetables, tandoori chicken, butter chicken, lamb and of course mango lassi! It was delicious. We then went for a glass of cider at the freehouse on the main street.

Today we sort of closed off our course work here as we are going to be studying at Warwick University for the next few days. We have been studying in the Coventry Transport Museum so I took a walk through there. It is a fantastic museum of the car industry since the creation of the bicycle up to the 1980s when the industry died out here in Coventry. So interesting. Even the car from Back to the Future in here! So much history even through looking at cars, motorcycles, bicycles and all forms of transport!

Hope you are all doing well. I am off to do a bit of shopping and take a nap to get out of the rain.

much love to you all!

miss you.

Katy

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Comments

[Gladys]

Curry!
Good for you, Katy, going for a curry in the UK. So...was it like Savera just with speedier service? I would totally go back to that place next time I want a two-hour lunch! The sights you've been visiting sound amazing. Enjoy! G