More Prattle from Povey

  Wilding on the Cathedral Green ( see note below) ========================================================================== A Plaque to celebrate the very first Ordination of Women in the Church of England -  32 of them - in my home Cathedral where I was ordained to the Diaconate. My heart swells with pride. This is an early morning photo' so the names of these great women, written in red around the edge are hard to see. ====================================================================== The Norman (Romanesque) Chapter House where I vested before Ordination.   It gave me goosebumps to be in such a venerable space. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ https://www.rewildingbritain.org.uk/why-rewild/what-is-rewilding

  And great dinner in the River Grille at the Bristol Hotel. My choice:  Lamb Loin, Baby Gem, and Peas.  Superb Seminary friends since 1975/76    Dave, Jmp, Alison, Jeni, Les, Steve,

  A great reunion, especially for my family members Maureen, Bern, Martyn, and Wendy who've met Donna (and Jack) in Sarasota Donna on the flight to England. Donna and her daughter in law Julie enjoy the Somerset Sun Great Food in a Jamaican/English pub. Two had Jerk Chicken Two had Fish and Chips Two had Jacket Potatoes ( Baked and Stuffed Taters)

  The Front Desk Staff greet me formally as Mr. Povey.  One such staff member is Spanish -  I told him to address me as Miguelito.  That he does. Now the Spanish guests I meet at breakfast do the same.  We have broken English/Spanish conversations about their holiday.  Yesterday they'd been in Oxford -  it took but a few words to learn that they had visited the Bodleian.  Yesterday whilst at lunch with my sister and neices I passed a young family at their table.  The littlest one -  maybe ten months old - was in a baby buggy/push chair.  The closer I got the more he smiled at me.  I smiled back.  Mum and Dad approved.  A memorable event. In the early evening a early twenties man came to a sudden halt as he cycled by the Hotel.  One of his earphones had popped out.  I started to search for it.  Then another passer-by found it.  A passing event -  people helping a person.  A lovely "low lev...

Super Mac and Cheese at an excellent Pizza   

                        My great-nieces Aurora and Luna

I took my nieces into the Hotel to meet the front desk staff and a staff member gave them a bar of Hotel Bristol Chocolate.

  I saved my cards to open today.  Of course there was the inevitable family humour.

  80 years equals family Fifty plus of us. My five remaining sibs and their spouses. Nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews. Cousins, second cousins, third cousins A joyful and relaxed family reunion. Super food. Great food for children with activities for them too, including face painting. This 80-year-old child wore a birthday coronet and insisted on having his face painted. A marvelous family reunion; and the greatest celebration of my four score years.

Visitors to the U.K. should be aware that it is rapidly becoming a cashless society. As in the U.S. it is increasing hard to find a branch bank. "Cash Points" (ATMs) are few and far between. Very many purchases are made by credit/debit card, and by phone. Some businesses do not accept cash. There is a well stocked mini-market near my Hotel.  'Tis the place for a wide array of items -  prepared meals and salads, baked goods, snacks, sodas, wine, beer and spirits etc.  'Tis like a much fancier 7/11, but without 7/11's inflated prices. In the U.S.A we have Banknotes (Bills).  But in the U.K. we have Promissory notes.   They bear the words "X Bank promises to pay the bearer on demand the sum of x Pounds" The Bank of England is the only issuer of such notes in England.  Scottish Banks have long been able to issue their own notes. That right has been extended to Northern Irish Banks.  (The Republic of Ireland uses the Euro). I was at the mini-market tod...

  Wonderful time with my brother Andy, his wife Izzy and my  nephew Mike.  No photo -  Andy hates having his picture taken -  unlike his big brother! I ate risotto with peas and mint.  'Twas excellent. After lunch we hoved back to Andy and Izzy's home for relaxed and good conversation. Andy drove me to a dropping off spot near my hotel; and then took Mike to his apartment. Then sheer panic set in.  I could not find the travel pouch: the kind one wears around the neck.  In it was my passport, my credit and debit cards; together with U.K. and U.S.A. currency. Am I sunk? It took a while to resolve the matter. Andy had driven from one side of the City and back.  Once back at his home he discovered that I'd left the pouch in his car.                                 PHEW! I don't need the pouch this evening, so I'll take an Uber ride to Andy and Izzy's home in the morni...

  Dinner tonight at a South Indian (Kerala State) Restaurant. Very good. With my brother and sister-in-law (Martyn and Wendy) to celebrate the birthday of their son (hence my nephew) Sam. Unfortunately, Sam's g/f could not join us.

  Just down the road from the Hotel.  C18th/19th?) Almshouse (Still Occupied)   with gorgeous roses. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A  Harbour Tour.  Probably to hear lies about the Slave Trade. I may take it when my Seminary friends visit. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From a rather small Big Wheel: A view of my hotel; and of St. Mary Redcliffe Church (about which see below). --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bristol Cathedral (where I was ordained to be a Deacon) - photo' also from the small Big Wheel. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bring your own bottle.  Get free water -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Something for everyone Governor Ron DeSantis of...

  My Hotel faces the historically famous Bristol "Floating Harbour" about which see      The story of Bristol's Floating Harbour - VisitBristol.co.uk The Hotel is on Prince Street, named for Prince George of Denmark, spouse of Queen Anne. Prince St. is bursting with energy.   Girls and Boys walking to and from the Cathedral School. Cyclists by the hundred, on their ways to and from their places of work (Bristol is a Cycle friendly City). Commuters on battery operated scooters. Walkers, and yet more walkers - some are tourists; others are about their daily business. 'Tis a great place to people watch.   This morning after a splendid Capuchino Coffee I wandered and took photo's.   No breakfast, for my sister Ruth and I went to Trowbridge, Wiltshire for a great brunch with our nieces Clare and Cheryl.   Chris, Cheryl's b/f, joined us. Clare's husband Jamie could not get time off work Here are  pics from my morning peregrinati...

  Family time First with sister Maureen and her husband Bernard Later with brother Martyn and his wife Wendy (together with Angela, my late brother Steve's wife)… Martyn's Dog Nala She liked me!

  I have a nice view of Piro's Bridge and the old City Docks (now called The Harbour) fancy, fancy! ).  My room on the third floor affords peeks  through the trees of the Docks and the Bridge. I like this place.  Sometimes the little things are important. So it is at The Bristol.  For example:  1. I packed the wrong cable to charge my i-Phone.  The Hotel had a loaner - so my bacon is saved. 2.   The rooms have an American style electric socket - 110 volts - making it easy to charge my lap top sans a clunky adapter. 3. One of the front desk staff remembered me from my visit three years ago, and I remembered him. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My friend Donna and I shared the long journey from SRQ to LHR via Tampa and Charlotte NC 'Twas exhausting.  So our request for wheelchair assistance proved to be prudent. Donna's English daughter-in-law Julie met us at LHR, from there to drive D to B...

                                     I'll see you in a few weeks.

  Daybreak with rowers at Nathan Benderson Park. It brought to mind the Hymn "Christ whose Glory Fills The Skies"      (Two versions of the hymn below) -----------------------------------------------------------------------------   Two tunes for the hymn, one more common in the U.K.  The other in the U.S.A, https://youtu.be/Xvni-t_71-k https://youtu.be/EjB_bKGhkM4

                                       I want this printed onto a tee shirt!

  Broadcasting Trump speeches.   Why in a disabled parking space?   Maybe an unconscious recalling that Trump showed scorn and disrespect to a reporter who had physical (dis) abilities. Note that the effigy is holding Pres. Biden by the neck.                                                           Curiouser and curiouser 

  Excellent But getting the protective plastic wrap off the top is not easy.  I swear that it is put in place with Gorilla glue, and then trodden on by an Elephant.

  ....Tell my Doctors that I snack on Bree Cheese wrapped in Black Forest Ham.  

  High tide.  Lots of chop.  Cooling winds. No place better in the early hours  Chop, wind and splash #1 Chop, wind and splash #2 Windy conditions at the Tiki Bar