At Byron's Pool

Last week the kids and I spent some time learning about Romantic poetry. We looked at poems by Coleridge, Wordsworth and Byron (since they were all at Cambridge University and we're a little bit Cambridge-focussed at the moment!). To finish it all off, we went to Byron's Pool for an afternoon to write some of our own Romantic poetry.

I was thrilled with the results (and even got a chance to do a little bit of writing myself!).

I'm really enjoying the chance to do things like this with the kids!

Blakeney Point and Oxburgh Hall

walking through the marshland at Blakeney Point

what we'd really come to see - the seal colony!

Lydia and Dave went for a walk while I took the older three out on a boat trip to see the seals - she looks like she had even more fun than we did!

Oxburgh Hall

coming out of the 'priest hole' - where the family hid priests during Elizabeth's reign.

on the roof!

loved the moat!

Things I'm enjoying about Cambridge # 9: my fruit and veg box!

It wasn't all that long ago that anyone embarking on a trip to the UK would be warned not only of the cold weather but also of the scarcity, expensiveness and poor quality of the fruit and vegetables (let alone the meat)!


So when I arrived in Cambridge I was surprised and delighted to find out that there were quite a few local options for getting fresh fruit and veges delivered - plus they could supply me with meat and other items as well. I have been surprised at how much this has become one of the distinctive experiences of our time here.

For one thing, because I deliberately chosen the option of having them choose what fruits and vegetables to put in, I have been really stretched in my knowledge of vegetables, let alone how to cook them! This probably shows my ignorance to some extent, but there have been many, many weeks where I had to go to google to work out what on earth some of the alien looking things were in the box. I think it would be fair to say that I really needed to start majoring on root vegetables in the first few months.

But rather than being a source of stress and frustration, I have found that I have quite enjoyed the challenge and have discovered vegetable and recipes that I really like. Okay, I'm not sure I'll ever fall in love with swede or fennel, but I have discovered that I don't mind kohlrabi and have learned how to make a killer beetroot risotto!

Some of the more alien-looking species

While I'm on the topic of vegetables, another thing I've enjoyed around Cambridge is looking at the vast vege allotments you find throughout the suburbs here. I know that in Sydney there are a few examples if this, but not on as large a scale or with the established history these have. They really do form an interesting part of community life here.

Bunyan's conversion

We visited the Bunyan Museum in Bedford on the weekend. It was wonderful! Something about actually seeing some of his belongings and writing as well as the prison doors made the twelve years he spent in there seem a lot more 'real' and helpled me understand Pilgrim's Progress better.*

I was struck by this quote from his autobiography, Grace Abounding about his conversion, an abridged version of which was on the wall in the museum.  I love what it says about the way God works:

 37. But upon a day, the good providence of God did cast me to Bedford, to work on my calling; and in one of the streets of that town, I came where there were three or four poor women sitting at a door in the sun, and talking about the things of God; and being now willing to hear them discourse, I drew near to hear what they said, for I was now a brisk talker also myself in the matters of religion, but now I may say, I heard, but I understood not; for they were far above, out of my reach, for their talk was about a new birth, the work of God on their hearts, also how they were convinced of their miserable state by nature; they talked how God had visited their souls with His love in the Lord Jesus, and with what words and promises they had been refreshed, comforted, and supported against the temptations of the devil. Moreover, they reasoned of the suggestions and temptations of Satan in particular; and told to each other by which they had been afflicted, and how they were borne up under his assaults. They also discoursed of their own wretchedness of heart, of their unbelief; and did contemn, slight, and abhor their own righteousness, as filthy and insufficient to do them any good.

 38. And methought they spake as if joy did make them speak; they spake with such pleasantness of Scripture language, and with such appearance of grace in all they said, that they were to me as if they had found a new world, as if they were people that dwelt alone, and were not to be reckoned among their neighbours (Num. 23.9).

 39. At this I felt my own heart began to shake, as mistrusting my condition to be naught; for I saw that in all my thoughts about religion and salvation, the new birth did never enter into my mind, neither knew I the comfort of the Word and promise, nor the deceitfulness and treachery of my own wicked heart. As for secret thoughts, I took no notice of them; neither did I understand what Satan's temptations were, nor how they were to be withstood and resisted, etc.

40. Thus, therefore, when I had heard and considered what they said, I left them, and went about my employment again, but their talk and discourse went with me; also my heart would tarry with them, for I was greatly affected with their words, both because by them I was convinced that I wanted the true tokens of a truly godly man, and also because by them I was convinced of the happy and blessed condition of him that was such a one.

* We also went to the Cowper and Newton Museum on the same day - also highly recommend.

Things I'm enjoying about Cambridge # 8: Discovering my family history

Shortly after I arrived in England earlier this year I wrote a blog post about visiting a village from which Dave's family had originated. I commented on a discovery we had made and reflected on how addictive family history could become. Well, two things have happened since then.

The first thing was that we found our 'discovery' wasn't a 'discovery' at all. Dave's Dad, back home in Australia, sifted carefully through the data on the Starling ancestors that he had amassed over the years and ended up establishing that the grave we found was almost certainly not an ancestor at all (maybe a distant relative, but that's it). Disappointing, but a good introduction to the world of family tree research. This is not a pursuit where you can afford to leap too quickly to conclusions!

The second thing that happened was that Jacob was given a project by his teachers back in Australia which needed to include his family tree and history. Before we departed for England, he had been given a book by his Dave's dad (a keen family tree researcher) which was twelve chapters long and included generations and generations of that side of the family, complete with maps, photos and stories. It detailed each person who came to Australia from various parts of the world and could even pinpoint the villages and towns they came from. So, that was Dave's side of the family sorted out. But when I sat down to work out mine, all I came up with was a scrawled attempt at a tree which only went back as far as my great grandparents. I realised that I knew next to nothing about my family history and I probably should find out a bit about it. The pressure of an assignment that needed to be handed in within weeks (and fear that my family tree would look lame compared with Dave's!) added some urgency to the task. Plus, since my family originate from the UK, now seemed like a good time to find out a little more when we had a chance to actually visit some of the places.

My first instinct about how enjoyable and 'addictive' it can be has proved to be right. I have been amazed by how much one can discover online these days and can't believe how much I have managed to find out in such a short time. I've unearthed some very interesting strands of family history ranging from convicts (actually quite a lot of them!), political rebels (one English, one Irish) and dirt-poor coal miners to Methodist missionaries.

The most amazing find for me has been discovering that an ancestor of mine started one of the first Baptist churches in Kent, back in the 1640s. This might not seem an amazing fact since Dave and I are involved in a Baptist church now. However, when my mum and dad were converted in a Baptist church in the early 1980s they didn't have a clue that anyone else in the family had ever even entered a Baptist church before then. Finding out about my family history has made me even more aware of God's work through generations and the grace he has shown my particular family.

The kids and I have had a great time researching the parts of history that intersect with some of our family. We've drawn maps plotting where we came from and even written a detailed list of the convicts in the family, what crimes they committed and what became of them. Last weekend we visited some of the places where one part of our family came from in Kent (we're hoping to visit some more when my parents arrive in May). Here are some photos of our adventure:

St Mary's, Chilham (where many of my ancestors were christened, married and buried)

Next to the grave of my great, great, great, great, great grandfather (this one was the real thing!)

Spilshill Court, where my ancestor Richard Kingsnorth started a Baptist church in 1644

Churchyard at All Saints Staplehurst, where many of my ancestors were buried

All Saints Staplehurst

Lies about introverts

One of the things I've enjoyed about this six months away has been the chance to reflect on my life back home - how we were all going individually and as a family. I've been thinking about the areas of struggle in which I just need to persevere joyfully and the areas in which I ought to change and do things differently when I return. One of the questions I've been contemplating is whether I have been trying too hard to live like an extrovert when God has made me an introvert.

I came across this article (thanks Jean!) about some of the lies people (including introverts themselves!) believe about introverts. It summarises a lot of what I've been contemplating, but says it better. Have a read!

London

This blog has been a little quiet lately. This is partly because of a lack of motivation. My school aged kids are each writing blogs while here so by the time I've helped them upload photos and edit their posts, I don't feel like opening Blogger and doing it all over again on my my blog at the end of the day! It's also because I am happily pursuing some other research interests in my (very limited) spare time. More on that in another post. 

I've also been away from a computer for most of the past week while we've been having an adventure in London. Being just an hour away from Cambridge London is an easy day trip, but Dave's parents have just arrived in the country and suggested we spend a week with them in London (and were kind enough to foot the bill!). We were able to spend some time with them and see a lot more of London that way. We are also completely exhausted this week as a result. They were pretty full days! 

For the benefit of friends back home, here are some photos of what we got up to:

Hampton Court Palace

Platform 9 3/4!!

Tower of London

St Paul's Cathedral

Westminster Abbey

St James Park

British Museum

trying to explain where everything went on the actual Parthenon!

Inside Kensington Palace

Queen Victoria's wedding dress - on display at Kensington palace

Natural history museum

Banqueting hall

Lydia enjoying the magnificent ceilings there

Downing street

Changing of the guards

One of my favourite things was the British library (which we didn't get any photos of). It was amazing to be able to see so much original music, letters, historical documents and manuscripts with my very own eyes! The girls and I were especially excited the see Jane Austen's writing desk.

Things I'm enjoying about Cambridge # 7: Spring!

After a very slow start, it seems that Spring has finally arrived this weekend (a balmy 10 degrees celcius after freezing temps in the previous weeks)!

Having been in Cambridge for three months now over a very cold winter time, I am appreciating how exciting the arrival of Spring can be in a climate which has a sharper change in temperatures from winter to summer. I've coped quite well with the winter and have loved the snow, but there is something beautiful about the sharp contrast Spring brings after a bleak winter. Flowers are blooming everywhere, and we're noticing more animals about (including half a dozen goslings on the way to church this morning!). We've even noticed that the humans are emerging from hiberation - the park yesterday was packed with almost every family in the suburb and even a tight rope walker or two (seriously!).

Yesterday, for our usual Saturday day trip, we visited a place called 'Wicken Fen'. It's natural fenland (as much of Cambridgeshire was once) and we spotted a lot of wildlife! Here are some photos from our visit.

Long tailed tit

Muntjac deer

Green finch

Easter weekend in photos (a week late!)

I've already mentioned how much I enjoyed the two church services we attended last weekend. Here are the other highlights:

Christian Heritage Walk of Cambridge

On Good Friday we went on a tour of the centre of Cambridge with a group that organises walks focussing on the Christian history of Cambridge:

Bec in front of Wordsworth's rooms at St John's

Our tour guide (just ours - we were the only ones who signed up that day!)

Easter egg trail!

An Easter egg trail at Wimpole Hall (a local National Trust property):

egg and spoon challenge!

one of the things to do along the way - groom a donkey

relaxing at the finish line

the giant nest at the end of the trail!

some generous-sized prizes (notice Lydia has already started hers by the time I took the photo!)

yum!

the back of Wimpole Hall

Melford Hall

A visit to another National Trust house:

Beatrix Potter (the owners' cousin) used to stay in this bedroom

the parish church across the road

Bury St Edmunds

We looked at a couple of church buildings and the ruins of the massive Abbey there:

Abbey ruins