Another British Adventure

If you are looking for Marty and me in September, it wouldn't be too far fetched to find us traveling in some area of the UK.  Our annual visits to Scotland expanded to northern England, Yorkshire, northern Wales and as the southern peninsula of Cornwall these past several years. 

Well, September was packed with activities at home, including my 50th high school graduation reunion, so plans for a trip went the wayside.  And even though October days were busy,  we decided to continue the trend and make plans to visit an area of England where we have not yet traveled. 

Yesterday, we boarded a plane in Philadelphia for a direct flight to London Heathrow.  Our departure terminal was quite upscale compared to travel from that airport in the past.

We were able to see the Liberty Bell (Lego version)

Isn't that cool?

And Rocky Balboa too!

We generally fly from Newark, but with the convenience of a transport service to Philadelphia that rivals the price of parking ourselves, it makes perfect sense to take advantage of this opportunity.  We went with American Airlines,( despite our recent fiasco that left us stranded in Chicago), and I must say, we were both pretty happy with the accommodation and comfort of the flight, especially considering we had chosen the last row of seats on the plane.

But the last two rows are just two seats side by side which eliminated the third person and made a huge difference in comfort.  

While waiting to disembark, we chatted with the Steward on the plane, and we soon learned that he grew up in Beaver, PA, my hometown!  And his sister still lives in Brighton Township.  What are the chances of that?  Too bad I didn't think to ask him his name!

After collecting our luggage, we were soon on the road in a rental car with Marty behind the wheel, maneuvering the northern London traffic, which, thankfully, wasn't too crazy. 

Our destination was Hughenden Manor in Buckinghamshire.  The road to the parking lot was narrow and filled with deep potholes, so Marty was sure to take his time.  We arrived before the grounds opened, so we sat in the parking lot trying to catch a few zzz's since the night flight is only 6 hours long and doesn't leave much time for rejuvenation. 

We had originally decided that we would walk the grounds and tour the house first, then enjoy a cup of tea with a fresh made scone as is our usual National Trust plan.  But once we walked past the entry towards the stables, the aroma of something wonderful tempted us too much to wait.  So, we both enjoyed warm apple scones right out of the oven, and made from the fruit collected from the trees on the estate, while sipping a cup of coffee to hopefully energize us. 

The weather was gorgeous, and we were able to enjoy the tasty delights outside in the courtyard. 

Somewhat rejuvenated, we headed out from the stables towards the walled garden.

A unique sundial of sorts enhanced the entrance way.

Although many flowers had stopped blooming, there was an amazing array of color spread out within the brick walls. 

The back wall featured The Wycombe Worm, also known as the Hughenden Dragon.  

The legend behind the mythical creature dates to 1578, one of the many folklores associated with this area. 

From here we headed to the entrance to the house itself. The beauty of the changing leaves enhanced the side building attached to the main house. 

We were greeted by a A National Trust volunteer and given a brief history of the house before being sent on our way to explore the interior. 

This was the country home of the Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, who served in that capacity under Queen Victoria.  He purchased it in 1848 and it was updated to the Gothic style in 1860.  Disraeli himself was of Jewish heritage, and as such, was the first Jewish man to achieve the highest political office in Britain.  He also enjoyed writing and was the author of fourteen novels. 

The first room that we entered was the dining room, set as it would have been for a visit from Queen Victoria.  The furnishings and dinnerware are all original. 

On the far war hangs a portrait of Queen Victoria, a copy that was gifted to this family. 

And above the fireplace is a copy of a painting of Disraeli. 

Just around the corner from the dining room was a long hallway that featured rooms that played a vital part during World War II. 

When Disraeli passed in 1881, his nephew inherited the estate.  It was rented out and passed through a few hands before it was requisitioned in 1941 by the Air Ministry.  It became a top secret mapping facility, having the code name of Hillside where a staff of over 100 men and women produced target  maps for the Royal Air Force Bomber Command. 

Several steps were involved in the secret mission: special crews were sent out to take aerial photographs.  The information was given to the Intelligence Section who scrutinized the items for accuracy.  Then, a special photographic studio which was also on site, enlarged the maps for easier viewing of the details. 

The significance of Hughenden Manor's role in map creation was very nearly hidden for all time when, in 1946, all who played a part in the Air Ministry were forced to sign the Official Secret Act.   When the house was gifted to the National Trust in 1947, there was no indication of what had transpired here during the War. 

But in 2004, a visitor to the estate was touring with his grandson when he was overheard saying that the house looked nothing like it had when he had served there during the war.  That piqued the interest of a volunteer, who attempted to ask questions but the man was bound to secrecy. 

The Ministry of Defense was approached and the department granted permission for all who had worked at Hughenden during the war effort to be released from their code of silence.  It was at this point that the real story was pieced together, and the collection increased to what it is today.  Pretty amazing, don't you think? 

Here's a photo of the back of the house taken from the mapping room.  The windows gave natural brightness. 

We left this area to continue the tour of the house, where we found ourselves standing in a library filled with books.  

These two books are under glass and on display. They date to 1828 and 1831 and are entitled Commentaries on the Life and Reign of Charles the First, King of England.  Both were written by Benjamin Disraeli's father, Isaac. 

On the same table there is this cast of a foot, made from marble, apparently in the likeness of the foot of Mary Anne Evans, Vicountess Beaconsfield, wife of Benjamin. 

Benjamin was her second husband, her first having passed at a young age, leaving her widowed.  Her marriage to Benjamin was at first for financial gain, but items in the house indicate that he also considered her to be a love match.  She was very much involved in the activities of the house.  This room features her portrait over the fireplace.

and it was said that she was responsible for many of the different designs of the house.  These cabinets were quite unique.  The top features a carving of what looks to be the head of a bishop. 

The view from her bedroom features this stunning Italianate garden.

On the top floor, there was an exhibit devoted to an 1875 Arctic exhibition which was decried as the Polar Failure. The exhibit features a rare Victorian folding camera

 as well as the box of photos that were presented to Disraeli at the time of the return of the crew. 

The exhibit tells the tragic story of the attempt of these crew members to reach the north pole, only to result in an early return due to disease and death of some of the crew. 

Large placards represent a  diary created by Clements Markham.  Height and weight was noted to chart the health of the crew members over time. 

A catlogue of photographs from the Arctic Expedition, dated 1875-1876 is held under glass. 

Although the expedition was considered a failure by the general public, since the north pole was never reached by the crew,  it should be credited with being the first mission to succeed in bringing back photographs made in the High Arctic. 

Just outside the collection was a room, shaded with heavy blinds, featuring comfortable chairs designed to watch a slide show of the photos displayed on a wall.  Marty and I decided to take a break and sit for a minute, but soon realized that could be dangerous considering our lack of sleep, so we popped up, went down the stairs and outside to take in the beauty of the grounds in the back of the manor house. 

This gate stands along part of the property.  The gold was shining in the sun.

Walking back to the car park you can see the beauty of the grounds in the distance. 

We stopped briefly to check out the church that stands on the grounds near the entrance.  It is not a part of the National Trust holdings, but it still functions as an active church. 

From here we headed to Aston Clinton, where we are staying for several days.  The hotel is called The Bell Aston Clinton, thereby the bell, not make from Legos. 

Dinner was in the hotel restaurant and it was fabulous!

I enjoyed the chicken and leek pie with buttered chive mash topped with green beans and broccoli rabe.  

Yum!

Now it's time for bed to catch up on the lost sleep of an overnight flight.  We're expecting another beautiful day tomorrow. 

Thanks for following along, and I'll keep you posted!

Until next time...

DPAA in Dover

 Last weekend, Marty and I made the drive to Dover Delaware to attend the scheduled DPAA Family Update Meeting.  For those of you not familiar, DPAA stands for Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency and our purpose for attending was to receive an update regarding Marty's Uncle Fred who went missing in action on Feb. 9, 1945. 

It has been reported that this was the largest attendance ever, and, believe me, that was certainly obvious by the lines we stood in after entering the doors. 

This meeting was a reschedule...  twice. 

It had been on the calendar for a weekend in October last year, but the government shut down changed that to January 23 of this year.  A huge snowstorm that swept into that area then forced yet another reschedule, and here we were, finally able to hold the meeting. 

Since this was held in Dover, we were afforded the opportunity to take a tour through the forensics DNA lab where the identifications are made. DPAA provided bussing and transferred groups of 40 in school busses from the Bally Casino to the Air Force base where the government lab is held. 

The tour was beyond amazing. We were given first hand insight into the various stages of preparation that go into making identifications from unknowns.

As you might recall, I have been actively involved with the Tokyo Pridin Fire MIAs and it was fascinating to follow the various steps taken to secure those identifications. 

The tour lasted 2 hours start to finish and buses were running from 9:00 am through at least 4:00 pm,  if not later. Obviously the families of the missing are equally interested in learning about the identification process. 

The lab tour was on Friday which was the prior day to the scheduled full day event on Saturday.   The drive from home to Dover, although quite doable, seemed a bit much for us to make twice in two days, especially since we were required to be on site at 8:00 am., so we opted to stay overnight nearby.  Rooms were offered at the Casino hotel, but that didn't appeal to me.  I found a lovely B&B about 30 minutes away in Milford, Delaware.  That was certainly a wise decision on my part as Marty and I thoroughly enjoyed exploring this cute town Friday evening, but more about that later. 

Saturday saw a record crowd of people in attendance. Over 70% represented families from WWII missing. Generally, people are invited if they are within a 250-300 mile radius. But this event saw people driving from Michigan and flying in from Florida. People want answers about their loved ones and these family meetings seem to be the only time where families can meet with a historian and ask questions regarding status. 

Our meeting was at 9:00 AM with Mark Russel, a historian who is familiar with Fred's case and has been involved for over a dozen years.   Mark showed us a new technology that he used to survey the crossing area where Marty’s uncle was believed to have gone missing.  The technique is called LIDAR and is being used in Germany.  The images were fascinating.   Mark was able to point out foxholes and trenches in the area.  We still don’t have any answers at this time, but it is comforting to know that DPAA is continuing to keep Fred's case classified as "Active Pursuit." 

After our meeting, there were numerous speakers who gave us insight into the role of DPAA, of which we had been quite familiar.  There was also a detailed review of the newest strategies being implemented with DNA for identification.  

Much to his surprise, as part of the program, Michael Krehl, who was the grass roots impetus into the Tokyo Prison Fire Project, was called onstage to be recognized for his outstanding achievement in regards to his extreme efforts.  He was granted the Superior Public Service Award by the agency.  And it certainly was a proud moment for him. 

He asked me to join in the photo as the genealogist who helped find families so that the DPAA could move forward with the project. 

I feel honored to have been asked to play such an important role, and grateful that Marty and I were able to attend the event to witness Michael's recognition.  How awesome is that? 

As I mentioned earlier, I decided to pick a place to stay separate from the commotion of the event, and we ended up in this lovely victorian B&B in Milford. 

Our room was called the Bird's Nest,

and it even had its own seating area next to a large window overlooking the street. 

The one quirky thing about the room was the three steps up into the bathroom from the main room. We handled it quite fine, but I could see that being rather tricky for some people. 

After checking in, we headed into town for a simple, but delicious dinner in a local diner.  Then, we decided to walk part of the River Walk which apparently is a mile long from start to finish, but we certainly did not walk it in its entirety. 

Isn't it just lovely?

The reflection on the water was amazing!

Milton was known for its ship building as early as 1782.  Boat sculptures designed by local artists and made out of fiberglass, are displayed along the river walk. I took photos of some of them that caught my eye.

 

As you can see, the town is just delightful.

And, I think you'd be hard pressed to argue against this sign. Unless you are lactose intolerant. 

After satisfying our sweet tooth, we headed back to the B&B for the night.  This enormous building stands  across the street.  It was once the Central Hotel.

It is one of the building featured in the Walking Trail and Tour of the town. 

Certainly worth exploring if you find yourself visiting Milford. 

We stayed in the Towers B&B, also noted in the walking trail, which included a lovely breakfast served in a special room overlooking the gardens. 

How is that for delightful?  A yogurt parfait to start with, followed by Eggs Benedict. All in a lovely sun room with calming music enhancing the atmosphere. 

You can bet that wasn't happening at the Casino hotel! 

Hope you enjoyed the recap of our adventures!

Thanks for following along.  Until next time....