Holiday Parts 1 to 9 - A holiday in England

When I went on this holiday, I did not intend to make any movies. Rather I was just taking holiday snapshots and the odd short movie as a record of where I had been. The movies are good because I could get in a panorama. When I returned, I thougt of making a slide show, for the family, in the tradition of my grandfather who always gave us great slide nights. I quickly relaised that I had enough material to make a documentary. I count those american civil war documentaries as my inspiration. So with the limited material I had available I produced these short snippets. They are in multiple parts primarily becuase this was about the limit that my computer at the time could handle without slowing to a crawl.

Part 1 - Getting There (15MB)

This is about the journey from Westmead to St Lenard's on Sea via Osaka.

Part 2 - Sussex, England the Normans and Anglo-Saxons (40MB)

Sussex is where several of my ancestors lived. The Norman descended ancestors, who connected into the family in Australia only a few generations back. The Anglo-Saxon ancestors are from the Cramp side. My Marks side members also come from Sussex, but Marks is a Jewish name. We do not know if they were Jews.
Also featuring in the video is the town of Bexhill and Arundel, and Bodiam castles.

Part 3 - London to Dublin (28M)

Arriving in Shooter's Hill I visit the site, now a War Hospital of the 80 room mansion called Hazelwood House, which belonged to the father George Harley, father of Elizabeth Harley (1765-1842). They are Great...Grandparents.

I then meet up with Wendy who has arrived from Europe. We visit Harrods. On the Thames I visit the HMS Belfast. We then drive to Monk's Barn. Then onto Holyhead and over the Irish Sea to Dublin.

Part 4 - Dublin and surrounds (26M)

A few days in Dublin. We stay at the Parliament Hotel, because we never realized that this was the weekend of the Hurling grand final. On the first full day I go to Glendalough. On the second day we go to Knowth and Newgrange. Finally we visit Dublin Castle.

Part 5 – Bridgnorth (41M)

We leave the ferry at Holyhead and travel to Bridgnorth so that Wendy can research her ancestors. We stay at the Parlors Hall Hotel. I visit Iron Bridge, the home of the Industrial Revolution. I then spend the day at Bridgnorth, visiting the Funicular, St Leonard's Church and the Severn River Railway.

Part 5A – The Normans (47M)

The Harley's live in Brampton Bryan Castle and have their old family castle as a ornament in the front yard. Lord Robert Harley is my ancestor here. This is the most disputed connection in the tree. I then travel to Wigmore Castle to see the home of my grand uncle – Earl Robert De Mortimer, who tried to seize the English throne. I also visit the towns of Abberley, Ombersley and Broadwas.

Part 6 – The Lakes District (10M)

We stop of in Lancaster on the way to Ambleside on the high road, through the lakes district.

Part 7 – Scotland (50M)

We start in Edinburgh. Duncan I and Malcolm III are great-grandparents. I then head for Aberdeenshire, visiting Scone on the way and heading over the Grampians. The Balgowan and Shand family branches come from around Rhynie, Clatt, Gartley, Lumden and Drumblade.

I then travel back to Edinburgh via Dunnottar and Glamis Castles. The next day I do a bus tour. We go to Linlithgow Palace, Stirling Castle, Loch Lomond.

Part 8 – Midlands (20M)

We leave Scotland had head to boroughbridge near York. We visit Fountain's Abbey, inhabited by Mysterious Monks. We visit Catherine in Stanton-by-Bridge. We have dinner in Melbourne. And return to London.

Part 9 – London (30M)

Hordes of protest marches, the Cutty Sark, and a day trip to Oxford. With some ancestors from Oxford, including John, King of England. Back in London I spend half a day at work and then visit Wesley Chapel and the British National Museum. The final day is spent wandering around London. We stop off to see Twelfth Night and the Globe.