home time

It was hard saying goodbye to grandma, really hard but we had the best time and I am so glad that we came.

Now it's time to catch a taxi, three trains, two planes and eat crappy travel food because I am never organised with snacks even though I always talk about taking them!!!!

morpeth or as i call it the best place on earth!!!

I love, love, love Morpeth and we went on our first day in Maitland.  It's heaven for any history buff or collector of old stuff!!

 Everything is so pretty - even the moss!!!

 old bread tins in the old arnott's factory...

antique sewing bobbins - a huge crate full - i'm kicking myself for not grabbing a few!

 old everything!!

 Ned and I did a history tour - it was great - Mum and Jar opted for hot chocolate at the cafe!!



St Peter's and the columbarium

We went to the columbarium to leave flowers for our loved ones......

it was a bit emotional...... 

 my great granddad, mum's granddad and g.m's dad

 my grandad, mum's dad and g.m's husband.

 

 the windows were so beautiful....

the font where mum was baptised - it's been there since 1888!!!

hardtime.

All Ned wanted to do was to visit the jail so we squeezed a couple of hours in to do some hard time!!

I knew it was self toured but I thought you would have to stick to paths and look at things from a distance but the lady took our money, gave us a headset and let us roam.  It was really cool and interesting and sad too but it was also bloody spooky.  A few areas we just didn't go too far in and it was a really windy day so that didn't help with the cell doors creaking!!!  It opened in in the 1840's and closed in 1998 so you can imagine plenty of ghosts over the last 150 years.

 They even labelled the cell for them!

one for Al too !!

 

 We got to go everywhere and there was even still stuff in some cells!!

 Outdoor cells for the worst offenders - brrrr!!

 weeks, months or years??  we actually clued on half way through that Ned was really enjoying himself reading some pretty colourful graffitti on cell walls!!!

 con artiste

 they hung 'em from this archway...

 In the visiting room talking through the glass - just like on tv!!!



memory lane

I love anything 'old' and I really love hearing about our family history so spending time with grandma, driving around in our hire car and hearing about and seeing all the landmarks of her life was the one thing I really wanted out of this visit.  She has an amazing memory and has led an amazing and, at times, a hard life. It was extra special that Jar was there to hear her stories and pretty cool that we had four generations of women (and Ned!!) cruising about the Hunter region !!

The house that Mum grew up in....

and outside that house with grandma and my uncles

 We drove out to Greta to see her grandfathers house....

 It had undergone some pretty major reno's and looked just like any other house.

I was disappointed because he was the doctor for the collieries and the township and had a surgery next door - lot's of places are protected now but unfortunately not this one.

Grandma still really enjoyed it though and recognised heaps of the old buildings.

 We were able to go to the museum (thanks to a really nice lady that came down with 15 mins notice)

and see my great great grandfather's name on the mayors roll - A.E.O Walker.

 The museum lady brought out a book that had "my grandfathers story - d.s.mills" written by my grandma in my grandma's writing!!!  IN A MUSEUM PEOPLE!!!!

She was pretty surprised too!

 My g.g.g/f back row third from left.

It was her actual birthday this day so we celebrated again with a chinese lunch - her favourite!!

ninety.seven

After one car, two flights, three trains and a taxi we arrived in Maitland to visit and celebrate my Grandma Daphne's 97th birthday - three times!!!

1. At the home in Kurri Kurri....

2. with her beautiful friend Betty.....

(she's such a tiny sweet pea!!)

3. In the park with all her kids, grandkids and great grandkids!

last minute

i do it every single time!! packing literally hours before leaving to maitland!