The View from Here

Check out all of the latest pictures from Rebekah’s Twitter Account:

Aug 17-22 Canadian Visitors (Rebekah’s pictures).

Misc Summer Pictures (Rebekah).

Aug 17-22- Canadian visitors (Chris’ pictures). [Silly formatting, the older pictures in the list were from the summer and were supposed to be under the heading: Aug 26- Sorry to not have posted pictures this summer, it has been rather busy and BT (British Telecom) has after 3 months not installed our phone lines for wifi at our new place (not happy). As a result we have held off posting pics but have decided to take the time at College to post some of our favourites (sadly without comments on where they are)].

June 6- Tortworth Lake

May 30- Moving to Tortworth…our new place! Check out the view! The small stables are ours not the big house (though it is nearby)!

Inside:

May 25- The Salisbury PlainMay 25- The Salisbury Plain

 

 

May 9- Jurassic Coast and Corfe Caste with AJ

May 8- Sandy Point

May 4-7- N. Wales  with Jessica V

 

April 18- Hiking the Malvern Hills (16 Miles)

April 5- Happy Easter!

April 4- Today we went on an Easter day trip. First Rebekah drove us to Maisemore Apiary then into Gloucester to the Cathedral (including the tower tour-70m), historic district and old docks. We even ate at a pub where Jennie could come in! After we journeyed towards the Forest of Dean and stopped at Westbury Court Water Garden and then to St.Briavels Castle.

 

“Spring is the time of year when it is summer in the sun and winter in the shade.”   – Charles Dickens

 

 

Misc Spring Pics

 

Feb 28- Chris surprised me and took me on a trip to the Slimbridge Wetlands and Wildfowl Trust to see all of their amazing birds as a pre-surgery day out. We saw swans, geese, flamingos and our favourite,

the North American River Otters!

North American River Otters

 

Feb 20- Our new to us car (a Toyota Starlet-1999)

Feb 14- Rebekah in hospital:(

Jan 31- Hiking at Cadbury Camp iron age hillfort.

 Jan 24- Blaise Castle Estate

 Jan 14- Brean Down

 

 

Jan 17- A day trip to Brean Down (http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/brean-down/)

 

Jan 14- Bristol’s first snow in 2 years and our first (in Bristol)

Jan 4- Rebekah and I being unwell between Christmas and New Year’s didn’t do a whole lot. We did, however, manage to get out a visit a new manor house (King’s Weston) just down the road that we did not previously know about.

Dec 24- Turkey!

 

Dec 23- Taking Abby to Bath

Dec 22- Bristol Cathedral

Dec 18-21. A pre-Christmas get away to Northern Wales. Highlights: Climbing Mt. Snowdon (4th highest point in the UK), Caernarfon Castle (castle of the Prince of Wales) and relaxing by a woodstove!

Dec 17- A Victorian Christmas at Tynesfield

Dec 16- Reminds us of National Lampoons Christmas (discovered on the way home from Home Group Bible Study). They even had their own radio station!

Dec 16- Abby explores England!

Dec 15- Abby arrives from Canada (a visit to Avebury- world heritage site- on the way home from the airport)

Dec 7- Putting up our little tree!

Dec 6- Bath German Christmas Market. Went with the Impact Group (20s&30s) from church to Bath by train. Picked up a few good bargains and had an enjoyable time!

 

Dec 1- Mowing grass for the last time?

Nov 29- Hike at Leigh Woods. Just across the bridge from College

 

Nov 21- A journey home from the doctors. Just what the doctor ordered. Rebekah’s CT scan ended up being on the SE corner of Bath. We took the opportunity to visit Bradford upon Avon which included its Saxon church, old town centre, bridge, canal and tithe barn. Jennie discovered some hissing swans too! On the way home we discovered Jane Seymour’s country residence, St. Catherine’s Court. Enjoy!

 

 

Nov 15- A journey north of Bristol, along the Cotswold Way, near Dursley.

Visiting prehistoric “long barrows” (tombs).

 

Woodchester Park (an estate that has an abandoned manor home that was designed to look like a recovered abbey)

 

Uley Hill Fort (approx. 40 acres with steep 200’+ drops on either side. A commanding position.)

 

Nov 8- A journey into beautiful Wiltshire. Journeyed south of Bath along the western edge of the Salisbury Plain to visit Stourhead (set of Mr. Darcy’s (first) proposal in the 2005 Pride and Prejudice film)! Went for some neat walks and village stop overs too!

 

 

Nov 1- Chris’ Bristol birthday outing. First stop= John Wesley’s Chapel (the first Methodist meeting house in the world). Second Stop= Arnos Vale Cemetery (founded in 1836 it was left derelict in the 80s and 90s-note the overgrowth, one would think they were walking in a forest- it is the most famous Bristol cemetery).

 

Oct 25- Dog sitting our friend’s dog “Monty”

 

Oct 18- An autumn hike in Wales… it was not a hike up a grand mountain like Pen y fan or Corn Du, nonetheless Sugar Loaf (1955′) stands alone as a unique Welsh hill. Enjoyed the outing with a couple from church and of course Jennie. We journeyed up the Wye Valley and saw the beautiful Tintern Abbey, toured cross country down rural lanes, and then up, up, up to the peak of Sugar Loaf.

 

Oct 13- Canadian Thanksgiving in the UK. After searching for the necessary ingredients high and low we were able to celebrate with my professor and his wife. Thanks be to God.

 

 

 

Oct 11- A Thanksgiving Outing- Today we journeyed north of Bristol and across the Severn River into Wales to visit Chepstow Castle, the first Norman Castle in Wales, home to the oldest castle door in Europe (1192) and a castle that was an architectural, hospitality and defensive model of its day set beside the Wye River. It was a 28 Mile trip (great job Rebekah!). Enjoy!

 

Oct 4- A journey through the western edge of the Cotswolds to Newark Park, a sixteenth-century Tudor hunting lodge, and then on to a memorial service at the Tyndale Monument (read more about that under Crocker Contemplations).

Sept 20- Our last summer adventure…and we chose Bath, which in our opinion is the loveliest English city and we cycled there! We hope to return soon; anyone want to come?

 

 

 

Sept 17- Took Rebekah to this newly discovered vantage point. Looking north along the Avon Gorge you can see the new Bristol harbour and channel. Looking south you can see old Bristol and the suspension bridge.

 

Sept 13- Doors Open Bristol: St. Mary Redcliffe Church (one of the older churches in Bristol), SS Great Britain (the world’s first modern ship), Redcliffe Caves.

 

 

Sept 11- Praising God for our new nephew Gabriel John Peters Samulack.

Congrats Rob and Rachel on your beautiful baby boy!

 

 

Sept 7- Walking on the Blaise Castle Estate. This location has one of three ancient hill forts. It also has part of a Roman road that goes north to Gloucester. A lovely sunny Sunday afternoon for a walk!

Sept 6- A sunny afternoon out volunteering at the Bristol Bee and Pollen Show at the Bristol Botanical Gardens (http://www.bristol.ac.uk/botanic-garden/)

Sept 3- We have been here for over a month and Jennie is now settled in (even after her fight with a fox two nights ago!).

Aug 30- Rebekah’s first bike cycling trip, 14 miles to the Severn Bridge. Good job Rebekah!

Aug 29- A Journey to the Southern Cotswolds before work and school ramp up.

Castle Combe, setting for the movie War Horse (2010)

Taking photo memories at Lacock Abbey gardens.

Lacock Village and Abbey. The oldest parts of the Abbey date to 1200. Modern photography was also invented here too!

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lacock/things-to-see-and-do/lacock-village/

Chris going through a really neat ford in the village across the river Avon.

Aug 22- 25- KBC Church Holiday

We were very blessed to have been invited on the church holiday where we were able to connect with so many people. Here are some hiking highlights from a walk in the Quantock Hills (note the wild ponies, beautiful heather and great views (we could see as far away as 90 miles)).

Aug 16- Horfield Prison Bicycle Sale

HMP Bristol Horfield has a program to teach inmates work skills by refurbishing bicycles after which a group inspects them for quality control and they are sold for charity. As bicycles are very expensive in the UK compared to Canada we picked up a bicycle each. Chris is cycling to the church holiday next weekend (55 miles) through the Mendip Hills.

Aug 16- Tyndale Monument

One of my professors and his wife introduced us to this beautiful hiking and historic park.

William Tyndale was the reformer who translated much the Bible into English for the first time and for this great work he was rewarded for being burnt at the stake. The monument is a tribute to his faith and contributions to Bible translation. He was born near here.

On the hiking adventure Jennie was delighted to find some fox poop, of which there are many of in the area (foxes that is), and rolled in it. She also climbed the tower with us!

Aug 15- An afternoon in the country just east of Bristol at Dyrham Park.

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/dyrham-park/

*Note the Fallow Deer truly sound like penguins!

The view of Bristol and Wales

Aug 13- An afternoon trip to Clevedon Court (1290) and Woodspring Priory (1210)

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/clevedon-court/

http://www.landmarktrust.org.uk/search-and-book/properties/woodspring-priory-13271/?gclid=CPbU1K_VkMACFUoUwwodsroAEg

Aug 13- Blaise Castle Folly and Blaise Manor House (1 Mile from our house!)

Aug 12- A picnic in Brandon Hill Nature Park and Cabot Tower (named after John Cabot who discovered Canada and was from Bristol) with our Anglo-Dutch friend from church Hennie.

 

Aug 11- Rebekah learns the ropes in her new and slightly smaller English kitchen.

Aug 10- A Lord’s Day walk in the Blaise Gulley.

Aug 9- “brambling”

Aug 9- Bristol Beekeepers Association

Aug 8- Dream home?

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/tyntesfield/

Aug 6- Wishing we could live in the shire; the cottages of Blaise Hamlet.

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/blaise-hamlet/

Aug 2- Repton Hall, once a manor house, then a psychiatric hospital and now luxury apartments, built in 1802. The grounds are Jennie’s favourite place and it is only a 2 min walk from home.

Aug 1- Our little castle in Brentry, Bristol. This is the first time living in a big city and so a view of Wales and the Bristol Channel from our bedroom window, along with fields and cows on the northern edge of the city help to make our transition more palatable.