News for Family and Friends

Journal of Overseas Trip 31 March to 10 May 2008

(Click on the thumbnails to enlarge the photographs; then use the back button to return)

London - ANZAC Day - Friday 25th April

Arrived in the vicinity of London's Heathrow before 6am, therefore had to kill time so as to land after the curfew. Passed through immigration relatively quickly and simply walked through customs without being challenged! We bought Oyster Tickets at the airport £3.00 deposit and £7.00 worth of rides each. Took the tube to Kings Cross/St Pancras Station and after walking the wrong way along Euston Road, turned and walked back the other way, found the street our hotel was in and dropped our cases off at the Alhambra Hotel.

We then went back to the station £7.00 does not go far on an Oyster Card! We added Zone 1 and 2 for 7 days and then some cash to cover our sorties beyond 2 zones.

We took the tube to Mill Hill East Station and brought some lunch at a Cafe - not up to much. Eventually found the entrance to the Cemetery. Reception was in the process of being painted but somehow managed to escape the crowded area without getting paint on our clothes! The person answering our enquiries brought out old plans that were falling apart and copied parts of them to help us find our graves of interest. The plots are not numbered sequentially by geographical location making it difficult for us to find them!

We found the Ennever grave site first. That is Joseph with his wife Elizabeth and their son Joseph. The Headstone is leaning over somewhat. Then found the Ruby Lind & "Will" Dyson grave, five years to the day after the new headstone was erected! We needed the assistance from one of the workers to find it. Dyson grave needs some attendance as the headstone is likely to fall at any time.

We walked back to the underground. Returned to the hotel and booked in. We then went out to Euston Road and had dinner at the "Euston Flyer" - awful food. Then took the tube to Piccadilly Circus and looked around - slightly disappointing. We then went back to the hotel to bed.

Grave of Joseph & Elizabeth Ennever & their son Joseph

Grave of Ruby Lind & "Will" Dyson

Statue of Eros Piccadilly Circus

London - Saturday 26th April

We took the bus to Marble Arch and checked it out. We then walked through Hyde Park. We saw some horses being ridden. The Albert Memorial very extravagant - what had this man done to deserve this?

Then we went on to the British Museum of Natural History, a magnificent building housing many exhibits. Some are displayed in contemporary ways others somewhat dated (such as the birds).

When we had finished at the Natural History Museum we spent an hour or so at the Victoria & Albert Museum. What we saw of the V & A was amazing and more time could have been spent there!

Next we went to Harrods. Outside covered with a painted "canvas" covering the building depicting its normal facade. A pricey store.

London Telephone box

Marble Arch

The Albert Memorial

London - Sunday 27 April

We set off in search of places of interest from a family history perspective. First to Whitechapel where we found a building numbered 213 Whitechapel Road (near to the Underground Station) but of course it is not known whether the street is still numbered the same way. The building is covered by scaffolding and Whitechapel Road itself is used as a market place. A picture was also taken of the Royal London Hospital opposite.

St Anne's in Underwood Avenue was open due to people practicing their music. Three services are held on Sundays, one for the traditional congregation and the others in Portuguese, it was said that the latter kept the Church financial.

Went to 19 Brick Lane and took a photograph, 32 Brick Lane did not exist being replaced by a roadway. Went to Christ Church in Spitalfields. Christ Church School was in Brick Lane and the smell from the drink fountain in front of it was so unbearable it was impossible to take a proper photograph of it. We continued on to Christ Church itself on the corner of Fournier and Commercial Streets, and we spent some time talking to an antique dealer in his shop. Amongst the items he had for sale was printing plate and business cards for an accoucheur (male midwife) who had practised in Brick Lane (Septimus Swyer was an obstetrician). Then we looked at the church. After which we continued to St Matthews.

St Matthew's in St Matthews Row, Bethnal Green, looked somewhat abandoned but according to the Church's website it has an active Church community.

We continued on to Bethnal Green Road and had lunch.

Then we walked along through Arnold Circus to St Leonard's Church. We were lucky to see inside St Leonard's as the Vicar was in it and let us look around; he left and told us to close the doors as we left. We then went across to Old Street and walked a short distance down it, after which we caught a bus to London Bridge and walked to St Thomas's and visited the Old Operating Theatre, after this we walked across London Bridge and back again.

We then used the underground to get to St Clement Danes standing as it does on a traffic island in the Strand. We then walked around and eventually ended up at Blackfriars Station and headed back to the hotel.

Brick Lane shop

London Bridge

London buses

London - Monday 28 April - Greenwich with Ivy Collins

We travelled to Trafalgar Square and met Ivy at Nelson's Column, then walked to the Thames River looking at Westminster Abbey (guarded by machine guns) and other places on the way. We went for a River Cruise to Greenwich seeing the London Bridge, the Big Ben clock tower, the Big Eye, the Cucumber and other sights on the way. We walked up the hill to the Observatory and looked through the building, after which we had lunch, then we went through the main building looking at all the displays, we left at about 4.45pm and walked to the train station, catching the train to Charing Cross station, going to Ivy's club for drinks. We then walked over the millennium bridge and had dinner at an Italian Restaurant, this was very nice. We walked with ivy, back over the bridge and took a sunset photo and on the way to her Club. We stopped at a bookshop on the way and found out where to get a book John was looking for. So we headed to Piccadilly Circus to find the bookshop and buy the book, this done we headed back to our hotel.

Thank you Ivy for a wonderful day

.

Big Ben Clock Tower

The remains of William Herschel's 40 foot telescope tube - 1789

Sunset on the London Millennium Bridge

Essex - Tuesday 29 April

We travelled to Buckhurst Hill on the "tube" which ran overground some of the way. As we arrived early we walked up the main shopping precinct and back down again of Buckhurst Hill. We met John (John's cousin) and Shirley Spencer at 10:45am and drove past Arley Villa and Elbro House on our way to St John's where we viewed the combined grave of Martha Brain (April 10 1904), Harvey Brain (died January 1924(?), Susan Huddleston (died January 10 1829), John Huddleston (died September 18 1867), Major J. A. Brain (died October 25 1923?), Mary Huddleston (died January 31 1941).

We then drove to High Beach (spelt as the sign post had it), and saw the family grave of Walter W Webster, Sidney Webster and others at the Church if the Holy Innocents. Luckily the church was open for cleaning and we were able to look over it. The carpet leading to the alter had the names "High Beach" and "High Beech" both woven into it. Then it was on to the Kings Oak in High Beach for lunch.

Then back to Arley Villa and Elbro House. We were able to go over Arley Villa as the owner's mother was waiting to show it to us. The pear tree in the back garden was still there.

John & Shirley then suggested we went to find the site of "Ashleigh" which has been replaced by a block of flats. We walked up The Bridle Path and found the only original looking building was "Lodge Cottage". An additional similar building has been built alongside.

Then we went to look for the house in Broomhill Road but as we did not find a house named "Ferncote" and we did not have the number this search was unsuccessful. On the way we stopped at a statue of Winston Churchill and took a photograph of it (since lost) remembering the story of Brainey being told off for talking to him (he was from the wrong political party) through the fence.

John gave us the book that was given as a prize to Harry (Henry) Braine and an envelope of material about the Brain family.

We are both grateful to John and Shirley for a wonderful day. John Spencer is the author of From Hartpury to the Antipodes: A History of the Brain Family.

Two Brain family homes	Kings Arms where we had lunch
Cottage in Epping Forest	Cottage in Epping Forest

London - Wednesday 30th April

Travelled to the Old Bailey, took photos, walked to St Paul's took photos and caught the bus to Tower Hill, went to the Tower of London and spent hours looking around the Tower of London. We had lunch at the Tower of London and continued looking around and then we headed to the Tower Bridge and went over it, looking at the Pump House as well. We then headed back to the Hotel.

Old Bailey	Tower of London
Guard at Tower of London	1607 Bronze 24 powder gun and cast iron carriage at Tower of London

London - Thursday 1st May

This morning we headed to the London Wetlands Centre, using the Underground and a bus. We spent the morning looking around the Wetlands, taking photos of the birds, when then caught the bus back to Hammersmith Broadway Bus Station and had lunch, then we travelled on the Underground to Kew Gardens and spent the afternoon wandering around the Gardens, first going to the Botanical art display, we took the train ride around the Gardens and then went back to places we wanted to look at. At the end of the day we headed back to the hotel.

Flowers Kew Gardens

Mother and young, Kew Gardens

London - Friday 2nd May

Today we went to the Science Museum; we wandered around looking at some of the floors. We looked at many transport exhibits including the original Stephenson's Rocket steam railway engine.

After lunch we headed to the Library and had a look at the Magna Carta and looked around the exhibition of illuminated manuscripts. Dinner at the Chinese restaurant and then back to the hotel and packed for Vienna.

Shackleton in wall on street corner

Sign on street corner London

London - Vienna - Saturday 3rd May

This was mostly a day of travel as we felt we need to go London's notorious Heathrow airport sooner rather than later. It did not turn out as bad as its reputation but we were not using the new Terminal 5.

Arrived in Vienna. We took the City Airport Train to Vienna. This was the smoothest train ride we had experienced on trip! On arrival in the City we discovered that the "checked in" baggage for the next stage of our journey could be booked in at the station instead of the airport! At the City staion transferred to another train which dropped us near our hotel. Outside that station was the final stages of second hand market. A front end loader was waiting to clean up the mess. After some initial difficulties we found our way to our brightly painted hotel. After settling into our room we went to the well known Café Sperl in Gumpendorfer Sraße and enjoyed a good meal, making use of the English menu and an English speaking waitress.

Vienna - Sunday 4th May

We spent the day walking anti-clockwise around "the ring" with diversions to such things as the war memorial. This was a long but enjoyable walk. Some parts of the ring were less interesting than others. We had apple strudel for lunch. Vienna or the parts of it we were in, tended to be closed as it was Sunday. It was challenging to find a restaurant that was open for the evening meal. The one we did find was not as good as the Café Sperl. We were somewhat surprised at the lack of activity in Vienna on a Sunday. Perhaps Vienna is more worthy of the title Dullsville than Perth.

Mozart Monument in Vienna

Transport in Vienna

Vienna Tram

Vienna to Istanbul - Monday 5th May

Checked out of our hotel and went to Vienna's City Air Terminal (Lanstraße) by train and booked in our luggage. Then we went for a walk for a couple of hours through part of the city including crossing one of the Canals.

Interesting building in Vienna

Our hotel in Vienna

Caught the train to the airport and the flight to Istanbul. A Turkish Official checked our passports before allowing us to board the plane. Attaturk (Istanbul) airport was somewhat chaotic and people seemed to have little respect for queues or "No entry" signs. Then we caught the train from the airport to Eminönü where we transferred to the tram for the journey to the Güthane stop. Tram stops are isolated by fences in an attempt to ensure that passengers paid their fare either by purchasing a token or by using an "akbil". An akbil is an electronic pass that can be used by more than one person but we never found out where to buy one. With assistance from a carpet salesman (who claimed he had been to Australia) we found our way to the Erboy Hotel. Most carpet salesmen claimed they have been to Australia or their brother lived there. We had our evening meal in the dining room (Pasazade Restaurant) attached to the hotel.

Istanbul - Tuesday 6th May (Ruth's Birthday)

We walked to the Blue Mosque following the tram line. Most streets we encountered in Istanbul were cobbled. The traffic was chaotic and horns blared constantly. The Blue Mosque was stilled used as such.

After the Blue Mosque we went to the Hagia Sophia a somewhat derelict mosque but well worth seeing. Then we returned to the hotel (where much to my embarrassment I was reminded it was Ruth's birthday by the hotel staff, I was convinced it was the following day). Had lunch and then went to the Basilica Cistern a most impressive underground water supply. After this we had an ice cream during which a long line of protestors passed by. Never found out what they were protesting about. Then we went to the Hippodrome Square. For some reason the bases of the ancient memorials were some distance underground. This was followed by a brief visit to the Grand Bazaar.

We returned to the hotel where the staff helped us to celebrate Ruth's birthday. We went to the rooftop bar (tremendous views). A chocolate birthday cake with candles was provided and Ruth was presented with a small glass tray embellished with the Sultan's symbol.

The evening meal was had near the hotel. As part of the meal a loaf of bread roughly the size and shape of an Australian Rules football was produced. Like a football it was found to be full of air. An early night was called for as we expecting a long day the following day.

Tulip at the entrance to Blue Mosque	Doors inside the Blue Mosque
Marble Jar at Hagia Sophia	Weeping column in the Basilica Cistern
In the Hippodrome Square	Ruth's Birthday cake and drinks

Istanbul - Gallipoli - Istanbul - Wednesday 7th May

An early breakfast (6am) was arranged with the hotel so we could be picked up between 7am and 7:30am. The bus did not arrive until after 7:30am so we need not have got up as early as we did. Then we had a further delay as the bus had to stop and wait on the way out of Istanbul for a taxi to bring two additional passengers. On the way to Canakkale the bus stopped for morning tea at a road house and while we were there the outside of the bus was washed. They then tried to show a video on Gallipoli on the bus but this was difficult to see and in any case we wanted to see the countryside.

After a mediocre lunch at Canakkale we started our tour of Gallipoli. The tour guide was very informative and seemed to give a balanced view of events. We both dipped our hands in the ocean at Anzac Cove. At Lone Pine we signed the book in the Australian War Memorial - an emotional moment.

The bus trip back to Istanbul was an entertainment on its own; there were three people working on the bus, the driver, the steward and his assistant, the steward was dressed in black trousers, white shirt and a bowtie. He was in charge of where you sat and getting passengers on and off the bus. He also served the passengers cake, tea, coffee or juice, and then gave us some liquid on our hands to clean them. We then stopped for tea and the bus was washed on the outside, when we continued on our way we were served cake, tea, coffee or juice again. We arrived at the Istanbul bus terminus at about midnight and the driver of a van was waiting with a sign with our names on it to drive us to our hotel.

Gallipoli memorial	Gallipoli - Gun
Gallipoli J Simpson	Gallipoli - Hill
Gallipoli - ANZAC Cove	Gallipoli - Lone Pine
Gallipoli - Turkish memorial	Gallipoli - Turkish soldier

Istanbul - Thursday 8th May

We spent the morning looking around the Topkapi Palace, this was very interesting. We viewed the harem and looked at a lot of treasures and many interesting buildings.

We went to the Grand Bazaar again and spent a few hours walking around looking at different things. We bought some bookmarks at the Bazaar for twice the price we found them for afterwards right next to our hotel. Every time you stopped to look at something the sales people would try to get us to buy the item, dropping the price when you said no, the carpet salesmen were the most persistent.

We had dinner at the hotel restaurant again.

Topkapi Palace	Topkapi Palace
Topkapi Palace	View of Istanbul from Topkapi Palace

Istanbul - Singapore - Friday 9th & Saturday 10th May

By the time we had packed up after breakfast it was time to leave for the Attaturk Airport. We used the tram and train again paying by tokens. Both were busy so had to stand up most of the way but this was not a problem. We chatted to some students on the train who were keen to practice their English. All luggage is checked on the way into Airport with more extensive checking at the Gate prior to departure. Singapore Airlines was undoubtedly the best airline we flew on both for comfort and service. There was a stop at Dubai but no time to leave the airport. The Muslim call to prays was somewhat loud. Then on to an early morning arrival in Singapore.

Somehow during this time a 4GB SD Memory Card full of John's photographs from New York, the UK, Vienna, and Istanbul disappeared. This was a big disappointment as it included photographs taken of the address Septimus Swyer lived at in New York, of the day with our friend Ivy Collins in London and Greenwich, of the wonderful time spent with John's cousin John Spencer and his wife Shirley at Buckhurst Hill and Epping Forest and the day we spent traipsing around London looking at places of interest from a family history point of view

. Singapore - Perth - Saturday 10th May

We took the train to the centre of Singapore. On the way we chatted with a New Zealander who had been at Gallipoli playing in the band on Anzac Day. When we arrived in the city we wondered around looking at the Raffles Hotel and other close by landmarks. We then travelled by bus to the Changi War Museum. We did not have the right change for the bus (they don't accept notes) and the bus driver kindly let us travel for S$1 each. On boarding the bus we found most of the other passengers were watching the news on TV.

The Museum was a bit of disappointment although the chapel was interesting as the paintings on the walls had been redone by the original artist. John discovered that his cousin (Lt Col William Marriot Webster MC) who had been a POW there was nicknamed Rickety Kate. We then returned to the city centre (with the right change for the bus this time) for a small lunch and browsed through some shops before returning to the airport for the flight home.

Singapore Chimes shopping complex

Singapore Airport - looking empty