It’s a scorcher in Hebden Bridge today. You can see the mill where I stayed last year

In 1871 Harriet Vear lived here asa a domestic servant to retired paper manufacturer, Lawremce Harwood. At age 26 she married James Hill of the Hills of Turton ancestry lineage

In 1841 my great great great grandfather and his family lived in this house right above the river in Turton Bottoms.  He was a block printer in the calico works. It’s strange to realise that every Sunday when I walked to church (about 4 miles) I was actually passing the gable end of his house and didn’t know it.

My high school! A little different from the 2 roomed elementary school I attended in Affetside

Bolton School’s main gate

Very imposing

The Great Hall Barn at Rivington. According to Wikipedia it may date from the 9 – 13th century. It was used as a storeage barn and restored in 1905 by Lord Lever (who was the benefactor of Bolton School, and who bought Lewis Island in the Outer Hebrides and lived in Stornoway Castle which I visited last year). There were lots of table available inside but outside it was overflowing with people enjoying the unusually hot weather. It got  to 79 degrees – sweltering!

Is this a toy train?

Wonderful grotesques

The newly refurbished Market Hall – now called The Marketplace, scene of where I got separated from my parents when they went to buy furniture when I was about 5 years old

Journal writing in Albert Square, Bolton, a place that Rachel knows well!

I have a lovely photo of  my mom sitting at this very table at the Last Drop, the place where I had my wedding reception

Sarah at the Last Drop, where her grandad and grandma took her the first time they met

Sarah adding a Father’s Day greeting to the Father’s Day tree in the Black bull in Edgworth

St Anne’s Turton where my parents were married in 1954 and I was married in 1978

St Anne’s

The font where I was baptised

I used to play the piano for the Sunday School here. Now it’s a beautiful house

What was once Barlow’s Institute is now ‘The Barlow.’ My parents had their wedding reception here. Now there’s a newly opened cafe.

The room where my parents’ wedding reception was.

Meat delivery to Whitehead’s Butchers in Edgworth

We just happened to come across the man who has been the organist at Affetside church since I was in the choir there as a seven year old. He also played the organ for my mum’s funeral at Four Lance Ends church. he must be the last person of his generation still living in the village

The room doubled as my elementary school room and the church. All the chairs would be taken out after the service on Sunday and replaced by desks for the upcoming school week. There were two classroom

Lovely evening light as we walk down the fields to 3rd bungalow

My daily walk to school – the building on the right

Sarah with her grandma digging out of the snow in 1955 in my local hostelry – The Pack Horse

Looking across the fields to the house where I was born and lived until I went to university

The village toilet

Sitting on the old cross on Roman Watling Street in Affetside

Making new friends

Cotton grass on Holcombe Moor

Holding the Peel Tower in her hands. Robert Peel founded the police in England. They were called Bobbies, after Robert. He came from the tiny village of Holcombe and eventually became prime minister

Bolton’s tribute to the Manchester bombing  victims

In the front garden  – Clara 1, Clara 2 and Clara 3

Clough Head Farm

The grave of my grandparents and my dad. We found the flowers next to the grave.

With Amy , director of communications at All Souls where my great uncle was a campanologist.

In the belfry at All Souls. It’s been painted green by a volunteer using his own money. Unfortunately he’s used the wrong sort of paint and also obliterated the fine Victorian stencilling that used to adorn the walls. 

Sarah with her great grandparents in All Souls 

Dinner at the Strawbury Duck in Entwistle. When I was little the pub used to be called the Strawberry. Then a landlord with the name of Duxbury took it over and it was reborn as the Strawbury Duck! We ordered the pie of the week. It was the third pub we had driven to  to try and find dinner. It was Monday and most pubs don’t serve food on Mondays. I felt as if  it wasn’t quite a case of  no room at the inn, but rather no grub at the pub!

The road to my home on Watling Street, Affetside. The ‘Bungalow number 3’ sign has gone. (Not bad after a 19 hour journey and  zero sleep for 24 hours

Cabrillo festival of contemporary music in Santa Cruz

Manchester Piccadilly

The check in  line at Air Canada

Toronto. A scheduled 4 hour lay over – plus a 2 hour delayed flight!