Posts from — May 2009

When we first started talking about travelling and the places we wanted to visit – we knew immediately we would like to go to Uganda to visit the Watoto children’s village in Kampala.  About 2 years ago the Watoto Children’s choir sang at our church and we heard all about Watoto for the first time.  We also saw a photo of a little boy named Edward who was looking for a sponsor and we signed on.

It’s a brilliant concept – Uganda has been ravaged by AIDS and a whole generation of children have been left orphans with no one to look after them and no hope of ever becoming anything – just living to survive.  Watoto builds villages and places these children in a home with a “mother” and teaches them how to live in a family again.  They have health care, church and school and they are loved. [Read more →]

We were so lucky to be able to put down roots at Bucks House in Great Bardfield.  We had a fantastic place to stay and were able to go out and explore at leisure – and did I mention the weather was brilliant!  Not to mention the pubs – we love a good pub lunch!

Gorgeous heritage buildings -

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It’s an absolutely beautiful place.  Everything is green and fresh and the birds actually sing not squawk!

I think we had mixed feelings when we left Calais on the ferry.  Part of me was sad because I love France – it’s so beautiful – but the other side of me was really looking forward to going back to England and not having to think in French all the time!

So as we powered on towards the famous White Cliffs – we had a train ride down to London, onto the tube from Charing Cross to Liverpool and then another train up to Bishop’s Stortford and we’d be back in Essex. 

Only problem was getting from Bishops to Great Bardfield – our ultimate destination.  Turned out a bus and then a taxi was the only way and so after leaving France at 9am we arrived at Bucks House (aka Poston Manor!) almost 11 hours later.

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Queenslander.  Son of Herbert Nelson & Dora Sedgwick.  Younger brother of my grandfather Harry Sedgwick.  Shot down with his entire crew.

The Cemetery is just outside Boulogne and unfortunately you can’t see in this photo – but you can just see the white cliffs of Dover in the background.

Villers Bretonneux is a little village of not much consequence in the north of France about an hour from Paris.  But if you know anything about Anzac history it’s a special place for Australians. 

WWI on the Somme (or the Western Front) in France had been long, cold and muddy for the allied forces.  So many men had fallen that the Germans were determined to make one last mighty push through to the channel.  Allied lines were broken in many places along the Somme and what was left of the Aussie troops were sent in to try and stop them near Villers Bretonneux and so some more Anzac history was made when on 24 April 1918 the Australians finally halted the German offensive. 

The Allied counter-offensive began on 8 August 1918 and became known by the Germans as “the black day”.  Aussies liberated the area from VB to Montbrehain after striking thru the Hindenburg Line with the people of Amiens and also the area near St Quentin.  In November the armistice was signed.

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