7 June 2010 In Nottingham

Lyn in Robin Hood hat



Mick's house in England from ages 2 to 18



Mick's Primary school from ages 5 to 11



Mick's mother and Father's commemorative plaque ion the Garden of Rest at St John's Church Carlton Nottingham



Carlton Police Station where Mick worked



Council House in Nottingham City Centre



Mick by the Lion he used to sit on as a child



Ditto










After a great English breakfast we left to visit my Aunty Madge. Madge is the widow of Mick's fathers brother Gerald. She is 85 and totally deaf, but lip reads really well except with Lyn's Australian accent, she didn't have a clue what Lyn was saying, however when Mick spoke to her she understood every word. She was very pleased to see us as Mick hasn't seen her since he was a little boy.

It was then onto show Lyn all the places that Mick frequented between the ages of 2 and 18. First stop his house in Bakersfield. Even though the GPS was telling us that his house was nearby he didn't believe it and reentered the address. It turned out that the GPS was correct and his house was not far from Aunty Madge's house, although he hadn't recognised any of the roads as they appeared much narrower and shorter then he remembered. After taking some photographs it was off to St John's church were Mick's mother's and father's ashes are scattered in the garden of rest. Although Mick's father died in Australia, his sister Joyce after (a lot of effort) brought his ashes to St John's in 2009 to be placed alongside his mother. A memorial plaque was also placed in the path in the garden of rest.

Next stop the police station at Carlton where Mick worked when he was a member of the Nottinghamshire Constabulary. The station has been demolished and completely rebuilt. It was opened by the Princess Royal on 22 January 1997. (A prize goes to the first person to tell me who the Princess Royal is/was?)

Next on our agenda was the two schools Mick attended when he lived int the UK. The first was Jesse Boots Junior school and the second Greenwood High School, both of which had extraordinary security so we couldn't go in.

We then drove into the city centre and parked at the Broadmarsh multi story car park which cost 2 pounds and 80 pence for 2 hrs parking. We then took some pictures of the Market Square with Mick standing behind the lions in front of the Council House where he was photographed as a child 55 years ago.

After a busy day reminiscing we walked back through the shopping centre, visited the Information Centre then headed home (in the traffic).

Chinese for tea tonight. Not a bad feed at all.

Checkout Lyn in her Robin Hood hat! What a sort.. Puts Russell Crowe to shame.