A trip down Ian's memory lane

To Newark, Melton and Rooks Hill. Monday 18th July.

The Polish memorial in the War Graves cemetery.

With the wedding over we packed our bags for a half-day tour of Ian’s childhood and to visit the Cemetery where mum and dad are buried.  And to meet up with Ian’s sister Alix and her husband Larry, who are over from the USA.  

The wedding had been held in the Dales in Derbyshire, which were about an hour drive from the War Graves Cemetery in Newark-on Trent  where the ashes of mum and dad are buried.  So on a sunny day that gets progressively hotter, we set off for Newark. 

This was to be the first time that the whole of the remaining Kaye family had been in the one place since mum died in 2005. 

Mum and dad.  Rest in Peace.

Arriving about 11am we met up with Alix and Larry at the graveside.  It was a beautiful spot on a beautiful summers day, surrounded by the well tended graves of the Commonwealth soldiers and airmen killed in the 2^nd WW who were stationed in the many RAF aerodromes that were  nearby.

Dad wanted to be buried there because of the connections with the Polish Government in Exile leaders who were also there.  We told the kids some of the stories of dads exploits during and after the war, and how he met mum whilst based nearby.  Mum was living with her parents in Nottingham.

Alix provided some small roses bushes, which dad loved, and we planted them at the headstone.  It does not show his 1903 birthdate, as is the style on all the war graves headstones nearby.

The Kaye Family at the spot.

Then back into the cars, (now with Larry following behind in his rented Mercedes – with a/c!), and off to my birthplace, Melton Mowbray.  Lunch there was good pub food at the Anne of Cleeves, and we had about 2 hours to sit in the pub garden  and catch up on 5 years plus of family chat!  Back into the cars at 3pm, and a quick tour of my Melton highlights passing my old school – now half demolished, my old homes, half of them demolished, and my old play spaces, now built over! Ah memories.. Must write my biography one day soon, before I forget it all,  all i'll just make it up, ha ha!

Then back on the road south.  Alix and Larry drive south to Fareham to stay with friends overnight before meeting up again tomorrow.  Tom and Simon we drop off in Leicester, (go City!) to rent a car for their drive up to Scotland.  Rob and Ayla we take to Uxbridge, at the end of the Central line for their trip in to London to stay with Tyrone, before flitting off to Scandanavia for 2 weeks. 

Ayla at Tyrone's house in London, later that day.

It was soooo hot in the car by now 30C and on the noisy and dirty M1 / M25 not really practical to have windows open.  But all went well and we were back home with Judy and Nigel in Bramley by 8pm. We then had a great BBQ in the garden under the late summer evening sky with good food, too many bottles of  wine and more stories. The gnome illuminated our table, did its best and died! 

Bye bye........

Great day everyone thanks.

See to all at sea tomorrow.