Clive’s cousin Steven and his wife Sally-Jane live in Warwick, England.  Warwick is only a twenty-minute drive from where we are staying in Coventry, so earlier this week we went to visit them.  Warwick is a gorgeous English town, probably my favourite so far.  We met up with Steven and Sally-Jane in a pub for dinner and afterwards they invited us back to their house for a drink.  Clive was about to fetch the car when they said there was no need as they lived only a two-minute walk away.  Imagine that – living a two minute walk from your local.  Off we went, walking past pretty shops and houses. Sally-Jane even pointed out a beautiful old building that has long been a home for war veterans.  It still operates as such today.

I was quite overcome as soon as I entered their home.  There was such a cosy sense of history about it.  I loved it at once.

Their house is shown on the National Heritage List as a Grade II building.  I don’t know too much about that, but I do know that it’s to do with the age of the building and the fact that it’s seen as having special architectural or historic interest.

Well I should jolly well think it should be of interest, because the research I’ve done shows that it was most likely built in1433, if not before.

My relatives arrived in New Zealand from Jersey in 1857, one hundred and sixty-eight years ago, which always seemed such a long time ago to me.

But 1433 was over five hundred years ago.  So, hundreds of years before my ancestors even arrived in New Zealand, that gorgeous wee house in Warwick existed.  That does my head in, that does.

The following day, we decided to delve a bit further in Warwick’s history – right back to 914 AD (go the fabulous Lady Æthelflæd!), to the place where Warwick was founded on the banks of the Avon River.  This was where the very famous Warwick Castle would eventually be built, well eventually as in 1068.  She’s definitely not a new build!

It’s a bit of a commercial place now, Warwick Castle, but I think it has been done so well.  There’s a ton of historical information about its vast history, presented in really creative ways.  There were many different school groups visiting on the day we went.  The children were treated to lessons in archery and sword-play, and had a “servant of the castle” as a tour guide.  Our boys would have absolutely loved it when they were young – knights, soldiers and castles being very much their thing.  We were there for over four hours, but could have easily stayed for a few more.

History is made piece by piece, step by step, by all those who have gone before us.  I realise that everyone already knows this, but being here in the UK, it’s like I’m re-learning it all over again.

Back to Steven and Sally-Jane’s lovely house – they’re thinking of selling.  I tell you what.. I could be well-tempted!

“À cœur vaillant rien d’impossible”