Since I have been fairly busy over the weekend, I am finally getting around to write my column on Tuesday. It is a miserable rainy day and hovering around 40 degrees at 4:00PM. Sometimes I wish I was headed for sunny California. Not much to write about. Most people are busy getting ready for the upcoming cold weather.
We have an antique white rose bush that was my mother’s. It has grown quite tall since we planted it out front of the pergola. A couple of years ago it had a few rose hips after the blossoms were gone. There was a flock of Cedar Waxwings that arrived and ate a lot of them. The bush is loaded this year but we have seen only one Waxwing enjoying the rose hips. Some people used to make tea and other things from them.
Judy Bishop, our dedicated GHS member from Yarmouth, attended the last concert of the season at the All Souls Chapel on the Poland Spring Resort grounds, Poland Spring, Maine. Phil House and Kathy Haley were performing. They are two of the longest performing and most beloved musicians of the summer concert series. Phil has been part of the concert series for 30 of the 50 years, and together they have played at Poland Spring for close to 30 years.
After the concert, Judy drove to Gilead to be there for the last day the GHS buildings were open for the season. The members that were there held a birthday party for her since her birthday is at the end of the month. Those that could make it were Kevin Daniels, Pete and Claudia Risbara, and Hugh and Lin Chapman.
Gilead Historical Society
The GHS has wrapped up for this season. There are still quite a few leaf-peepers enjoying the little maple in front of the buildings. We will be closed until Memorial weekend next May. Good season and thanks to all who stopped by and learned a little bit about Gilead’s history.
Letter #12
Aug 15, 1905.
My dearest Family,
Our day in Canterbury was one of the red letter days of the summer. It is so picturesque and the many associations with history and literature make it wonderfully interesting. The train from Canterbury to London took us through such pretty country: fine grassy slopes with large flocks of sheep and herds of cows grazing on them.
We reached London about six, took a carriage and with our ten pieces of baggage (Paris gowns had to be carried in pasteboard boxes) and we arrived at Miss Glover’s boarding house just in time for dinner. The first thing we did Wednesday [Aug. 16] morning was to take a bus to Cook’s where we were made happy by two or three letters apiece: several had been forwarded to Lucerne and sent back to London, one from Ethel in which she had enclosed some money. After we had read our letters we walked to London Bridge, passing the great Fire Monument on our way
Thursday [Aug. 17] we made a day’s excursion to Hampton Court, the palace built by Cardinal Wolsey and presented to Henry VIII.
The Hampton Court gardens are beautiful; long walks between fine old trees, lotus and lily ponds, and the greatest profusion of flowers; long and rather narrow flower beds beside the walk or against a brick wall, and in them hollyhocks of all colors, roses, larkspur, phlox (the loveliest and most varied in color that I have ever seen) geraniums, etc. all mixed in together. I think it was really the prettiest garden I have ever seen. From these Gardens we went into Bushy Park and walked through it (about 2 miles) to Teddington. From Teddington we went by electric car to Richmond and from the bridge over the Thames we had lovely views of the river with its windings and picturesque bridges farther up the stream.
Sunday afternoon we drove through Hyde Park in hansom cabs. In the season it is the place to see society in the afternoon. Monday [Aug. 21] was our best day in London for we really devoted that to Westminster Abbey. We didn’t see even then all that we would have liked, but it was all we were equal to in one day. On Tuesday [Aug. 22] we made another excursion, this time to Windsor. It is over an hour’s ride by train, through pretty English country. Wednesday [Aug. 23] was our last whole day in London and as usual some of it had to be devoted to shopping. We had a good time looking at the lovely silks in Liberty’s windows, and we almost spent our last cent on gloves at Peter Robinson’s.
One other thing which we particularly enjoyed was a visit to the “Old Curiosity Shop.” It is just as quaint as Dickens represents it and the little old man and his wife who live there and sell postcards are real Dickens characters.
This finishes our London experiences, for at 1:25 on Thursday, we took the train for Oxford. I shall send you only one more letter for our trip is nearly over. It will be very good to get home though I have enjoyed every minute of the trip.
Much love to you all. Mary G. Peabody, Warwick, Aug. 29, 1905.
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