Today was our visit to Liverpool. It is a short report as Amanda was feeling ill most of the day.
Speke Hall
Speke Hall garden
We visited Old Rufford Hall in the morning, drove to Liverpool, and visited the Anglican Cathedral and Albert Docks.
Liverpool Anglican Cathedral
Liverpool Anglican Cathedral – highest and heaviest peal in the world
Inside Liverpool Anglican
We also took a series of photos from the top of the bell tower:
Liverpool Anglican to the southwest
Liverpool Anglican to the west – Birkenhead
Liverpool Anglican to the northwest – Liverpool, Vauxhall, Bootle – across the Mersey my first area, Seacombe, Liscard, and New Brighton
Liverpool Anglican up the Mersey to the Irish Sea
Liverpool Anglican looking at Liverpool Catholic Metropolitian Cathedral
Liverpool Anglican looking east
Liverpool Anglican looking south
We had to stop at Albert Dock. Amanda and I both had many family lines that came through Liverpool docks, very likely through Albert Dock.
Inside Albert Dock in Liverpool
Paul Ross at Albert Dock
Liver Building, Cunard Building, and Port of Liverpool Building from Albert Dock
Albert Dock looking at my first missionary area across the Mersey, Seacombe and Liscard
Albert Dock Promenade along Mersey River
Beatles Museum at Albert Dock
Afterward, we drove back to Wigan through Upholland so Amanda could see the church where one of her family lines lived.
Upholland Church – St. Thomas the Martyr
Paul Ross at St. Thomas Church in Upholland
Upholland St Thomas graveyard
Tonight we had curry for dinner. That was definitely a treat.
Brenda Millington, Paul Ross, Jack Millington
Brenda Millington, Paul and Amanda Ross in Howe Bridge
And lastly, we stopped at my sacred grove location. It is somewhere between Roby Mill and Skelmersdale. I tried to locate it on a map, but it has changed enough I cannot locate it. But here are some photos. I located it on that trip in 2008. Amanda did not want to hike to it, so I went by myself.
My Sacred Quarry
View at the top of the hill from the quarry
Out building remnants not far from the quarry
Just for fun, a picture at some of the same remnants with Elders Gavin Wright and Joseph Hulse in 2000
It is Sabbath in Wigan. Therefore, not a whole lot in the way of mention of traveling or exotic places. However, we did go to church and visit a few people. A quick couple of thoughts.
Church was great. Funny how even though I lived here for a couple of years, I still really struggle with some of the accents. In Sacrament alone, I could not understand the second speaker. Might as well have been Greek.
The pure Wigan accent I am simply unable to replicate. I cannot even try.
Jim and Julie Monks family at their home
We went to visit a couple of people. Jim and Julie Monks, Dawn Rhodes, Ceri and Lorraine Jenkins, Charlotte Ainscough, Alan and Rose Aspey, Brian and Sylvia Burtonwood, and Rene Simpkin. We had a very good visit with the Monks, Jenkins, and Aspeys.
Ceri and Lorraine Jenkins family with her daughter Charlotte Ainscough in Wigan
Dawn Rhodes doesn’t live in the address we were given. We were either given the wrong address or she has moved. She was the only convert in the mission I felt like I really oversaw the entire thing from initial contact to baptism and even some of the new investigator discussions. Alas, she is not active and it seems nobody really knows where she is. Except for Brother Monks and she either moved or he gave me the wrong address in Aspull. I was very disappointed.
Alan and Rose Aspey family in Wigan
Sadly, I found out Rene’ Simpkin passed away around Christmas of 2003. That would explain the stopping of letters. I am disappointed nobody notified me or responded to the letters. I will have to find her birth and death information so I have it for my records. I really came to love the lady and she the church, but she just couldn’t give up her wine. The Burtonwoods remembered her. She was a fine lady.
Street near Aspey home looking toward Wigan
In visiting with Alan Aspey, he let me know an Aspey from Wigan is definitely related to him. I will have to let my Aunt Lolane Andra know that her Margaret Aspey who came from Wigan is very likely related to him. Interestingly, Alan also commented about his Aspeys living in Upholland and Ormskirk. We told him about Amanda’s Ashton relations in Upholland and he knew the name as having some in his own line. However, he knows of no relations who joined the Mormon church and moved to America. This would be a first for him if we could show a link.
I found out from President Monks that Gheorghe Simion, my second to last companion from Romania, now lives in Liverpool. We will have to try and find some contact information for him so we can meet up while we are near Liverpool.
Charlotte Ainscough still has the little stuffed animal I gave her when we baptized her. I found out she named him Ross. How sweet is that? The Jenkins and Charlotte were very excited to see us. They gave us their passes for the British Trust sites in England. We will have to mail them back when we leave the country, but it includes a parking pass. Meaning we can save well over 200 pounds with the passes for much of our travel throughout the UK in our remaining time.
It was a sweet day in Wigan. It made me feel good so many people remembered me. If not my name, at least my face. They all adored Amanda and commented on how beautiful she was. Some even recognized her from our wedding announcements.
Today was our visit to Liverpool. It is a short report as Amanda was feeling ill most of the day.
We visited Old Rufford Hall in the morning, drove to Liverpool, and visited the Anglican Cathedral and Albert Docks. Afterward, we drove back to Wigan through Upholland so Amanda could see the church where one of her family lines lived.
Tonight we had curry for dinner. That was definitely a treat.
It was Sabbath in Wigan. Therefore, not a whole lot in the way of mention of traveling or exotic places. However, we did go to church and visit a few people. A quick couple of thoughts.
Church was great. Funny how even though I lived here for a couple of years, I still really struggle with some of the accents. In Sacrament alone, I totally could not understand the second speaker.
The pure Wigan accent is simply unable to be replicated by me. I don’t think I could even try.
We went to visit a couple of people. Jim and Julie Monks, Dawn Rhodes, Ceri and Lorraine Jenkins, Charlotte Ainscough, Alan and Rose Aspey, Brian and Sylvia Burtonwood, and Rene Simpkin. We had a very good visit with the Monks, Jenkins, and Aspeys. Dawn Rhodes was unable to be found in the location we were given. We were either given the wrong address or she has moved. She was the only convert in the mission I felt like I really oversaw the entire thing from finding to baptism and even some of the new investigator discussions. Alas, she is not active and it seems nobody really knows where she is. Except for Brother Monks and she either moved or he gave me the wrong address in Aspull. I was very disappointed.
Sadly, I found out Rene’ Simpkin passed away around Christmas of 2003. That would explain the stopping of letters. I am disappointed nobody ever notified me. I will have to find her birth and death information so I have it for my records. I really came to love the lady and she the church, but she just couldn’t give up her wine. The Burtonwoods remembered her. She was a fine lady.
In visiting with Alan Aspey, he let me know an Aspey from Wigan is definitely related to him. I will have to let my Aunt Lolane know that her Margaret Aspey who came from Wigan is very likely related to him. Interestingly, Alan also commented about his Aspeys living in Upholland and Ormskirk. We told him about Amanda’s Ashton relations in Upholland and he knew the name as having some in his own line. However, he knows of no relations who joined the Mormon church and moved to America. This would be a first for him if we could show a link.
I found out from President Monks that Gheorghe Simion, my second to last companion from Romania, now lives in Liverpool. We will have to try and find some contact information for him so we can meet up while we are near Liverpool.
Charlotte Ainscough still has the little stuffed animal I gave her when we baptized her. I found out she named him Ross. How sweet is that? The Jenkins and Charlotte were very excited to see us. They gave us their passes for the British Trust sites in England. We will have to mail them back when we leave the country, but it includes a parking pass. Meaning we can save well over 200 pounds with the passes for much of our travel throughout the UK in our remaining time.
It was a sweet day in Wigan. It made me feel good so many people remembered me. If not my name, at least my face. They all adored Amanda and commented on how beautiful she was. Some even recognized her from our wedding announcements.
Sagacity 