Another busy day!

After breakfast this morning we headed off to Shrewsbury on the back roads, through the  narrow winding lanes, with beautiful old houses and blue sky. As we had arranged a Sunday lunch at the Redhouse with David's dad there wasn't a lot of time to explore the town, - we will do that another day -we decided to park by the River Severn and walk through the park. The park is known as the Quarry and within the park is a most beautiful and colourful garden known as the Dingle. Great photo opportunities! We headed back to Newport  to collect David's Dad, however we got back to Newport a tad early so took the opportunity to enjoy a G&T at the  Shakespeare Tavern.

We enjoyed a roast lunch before taking a drive to Cheswardine, a rural village quite close to Market Drayton. the Shooting Folly at  Cheswardine  is our next stop after Red Gables. On the way we found  a delightful pub on the canal Goldstone  -The Wharf Tavern.   Such a beautiful day we took  the opportunity to top up our Vitamin D  and enjoy a glass do red wine (me) . We waited at Tyrley Locks for a canal boat, but were not lucky today. I would have loved to have seen a boat going through the three locks there.

Market Drayton was our last stop before returning to Newport, grocery shopping then back to Red Gables to enjoy the sun.

On the move

Today we moved from Norwood House to Red Gables. Its a lovely B&B, we can use the kitchen and dining area, there is guest lounge room, we are hoping for warm days as we have a room with a balcony.
We had a lovely walk alongside the canal today, and are looking forward to our canal trip next week. We have hired a canal boat for a day, so that should be fun. Saw more of the countryside today, the narrow lanes and hedgerows are amazing,  room for one car only, if you meet another car then it's a case of reversing til you find  room for passing.

Lillieshall Hill and Abbey

Lilleshall monument

Another lovely morning spent exploring the countryside where David spent his childhood and teenage years.
We climbed up to the monument on top of  Lilleshall Hill and experienced an amazing 360 deg view over the countryside. What a view! From there we drove through the tiny village of Lilleshall and onto Lilleshall Abbey. Lilleshall Abbey was an Augustinian abbey in Shropshire, England, today located 6 miles north of Telford. It was founded between 1145 and 1148 and followed the austere customs and observance of the Abbey of Arrouaise in northern France. It was very quiet and peaceful, we both took some  good photographs. 
It was market day in Newport, so very busy, and difficult to find parking in the narrow streets. We did find a park directly outside the house where David lived as a child!
After exploring the market, we picked up David's dad and headed to the Red House Pub  at Lilleshall for lunch.

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Pitchcroft Lane & Shropshire Union Canal

Exploring the Shropshire Lanes

After a good sleep, a warm bath and early morning cuppa we enjoyed a walk before breakfast. Our B&B  is situated on the corner of Pave and Pitchcroft Lane Newport and we chose Pitchcroft Lane for the morning walk. After a full English breakfast we set off to explore the small town of Newport where David grew up. It's a charming town with lots of old pubs! We picked up David's Dad and continued exploring the surrounding areas of Newport by car. We drove along narrow lanes with high hedgerows to where David's grandparents lived, we enjoyed a cup of tea, by the Shropshire Union canal and drove back to Newport along the lanes, under the canal and back onto the main road! No jet lag today, the sun was shining and the lanes and old houses so beautiful I have forgotten about the long plane trip! well almost...

Before I head off to UK

Today's the day!


Before this trip to UK was planned I had begun researching my family history on my Mother's side - my Scottish ancestors. When we began planning this trip to visit David's dad in Shropshire, I welcomed the opportunity to revisit Monifieth where I had spent the first few years of my life before my parents migrated to Rhodesia ( Now Zimbabwe).( I use the word revisit as I visited Monifieth just 5 years ago in 2009, my first visit to Scotland and England since 1981 when my beloved Dad died and before we migrated to Australia from Zimbabwe)


 With this visit I can look at Monifieth and the surrounding areas with "new eyes"!  I have learnt so much, I have dreamt about the ancestors!! in full dress of the time. .  In my dreams I was living with them. Perhaps  I am lucky and have been visited by the many ancestral spirits.




 I started the family history with my Grandparents David Donald Davidson and Marjory Malcolm Smith and the few documents that my Mum  had. She also had information and names written in a notebook and this was a great start. I remember my Grandparents, and they had visited  us in Zimbabwe, but  I realised that I also remembered a lot of other relatives, so the tree has not only gone back in generations but has spread out to include family members that I could remember but more importantly that my Mum can remember.
I thought that it would be fairly easy to find Grandad Davidson's war record, I didn't know about the 'burnt records' and  to date I haven't managed to find his record so can probably assume that it is one of the burnt records.

It seemed important to me, especially this year to acknowledge his time spent fighting and his safe return to Monifieth.  Although I couldn't find his service record  I did find some information in the local papers of the time, and have learnt a little more about his  wartime years.  Mum had told me that the only thing she knew about her Dad's time in  France was that he was 'buried alive' in the trenches
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Grandad was in the Black Watch and he was in camp at Crieff when the territorials were mobilised and went to the front with his battalion at the end of 1914 probably 1st November 1914. It was reported in  The Courier Dec 30th 1915, that " another mud stained soldier arrived at Monifieth yesterday in the person or Private David Davidson, 5th Black Watch son of Mr Donald Davidson a well known member of the old 5th V.B.R.H." Perhaps this was his first leave?


On August  4th 1916 it was reported in the Evening Telegraph & Post, that Mr Donald Davidson, of Station Cottages, Monifieth,  had received information  that his son Private David D Davidson had been wounded in action on the 23rd July, but there were no further details at that time. What a worrying time it must have been for the family.
A few days later  on August 8th it was reported in the The Evening Telegraph & Post , that  private David Davidson had written to his Dad informing him of his "miraculous escape".!!
 He wrote "  Early in the morning of 23rd July I was on duty at the trenches when the side of our trench fell in burying me up to my neck. Fortunately for me some of my comrades observed the accident and immediately commenced to dig me out. My chest and ribs were  crushed; little wonder as two tons of sand fell in, and I have been sent to the rear for rest. Everything that was breakable about me was broken".


"my cigarette case was flattened like a pancake, and my watch was smashed to fragments, I was seeing many queer things before being dug out, and believe it was my height that saved me from being buried alive. However, all's well that ends well and am glad that am able to write you after my encounter with mother earth. "


It was a miraculous escape!! I don't know if Grandad came home after his ordeal or continued on at the front. His father died on  15th October 1917 and I could find no mention in the local papers  of  Private Davidson returning home.


Grandad was reported missing on March 21st 1918, his family & friends had heard nothing and had almost given up hope when a letter arrived from him to his Aunt, Miss Davidson, of 11 Craigie St Dundee. This was reported in the Evening Telegraph & Post  August 6th 1918.


   He informed his Aunt that "he was a prisoner in the hands of the Huns", he asked his Aunt for a parcel of food to be sent.  How wonderful to have opened up that letter and read the news that your nephew was alive!


I don't know when my Grandad got back from the war or was demobbed, but he got back safely and married my Grandmother in 1919 and my Mum was born in 1920.According to my Mum  he never talked of his experiences. I remember seeing a great photograph of him in his uniform and yes  he was tall and handsome.  My Aunt Nessie showed me the photograph many times, when I went back to Zimbabwe after she  and then her husband  died,  her box of family photographs had disappeared. I felt so sad so many photos gone. I found the box where she had lovingly stored the photographs, but it was full of  sewing 'stuff'. So sad she loved those photos of her beloved family


One thing  I will think about when I get to Monifieth is how amazing that my Grandad  returned safe and sound from the war when so many others died including one of our family members  Alfred Chalmers husband of  Isabella Smith (my Granny's sister)
A few places to visit before I get to Monifieth, including where David was born and lived before migrating to Australia. the adventure begins soon