April 3, 2017

Sunday, Day 5, dawned a glorious day and would prove to be so throughout. We arose early and took our breakfast at The Ashville for today we had decided to do something special. We would attend the service at the church of our forefathers officially known as All Saints Church and Church of the Ascension. Arriving early, we took a few minutes to again visit their resting place and say our good byes. As we stood outside the door with the members slowly trickling in, I noted that we were among the youngest of the parishioners.

The Church of England was created by King Henry VIII in the 1530s when the Catholic Church would not grant him an annulment from Katharine of Aragon. Papal authority was denounced and the Archbishop of Canterbury was raised to the most senior cleric. Henry, of course, assumed the role of Supreme Governor. In 1558, England reaffirmed the Church to be both Catholic and Reformed, thus retaining the direct lineage to Jesus Christ and the teachings of the early church fathers as well as accepting the doctrinal principles of the Protestant Reformation which included the service being performed in English rather than Latin.

On entering, we encountered Neil Turp who kindly welcomed us to the church and gave us some ground rules of the service. As the service progressed, I realized that none of the songs in the hymnal were familiar to me. Since I generally mouth the words rather than embarrass myself, it really didn't matter. Included in the Scripture reading for the day was the passage from the Book of Ezekiel on the Valley of the Dry Bones. So it follows that the first hymn of the day was the Black spiritual “Dem Bones” (“The toe bone connected...”). It being the Eucharist, the Vicar, Reverend Ann Sargent, invited all to come forward and receive communion (which of course included us Tennesseans whom she had recognized at the beginning of the service.) Being of the philosophy that I should take communion when the opportunity arose, I along with Cissy, partook of the invitation.

After the service, we were invited to stay for coffee and meet more of the parishioners. I had some interesting conversations. As I have noted elsewhere, throughout my travels within the British Commonwealth, there seems to be a lingering, but strong, connection to WWII. And so I heard several stories of folks that were alive, though very young, during the Battle of Britain and grew up playing in the aftermath of the bombings. Anyone who is aware of the Blitz and the effect it had on the daily lives of the English during that period would appreciate their closeness to the war. When we finally took our leave, one of the little ladies that had somewhat attached herself to Cissy insisted on a hug and she left me with a kiss on the cheek. When I told her I would not be washing that cheek, she gave a typically English titter and said “Lovely”.

As the coffee klatch ended, Cissy's friend, Keith Young, with whom she had been corresponding prior to the trip, arrived to take us on a tour of the City. Keith is actually related to the Flews by marriage a few generations back. Our first destination was the Archgrove Cottages, the address of William and Sarah in the 1851 census. The Cottages is a line of row houses that run perpendicular from the road along a walkway, each cottage having a garden in the front across the walkway. The census does not show which cottage they lived in but, as the census it is done sequentially, assuming they started from the one nearest the road, they would have lived in the 3rd from last cottage. In any event, we know that they had walked the walkway hundreds of times over their time at the cottages.

From here Keith took us on a tour of the City. First we crossed the Clifton Suspension Bridge. Built in 1864, the bridge spans the Avon Gorge above the Avon River. From the bridge we drove to the City Center and parked for a walking tour of the City. However, first we stopped at the Ostrich Pub, which dates from the 18th century, for a sandwich and a brew. We then proceeded to the Saint Mary Redcliffe Church, a Gothic church with its vaulted ceilings and towering Romanesque arches. Built from the 12th through the 15th centuries, the church was once described by Queen Elizabeth I as "the fairest, Godliest, and most famous parish church in England." It is known for its many memorials and stained glass windows.

Our tour took us past a number of noted buildings and structures. However there were two that stuck in my mind. The first was the Temple Church, also known as the Holy Cross Church, which was constructed in 1313 by the Knights Templar and was destroyed in the Bristol Blitz of WWII. The bombing left it a hollow shell which was not deemed safe to rebuild. In addition all of the records stored in the basement were destroyed.

The second place of note was Ye Shakespeare, constructed in 1636, which boasts itself as the oldest standing pub. Unlike the Temple Church, it was restored after the Blitz.

Keith returned us to our flat where he later picked us up and treated us to a delightful meal at Toby Carvery Maes Knoll. Everyone arrived hungry and left satiated. We all gave our thanks to Keith and his lovely wife Margaret for one of the most delightful days of our trip.