We finished our Christmas letter—even checked it twice—and (e)mailed it off to all of the good little boy and girls. If you didn’t get yours, try to be nicer next year. When we still felt that we needed a little Christmas—right this very minute—we set off for Gainsborough Old Hall in Lincolnshire. Another English Heritage site (i.e. free to us members) the Old Hall is a 500 year-old manor house, one of the best preserved medieval manors in England. And to our delight it was decked out for Christmas. We even walked in on a very surprised Father Christmas as he prepared to meet the anxiously waiting children.
The Old Hall was built by Sir Thomas Burgh in 1460 and one of his guests was King Richard III. Henry VIII also visited, first in 1509 with Katherine Howard, his fifth wife and again in 1541, when he married the late current Lord Burgh’s widow, Katherine Parr. Of course all of this has nothing to do with Christmas but it was fun to imagine who else may have walked on these uneven floors over the years. The kitchen was probably our favorite room. A double baking oven on the far wall stood opposite the serving counter. These were flanked by two huge hearths, each large enough to roast an ox. The towering ceiling beams of oak wove a intricate pattern around the open turret that drew heat from the kitchen.
After thousands of miles in a half-dozen countries, driving on the left has become second nature to John. The narrow, winding, unlighted roads and blind crests of England, however, still give us both nightmares so it was a relief when after 30 or so miles of such, we arrived in Yorkshire at Summerfield Farm Cottage, our home for the next few nights. Relief turned to joy when we entered from the cold to find a fully decorated Christmas tree in the living room. Artificial, yes, but it’s the first Christmas tree we have had in more than fifteen years! Everything about this 300 year-old cottage was perfect. I think we may have to return in the spring.
Last night we drove 25 miles in the rain to have dinner with Stephanie and Paul. Stephanie was our 30 year-old “boss” in Uganda and Paul is her husband of seven years. Great conversation, a lovely dinner and another harrowing drive home with the requisite nightmares. We wouldn’t do this for just anyone!
