Maldon

2nd June 2023

Viewer warning – contains lots of boring content about Kim’s family

2nd June found us getting up at the unearthly hour of 2am to catch the bus from Marselle St Charles station to check in at the airport for our 6am flight to Standsted airport in England! We had only managed to get an online boarding pass for Kim so were a bit concerned that Ryan air would charge us €40 to print out a pass at the airport (which apparently they do!). However everything was fine and the pass was printed for us free of charge.

Although it was early Grum picked us up from Standsted airport and took us back to his place, and we spent the day chilliin’ with his family – Liz, Alex & Lucas. Caught up on family news, went for a lovely walk through the nearby countryside

The English countryside near Grum’s place

and back for an early dinner, watched some teddy football and Britain’s Got Talent – one more time -then off to bed for some much needed sleep.

Liz reff-ing Teddy Football – Lucas on the left

The next morning we were off to Southend-On-Sea to visit places where Kim’s mum had been brought up.

The house in 18 Hamlet Road where Doreen lived after the war

The secondary school Doreen attended is now a primary school with the back half sold off for flats.

Grandma Rice bought 15 Chelsea Ave about 1952

Grandma lived here for 50 years, Doreen and Dex lived here when they were married, Kim stayed here when the family visited in 1979, the place looked relatively unchanged, like most other houses in the street.

A quick walk up to the beach at the top of Chelsea Ave

Southend-On-Sea beach at the top of Grandmas road

Fortunately the tide was in, at low tide it is a mile to the waters edge

Next stop was the church where Doreen and Dex were married

Church where Dex & Doreen committed matrimony!

Kim met Paul the Postie, they use trolleys that they manually push, about half the volume of a Paxster.

Had a drive along the waterfront to Leigh-On-Sea and ended up at the Cock Inn for lunch.

Back to Rita & Cliffs for a cuppa and a natter, they looked like they had hardly aged and were still in the same house in Hockley.

Back to Grum & Liz’s for a lovely roast meal of slow cooked gammon,

And some more teddy football.

Next day it was off to John Constable country. For the philistines among you, Constable is an English painter famous for painting country scenes like this;

We walked through Dedham, a lovely old 17th century village,

then walked through the fields and down the river to Flatford Mill which has been beautifully maintained. This was part of The Wain that Constable painted.

Constable country – Flatford Mill in Dedham Vale

We had a picnic lunch then wandered back up the river to the car. Lots of people were here enjoying the lovely weather, walking their dogs, paddle boarding, frisbee or just chillin’.