Good Morning Kossacks and Welcome to Morning Open Thread (MOT)
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So after a few lazy weeks, I have decided to do a MOT of substance.
My intention was to write a diary on a piece of history that was almost literally on my doorstep, by which I mean within 10 yards. However, as I ran through the diary in my mind, I realised that that after taking into consideration the attention span of your average Motley is equivalent to an 8 year old, by the time I had explained the context, the caffeine jag would be over, and most of you would be snoring over your key boards.
So this is going to be my first ever 2 parter.
The first is about my doorstep, and the second about the history.
Over the Orange croissant.
Here is a photo of the house in which my Father was born, and in which my grandparents lived until they died in their 80's
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The photo dates from the 1930's when my father was a teenager.
Here is a more recent photo, with unfortunately yours truly in the foreground ruining the composition (exlrrp - this is as close as I get to a selfie!!!!!!)
Now if you click on the second photo to go to Flickr, you will see a better quality photo in a rectangular format (why is flickr such crap since Yahoo bought it?) and in the left corner you will see a new house with the sun shining on the gables.
Now this house is owned by my Father's cousin, Young Henry, who was the son of Old Henry, who was the son of Harry (Real name Henry). Now the locals in the village call young Henry Harry, but I refuse cos Harry is young Henry's grandfather ( and my great grandfather).
Now young Henry's house is built on what used to be the "yard", which is where My Grandfather, Wallace, and Young Henry's father (Old Henry) used to keep their agricultural equipment like combine harvesters, wood cutters and Marshall tractors that you needed to give a cigarette to in order to get them to start.
And now we get to the history part. The yard ( and now young Henry's house - Henry is in his 80's by the way) is built on the bed of the former West Somerset Mineral Railway, a couple of miles of which Harry ( the real Harry) bought in the 20's after it ceased functioning. Apart from the yard, one of his sons, George bought a railway carriage and installed it on the line as a house, where it still sits today.
Next week I will tell you about the mineral line, but today I will leave you with a photo of the family.
Second left, with his hands on the saw is Harry, while third from the right is Old Henry and second right is My grandfather Wallace
So folks, hit the week head on, GOTV, and whup some GOPER ass.