Sunday 1 February 2015

December, 2014 - BIRMINGHAM, UK

We do a day trip to Birmingham to take in the second largest Xmas market in Europe and to visit the library to do research on family history.

Tom Tom, our GPS, took us to a parking spot in the square at the center of the Xmas fair.  Too cool we thought, until we found that it cost about $6 per hour to park there!!!  We quickly found a new spot 15 minutes walk away for about $6 per day.




I was tempted to buy, but resisted.

Man sized, for the big nuts.

Our only purchase was a wood, cut out, candy dish.





Sandra resists temptation to add to the boat clutter.





The Cathedral.

Every town seems to want a piece of Nelson.

Early statue of Britain's hero.




View of the ice rink from the Library.





Library.

This library is world class.  The best I have been in.

Each floor is open to the central courtyard.

We spent over 4 hours doing family history research.

We found that my paternal Great Great Grandfather owned a plumbing business with 12 employees and had two house servants.  Both his sons emigrated to Canada.  Both his daughters stayed in England.  When he died his wife, spinster daughter and Son in Law inherited.  The sons were out of the will.  Must be a story there.  Also, interesting that the married daughter's husband got the money, not her.

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