The day started with a home-cooked breakfast, English style (mushrooms included), and then on the phone. Sadly, we’ve had a bit of trouble. John’s iPad has gone missing, and our phones no longer work. Travel comes with problem-solving solving so that’s just what we did. I bought the “top up” plan for my phone (highly unnecessary) so that I could call the carrier and complain! The complaint worked. Problem #1 solved. I then called our previous hotel and found that they indeed have John’s iPad— a huge relief! He decided that he’ll drive back to get it tomorrow (not too far) and since there is a train workers’ strike planned, he’ll time the trip so that he can pick up John2 at Heathrow at the same time! (John2 is grateful that Dad somehow left his iPad behind.)
Dusting our hands of that bother, we set off to see the very sights that brought us here— locations from the Peter Diamond mystery series by Peter Lovesey. We’ve both read all the books and have been enchanted by places like The Manvers Street Police Station, Victoria Park, the Royal Crescent, Pulteney Bridge and weir, the Bath Spa station, houseboats on the Avon, and even the Ox Fam thrift store(!) that we set out to see them all!
After a nap (turns out we have a touch of jet lag after all), we set out again to see the Herschel Astronomy Museum. What an awesome little house! Here, William and his sister, Caroline, lived as immigrant musicians from Hanover, Germany. When William got a gig in Yorkshire, the long journey left him looking at the night sky. He came home more and more curious, having already read extensively about viewing and telescopes. Then he decided to build a glassworks shop next to the kitchen on the ground floor. Very dangerous work, but he perfected lens making and created mirrors to affix to his homemade telescope. Caroline joined him, scanning and cataloging the night sky. She is responsible for finding 6 comets and many many nebulae, while he found the big prize, Uranus, in this back garden (apologies for the rude photo, but you’ll never forget!) He was then noticed by King George III and given a royal appointment and a new career as a professional astronomer. Caroline was also hired and became the first female professional astronomer!
Next, we wandered off looking for a lovely dining experience. On our way, we stopped in at the Postal Museum. There, I posted a handmade postcard to one of my mother’s friends while John chatted with the proprietor, Nick. They were fast friends. Since it was closing, Nick did an awesome thing. Rather than kicking us out, he gave us a private tour and a postal talk! Two things— Bath stone and the Penny Black. The first post master was only 19, but very enterprising to get a post office concession from the king. He made so much money that he funded a dig for Bath stone, then passed a law saying that all structures must have a BS facade, which is why the town is so architecturally unified. This is also the spot where the first Penny Black was mailed. (John has one.) The first issue is the most valuable stamp; however, it was sent by an eager young girl who convinced her father to give it to her ahead of the Wednesday release date. So off it went, and history was made. With Nick, we talked about world travels (he’s just back from the Arctic Circle, Norway), crazy antics in the US, and more.
We would’ve taken him to dinner, but his wife was waiting, so we ended up at a classy joint, the Saracen’s Head pub (not at all fancy) right around the corner where Charles Dickens wrote the Pickwick Papers, which I have read aloud for Librivox.com. We were both very pleased to eat chicken pie with the ghost of Dickens!