9 May - leaving Dublin for Bristol

I gritted my teeth and decided to do my souvenir shopping before leaving town (like everyone else in the picture was doing), figuring that gifts from Ireland might be more entertaining than gifts from England, as I knew there wouldn’t be much time in Hong Kong. I had spotted a few things in different shops, so walked to the biggest Connell’s souvenir shop on the other side of the bridge hoping to find everything I wanted in the same place. Let me tell you about the weather in Dublin. I put on three layers – a top, a shirt, and a big woolly cardigan – and I was still cold. I wrapped a scarf around my neck and put my head well down because every time I came up Talbot Street to O’Connell Street, the wind knocked me sideways just as I passed James Joyce. I couldn’t help wondering how it must have been for my poor ancestors, as they didn’t have my nice woolly jumper. Deb loved my woolly jumper - I can tell by the comments on her blog. Dublin was bitterly cold. I got my souvenirs and was quite pleased with what I selected, then headed back to collect my carefully packed bags and go to the airport. I had bought some sunlight soap and brought all my washing up to date, so I could leaveg Dublin refreshed and clean, just like everyone else does. Not. I took a photo from my window before I left - note the statue on the top of the yellow roof.

The flight out wasn’t nearly as stressful as the flight in, because by this time I was beginning to think Ryan Air might treat me nicely (which they did), and apart from having to throw out half a bottle of red wine, the trip passed without any notable occurrence. On arrival at Bristol I took a bus to Temple Meads station, and my wonderful cousins Roger and Doreen Pitman (Doreen was a Gillett) showed up promptly at five o’clock and took me to their house in Bishopsworth. They gave me a lovely big room with an enormous bed, and filled me up with pizza and lots of tea. I was pleased to be drinking tea again, as I hadn’t had much for a while and was quite missing it. We gossiped about the family and our research and I got to know them much better than the hour I had with them last year. I was pleased to see them. I made some minor changes to some of my family records, and Roger gave me some printouts of some research that Francis Gillett had done on the Billington connection, as well as a lovely photo of my Nanny, Rose Gillett (dad’s mother). And to top it all off, when I went to bed, I could use my dongle and catch up on my emails. It was good to be in a home instead of a guest house.