Weekend with the Chamber's

On Saturday I took the rail north from Oxford to Banbury where John Chambers (my second-cousin) picked me up at the station. I had not seen John in more than a decade since he visited my family in Boston, Massachusetts. Now he was married to Jenny and had two boys called Matthew and Daniel. After he picked me up, we met his family at their annual school fair.

Although the fair was not unlike the others I have attended, with booths of arts and crafts, face-painting, baked goodies, etc., I got to see Morris dancing, a ritual dating back to the 15th century meant to welcome the spring. The dance was revived in the 19th century by Cecil Sharp, a folk music researcher, and is now considered the national dance of England. It is done by 6 pairs of men dressed in white who wear hats, fresh flowers and bells around their shins. The men sing an English folk song, leap into the air while waving sticks and handkerchiefs to complement the rhythm of the music. During the fair I also got to see parts of the Punch and Judy Puppet show and a man dressed as a street caller, who let us know about upcoming events.

On our way home, John and I stopped at his place of work, the Katherine House Hospice, where he gave me a quick tour of the facility and a short explanation of the founders of this beautiful place.

Sunday was a busy day. In the morning we saw Matthew’s gym recital and took both boys to soccer. While they played, we had coffee in town and a country wine at Ye Olde Reindeer Inn, the place where Oliver Cromwell used to meet with him supporters. I had a glass of country wine made from elderberry, which tastes delicious and set me up for the rest of the day!

Then we went to the Uptown House and Gardens, one of the tourist attractions hosted by the National Trust. John and I were particularly interested in the Uptown House because it was the estate of the founders of Shell, the company my grandfather (George Viney) worked for when he was transferred to Venezuela at 28 years old. We had lunch at the Pavilion Restaurant, took pictures of the grounds and visited the art exhibition (which included advertising posters for Shell when it first began). Although it rained on and of throughout the visit, I enjoyed the beautiful garden and the time I spent with the family.

Here are some close-ups John took at Upton House!