North Otago town of Oamaru circa 2012 by maggiemae

North Otago town of Oamaru circa 2012

This was taken on a hot morning's walk on the hills above Oamaru, NZ looking towards the harbour.

I have finished Mum's first diary at 42699 words. She is in Leamington and is heading towards Oxford:
To continue:
"Into our old bus again for the short five miles to Leamington. En route we tea’d while the buses and the week-end traffic flew past. Apple tart, bread and meat in the sandwiches, cake, drink – the last of it! So to Leamington just a lovely place with wide streets and trees down each sides. Lots of the streets have no trams or buses to spoil their beauty. After we had dug in at a very flash Private Hotel, we walked along the well lighted main streets. On every part, was a box full of gaily coloured geraniums. There were crowds about waiting to go to the pictures or coming away. We saw “Grandma” who made Leamington famous by visiting it in 1834 hence Royal, before and afterwards because of the mineral waters which are not supposed to be very wonderful.
The lights bunged on us as we tried to read in that room – 23ft by 27 with 2 tiny candles! Anyway, we slept long and late. A good breakfast, scrambled eggs for a change which set us up for our walk to Guy’s Cliff. Our lady who wrote, “The Spell of Old England” says the walk is like getting in the midst of a picture by Constable! We have still to find out. Anyway, it was fine, a perfect Sunday morning with the church bells ringing. Over a field path, in and out of gates, under the railway bridge and amind the beautiful English trees to Guy’s Cliff. Open, only Thursdays. Guy was a romantic young fool in some ways but his castle and cliff show a wee bit of wisdom. Brown cows reflected in the water which later, rushed over the wier and in behind the old mill which doesn’t work now.
We sat down for a minute or two then drank it in before returning to Leamington. By 12.30 we were packed up and off for Banbury. It was quite an interesting road with some specially interesting avenues near Oxford. The country is getting browner and the poor sheep can scarcely fatten on what’s left. Met two Australian NZers from Christchurch. They were disgusted with the food and conditions in general.
Just before Banbury, we had a delightful lunch at a wayside place of which there are many, then to see the famous cross to which we all ride! We did buy Banbury cakes too – they were absolutely great, just melted in one’s mouth, almost. It was quite a nice village, too dry just now. The one time famous Globe Room with the dried cat [sic] has gone to America. [A 1912 edition of the Banbury Guardian claimed that the Globe Room had disappeared and had been seen in the United States.]

I haven't been able to find out anything about this 'dried cat' written in conjunction with the mysterious Globe Room. Maybe someone can help me with this!
Nice capture of the town and wonderful continuation of your mother's diary.
December 7th, 2012  
Great capture
December 8th, 2012  
cool shot and what a piece of family history you are doing.
December 8th, 2012  
Enjoying the ongoing diary entries. What a lovely spot for a walk--NZ for us in just 3 days!
December 8th, 2012  
Splendid view !
December 8th, 2012  
Nice capture!
December 8th, 2012  
Beautiful scenery!
December 8th, 2012  
i haven't seen the dried cat here in america but will watch for him.
December 8th, 2012  
Interesting narrative. So fun to see how things were seen in times past.
December 8th, 2012  
Be sure and let us know if you learn about the dried cat's current whereabouts. I hope you'll soon be transcribing the next diary -- you an have a bit of a rest if you like and fill us in on Mr Man's adventures.
December 8th, 2012  
Vee
Maybe it was a stuffed cat! What a beautiful view!
December 8th, 2012  
Beautiful scenery of your town!
December 8th, 2012  
Such a gorgeous view. I did google the globe room because I knew nothing about it--interesting. Have no idea about the dried cat ; ) As always enjoy reading her adventures.
December 8th, 2012  
Interesting read, and I found it interesting, as I often wondered how difficult it was to read by candlelight back in the day. Can only imagine the strain on the eyes.
December 8th, 2012  
My goodness Maggie- this is an amazing task transcribing your mother's diary. I do hope you find out what the "dried cat" and "globe room" were. It sounds like something out of Ripley's Believe It or Not! Nice shot.
December 8th, 2012  
@olivetreeann This is what I discovered: It is believed to be very likely that the Globe Room was used regularly by Oliver Cromwell as his headquarters and more interestingly, as a court room to sit in judgment in one of the several Royalist trials that took place during the Civil War. We know this because of an engraving showing him seated behind a desk in front of the great mullioned window with an unfortunate captive in front of him. A copy of this engraving can be seen in the Globe Room. This famous Globe Room somehow disappeared-, the paneling of which was held at the Victoria and Albert museum until 1946 and has now been returned.
December 8th, 2012  
@maggiemae Thanks Maggie- that was interesting!
December 8th, 2012  
Lyn
Wierd. . .the whole dried cat thing!!
December 8th, 2012  
Wonderful capture of such a beautiful place. I have nooooo idea about the dried cat thing either.... weird!!
December 8th, 2012  
What an adventurer - you and your Mum.
This is a wonderful landscape. And hot really appeals to me right now.
December 8th, 2012  
What a gorgeous view.
December 8th, 2012  
Beautiful view! The water looks so nice!
December 8th, 2012  
Beautiful view, and first part of your Mothers Adventure finished, looking forward to the next book.
December 8th, 2012  
Beautiful view - would love to get to NZ one day.
December 8th, 2012  
Can you imagine if your mum had had a digital camera with her? Maybe she wouldn't have bothered with all the descriptions though. We have good friends in Leamington and it is indeed an elegant town - not much Spa activity going on now though!
December 8th, 2012  
@judithg @rachelmackenzie @olivetreeann @yonnie @catwoman2 @chard I have been intrigued by this diary entry and have got this far:

"Excerpt from
Barnabee's Journal
by
Richard Brathwaite

To Banbury I came, O profane one!
Where I saw a Puritane-one
Hanging of his cat on Monday
For killing of a mouse on Sunday."

It is apparently an example of a "doggerel"
December 9th, 2012  
Well I've looked up doggerel and learnt a new thing!
December 9th, 2012  
Sounds a possible explanation for the dried cat! Cat was sometimes used as short hand for cat-o-nine-tails but I think your mother would have expanded if she meant that.
December 9th, 2012  
No, it was written in context with the Globe Room, so I'm still at a loss @judithg
December 9th, 2012  
A beautiful view!!
December 11th, 2012  
I love your blue water
December 12th, 2012  
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