Norwich - Family Reunion

Scientists would level it down to a DNA sequence shared among folk.  Sociologists might level it at a shared socio-economic staging environment.  Whatever the cause it is indeed an interesting phenomenon. Launch a mortar or throw a grenade into a family unit and it may disintegrate into fragments for some time.  But it reforms and unites again - in time.

And I had lost contact with my extended family on my mother's side.  The Aunt and the cousins and the second cousins and the husbands and the partners.  All of us decided to meet in Norwich to unite and to discuss of what had passed and what was to become.  

It was an early start on Saturday morning.  An hour on the road to Brighton to pick up my youngest daughter.  A further four hours on the motorways up to Norwich which is where my one remaining Aunt and one of her daughters live.  Thankfully the trip was uneventful and we arrived at the Holiday Inn hotel without incident.  The sun soared above and the air simmered with heat.  I cast my mind back to those scorching summers of my childhood.  Could there be a comparison?  Not really but 28 degrees Celsius did feel hot.  It was flip flop and Tshirt weather.

We checked in at the Holiday Inn.  An efficient, comfortable and stylish hotel located adjacent to the Norwich Football Stadium.  Thankfully the room's air conditioner was working well, and we spent some time cooling in the room before my sister, her fiance and my nephew arrived.

It was good to meet and chat, and it was not long before we completed our unpacking and commenced a twenty minute walk into Norwich city central.  

Norwich is also the birthplace of my sister's fiance and the husband to be was buoyed by a homecoming. Yes indeed a man's spirit will rise when he returns home.  A joy it always is to be in a place familiar among a people who will be understood and respected - a shared world and a shared upbringing.

After cooling in the eatery of a large shopping mall, the sister and the fiance and the nephew headed for the shops.

My daughter and I strolled through the town until we arrived at the library.  We are both book worms and so the hours would be spent reading in this cool and quiet haven.  

I found a book about adoption that I had been looking to read for some time - my search had not been successful.  The book was titled "The Primal Wound: Understanding the adopted child" and was written by Nancy Verrier.  I read a chapter about formation of the self.  Verrier's argument was that the development of the adoptee's self becomes compromised when the baby is removed from the mother.  She argues that the baby's self is intertwined with the mother's self in the year after birth and such a separation can have lifelong repercussions.  An interesting concept.  I would have liked to have borrowed the book and to have finished it.

The heat left us feeling lazy and so we hired a taxi back to the hotel.  We showered and dressed and once more headed back to the city.  A parade was in progress and the streets were full of cheer and dance and joy and merriment.  We were headed for the Mambo Jambo Mexican restaurant but the parade through the streets prevented a crossing to the restaurant.  

We were late but only by twenty minutes.  We met and we chatted and we ate.  I was taken back.  A cousin's daughter who resembled an aunt that had died.  A cousin's son who played a guitar and dreamed of a motor bike.  A sister's son approaching manhood with a head of hair styled for attention.  An elegant Aunt with a mind bright and eyes alight.  And two cousins not seen for over twenty years.  All three generations - the elderly, the middle aged and the young.  All together and enjoying the moment.

After the meal we took to the streets and found a nice pub.  Some more drinking and some more reminiscing until it was time to depart.  Hugs and kisses and promises to meet again sometime soon.  My Aunt walked a little way with us and I inquired about a Grandad not remembered.  We were all surprised to hear about his war time exploits.  A Desert Rat who fought in the battle of El Alammeim.  And afterwards the personal driver of General Montgomery himself!  Amazing.

Back at the hotel  we sat down to another drink.  The man behind the bar was a friend of Australian humour.  He showed us his favorite Aussie youtube standup comedies on his tablet.

The next morning we arose and we packed.  A breakfast of bacon and eggs.  A goodbye to a sister and a nephew and a sister's fiance.  A long drive back to Brighton to drop my daughter off and then west to Hayling Island.  That was our weekend reunion.  A pleasant weekend among family and friends.  I hope there will be many more of these weekends.

Peace to All