Lord Loon….At Rest

Those of you who are kind enough to visit my blog will probably know that my Dad was diagnosed with cancer and died of it a mere 11 weeks later in June. I posted about it here.

Yesterday we sailed to Lundy to scatter his ashes. To be honest, I did my utmost to not think about it too much, which actually worked I think.

The post is quite photo heavy, you have been advised!

It was Louis and Alex’s first trip to Lundy and though they have been on boats before, not recently enough to remember or experience properly.

Let me say now that it wasn’t one of Alex’s best days. He did brilliantly with such a lot of walking, when I showered him this morning he had a rub mark on his foot, which he hadn’t even complained of. Maybe that didn’t help his mood, but he was very introverted and grumpy. I will put it down to being a big day, a bit unusual, difficult with the ashes and strangers. He wasn’t great company though.

Louis on the other hand was an absolute star. So he was my favourite child yesterday Alex wasn’t enjoying my camera either so I didn’t upset him by trying to get any shots.

I was so pleased to catch this one of Louis as we left harbour, his excited face says it all. He wasn’t sure he was going to enjoy it, but almost immediately he was saying thank you for bringing him.

I took about a million photos as I so loved being back out on the water.

The sun came out.

I said to Louis that I had forgotten how the foam sizzled and he said “yes, it is glittery, glamorous water”.

 

Even Louis’ charm couldn’t cheer Ali up!

Mum, Chris and Tony with Ali gurning.

Mum and Chris contemplating the Beach Road.

That’s the one, the white turn-y one up the cliff.

 Millcombe House. What a great spot for a retreat.

We were three-quarters the way up at this point.

Finally on top of the island and Alex stretching his sea-legs to bounce on the grass. Bounce, oh yes, I had forgotten how bouncy Lundy grass is. The grass is so knotted with moss and with the rabbit-warren underneath meaning there is barely any solid surface in some places means a sprung ground.

This was us heading down to our old house and I can tell you I was as churned up as all get out. I only lived there for four years so god-only-knows how Mum was feeling.

The building in front is Castle Cottages which are still available to rent as holiday cottages, again a great place to retreat.

One of my first memories was of playing in Castle Cottages whilst Mum cleaned.

This is Mum and Louis standing in what was her kitchen in Signals Cottage. By anyone’s standard it wasn’t pretty but still it was hard when the trust decided to knock it down. We scattered Dad here all through the ground floor and then we took the last of him down to the cliff wall about 20 metres in front of the cottage.

This was Mum & Dad’s view from their kitchen and bedroom. It’s a wonder there were only two of us! No wonder they were heart-broken to move back to the mainland and then subsequently heart-broken when the island trust decided to knock it down.

We walked back past the church St Helena’s to get to the Tavern for a drink for Lord Loon.

Lovely Lundy Stone Tavern building, made my heart simply throb.

In we go. On my Dad’s thirtieth birthday I was a mere 8 months old and I spent it here with him. He was dressed as a woman and they covered his shoe soles with coal and ‘walked’ him over the ceiling. I remember clearly going back when I was 8 and seeing his ‘footprints’ over the ceiling. Clearly this wasn’t the look they were going for and revamped the place But I knew as someone told me that the Ravenswood sign was in here and I was looking forward to seeing that. And dreading how it was going to make me feel.

Faintly, under the ‘V’ you can see the date 10.10.80 which was when it sank.  So many emotions seeing this sign and so happy it is there and honoured. It was a humble vessel but it served the island and the islanders well.

Louis entranced by the tale of the Ravenswood.

The boys scampering into space.

And then saluting into space!

Mum, Tony & Chris sat in the ‘Ugly’. It was nicknamed the Ugly as no effort was put into it being beautiful as well as being useful!

Quarry Ponds.

A break at Quarry Ponds. We were all pretty tired and emotional by now.

I knew we must try and get to the Old North Light and take the boys up if possible in case we couldn’t get there again for a few years.

Mum, Chris & Tony. Not up the Old Light with us!

 

A lovely, difficult, wierd and beautiful day. I am posting this in September, when this day actually happened in August. I still don’t know what to think about it hence not much commentary.

I hope you still like a glimpse into Lundy and our previous life and thanks so much for looking.