A little bit of family history

My mother and my aunt © Ricky Yates

I spent the weekend following my attendance at the ICS Chaplains and Families Conference, visiting my two adult children. Then, having met up with my nephew Tim in Leamington, I spent a couple of nights in South Wales, reconnecting with two friends from my time at University in Lampeter during the mid 1970s. I then drove from South Wales to the south coast of England, to spend my last two nights on British soil, staying with my sister June and brother-in-law Garry, at their home in Bournemouth.

On the last stage of my journey, I decided to make a short detour from the the A338 between Salisbury and Bournemouth, to visit the small village of Woodgreen on the edge of the . . . → Read More: A little bit of family history

A Memorial to Czechoslovak heroes of the Second World War

Fountain memorial commemorating the Czechoslovak airmen who assassinated Reinhard Heydrich © Ricky Yates

During my recent visit to the UK, I met up with my nephew Tim in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, so we could have lunch together. Before our lunch, Tim took me on a short walking tour through Jephson Gardens, an attractive park in the town centre, in order to show me this memorial fountain commemorating the seven Czechoslovak airmen responsible for the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, one of the most senior figures in the Nazi Third Reich.

In January 1942, Heydrich chaired the infamous Wannsee Conference, which set out plans for the enslavement and murder of 8 million European Jews. The Slavs, according to Heydrich’s plans, would have been next. At the time of his assassination, Heydrich . . . → Read More: A Memorial to Czechoslovak heroes of the Second World War

ICS Chaplains Conference at Hothorpe Hall

Hothorpe Hall Conference Centre © Ricky Yates

I spent the week (Monday 12th – Friday 16th May 2014), attending the annual Intercontinental Church Society (ICS) Chaplains and Families Conference at Hothorpe Hall, which lies adjacent to the Northamptonshire-Leicestershire border, a few miles outside Market Harborough. Attending the conference was one of the two reasons for my two-day drive from the Czech Republic to the United Kingdom, that I described in my earlier post.

As I explained in my post about the 2013 Conference, ICS is an international Church of England mission agency seeking to make known the good news of the Christian Gospel to people who speak English, who find themselves living, studying, working or holidaying away from home . . . → Read More: ICS Chaplains Conference at Hothorpe Hall

Oscar 21/03/97 – 23/05/14

Oscar sitting between Sybille’s legs on the balcony © Sybille Yates

I have every intention of writing further posts about the ICS Chaplains and Families Conference and my recent visit to family and friends in the UK. But first I have to write a rather sad post regarding our Senior Cat Oscar.

On the morning of Friday 23rd May, just as I was waking up at the home of my sister June and brother-in-law Garry in Bournemouth, I received a text message from Sybille in Prague, asking me to call her ASAP. I knew it must be serious as I believe it is only the second time when I have been away from Prague, that Sybille has contacted me and asked me to get in touch.

When . . . → Read More: Oscar 21/03/97 – 23/05/14

My two-day drive from the Czech Republic to the United Kingdom

My DFDS Seaways cross-channel ferry © Ricky Yates

At the beginning of last week, I drove all the way from Prague to the East Midlands of England, in order to attend this year’s Intercontinental Church Society (ICS) Chaplains and Families Conference, followed by a week of annual leave visiting family and friends. Both before setting out from the Czech Republic and on arrival in the UK, I’ve had many expressions of surprise for undertaking the trip as well as numerous questions as to my route and what the journey entails. So here is a blogpost by way of explanation.

I should start by saying that it is a journey that I have undertaken once previously, albeit in the reverse direction. For when Sybille and I moved to the Czech Republic in September 2008, we drove all the way from . . . → Read More: My two-day drive from the Czech Republic to the United Kingdom