BROWNIES BLOG: PARIS TO DEVONPORT - FOR FAMILY CELEBRATIONS OVER CHRISTMAS

From her stately home in Celyen Berne Paris my cousin travelled to the North West Coast with her daughter Beatrice to celebrate the festive seasons with her relatives and friends.

At my Uncles Birthday in October it was decided that the cousins should assemble in Devonport on Sunday 27th December to welcome Wendy and Beattie back to Tassie as it was some four or five years since we had gathered for such an occasion.
I travelled on Boxing Day as far as Launceston staying overnight with Cousin Sandra, and leaving bright and early the next morning to go visit our Grandparents graves at NewGround before proceeding to Elimatta Hotel.
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Uncle Bill, Sandra, Auntie Fran and Jenny plan the days events prior to the arrival of the Guest of Honour.

Then there was Sister in law Michelle and nephew Daniel to arrive.

Ah Wendy has arrived and pictured with Fran

Joanne home from the Sunshine Coast, with Auntie Marj, Mandy, David, Wayne and Uncle Bill

Cousin Michelle - she never changes always a smile for everyone

Jenny, Sandra, Wendy, Michelle and Alison

Waiting patiently for the food

The Cousins on the Iles side - the next generation

Casey, Daniel and Beatrice.
When Beatrice first starting coming to visit her grandparents some 14 years ago and most years after that it was evident how difficult it was for the cousins to comunicate - but through these difficulties they were always so glad to see each other and get to play together on the farm. Today Beatrice comes home a confident 14year year old who speaks fluent English - a delight and a credit to her parents. She is also taking after her Grandparents and Dad with the Golf Stick - and playing Golf with ladies our age and representing her country.

There always has to be a boy to spoil a photo! yes Daniel put his fingers up.

After lunch we travelled to East Devonport to the home of Bill and Fran for Coffee and Cake. This gave us the ideal opportunity to mingle and hear all the news from abroad as well as catch up with the coming and goings of the other cousins spread out over Tassie and mainland states.

I know I often talk to my boys of the wonderful Christmas's we had as children at Springfield, Moriarty. As the second eldest cousin I was delegated to donning the red suite while my Uncle John drove me up the road in the Moriarty Fire Brigade Truck to distribute gifts to my 18 cousins. Sharing the largest table I had seen laden with Nanna's beautiful food - Uncle John and Bill fighting who was going to eat the middle of the sponge cake. What beautiful memories .... memories re kindled to day as we join together. I regret my children never had such adventure and fun as we did growing up with the farm as our holiday destination.

Driving through the paddocks in the old truck feeding the cattle, milking the cows, killing the sheep, watching the chook run around the yard with no head.!!!! yuk.

Wendy showing Bill and Sandra photos of her home a few days prior to leaving laden with snow - a stark contrast to the weather in Tasmania at present.

Unfortunately Alison, Michelle and Joanne had left when this photo was snapped

The Gang minus Wayne, David and Daniel - well someone had to take the photo's and the camera's were flashing just a tad !!!!!

Our family were decendents of Lewis William Slater and Ida Amelia Addison who settled on a farm at "Springfield" Moriarty.
Their decendants arrived on the Ship the Arab from London on March 16th 1840.

I thank Fran, Bill, Mandy and Jenny for hosting the afternoon as it afforded us the opportunity to chat freely in a very pleasant location looking over the Mersey River.

I think as a family we can all be justly proud of our achievements in life - we have Teachers, Surgeons, Managers, Farmers, Business Owners, Tradesman, Serviceman and last but not least Wendy a Hairdresser who has travelled the world for close to 30 years after being engaged by Vogue Australia to do hair for a photo shoot- the rest is history.

She left Aussie shores yesterday bound for New York where she has been engaged by the famous Director Martin Scorsese to be part of a forthcoming launch of a new perfume for Chanel, followed by another assignment in China for 3 weeks.

I finish this with a quote from an article which Wendy did to promote her new book