Operation Dynamo/The Little Ships +85

In May 1940 retreating allied troops, including the majority of the British Expeditionary Force, found themselves trapped on the beaches at Dunkirk, they numbered more than 300,000. The shallow waters meant that it was not possible for naval vessels to get in close to rescue them. The British Ministry of shipping therefore sought out as many shallow draught boats as possible from the Thames and around the south coast and took them to Ramsgate. Many were requisitioned and manned by naval personnel and experienced sailors but some were crewed by their owners. From Ramsgate around 850 of these private 'Little Ships' headed to Dunkirk and either ferried troops to the waiting navy destroyers or picked up troops and headed back to Ramsgate, often returning to the beaches to collect further troops.The result was that over 9 days more than 330,000 soldiers were rescued and a military disaster became a story of heroism. All of this was 85 years ago but to commemorate this a goodly number of surviving Little Ships have gathered in Ramsgate again and will set sail for Dunkirk once more in a few days time. A special event is underway to mark the return of the ships and a replica Spitfire, a few renactors, and a handful of military vehicles are on hand - along with vintage music, a funfair and other attractions.

Gloucester Cathedral

Gloucester Cathedral stands in the north of the city of Gloucester close to the river Severn and not far from Gloucester Docks although they are quite recent compared to the history of the cathedral which can trace its origins to Gloucester Abbey which was established around 679. The cathedral itself was begun in 1089 and like many such buildings construction was spread over a great many years. A fire in the early 13th century resulted in a major rebuild in the 14th century when the fan vaulted cloisters were added. The cathedral also boast the shrine of King Edward II who died in 1327 the presence of which is considered to have spared the cathedral any adverse impact of Henry VIII dissolution of the monasteries.

The cathedral is still very active today and is now a grade 1 listed building and has featured in films such as the Harry Potter movies.

Despite its rich history we had not previously visited but made up for that a few weeks ago. It really is a most impressive place.

Mitzi and Jazz

We sadly lost Frosty our last pussycat in September 2024. He has been sorely missed and we decided that we still wanted a cat or cats in our lives and so a month ago we took in Mitzi and Jazz, a mother and son of 7 and 5. The mother in particular has settled well but her son is gaining in confidence and they are certainly happy with each other with regular play fights and chases around the house that need to be seen to be believed. They are a complete contrast to Frosty and keep us on our toes. Fortunately they do rest sometimes.

Gloucester Docks

Gloucester Docks are England's most inland port. The docks opened in 1827 and became a hub of activity during the 19th and early 20th centuries, with ships offloading cargos of wheat, barley, oats and maize to numerous warehouses before onward journeys via barge and narrowboat to the Midlands. Small coasters and barge traffic continued to serve the Docks until the 1970s, after which time they largely fell out of use. However, the area is now an area of regeneration boasting a number of listed buildings including the old mariner's chapel. The old warehouses have been restored for office, rsidential and leisure use and an old engineering works re-opened as a retail outlet in 2009. It's an interesting area to have a wander around.