Where are we? Oh! Wales!!! Councils, Castles & Cardiff

Before posting again, we are long overdue to thank Casey and Amber for setting up this blog for us. They made it real "purty" and taught us how to use it! We are so fortunate to have great kids who know their way around the tech world! And they are 'all around' great kids, who are trying to do some good in the world! Last month, Casey and Amber, Bella, Evie and Trevor welcomed  a new baby into their family, Tessa Lynn, who was delivered by C-section. Amber is still in recovery! So Painful!


Thursday, July 17, 2014, we were invited to the Cardiff Stake by President Somerville.  He was called to be the new Stake President in Cardiff just after we arrived in the U.K.. Unfortunately, he was called away on business this week, so we met with his counselors, President Jones and President Spragg, and the executive secretary, Brother  Taylor who had arranged the meeting for us, along with assorted members of their council.

                                                    President Jones and President Spragg

Pictured Below: The brother in front is Samual Butt, H.C. Bridgend Ward, and the brother behind him is Tim Gould, H.C. Pontypridd Ward and over YW organization, and next is Clive Wilkinson who is the Stake Y.M. President, and the other brother sitting, and the one standing would be Nathan Eagg, stake clerk and Yues Gros H.C. over seminary - Cardiff Ward. Whew! Big meeting of the 'Powers that Be' in Cardiff Stake!

'Grandpa' Gabb, Brother Simon Hayes High Counselor over missionary work and public affairs, Bishop Nathan Woodmore (? difficult to decipher) Cardiff, Catherine Whittaker, stake R.S. President, Kristy Ward, Stake Primary President, Katie Gilmour, Stake Y.W. President, Robert Gilmore, H.C. over Young Men.

We sent a roll around for all the brethren and sisters to sign and make note of their duties. We have met with at least five stakes and this is the first where we did this. Sigh. We didn't imagine the enormity of meeting with 15 stakes and remembering who they are and what they do! Maybe we could each get a secretary to help us keep track of it all. (nope!)

This was our first trip to Wales. We kept talking to them as if they were England and they aren't. We knew that, but we forgot. We have a travel book of England and when we were looking through it recently, we said, "Why isn't Wales in here?" Oh. You mean they're a separate country? Another sign of the times. Elder Jolley would never have "missed" that in his prime! Sister Jolley would have easily missed it since she can get lost in Kaysville!

At the end of the meeting, the Executive Secretary, Brother Robert Taylor, very kindly made a few remarks about the way things are done in Wales as opposed to how they are done in England. Sister Jolley 'seriously' reminded him that the Jolleys are still learning. "And now that we know we are in Wales....!" And they all laughed, so the tension of our stupidity was relieved. (you had to be there)

To complete the round table, which was actually a rectangle: Robert Taylor is a bit dark...Fortunately, he posts a photo of himself on his emails, so we know him already. Next to Brother Taylor is Glenn Thomas, High Counselor over Y.S.A., Malcolm Heal High Counselor from Caerphilly Ward, and Brother Robert Gabb, (again) High Counselor, Single Adult Representative. Brothers Thomas and Heal kept teasing Brother Gabb about being their Grandpa. We THINK they were teasing! :-)

For our next trip to Wales...in September...we will be prepared...with their names memorized!

We used points to book a room in the Marriott in Cardiff for Thursday night. After we had checked in at 3 p.m. we walked up to Cardiff Castle.

This was a view of the city from the hotel window. Cardiff Castle is in the distance with a flag on top.

                                           This is a view of the city from Cardiff Castle wall.

                                                         Cardiff Castle Entrance

                                                The Castle Keep sporting a Griffin Flag

                   The Castle walls are lined with colorful flags representing...knights of old?

Sister Jolley in her P-Day clothes...(belly happy like Chinese girl)...inside the bomb shelter.  One of the kings had the walls built with a walking galley inside so he could exercise in spite of inclement weather. During WWII the chambers were often used as bomb shelters. In the back portion, without windows, the atmosphere is eerie. There are recordings of bombs and sirens to make it more creepy.

When Sister Jolley was walking down the stairs of the castle keep, she dropped her purse (huge black thing that weighs as much as a baby), and scared poor Elder Jolley, as it sounded like she had fallen on the staircase. Sister Jolley is following in the footsteps of her mother, Mavis, who also carries a purse equal to half her body weight. The purse must have a large capacity to contain: a wallet, camera, umbrella, change of underwear and socks, sunglasses, money, kleenex, notepad and pen, sewing project, extra set of keys, and while in a foreign country...a passport; just in case Confucius try to deport missionaries who smile too much, and take too many photos.

 If the Castle was attacked, the Castle Keep was usually the last stand, so it had to be elevated and                  surrounded by a moat, preferably one that was filled with alligators.                              

On Friday morning, July 18th, Elder and Sister Jolley took a walk down to Cardiff Bay. They needed a walk before they climbed back in the car for the two hour drive back to Birmingham. (It should have been 2 hours but due to heavy traffic, it was closer to 3 hours.)

                                                  Another "selfie" in front of Cardiff Bay....

           
               These umbrellas were made of dried grass so we almost felt like we were in the Islands.

                                 
                                   Pretty clock tower and carousel in the plaza next to the Bay.

                                         
                                           Cardiff Bay - just a hop and a skip to the Ocean!

Happy Pioneer Day this Thursday, July 24th! We will be in Coventry that evening to make a presentation to their Council. We'll be thinking of you -

Loves, Ma & Pa, Elder and Sister, and Gramps and Grammy