We arrived at Heathrow in good time for the flight, which
left and landed on schedule at Washington DC. Virginia largely missed the storm
that hit the Carolinas nearby, and certainly the parts we were going to were
unaffected.
After a few days visiting Claire we headed for Portsmouth to
spend time with Ralph and family that now includes 3 month old Owen. We are
seeing him for the first time, so let’s do the honours straight away and post
up a picture.
Not to be out-cuted, this is Ginny, their 3 year old daughter
who has energy to spare and is interested in everything. We have two lovely
grandchildren!
Football- known as soccer over here- is increasing in popularity, especially for females and children. Ginny's already been signed up for the toddler team, and we were lucky enough to watch her first practice from the touchline. Ginny's wearing the blue top. Goooooaaaal!
We get to visit some play parks with Ginny, and are
impressed by the standard and variety of the equipment. Portsmouth isn’t a
particularly affluent area but the play items are sturdy and well designed. The
park below even had all-weather xylophones and musical pipes as well as slides
and swings, but perhaps the most unusual feature was this panel showing deaf
signage.
An event in the children’s calendar here that cannot be
ignored is Halloween. It is huge, and spooky items are already on sale in quantity. In general, the USA is fascinated by the
supernatural, and it is said that if your house is reputedly haunted you can
expect to get up to 30% less for it. Below are examples of the larger items on
sale, all at affordable prices. The inflatable wraith at the back is literally
20 feet tall.
Portsmouth itself is an historic town dating back to the
1700s. The old town is all colonial style wooden dwellings. It’s on the
opposite bank of the Elizabeth River to Norfolk, the principal US Navy Eastern
base. The repair yards are clearly visible from the Portsmouth side.
Norfolk, with its naval presence, is a thriving town with a
range of cultural activities. We ended up there late one afternoon, at an art
gallery in a period house with stunning water’s edge grounds. The exhibits were
mainly Far Eastern, and maybe not everyone’s cup of tea (!), but the setting
was delightful- possibly even more delightful before the coming of the modern shipyards.
The gallery building is silhouetted on the right.
But back to Portsmouth. It’s a favourite venue for a parade.
We came upon this one, unexpectedly, passing through the High Street.
It looked military but turned out to be a local derby
football match. This explains the cheer leaders in the next photo.
The parade consisted mostly of African Americans. There
isn’t any evidence of racial tension here although it is obvious that the
African Americans generally occupy the poorer housing areas. What is a bone of
contention is the extent to which the Southern States still glorify their
membership of the Confederate side in the Civil War. It is commemorated by
place names, street names and monuments everywhere in the south. As the
Confederacy was fighting to retain slavery, making a point of venerating those
who led their armies and the battles themselves can be taken as supporting the values
of the slavery regime. The counter argument is that they are celebrated for
fighting and dying bravely, be it for a mistaken cause.
Virginia was an important part of the Confederacy, and in
fact supplied its greatest general, Robert E. Lee. The monument in the photo is
just such a memorial, in the centre of Portsmouth.
Now it’s back to
Fredericksburg for a few days and then on to Dallas, Texas and an important
meeting with JR.
