Thursday Oct 1

When the date turns to October, you know that fall is truly here, but the weather here continues to be truly summer like...clear and warm.....not hard to take at all! 

Today was a trip into Bourne to see what we could find out about the history of the Pearces in this area. We walked the town centre, and talked with folk we encountered along the way. One gentleman invited us into his home to view a very old map of Bourne, and explained to us the difference between 'streets'  and 'roads'. 

1890 Map

Another chap working in the old 'Corn Exchange' building talked with us for a while about the Corn Exchange, Raymond Mays and the formula BRM racing cars (that really helped in putting Bourne on the map). He also suggested that we visit  the Jubilee Pub on North 'Street'. 

Old city Hall - Clock made by a Pearce

Corn Exchange

Abbey Church in Bourne

The Jubilee Pub as it is now, started life as the Jubilee Garage and was started by a Pearce back in the early 1900's. The bartender, Mark, is the son of the fellow we talked with at the Corn Exchange building and was very interested and helpful. The pub  is designed along the theme of the original garage and we received a personal tour, including the VW bus bar and a few momentos  to take with us.

Former Pearce garage now Jubilee Pub

Inside the Jubilee Pub, who would have thought?

A little while later we went looking for the Pearce family home on North St., the number '105' passed through Jonathan's brain, and off we went to 105 North Road. He thought that this might have been Granny Pearce's address, but it turned out to be, if memory serves him correctly, Granny Lowth's house, his great grandmother's. Many homes in England have a name as well as a street number and this house is known as 'Frogmore Cottage'. 

Jon in front of Frogmore cottage

105 Frogmore Cottage

Other visits were made to a local jeweller, the parish church, and the cemetery, but with no results.

Back to the vicarage/farm at Stainby,  Jonathan went out with Holly, the falconer and her two helpers, Rachel and Hannah to exercise some of the birds. First there were two peregrine falcons who they 'kited'. A kite with a dead chick (read: food) hanging 30 or 40 feet below the kite is flown to a height of 300 or 400 feet, the falcon is released and circles, riding up draughts until it reaches a point from which it can dive at the food, capture it and bring it back to the ground for devouring. Depending on the training and strength of the bird, they sometimes kite to 1000 feet or more. Also, with today's technology, they sometimes use drones which can actual record the movements of the birds.

Jane Austen House & Falconry

Holly & her Gyr falcon

Hmm...a hawk?

Out buildings behind the house

View of church from side of house

Holly and Hannah

Next on the agenda was a long walk through the fields surrounding the farm with an eagle. This was not a bald eagle, but a smaller Mexican variety. We walked several kilometres back from the farm and the bird followed us the whole way. On occasion, using a falconer' glove, a piece of raw meat is held to entice the eagle to return. Jonathan had the opportunity to do this several times and was very glad of the glove. It is an awesome feeling to see and feel such a magnificent bird swoop up from behind and alight on your hand. The eagle did spot some prey of its own, several hares, a pheasant and a fox were spotted, but did nothing more than give chase.

A good day!