The three amigos

Started the day as a usual Thursday, crochet class.
Today however was our last one, ever.  Our teacher has made the decision to close her business down, she has been offered a job to start in September and it felt the right time for a change.  Sad to stop going, the Thursday morning group has built up quite a rapport.

On the way home, collected my sister and by the time we arrived home my cousin was there.  Off in the one car down to The Vyne (National Trust), for a girlie afternoon out.  After lunch, a lovely walk around the house - couldn’t help but spot the crocheted characters dotted around.  All the volunteers in each room very helpful and informative.  Back outside for an ice cream in the shade, quick look in the shop and then the courtesy buggy car back to the entrance (too hot to walk around in the sun).

A short breather at home before going to a local restaurant for dinner (with hubby).  Nice meal and great company.

Finally on to my lace group meeting.  Tonight’s talk was:
“ Who was Ann Elizabeth Epitaux? How a Victorian girl's needlework sampler inspired the search for her life story.
In 1853, Ann Elizabeth Epitaux, aged nine, embroidered a large needlework sampler. 170 years later, it was purchased at a local auction and became the focus of a year long project for Woking's u3a Genealogy Group. This talk will explain Ann's life, as well as those of her siblings and their families. Their lives proved fascinating beyond expectations. A mixture of great successes and luxurious living contrasting with struggles to survive and tragic family events.
With roots in Wales and Switzerland, Ann was born into a family, that was at the heart of the fashionable London restaurant scene, and her father was responsible for creating some of the first (and best!) London ice creams. Links were uncovered to eminent medical practitioners, the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company and to Sir Henry Irving, the famous actor, who was the first to be knighted for services to the stage. There are family resting places that range from a humble grave in Brookwood Cemetery, in Worthing and in three of London's "Magnificent Seven" cemeteries - Brompton, Nunhead and Kensal Green. This is a tale of Victorian London and seaside Sussex.”
It was a brilliant talk, lots of information and evidence gathered.  Delighted that they have managed to find a descendant that they can hand on the sampler to along with the booklet and their findings produced.  What a great result - are you tempted to purchase an auction sampler now? …

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