3/10-3/14 North Trip

Monday

Our North Trip began at 6:00 a.m. Monday morning. We had stayed up talking until almost 2 a.m. the night before so we were exhausted. As soon as we got on the bus we almost all fell asleep. 

We arrived at Wedgwood Factory around 10:00. We were supposed to get a tour, but we were not able to. We went into the museum and the gift shop. I found some cute dessert plates to take home. I should have had them shipped home but thought I could carry them. I already am re-thinking that decision. Just carrying them around for one week was a hassle. I finally realized that we have the same bus everyday and just left them on the bus! 

We got back on the bus and arrived in Preston around 3:00. We met a Blue Badge guide for a church history walking tour. "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints came to the British Isles when seven LDS missionaries landed at Liverpool, England, on July 19, 1837. The success of this first mission (more than 1,500 converts by April 1839) set the stage for the even more successful apostolic mission of 1839-1841, which saw nine of the eleven apostles (the twelfth place was vacant at the time) serving as missionaries in England under the direction of Brigham Young".

Joseph Smith, Wilfor

They stayed in this house while they were in Preston. 

This is where the men went to get a license to preach. 

Avenham Park

This is a plaque that the city put in but they mention The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

The first baptisms in England took place in the River Ribble. Two men were so eager to be baptized that they had a foot race. George Watt was the winner and so was baptized first in this river. George Watt taught himself shorthand. When he got to the states he became Brigham Young's secretary. William Clayton was also baptized in this river. He is known for writing Come Come Ye Saints. He also wrote a guide book to help people know how to get to Salt Lake City. Helped immigrants get across the plains.  There was a stone mason who was from Preston who moved to Nauvoo named Charles Lambert. He did the sun stones on the temple.

These bridges were completed when the missionaries were in Preston. When leaving Preston they went over the bridge by train. They were able to look over the baptismal site. 

(7,000-9,000 people came to watch the baptisms)

(Abbie, Saren, Andrea, Hannah, Me & Hali)

First city with gas lights.

We went to McDonalds for dinner. We love the wraps here from McDonalds. After dinner we walked around the city for a bit. We stayed at The Legacy Preston International Hotel that night, Lauren was my roommate. 

Tuesday 

We left at 7:00 a.m. to the Preston Temple where we got to do baptisms. It was such a neat experience being able to have such a big group go to the temple. The England Missionary Training Center is next to the temple. Both the MTC and the Temple have beautiful grounds. The Missionary Training Center has water in front of the building and big windows for the missionaries to look out. 

Missionary Training Center

After the temple we went to Hilltop Farm. Beatrix Potter bought Hill Top in 1905. It became the setting for some of her Original Tales. They didn't let us take pictures inside her house. Her house was set up as if she still lived there. They had her purse and jacket out on the front table. They had china set up with tea out. There was a beautiful garden in front of her house with rabbits (Peter Rabbit)! We took some pictures around here since it was so beautiful. I remember these little green books that our now in the cabin in Idaho. They are dad's books, and I think that she wrote all of them. I remember reading them when I was little! I remember Peter Rabbit being one of the books. 

(Me, Andrea, Christine, Jenna, Paige, & Abbie)

(Betsey, Andrea, & Me)

The rabbits

(Andrea, Hali, Abbie, Me, & Hannah)

(Me, Hali & Hannah)

Garden in front of her house

After we went to Dove Cottage. Dove Cottage is the house of poet William Wordsworth.

Views from his backyard.

Tuesday night we stayed at a Youth Hostile in Ambleside. I had been told that hostiles are a bunch of people in one room. Not going to lie, I was a little nervous that BYU would stick us in big rooms with strangers. I was surprised because the hostile was not that bad. We were only in rooms of about 4, all people from our group. We ate dinner at the hostile that night and then walked around the city. Everything closes early so there aren't many stores to go in. The hostile was on a lake, so that night three of the students here jumped in the lake! We also walked to an old church with a graveyard and walked through the graveyard at night. We are getting creative on night time activities (everything is closed)!

(Me, Abbie, Savannah, Hannah, & Kelsie)

The hostile (roommates Savannah, Lacey, & Abbie)

Graveyard and church we walked through

Wednesday

We woke up early and headed to Edinburgh, Scotland.The bus pulled up to the hotel and there was a bagpipe player on the street playing! In Edinburgh we went to Edinburgh Castle. We got to see Scotland's Crowned Jewels. We also walked the Royal Mile. The Royal Mile has tourist type shops along it and pubs. Many wool shops, wool scarves, wallets, and purses. Orson Hyde dedicated England for missionary work on top of Arthur's Seat. We hiked up to Arthur's Seat before dinner. After hiking and visiting many of the shops we went to a pub for dinner. When we walked in the pub they asked for our ID's. I had left my ID at the hotel room. They were strict about the rule so we went back to the hotel, and then went back to the pub. 

Edinburgh Castle 

The Royal Mile

King Arthur's Seat

Our hike up...Hannah and I had stopped to get an ice-cream cone so the hike up didn't see too bad

Fish and Chips

Mar's Bar...a fried Mar's Bar (a MUST TRY while in Scotland we were told)

The hotel was nice, very modern and right in the center of Edinburgh.

Camille was my roommate

Thursday

 We decided that we wanted to go up to Arthur's Seat one more time. We were leaving early Thursday morning so got up at 5:00 a.m. It ended up being Andrea, Hannah, Andrew and I going up. We had to run to the hill from the hotel and then up the hill. It was a beautiful view and we made it before the sun rise! We had to hurry back so couldn't stay up there to see the sunrise. It was very quiet in the morning and hardly any cars out. When we got back we ate breakfast. The breakfast was one of the best "hotel" breakfasts I have ever seen. So many options. They had little packets of Nutella....so again we stuffed some in the purse. Embarrassing.

Running through the streets of Scotland

Leaving Scotland
(Hannah, Me, & Andrea)

Thursday

We went to Housesteads Roman Fort and Hadrian's Wall. Hadrian's Wall was a defensive fortification in Roman Britain, begun in AD 122 during the rule of emperor Hadrian. In addition to its military role, gates through the wall served as customs posts.

The sheep 

We then went to Durham Cathedral. The Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham (usually known as Durham Cathedral) is a cathedral in the city of Durham, England. The Bishopric dates from 995, with the present cathedral being founded in AD 1093. The present cathedral replaced the 10th century "White Church", built as part of a monastic foundation to house the shrine of Saint Cuthbert. Here we had probably my favorite tour. The tour guide gave some interesting facts about the cathedral. We were not able to take pictures inside. She said that college students have dances inside the cathedral to raise money.

(Andrea, Me, Hali, Hannah, Jillian, & Abbie)

This building was one we passed on the way back to the bus. I loved the flowers in front!

We left Durham and went to York. We went to Evensong at York Minister. 

After Evensong we went to Pizza Express. It is a sit down pizza restaurant. We boarded the bus and drove to the York Youth Hostile. This one was similar to the first. We were so tired that we went straight to bed. My roommates were Molly, Savannah, and Christine. 

Friday

Friday morning there was an optional walk around the city of York. I went on the walk and was glad I went. It was fun to walk around where the old city wall's existed. 

The path we walked along

After our walk the bus picked us up and we headed to Fountains Abbey. This is Britain's largest monastic ruin and most complete Cistercian abbey. 

(Hannah, Andrea, Me, Hali, Jillian & Abbie)

We then got back on the bus and went to Haworth, West Yorkshire. We went to the Bronte's home. Charolette, Emily, and Anne are well known poets and writers. They wrote Jane Eyre. 

Our tour guide was this cute older lady. I tried taking a picture of her. She had a red hat and on the front a big bow, then she had purple leather gloves on.

One of these graves had 11 people buried in it. 

We got back on the bus and drove back to London! It was a good trip but it was nice to get back to our flat. We missed London (which is a good thing)!