We have been living in the receding wake of Hurricane Ida this week, very heavy rains, high winds and trees down. The very word 'hurricane' has struck fear into her little heart (remember the Tomato Tornato conversation?) The local ice hockey team are 'The North Carolina Hurricanes', she heard those words mentioned on the radio in the car today and thought Ida was coming back and panic ensued!
The news was on while we were having dinner this evening and Ida has now moved and turned into a Nor'easter http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nor and is battering Virginia and moving North...
Ellie: North. That's above us. Virginia? Is there a place above us called Virginia?
Me: Yes there is, and do you know that Virginia was named after an old English Queen, Elizabeth I?
Ellie: Wow! Really? But if her name was Elizabeth why was it called Virginia? (too quick for her own good)
Me: Virginia was her knickname (we'll save that part of the history lesson for when she's older!)
Luke: Mummy draw horse.
Ellie: ...and where's above there?
Me: (drawing a horse) Errr Maryland I think. (Guessing Mary Queen of Scots perhaps? Elizabeth I beheaded her after all)
Ellie: ...and where's above there?
Luke: Mummy draw cat.
Me: (drawing a cat) Errr New Jersey I think and guess what?...there is a place in England called Jersey.
Ellie: There's a place called New York, is there a York in England?
Me: Yes there is!
Luke: Mummy draw dog.
Ellie: Why are they called 'New' ?
Me: (drawing a dog) Do you remember at school in India you learnt about the brave Pilgrim Fathers on the Mayflower boat who sailed from England to the 'New' World, well maybe they were homesick for England and named places after their hometowns.
Ellie: I do! And they sailed for a long time and then they had a thanksgiving. What's up there next?
Me: Connecticut (struggled for a link on that one) and then New England and New Hampshire(technically Massachussets but you can understand my deviation there)
Ellie: New England?! You mean there is a New England? Wow! Can we go there? Is there a Kenilworth there?
Me: Yes there is (I only know this because I drove past it many years ago) but did you know than that across the road from your school there are some houses in a place called 'Kenilworth Court'.
Ellie: Mummy can I go there?!!
I'll bore you no more with the dialogue but finally I managed to bring the conversation back to North Carolina, whose capital city is Raleigh, named after Sir Walter, who returned to England after his New World tour to present Queen Elizabeth I who was guest of honour of her 'favourite' Robert Dudley aka Lord Leycester (and much more so rumour has it....no daughter of Henry VIII was ever going to remain so pure) at Kenilwoth Castle with tobacco plants and potatoes which were planted in the little Olde Worlde area next to the Castle that is called 'Little Virginia'. The tobacco died, the potatoes did not and that is how, legend has it, England got potatoes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenilworth
Part of 'Little Virginia' Kenilworth - Elizabethan houses - not may potato plants these days!
There are I'm sure many historical links to be discovered. One of them that intrigues me are the large number of Holt's here. Holt was my maiden name and I know that there is a Holt town in Norfolk close to where the Pilgrim Fathers set sail. I've traced my paternal line back to Norfolk but then I drew a blank...maybe it's time to research it some more....when I get some time!
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