Genealogy Chat

Hi Everyone,
Am safe and well though feeling rather stunned at the moment.
I have a second cousin who also lives on the Port Hills overlooking Lyttleton
have not been able to make contact with her.
The State of Lyttleton itself is not really known due to limited communication.
However whole streets of buildings in Central Christchurch have collapsed.
The Fabulous Cathedral that survived last September's Quake, lost it's Spire and a a side wall.
Many are still believed to be trapped in buildings around the City and with nightfall in another 30mins the rescue of some of these people may have to wait until daylight due to the dangerous condition of the buildings and continuous aftershocks.
The Americans' have offered the use of There Operation Antarctica aircraft to ferry injured people to other Hospitals around New Zealand. As Christchurch Hospital sustained some damage.
And the Australians are sending in Search and rescue teams.

The Earthquake hit around 1pm and was 6.3 on Richter Scale it was a very shallow Quake only 5km deep and only 10ks from Central Christchurch.
The death toll is predicted to rise as rubble is cleared.

Josie

Hi Josie

glad to hear you are OK


There is a thread on General re the quake ........ someone has posted on there that there are about 63 confirmed dead.

I've also seen somewhere that Lyttelton is "flattened".



It's such a beautiful city ......... we were there in January 1993.



s
xx

Only a quick check-in as wanted to make sure Josie was safe & sound & found her already here.

Great to have you with us - will pop in again later to check up on everyone

Such sad news for New Zealand

My thoughts are with you all there

Hi Everyone,
Saw life Helicopter footage a little while ago of the Lyttleton Area, there have been massive rock slides along the hills and some houses around Redcliffs have been buried, but 98% of Lyttleton is still standing. They have no power or telecommunications at the moment.

For those of you who have never been to Christchurch it is a City built on a large Flat area known as the Canterbury Plains. Between Christchurch and the Coast is a row of Hills Known as the Port Hills, there is a Road Tunnel as well as a Road over to the Coast side where the settlement of Lyttleton sits at the head of a beautiful sheltered Harbour.

This is where many of the early settlers from England sailed to in the 1800's and on climbing the hills saw the vast Canterbury plains, ideal for agriculture and so built the City of Christchurch.

The City is unique,as it was designed in the shape of a Hexagon and Cathedral Square is the Centre with the streets radiating out and crossing one another. It's sadly the area closest to the Centre which has suffered the most damage.

Most of Christchurch is also without Power and The Utility companies have switched of the Gas to prevent fires.

Like the previous Quake, liquification is widespread and many suburbs are again experiencing mud and water bubbling up through their properties and making many roads impassable.

Many people are sleeping outside in parks as they are to afraid to stay in their houses, as the aftershocks continue.
It is raining there tonight and the temp has dropped. Here in Wellington it has rained most of the day and been very hot and humid.

All of New Zealand will be now in a state of shock again. It is really strange last time people around the country simply stopped shopping and going out for Coffee, business was very quiet for a week and I can see the same thing happening again.

On a brighter note I went to the Movies on Saturday and Saw 'The Kings Speech'. do go and see it, it is a phenomenal Movie,. very sensitively done.

I also got to see Cunard's new QE2 she came into Wellington as part of her inaugural Cruise around the Pacific, A really beautiful liner. I am glad Cunard did not choose next year to Launch their ship. Next April will be100 years since Cunard launched the Titanic.

Well time I went to bed, Catch you all later Josie

Hi Josie

Glad to hear you are OK such sad news about New Zealand,it has really coped it lately.

Sylvia ,it is confirmed 65 dead on our news today but there are a lot more still traped so they expect that toll to rise .
It seems like masive damage to Christchurch and sounding areas.

You probably won't be able to contact your internet friend bcause the communications are down and damaged.

Suex

My friend who lives between Christchurch and Lyttelton has managed to get a message out. Here is part of what she says:-


I am fine, my stout little house standing all the twisting and
thumping and shaking like a naughty dog... and the rattles, but the
contents are all over the floor and the precious things that didnt
break last time are shattered now!

and its stout little owner too.holding up, and thinking of making
soup for multitudes! .....but the city is devastated with our cathedral
collapsed, andmany many buildings down, and people trapped.... We
were beginning to come out of it and get all the repairs to the city
made, and now its like a war zone. I can only tell from the
newsreel...my power has just been connected, and my phone on again.

....... poor old Lyttelton just 3 k across the harbour... all dark, and half
the town buildings collapsed... A cruise ship still sitting there
as its passengars are being collected from the city... the Lyttelton
Tiunnel is closed, another road closed into the harbour due to a
bridge collapse, I think there may be only one road over the Port
Hills at present.

.............. I am getting off this... we keep getting really nasty frightening
strong aftershocks.
Look at Google Christchurch Quake Map... that will show it all...


----------


very scary!



Physio day today ...... so I'll see you all later.



Take care




s
xxx

Hi , everyone,

It's daylight now and 120 people where rescued overnight however many are still trapped in a number of badly damaged buildings and it is not known how many are still trapped. or are missing and only half of the 65 dead have been identified as yet.
The air-force is uplifting Tourists and Visitors to the City this morning and evacuating them to Wellington, many spend the night in evacuation centers or in the Park as their accommodation had been damaged during the night Intensive Care patients where flown to Hospitals in Auckland.

The airport is now open, it only suffered minor damage and Air New Zealand are offering seats for $50 for anyone who wants to travel to or out of Christchurch.

Heading of to work soon, another sweltering summer day here in Wellington,

Take care catch you all later Josie

Just pleased to hear you are alright Josie, but what a shock to have an earthquake on your doorstep with all the loss of life.

Still cold and wet here in the frozen north but spring must be on the way as I spotted some crocuses peaking out and even a flock of geese coming in to land :))

Whoo hoo.

.......and no Cynthia, that is not an owl.

Nice to hear from your friend Sylvia

Saw the pictures on the news

I can't believe how many quakes & tremors Cristchurch area is having - that Quake map is beyond belief

So many quakes - didn't realise what an earthquake zone NZ was

Beyond belief - we saw the cathedral on the TV last night

We have a few daffs shooting up among the Snowdrops but no Geece & we don't have Owls either.

We do have a Badger family if you are up at silly hours of the morning - you get to see them wondering around

Well back to my tree & a potter around

Take care all

Quite agree Anne, It's scary the fact that New Zealand is so prone to earthquake although it doesn't appear to be common knowledge outside of that country !!

Didn't see any geese today but as it's still so cold and wet, they have probably gone back to where they came from............

We often have the local foxes wandering up the street in the silly hours of the morning howling away so that may scare the badgers away.
It certainly shifts any cats pronto!

It is dreadful watching the scenes taking place in NZ and it's so good to know that you are okay Josie. There have been some awful things happening in that part of the world these last few months. You must be relieved about your friend Sylvia, but how frightening for her.




I am happy tonight! I am now connected back to the internet thanks to a guy on my ISP's page on FB. He got me back onto my emails last night and I found 388 waiting for me! He has also offered me three months free line rental and calls!

Tonight, my son fixed up the router for me and.......hey......it works! Such a relief I can tell you. I am very grateful to my daughter for letting me borrow her 'dongle' to keep me online.



My friend who has not been well, has now been in hospital for 3 weeks. Her husband told me last night that she did not recognise their son. I am going tomorrow to visit her but am so dismayed by this news. I have been looking at photos of us together when we were known as The Terrible Twins! Yes Frank, I've always had a mischievous streak in me......:))



Have had the grandchldren this afternoon as it is half term so I am glad to sit down - I was cycling round an island earlier - on the Wii fit thingey!!


Love to all. Cx

Hi Everyone

Just like everyone I can't believe the damage that has been done to Christchurch and the fatalities,there are so many.
I heard this morning that 75 is the figure for deaths and 215 still missing ....so heartbreaking to watch.

I can't seem to stop watching the TV at present for anymore news and if they are still finding people alive ,every now and then they pull someone out of a damaged building.

Cynthia so sorry to hear about your friend, i hope she gets back to normal soon.
I am only 60 but I went to another funeral on Wednesday ...a very lovely old neighbour of mine passed away he was a lovely man his wife is so lost ,she does not drive either so that is going to be a big thing for her.
We have all offered to help out in the future.
Glad your computer problems are all fixed,when that happens to me I feel like someone has cut my arm off I am so lost with out it.
What did we ever do before we got them.

Very hot here and it does not look like cooling down anytime soon.

Suex

Hi Everyone,
Greetings from 'The Shakey Isles'

Death toll is now 98 and climbing as Search and Rescue teams from Australia, Taiwan, Japan have arrived and are now joining the search.

Am living at the moment in a state of shock, I wake in the morning and immediately want to know what has happened overnight, I come home from work and become mesmerized by the TV coverage. It's quite surreal as I watch the same scenes of devastation over and over.

Everybody I come in contact with either has family or friends in Christchurch. So while we are fine here we, are being touched by what is happening to them.

It's now going to really hit home even more for me as my Son is Flying down to Christchurch Early tomorrow morning to spend a week there working as a Security Guard
He is going as part of a group from his company they will be assisting and relieving Security staff from the same company.


We do not know what areas he will be working in, but doubt that it will be in the central City as that is cordoned off and under the control of The Army and the Police.

But as the ground is constantly shaking at present down there. And with so many unstable brick and mortar Buildings in that City

As a Mother I am starting to feel very apprehensive. Will be so glad when he comes home.

Will catch you all later Josie

Josie - such a distressing time for you - I am sure he will be fine

Sue sorry to hear about your friend & her husband

Cynthia so sad about your friend too, take a few photos with you, it will cheer her up

Its all getting very surreal again, when on earth are we going to have cheerful news for a change.

They are starting to knock the old nurses home down at the back of my garden. I can expect a fair few vermin around - good job I have a couple of friendly visiting cats. It use to be part of the old Workhouse in Brighton. The main building has a preservation certificate - thats where I was born.

No Frank - not the workhouse - it was Brighton General hospital then - Its still called it but mainly its for Physio & clinics now really. They sold off a couple of buildings to a childrens charity & now have sold off the Nurses home.

After the plans were submitted I think they wanted to change their mind - but were over ruled on the appeal. None of the residents were happy either - but our protest was thrown out. They are building 3 blocks of flats on the land & it has move a lot closer to our garden now.

We will have the childrens play area at the back of our fence (so the noise in the summer will be awful. Not counting the noise of the building etc. The flats when built will have balconies and if they look out from them will be able to see right into our bedroom.

We have thrown in our 5 pence worth - but were told - put up thicker curtains. I am waiting until they go on sale & I want to go round them & see just exactly what they will see from there, and then put in a load of complaints about them for harrassment & noise.

Its going to be a real nightmare & we will lose a lot of our daylight as well.

According to the surveyers they took a light reading from our garden - if they did they did not ask us first - then they said they had done it from the back of our fence - which is in our neighbours garden - so they said they had done it from the hospital grounds. I don't think they did it at all really.

Well moan over - will have to get back to some kind of work.

I have a half day tomorrow, as we are going down to the outlaws - so will be missing for a couple of days.

Take care all

Born in a workhouse Anne,

Not at all, I was just amazed at how well you are keeping having been born with that preservation order hanging over you.

..........any room in there for Cynthia ?

By the way, in our day it was tuppence worth, must be the inflation.

Just think of all the fun you can have kicking their ball back............

One rolling pin making it's way to Scotland at great speed!


Anne....what shall we do with him???


There isn't much cheerful in the news these days I quite agree. If it isn't about that dreadful earthquake, then it's the problems in Libya etc.etc.


I can understand your concern for your son Josie - we still worry about them even when they are grown up don't we?


I saw my friend again yesterday and at least they had got her out of bed, but her confusion is still there sadly. They say they do not know what is causing it....!!


Just thought of your sporran Frank.......my granddaughter bought an 'extension' hairpiece the other day and forgot to take it home. It is now hanging over the back of one of our dining room chairs and looks most peculiar...........arghhh.


Oooh Anne! What about itching powder for that sporran of his??



Signing off now.......~~~~~~~ :))) Cx

I worked in a workhouse ..............................



The old Liverpool Workhouse on Brownlow Hill was handed over to the university many many years ago ........... and 1st year Saturday morning Botany labs were held on the 3rd floor for quite a few years, including my first year.

Then, 4 years later, the renovated labs were not ready for our Genetics honours year, so we were based in the old workhouse once again, on the 3rd floor, for the first term.


No-one liked being in there after hours ........... even the faculty members (all male) went home early.


It was not helped by the fact that some members of the Engineering Department occupied the basement, where they conducted some experiments that resulted in loud bangs, and shaking of the building!



Right next door, was the building site of the Roman Catholic Cathedral ............... christened the Rocket Launching Site by the irreverent students ..... because of its shape.



ok, we have bright blue cloudless skies, sun ............ and freezing temperatures.



s
xx

Frank inflation has a lot to do with things -

At the moment they have set up hoarding all around the building around 10 or 12 foot high - so instead of looking out the window at a grassy bank, with an old derelict building - we are looking at a large amount of redish wood with a glimps of the old building above it.

They seem to work Monday to Saturday from around 8am to 5pm and make a lot of noise, but not a lot of dust YET. The cats sit on the top of the shed looking at the wood - or on the lover fence & try & work out how to get over this new object & give up.

Very cloudy & grey here at the moment. - tons of seagulls around.

I have one victory today already.

Sat on the sofa with the laptop to do some work for a couple of hours as I had been up early (I mean early for a sunday - just can't seem to stay asleep these days) so all boring house work done. Two seater sofa, Very large Ginger cat sitting next to me taking up the whole left side of the sofa. I needed to spread out & get my family tree file out & several paper files, so needed to move said large cat so i can have it all close at hand & not have to move to the desk & what i think is an uncomfortable chair to sit on for a long time.

I managed to pick up the cat (while he was sort of asleep still) & move him to a spare armchair (in the sun) & went back to the sofa & spread out my files etc. Turned round to pick up laptop. Large Ginger cat sat up - blinking in the sun watched me move all the papers & sit down - got up stretched & jumped from the chair back on to sofa & sat down on my papers. I got up put laptop down - picked up the cat & moved him to the chair again.

And then the whole process was repeated 4 move times - I move cat, sit down - he jumps back again. War of wills - big green eyes & smiling cat - very annoyed person - 6th time of moving cat - I am going to win this battle.

Got up, picked up annoying Ginger Nut & Plonked him down on the comfy chair in the sun - stood looking at large ginger cat extended finger advised sit & stay - took one look at me & got ready to jump to the sofa - stared cat in the eyse & said - PARK IT very sternly - OH arrives on the scene with cup of coffee - Large smug looking Ginger cat promptly sat down on the chair, rolled over, legs in air looking very cute, butter wouldn't melt etc. Ginger cat snooring happily on chair - me standing in front of him looking disheveled hair out of place etc - OH wondering what all the fuss was about.

Typical males - I stomped back to the sofa to do some work -

Very tranquil Sunday morning - OH happily working on Ancestry at the desk as he is helping with my tree & talking away to himself (the odd - I am getting very confused with this system - help). Very watery sunshine breaking through the cloud, birds singing - very large soft & fluffy Ginger cat snooring contentedly, lazily stretching & rolling over in OH's chair - all is peaceful in this male dominated household on a Sunday morning.

Aaaaaaaaaaaagh

I think I won - didn't I

Now where was I - oh yes - doing some work on my family tree.

Will pop back in again later

Take care all

Ok where is everyone

Well we had a nice day doing some family tree work

I am in at 7 tomorrow - so will close down now

May see someone tomorrow - unless my story has driven everyone away

Take care all

Well I'm here for a bit!

Sylvia, you brought some memories back when you mentioned the building site....the cathedral soon became widely known at 'Paddy's Wigwam' - the shape and the fact that a large number of Irishmen were employed in building it presumably. There is a lot of work going on in that area once more so it would be a bit like deja vu for you!



Sounds like you have been having fun with the cat Anne and glad you got round to some family tree work.....eventually!



It was raining when we got up this morning but it dried off enough for us to get some washing dry.......which leads me on to the fact that my washing machine has decided to go wonky. It is 14 years old so I can't really complain. So, I think I may be going shopping tomorrow....just when the car is due it's MOT and service......it all happens at once!


Hope everything is okay with all our friends and that Frank's sporran is in good order.


Cx