Day 28 - 16May - sunny, warm 6.00am start in Eastbourne, cold cloudy finish in Portadown.
It was a logistics day, had to be at Gatwick Airport by 8am for flight at 10am. It was sad to say goodbye to Steph and Phil, but mostly happy especially knowing that Sam had renewed this old family relationship.
I think I’m getting a bit punch-drunk with the relentless travel, non-compos frontline staff and ridiculous airport security.That said I did finally end up driving away from Belfast International Airport by 1.15pm in a tiny little Hyundai - one that that could go like stink.
I headed south towards Portadown by way of Knocknamuckly Church (see pic) where my great-great grandparents Thomas Hughes and Margaret Livingston got married in 1844. Church closed but found some recent Hughes and Livingston graves - so knew I was close to the mark. The area (Ballydugan) reminded me of Temuka, Pleasant Point area in NZ. No wonder plenty of our Irish immigrant rellies settled in that area.
Then it was in to Portadown, found my AirBnb and got myself set up for the next couple days. Nice elderly lady, Serena, runs the place - apparently been living here for 50 years. Very quiet town - Serena said it was a leftover from ‘The Troubles’ when no one went out much in the evening - most pubs and restaurants shut at about 6pm. A few miles south, over the border, it is all go with plenty of nightlife activity. So it is early to bed gor me and tomorrow I looking to take a look in Belfast where old Thomas Hughes started working life as a linen weaver.