The year began with a Saga cruise around the Canary Islands.
I celebrated my birthday on La Gomera:
One of the excursions from the ship was a visit to El Paso on La Palma where silk weaving is still undertaken:
The highlight of the cruise was a visit to the beautiful city of Cadiz where Dad was taken by the Spanish rescue ship in 1941, before making his way home from Gibraltar:
We started the year trying to catch up on summarising some visits at the end of 2024:
We made a further visit to Plymounth as part of a coach holiday in Babbacombe, Devon.
I took the opportunity to find out more about Stoke Damerel, where Ann Neville was baptised in 1811, and the Neville Family:
I later added a report on the Neville name to the Big One! Project:
Big One! Report - Neville Family
I checked to see if there had been any articles on the internet about Joan Hughes which were new to me.
I duly came acros 3 articles:
Ferry Pilots of the ATA - Joan Hughes MBE
Women RAF pilots "forgotten" in centenary celebrations (RAF100), say relatives
Women of the ATA mentioned on International Women's Day 8 March 2023
International Women's Day 2023
and I updated my entry under RAF100:
Bower/Bagley Family
A current member of the Bagley Family advised me of the possible link to the Bower Family:
We were sad to hear that Chis' First Cousin Colin (Mother Queenie (Collier) Jeffrey) died on 19 March 2025 in Peterborough Hospital.
We had lost contact and made an interesting visit to see his bungalow in Market Deeping near Stamford, to where he moved from Enfield.
I was delighted to hear again fromn someone I exchanged correspondence with for some time and met at one of the Collier/Gaucheron/Kemp Gatherings in London.
She provided me with some further information about William Delves Collier.
This is a unique situation for us, as my contact is related to Chris, my wife, and I am related to her husband via the Saunders Family Tree.
He is descended from my Grandma's (Ellen Saunders) brother (James Saunders).
Saunders Family Tree
Even this connection is unusual because James and his brother Charles married 2 sisters Ada & Ellen Trudgill.
Another piece of Collier news!
I successfully bid for a photo/card of Walter James Collier that was for sale on e-bay:
The background to the purchase is attached:
Colin Bower
30 June 2025