Because I have a healthy curiosity (am nosy) I had to use the internet to see just how many of them are still standing, and what they look like now. Some places don't look that much different, some look so much smaller than I remember and another looks much larger.
I was delighted to see that a wrought iron gate, which I had designed, is still doing service at one house (I'm easily pleased) and tut-tutted at the places some people leave their wheelie bins out, instead of taking them round to the back garden, out of sight.
It was fascinating and surprisingly speedy. My journey took me from a terraced house in Grimsby, to Hong Kong, back to Stamford in Lincolnshire, over to Cheshire, up to the Hebrides, to Hartford near Huntingdon,via Banham Zoo, Felling near Newcastle, Basingstoke, Dubai, Abu Dhabi...and on...and on.
Some places spoke to my heart and I found many memories suddenly flooding into my mind.
We all know how amazing the human mind is, how much we have stored in our brains - okay, the little filing clerks may play games and hide the files, spoiling our recall, but the memories are there.
Just visiting these places on Google Earth I suddenly 'saw' snapshots of people and places, snapshots of my life, and my emotions, snapshots which triggered yet deeper memories. My whistle-stop tour encompassed so many more places than the just the houses.
I realise that this is pure self-indulgence, so for that I apologise, but I hope to take you on a tour of some of these houses, places, memories.
Relax. I haven't got time today!
The little memory file clerks have misfiled all addresses of the places I have lived. But thinking of the general locations does bring up pleasant recollections: walking the seaside path in Monterey, catching horned lizards in Shamrock (TX), biking into the nearby German village for gummi bears, and so on...
ReplyDeleteI looked up the address of the house in Van Nuys CA where I lived during WWII until age 5. I remembered a tree-lined quiet residential street.
ReplyDeleteOn google, I found it was now a broad treeless thoroughfare lined with adobe style apartment buildings.
Sigh...
It will be a fun trip, looking forward to seeing your far away places.
ReplyDeletefunny where your imagination and thought processes take you.....
ReplyDeleteJanet, They sound like lovely memories - intrigued about the horned lizards..and the gummi bears!
ReplyDeleteMs Sparrow, The march of 'development' is relentless. The accuracy of Google Earth is questionable sometimes too, I had to do a lot of exploring to find the correct houses! It is fun though.
Joanne, I'm looking forward to taking that trip, and best of all - no packing, passports, visas, vaccinations, or flying, required!
John, Isn't it just! I couldn't believe how many long-forgotten memories came flooding back, it just took one turn of the key and whoosh. Very powerful.
I've looked at many of my old homes with Google Earth, as well as the home in Purley that my Mum was born in and grew up in, and the rowhouse my Dad lived in when he was a baby in London! I don't get to England all that often now, so it is wonderful to be able to look at these places online.
ReplyDeleteYou've gotten around! :)
Knatolee, We are so fortunate, we can travel the world, snoop around and not even leave home to do it! Fascinating - and scary.
DeleteIsn't Google Earth amazing for the memories it helps bring back?!? I look forward to taking the tour with you. Can't wait!
ReplyDeleteMitch, I'll settle down and get that post started before long. I love maps anyway so I suppose this is an extension of that.
DeleteWhat fun to see all the houses you have lived in. I too have moved around a lot and may have a look at a few of mine to see if they are still standing. and what fun to see the iron gate you designed. Bennie eyes are so blue amazing
ReplyDeleteLinda, It really is great fun - although you do have to be careful because Goodgle Earth is not too fussy about accuracy at times!
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