The Diary of Nathaniel Bryceson (Part 9 - Final)

[Ruskie]

Hello all
I'm typing this on an iPad, so please excuse all typos etc. as Im not used to how it works.
I am so so sad that this day has come. Im glad Nat finished with a couple of decent entries, but disappointingly nothing more about Ann or his family.
Drykid, there is some info about Boziers court earlier in our discussions. It does look a fascinating place.
 Im very interested in the new WA project and I may actually have the chance to get to Westminster Archives in the next day or two would you all believe?!?! I'm in London! Dust off that diary!
I hope to pop in one day during my brief visit.

[deb usa]

oooo RUSKIE ...you lucky thing 

Please post photos if you can ... maybe you could meet up with Stephen and Mongibello!!!!!!!!!!!

deb ...who wants to live vicariously through Ruskie 

[Mongibello]

Ruskie:   Let me know when you are going to visit the Archives.   I will be there all day today (Wed 15th).    If you do visit this afternoon there is a bit of a party going on so please gatecrash!  The only time I cannot be there is Thursday morning.
Looking forward to meeting you.

[MaryA]

There's an invitation you shouldn't refuse.  Hope you have a great time in London.

Mary

[Mongibello]

You will all be pleased to know that Ruskie visited the Archives today and had a chance to look at the diary.   Later we walked up to Richmond Buildings.

[Ruskie]

 
I saw it! 

I didn't see Mongibello's message prior to setting out to Westminster Abbey for my tourist fix, on Wednesday morning but coincidentally arrived at Westminster archives in the afternoon just in time for a glass of wine which was great timing.I was prepared to have to beg to be allowed to enter the building and worried that I may have to make an appointment to see the diary. But everyone knew who I was and I was welcomed warmly and given the star treatment and ushered upstairs to see The Diary. It was all very exciting and a little overwhelming. Mongibello kindly showed me around the archives and then we took a brisk walk in the rain up to Richmond Buildings. It looked just as it did on google maps.  Today I popped to Stephen Street, but disappointingly it seems to only consist of modern buildings, though there are some nice old buildings behind this called Stephen Mews.

[Ruskie]

 I'm having trouble with working out the finer points of using this iPad. I hadn't finished what I wanted to say. Many thanks to Mongibello and all the lovely people at WA for making me fell so welcome. I was really taken aback by everyone's kindness. 

[Ruskie]

One thing I did find fascinating was how Nathaniel managed to squeeze his diary in between sums and other bits and pieces in this ledger book, some of which were dated 1799 and 1801! Very interesting to see nat's writing which looks so beautiful and neat for the first couple of entries, but after that gets messier with tiny little bits of faded scrawly writing. My hat goes off to everyone who has 'translated' the diary. It must have been a very difficult task. 

[alpinecottage]

I think seeing the diary will have been the highlight of your trip to the UK!