Gallery
On a roasting hot day, we arrived early and were delighted to be placed on a table in a more central position, much better than last year. The table was set up and included an excellent booklet containing all our Australian and New Zealand members and the day improved even more when we were granted Wifi access, which although a bit hit and miss, was certainly more than we had anticipated and allowed for some live posting of photos (see gallery).
People started arriving and the moment of the day was upon us when one of our founder members met her second cousin for the very first time, moments which make these days so special. Many photographs had been brought, and this re-affirmed just how alike their grandfathers were.
We fielded a query about our connection to the Avery family, which should now lead to extension of the Benjamin Avery/Hannah Wooster line and then had a new member join us. More of our "regulars" arrived just before lunch as we wondered where the time had gone.
We departed for lunch and once again were rewarded with a much better position this year resulting in us not having to indulge in synchronised breathing. A huge amount of confusion (on their part!) about the pre-ordered food resulted in service being a bit slow, although some managed to squeeze a dessert in and the quality seemed reasonable.
The afternoon was much quieter and allowed us the time to look around the halls with the usual mix of commercial stalls, family history and local history groups. The Beaconsfield local history group were fully aware of the Wooster family's connection to Sealy's Farm and the subsequent name Wooster Road on the estate which went up on what was the orchard.
As we said our fond farewells we can reflect on another successful gathering, with new contacts and new lines to follow.