by J H S B

Created on: April 17, 2010   Last Updated: January 23, 2011

Reflections: My hometown

My hometown and place of birth is where I enjoy visiting most, at times when it comes to sharing those delightful old photos and thoughts, whist travelling down memory lane for the moment.

It was a small little well maintained town in South Africa called Randfontein and the pride of our gold mining community, mainly residing there.

The one main or high street, running through town contained most of the small shops from Hotels, lots of Churches and petrol stations, and chain of small supermarkets; even a disco on Friday nights mainly for the youth.

Those were the days when, as a little boy and as I recall now, I can almost still smell the smoke coming from the shiny black steam engine transporting coal, passing our home daily at the time.

Across the vast empty field the school of my first attendance was visible from the front veranda of the uniform built, sink mine houses we resided at, all painted in the same colour.

Coal combustion stoves were the norm and at nighttime a huge truck will come around to empty the small outside toilet, buckets.

However hometown and home becomes home, as the wind blows and today I appreciate the most beautiful picturesque hometown one can ever wish for, in England, called Banbury, in Oxfordshire; a must for every tourist to see, visiting the UK

It is situated on the cross roads pointing to all directions of the compass and a stones throw away from Oxford, Stratford upon Avon i.e. Shakespeare Country; not to mention the Warwick and other castles, all rich in history and splendour, apart from the many interesting places and Victorian sites and beautiful scenery it has to offer.

As for getting to London from Banbury, there are frequent buses and trains running daily that may well save the day when it comes to Hotel cost, congestion and parking charges, not to mention the nightmare driving around London for that matter.

An added bonus is that the nearest Seaside from Banbury is between one and two hours travel by car pending of course personal preference, yet on bus and train routes as well.

Being a keen lover of poetry myself I need to share that my hometown, Banbury is also famous for it's nursery rhyme:

Ride a Cockhorse to Banbury cross.

See a fine Lady upon a white horse.

Rings on her fingers,

And bells on her toes,

She shall have music,

Wherever she goes.

There are many water canals to visit and even boarding a barge is exciting, as not only my hometown, Banbury has canals but also in fact the whole of the UK has a rich history concerning canals.

Come & Enjoy!

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