Conscious that my posts have been dominated with news of research and detail of Annie Brassey, I am sharing some more today, albeit with reassurance that my own travel plans are developing nicely.

A fabulous day of research has been spent, pouring over journals and photograph albums collated by Annie. I have an emerging sense of her, reading early journals help to make contact more directly with this intriguing woman. More time is to be spent studying these treasures, but for now I’m particularly delighted to learn of her trip to Canada in 1872 which included time in Toronto, Ottawa, Quebec and Montreal as well as the Niagara Falls.

My own travels may be somewhat less luxurious or organised than Lady Brassey’s, but there will be many parallels and cross overs, not least of the places hoped to visit. A more specific itinerary is currently in development and will include train travel that will follow the trail of at least some of Annie’s trip in Canada, before going on to New York (another destination enjoyed by Lady B).

In the mean time, some images from Hastings (England) and the Brassey Institute, named after Annie and her husband. Now the town’s library, it houses some of the journals and photograph albums collected by Lady Brassey:

…and the steps leading down to it (and the seafront which was gloriously sunny and warm today):