If you’ve read my last few posts you will know that I took my Hasselblad kit with me on my recent Devon trip. It turned out, as expected, that I would have a couple of city visits while I was there, so I also took along my Olympus XA2 with me, as I didn’t want to lug about a full on kit. Yesterday was 4th of July (Independence Day) in the USA and this reminded me that while in Plymouth I made a few images that were not unrelated. Above is Sutton Marina, this was the “original” Plymouth Harbour.
Above are the Mayflower steps. No one seems to know for sure if these are the actual steps that the pilgrims would have walked on back in 1620. They are certainly very old and worn, so it’s quite possible. They are also known as the “Mayflower Steps”. In the background on the right is a modern building that is the Mayflower Museum, and on the left you can see the Mayflower Steps Memorial, a better image below.
It took about 10 weeks sailing for the Pilgrims to reach Plymouth, Massachusetts, from here. There, Forefathers Day is still celebrated on Dec 22nd. The pilgrims had to endure a harsh first winter, in fact only about half of them survived and had it not have been for the local indigenous peoples, the Wampanoag, the other half may have perished too! The following year, the surviving members celebrated their first harvest, along with some of the Wampanoag. Although there were a couple before in other colonies, this is the generally accepted start of Thanksgiving Day.
In thanks, the English decimated the population, sold many as slaves to Bermuda, and then took until 2007 to officially recognise the tribe! Such was the religious zest of the Pilgrims, it fascinates me to learn that the first bible printed in the US was in the Wampanoag language!
Chatter: Olympus XA2 with 26 year out dated FP4-Plus, developed in D23.
S.H.O.U.T. 
Interesting fact about the Pilgrims is that they were so radical they were unpopular in England and then kick out of Holland before they went to what became America … they are not people to be venerated!!!
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Hello! One of the many good things for me doing this blog is that I end up reading up on all sorts of things that I probably wouldn’t have bothered, if I wasn’t doing this blog. Pilgrim fathers a point in case. I knew the basics, what one might call the “Disney Version” but had never heard of the Wampanoag People, I have now! I’m pleased to read that they and their contribution is finally being recognised. I’d love to visit that part of the world at some point – so many names that I recognise as being local to me here – Wareham, Yarmouth, Barnstable, Plymouth and so on and so on!! Cheers and best wishes Andy
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