under the sun
THE BRUNSWICK&EACON
THURSDAY. JANUARY 31. 1991
"V
CD
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IT'S TEA TIME FOR REUNITED FAMILY
British Mother Visiting Daughter In Shallotte
BY DOUG RUTTER ? ~ ? ? ? ?
While golfers were teeing up at Brierwood Golf
Club on a recent sunny morning, a mother and daughter
quietly shared tea and conversation in a nearby condo
minium.
This wasn't just any mother and daughter chat.
These two were citizens of different countries who
hadn't seen each other in 16 years.
Hazel Wood, a resident of Brierwood Estates in
Shallotte, and her mother, Joyce Bugdale of England,
are spending their first time together since 1974.
The women had kept in touch through telephone
conversations and letters. But they hadn't been able to
visit because they were busy caring for their sick hus
bands, both of whom have died in the last 16 months.
"That's sad isn't it?" Mrs. Wood asked. "Sometimes
through death you have joy."
The 80-year-old mother recently arrived for a month
long visit, her first trip to this side of the Atlantic Ocean
in 20 years. She was bom in Norwich, England, in 1910
and has lived there almost all of her life.
Despite her age, disability and poor vision, Mrs.
Bugdale thinks very clearly and has strong opinions that
she doesn't hesitate to share.
For instance, while she respects the tradition and
ceremony of the British king and queen, she doesn't
think the government should pay to raise their children
and other "hangers-on."
Mrs. Bugdale, who has resided in the same house
for the last 53 years, is extremely proud to call herself
British ? not English. British people are born in
England, she explains, and people who come from a
foreign country to live in England are English.
The spry mother of six said one of the first things
she noticed about Shallotte was the lack of stray dogs.
Lots of dogs roam the streets in her hometown, which is
about 100 miles northeast of London.
"They're not strict enough with dogs in England,"
Mrs. Bugdale says in a Norfolk accent, named after the
county she comes from in England. "They foul the
pavement and they foul the parks."
Mrs. Bugdale also said England has a bigger prob
lem with litter than the United States, even though recy
clable items can be dropped off at grocery stores.
"People are just not that litter conscious."
The state-funded health care system is one major
advantage of living in England. As a disabled senior cit
izen, Mrs. Bugdale said the government pays for her
medical treatment, medicine and eye glasses. The doc
tors even make house calls.
"It's lovely to be free of worry if you'ic ill," saiu
Mrs. Bugdale. who has 20 grandchildren and 23 great
grandchildren.
Mrs. Bugdale said the climate in southeastern North
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HAZEL WOOD (right) of Shallotte pours a cup
Carolina is quite different than what she left behind in
Norwich. It was 3 degrees below zero when she depart
ed England in mid-January.
Mrs. Wood said her mother takes the cold a lot bel
ter than she does. "She was silting outside yesterday,
and I was inside running the heater," she said with a
chuckle.
Mrs. Bugdale, who has vivid memories of air raids
during World War II, said she thinks it was a mistake to
tear down the Berlin Wall. She said it opens the way for
another fanatic like Adolf Hitler to come into power.
Both women recalled a time during the war when
bombs knocked down four houses across the street but
didn't do any damage to their home. Mrs. Wood said
:>he darned socks for American soldiers when she was
1 1 years old.
While she admits Great Britain is becoming more
American every day, Mrs. Bugdale says traditions like
STAfF PHOTO BY DOUG KUTTM
?J tea for her British mother, Joyce Bugdale. They are spending their first time together in 16 years.
tea and crumpets are still very much alive.
"You must have a cup of tea first thing," she said.
"There's a lot more coffee now, but tea is still the drink
of England."
Mrs. Bugdale said she drinks about seven cups ev
ery day. She brought 240 tea bags to America to keep
her going while she's visiting.
"She doesn't want to run out," her daughter ex
plains. "I keep telling her we have the same kind of tea
here. But she wanted to bring her own."
Mrs. Wood has lived in the United States off and on
since 1957. She made the move after marrying an
American serviceman and lived in Little Rock, Ark., and
Columbus, Ohio, before moving to Shallotte in 1982.
Mrs. Bugdale said she noticed plenty of southern
hospitality during hei journey to Shallotte. At the air
port in Atlanta, Mrs. Bugdale said she was shocked
when a stranger came up and placed a napkin under her
cup of coffee.
She said that would never happen in England,
where most people won't even talk to someone they
don't know. "They would think you were being really
funny," Mrs. Bugdale said.
After being away from her mother for 16 years,
Mrs. Wood said she'll need the entire month to catch up
on family affairs. She has four sisters and a brother, all
of whom live in England.
She said she plans to take her mother to the beach,
church and shopping during their time together.
"Talking on the phone and writing letters just isn't
the same as sitting down and having a face-to-face
chat," she said. "I'm still interested to know what's go
ing on back home after all these years."
On Feb. 1, Mrs. Wood plans to celebrate her moth
er's 81st birthday in style. "We're going to give her an
all-American birthday party."
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