The Van Bilderbeeks visit The Reagan Library

The Reagan Library is located in Simi Valley, California. Perched on a mountaintop with sweeping views of mountains, valleys, and the Pacific Ocean, this 100-acre site, 45 minutes from downtown Los Angeles, offers memorable experiences for people of all ages. Sue & Ben and daughter Brigitta visited the Library recently to listen to a lecture by Jon Voight. Jon is a friend of Sue's son Binky, and both are members of film society for movie industry people. The members include: Clint Eastwood, Tom Selleck, Gary Sinese of Forest gump (Lt Dan character), Kelsey Grammer and Robert Downey Jr are a few of the celebrity member's. Here are a few pictures taken by Binky, who told me: "Pretty amazing pictures of Reagan's Air Force One at the library. The actual plane inside an amazing hanger facing onto Simi valley. We all took a pretty intersting tour inside the plane itself. If you ever come to California again please try to make a trip to the Reagan library!!!"

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The Twins From Across The Pond!

Sometimes we forget the family across in the USA, but now we welcome some photos from Santa Monica of Binky's (Ben) twins : Ben Michael (aka Benneman) and Isabella Francesca. Both are 2 years old now and love the movie "Finding Nemo". They also love swimming in the ocean, visiting the Aquarium and going to Mass with Daddy every Sunday. Binky is eldest son of Susan (née Murphy) & Ben Van Bilderbeek. Also included is Binky's brother Hugo (left) & young Ben & Dad (right) meeting Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Thanks Binky!

p.s. Didn't the Governor have a twin?

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Grandson Dan's First Day at School!

Proud Grandparents Frank and Pat Murphy looked on with pride as their first Grandchild Daniel attended school on his first day. Equally proud parents Victoria, Frank and Pat's daughter, and husband Tony were overjoyed. Also shown is Daniel's sister Sarah, who has a few more years yet before she'll be walking up the school steps!

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Happy 18th Birthday Sebastian Murphy !!

Happy Birthday to Sebastian James Damiel, who is 18 years young today. Sebastian is the youngest of three children of Danny & Pat Murphy. His sisters Katie and Charlotte also wish him many happy returns of the day!

All the best from your uncles & aunts, cousins and not forgetting Grandma!

xxx

The Irish Sea Sessions - Friday 22 October 2010 7:30 pm

The inaugural Irish Sea Sessions is part super group, part colossal session and part festival, all in a single gig.
A mass rank of exceptional musicians from Liverpool and Ireland will unite on one stage to enjoy the musical connections between the city, the island it looks out to across the waves, and those who pass through Liverpool en route to, or from, Ireland.
This huge project not only brings together a wealth of music, talent and skills, but people too, musicians and audiences from both sides of the Irish Sea coming together to celebrate their shared roots and music.
14 musicians sharing equal billing will spend the days leading up to the Irish Sea Sessions in the city, creating new arrangements of traditional tunes and each-other’s songs, and presenting them here in session format but filling the stage of the concert hall. Guitars, flutes, pipes, singers, fiddles, bodhran, whistles and some of the most exciting musicianship you’ll see, will combine to revel in the special bond between Liverpool and Ireland and the music that is so much part of both their identities.
Performers
Bernard O’Neill, Terry Coyne, Ian Prowse, Becky Taylor, Carlene Anglim, Colette O’Leary, Eimear McGeown, Niamh Parsons, Graham Dunne, Gino Lupari, Dave Munnelly, Damien Dempsey, Alan Burke and Lizzie Nunnery.
Tickets £15, £20

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August Trip To Walsingham - From John Murphy

These are photos from the week-long Walsingham conference which has been held every year since 1987 in the first week of August. Joanne & I and the kids started going in 1989 and have been 14 times. Since 2003 we've been helping out running the camp field for about 1000 of the pilgrims, the other 2000 or so stay in b&b. That's me next to our modest tent, the wider shot is Joanne walking up from the camp site for a break (we are typically on duty more than 12 hours a day). During those years Mum has been twice, Rita has been, Mary & Therese at least twice including 2009 (see picture), Mary's Laura Jane with her Dan, Therese's 3 children, Eugene's 2 girls. Our Mary has to be congratulated for camping last year for the first time ever at the age of 69! The conference takes place in giant marquees with up to 20 priests at a time concelebrating Mass. There is 24hr adoration of the blessed sacrament, continuous confessions, countless workshops, rosary groups and I'm not kidding a mass will typically go on for 2 hours including a 45min sermon and it's not boring! Walsingham as most of you know is the original Marion shrine dating from 1089 and was 1 of the 3 most important pilgrimage sites in Christendom up to the reformation.
Since 2002 we came every year with the Mizens. Jimmy Mizen loved coming every year and was eagerly looking forward to coming again in 2008 before tragedy struck. Jimmy's Mum Margaret is in the group photo (holding on to Joanne) taken last year when she came up to give a talk. Mary and Therese are in the photo as well as me, our Jack & Jim, and George Mizen kneeling down with his next door neighbour. The place where we are standing is the old Abbey grounds in the village where we celebrate an outdoor mass for about 2000 people. We symbolically walk through the great portal (which is still standing) and pray for reconciliation and the conversion of England (Mary's Dowry). If anyone can shine a light on what that means I would be grateful. My dream is to try and get all my brothers & sisters (and their spouses) to come for the week and as many of their children & grand children as possible. If anyone is interested contact me but I can almost guarantee that there is someone in your own parish who already attends. Seek them out! John's email is: johncmurphy@ntlworld.com

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