Community

Happy in Church; Gran’s “Gilbertiana”; plans disrupted by “The Troubles”; pleasure and pride; Oxford or Cambridge?; a new position for Stuart; Gran yelps; Greaty is quite overcome, and a holiday with Brother again.

Book 140

Gran is always very much at home in her beloved Compton Church, and on March 12th 1972 she goes there again, for Matins, and is:

…particularly happy to do so as the new Bishop of Southampton, who now resides in Compton, preached the Sermon and pronounced the Blessing. He took as his theme for his Sermon the vital part to be played by parents during their children’s critical growing period between the ages of eight and eighteen.  This was inspired by two things – today is Mothering Sunday, and next Saturday several of our young parishioners are to be confirmed.

Gran’s collection of her so called “Gilbertiana”; press cuttings, articles, books, drawings and letters concerning Gilbert Whitley, found its way into my hands recently.  A difficult search in Australia for a more appropriate custodian of these items was ultimately fruitful, owing to Gran’s recording of the birth of one of Gilbert’s great-nephews, son of his niece, Pamela Clare Frewer.  Pam married Lazaros Archotides, a Greek musician.  Their son Bernhard, today better known as Panayotis Archontides, is an internationally acclaimed pianist, based in London. Gran writes of the little family on March 13th:

Post brought a First Day Cover from Gilbert in Australia – very welcome – and his letter contained the news that Pam and Lazaros, with baby Bernhard, are soon due in Sydney.  There will be much rejoicing.

A sad loss; enjoying “The Queen”; a new bird for Gran – and one for  Barry and Rick; Julian runs for England; power cuts encourage good neighbourliness; Geoff does well, and Robin – no longer a baby.

Christmas cards have been arriving at The Ridge, and on December 20th 1971 the contents of one, from her Sussex friend Pauline Muirhead, distresses Gran.  She explains:

A sad note today came in Pauline’s card – our dear friend, Andrew Young, died in his sleep on November 20th. He had suffered much pain and frustration since he broke his hip a year ago, so one could not wish for him to go on, but one does not like to think of the loss of such as he.  But I shall always think of him enjoying the picnics in the New Forest with us, and read again and again with pleasure the books that he wrote.  There is his last to be published in January and I shall hope to get it.  I am glad I was privileged to know him and to call him friend.

Barry, Jane Elizabeth, and the boys, Geoffrey and Robin spend Christmas at The Ridge, and the day starts well for Gran:

I rose at six o’clock and Barry took me to Early Service at Compton at 7.15.  The Church was beautifully decorated with yellow, bronze and white Chrysanthemums, with holly, ivy and pyracantha berries and yellow jasmine added in the small arrangements.  The Service was uplifting and a joy to me.

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Brother on the mend; Gran still playing tennis; countryside outings resume; The Ridge gets a telephone; 100 miles a week for Julian; an extravagence not regretted; a Barn Owl is killed, and small family events.

Book 136

Feeling rather “down” owing to her anxiety over her brother Norris, Gran receives some welcome mail on August 5th 1971:

Post today brought a nice surprise which cheered my soul – a specimen of Grass of Parnassus from Jane, from, I should think, Windermere, where I know she is going to be for the holiday and a wedding…

She is correct; another letter from Jane some days later tells her that:

…the family is staying at a 300 year old farm which once belonged to Beatrix Potter and Jane says the very comfortable kitchen is just like Mrs Tiggy-Winkle’s, but the beds are more up to date!

She paints the flower on the day it arrives while Brother, still tending to be depressed after his hospitalisation, rests.

[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 134)

Ballet for the Boys; a full house; “a nasty shock”; the serene Evonne Goolagong; a bus-driver’s kindness; new neighbours; Brother’s rehabilitation, and difficult times helped by friends.

It is April 1971, Easter-time, and Jane Elizabeth, Geoffrey and Robin are staying at The Ridge while Barry visits Scotland.  On the 9th, another Good Friday when Gran is unable to find time to attend Church at Compton, she writes that she:

…took them for a walk, first through the Pinewood and past the pathetic lake, and then up Lakewood Road where we watched two Grey Squirrels gambolling about together.  We turned into Hocombe Road and came home through the roads which run through what used to be the woods.  Certainly the blossom in the gardens at present compensates a little but nothing can really recompense naturalists for the loss of the wonderful natural habitats we once had.

And they are out again on the afternoon of the following day, exposing the boys to a bit of culture!  They go to Southampton, she says: [Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 133)

A white Christmas; family visits; success with one “special bird”; 1970 – not an easy year; Norris is 69; farewell Aunt Em; downstairs in her nightie; Charles Wise – lost at sea; hoping to see Gilbert Whitley, and risk of a hanging.

Gran’s journal entry for December 22nd 1970 is short but full of small details: Dad and I leave The Ridge early for another trip to look for the Portland Bill Desert Warbler, and:

“Brother came as usual and reported seeing a Great Grey Shrike and a Hen Harrier in the Beaulieu Road area… We went to see Aunt Em this afternoon… she seemed a little better, even showing a flash of humour… Barry brought Ricky back after a successful trip… after tea, Jean ran in with a phone message – Julian has a place at St Edmund Hall, Oxford, so we were all very excited… I played badminton this evening”.

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Snowdon’s treasures; a long drive home – “all honour to Brother”; Tibby brings tickets; Rosewall and Taylor on Centre Court; the Prince of Wales – “a very fine young man”; the Hockridges return; bulldozing on Farley Mount;  power cuts, and a rare bird on Portland Bill.

It is June 1969 and Gran and her brother, Norris, are holidaying together in North Wales.  We are treated to 78 pages of records, almost entirely of plants and birds seen during a fortnight of daily expeditions into the countryside.  Most evenings at their guesthouse, run by Mrs Jones, are convivial affairs, with chat to locals, and to other holidaymakers in the kitchen.  The highlight of their time in Wales occurs on June 10th, when they meet Evan Roberts, described by Gran as “the local botanist and Warden of Snowdonia National Park” for a trip up Snowdon itself.  The drive to meet him involves, Gran says:

…an enormously steep and rough road to the point where we started our climb.  We had allowed a Sunbeam car to go ahead of us and, when we pulled up to park beside it, the driver said to me, “Fancy you getting up here in that thing!”

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