Community

Sherborne House – recalled; a fence triggers a memory; Fair Isle knitting; tennis at Bournemouth, Wimbledon and “Mr Chalk’s lovely garden”; vertigo in Cheddar Gorge; anxiety over a “beastly complaint”; Margaret – a new friend; Ricky does well; plenty of visitors, and some tears.

On April 16th 1967, Gran writes of a kind gesture, telling us that:

…Mrs Dowson, who taught Barry and Jane at Sherborne House School, came to take Mother and me for a drive, mainly so that Mother could see Primroses at their best.  We went through Hursley and Farley Mount… and on towards Sparsholt…

Dad adds a little bit of background:

“Sherborne House School in Lakewood Road, was opened in 1933, shortly before I started there. The Headmistress was Mrs [Eva] Wise. Her two daughters, known as “Miss Dorothy” and “Miss Wise” [Nancy] made up the rest of the staff. “Miss Wise” married soon after I left, and became Mrs Dowson”.

And:

In 2003 the school celebrated its 70th anniversary. Seventy-three-year-old Barry was invited to the gathering at the school and there he found “Miss Dorothy”, over one hundred years of age but still remembering “Barry Goater, the boy who was late for school one morning because he had found a Pine Hawk-moth”.

Gran, Greaty and Mrs Dowson drive on, to Leckford and Stockbridge, and then, Gran continues, “We turned off the main road and came to a wide grassy verge along a lane, which was carpeted with Primroses, a glorious sight.  Mrs Dowson picked a posy for Mother”.

[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 125)

No Church on Christmas Day; fears for 1967; a wretched rabbit; a new washing machine; unaccustomed boredom; thank goodness for Mrs Hillier; an adorable bundle; a party in Bushey; a new bicycle; a driving test passed; a long session of tiddlywinks, and an anniversary.

It is Christmas Eve, 1966.  The Brenan family arrives at The Ridge for the festivities and, Julian and I, the two older grandchildren, Gran writes, “…came, bringing their little half-sister, Fiona, and Julian took them, Katherine and Fiona, to the Lake before lunch”.

Christmas Day at The Ridge passes as usual, with presents passed out round the tree after breakfast, preparation and enjoyment of the dinner (no doubt with the traditional Woodpecker cider), and enjoyment of the grandchildren’s antics.  Tradition, though, is broken uncomfortably for the first time since Gran began her journal, twenty years earlier, Gran writing of the day: “…I was sorry not to be able to start it by going to Church.  With an invalid and the family to look after I just could not get away”.

[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 124)

Snow in April; families in tears; Scotland – postponed; a Garganey; a pilgrimage; sorting out Em; Husky Norris; two christenings; another wild place lost; a wet garden party; the gallant Manuel Santana; the “World Football Cup” and a boot and a half.

Book 112

April 9th 1966:

This afternoon, in sunshine, Brother and I went out together, going by quiet ways to the New Forest… We passed the Sounding Arch, across which Florence Nightingale used to pass from her home, Embley Park, to the Church at East Wellow (in which churchyard she is buried) but which was recently struck by a lorry which was too high for it, and it has now had its top removed, so there is no longer a passage from Embley to the Church.

They drive on the Millersford Bottom, where they leave the car and walk:

…joined by a very friendly Golden Retriever, which stayed with us until we returned to the car, sitting down and patiently waiting every time we stopped to watch birds or investigate anything.

April 14th:

A horrible shock on awakening to a white world this morning!  Yes, indeed, snow had fallen in the early hours and lay to a depth of about two inches.  It was 1950 that I last recorded snow in April and I remember a heavy fall in 1908 when I was living in Bassett.

[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 122)

The wrong music; botanizing with an expert; Teesdale flowers under threat; Battle of Britain and Ugandan stamps; Geoff’s first birthday; cycling on the M1; Roy Lancaster; a failed outing; ships change names; London Festival Ballet at the Gaumont; Kenneth McKellar; Mrs Griffin runs in, and Aunt Em falls.

On September 11th 1965 Gran writes:

This afternoon Dr Dony and his wife called in on their way to Milford-on-Sea, to arrange a day’s botanizing with me.  We have fixed for next Thursday.  This evening I went to see Mrs Freestone, still in Winchester Hospital.  She is still very confused, but she knew me and was glad to see me.

At the end of the next day she writes, having decided against going to Church:

I was going to Church this evening but was put off by the knowledge that the Rector is away and it was to be modern music tonight.  I do not like modern music at all and am sure I should find it offensive in Church – it is the peace and serenity that draws me there, and modern music jangles the nerves with its discordant noise.  Perhaps I am prejudiced and should have gone with an open mind but I am too old to accept such changes in my place of worship.

[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 121)

Winston Churchill’s Funeral; Gran cleans her bicycle; woods are cleared and orchids bulldozed; a visit to Chew Valley; “tall beauties in a Kentish Wood”; Pendennis Castle runs aground; a rare visit to Kingston; some fine tennis; The Sound of Music; botanizing with Barry, and the joys of grandchildren.

My [silver] discs for Andrew and Geoffrey arrived from Canada this morning, so, after a hurried lunch, I took my Grandmother’s bracelet to Parkhouses to have them put on, and to have a safety chain added.

On the same day, January 28th 1965, Gran delivers a very expensive arrangement of flowers to Lady Sopwith, aboard the Windsor Castle.  It is made up entirely of pale pink Cymbidiums, Lilies-of-the Valley and Freesias, and Gran is pleased with the Lady’s positive response to their arrival, different, she says, from the often blasé acceptance from many passengers.  Lady Sopwith was very keen on field sports and a skilled user of the shotgun.  Gran would not have approved!

“I did only the most necessary chores this morning”, she writes on January 30th:

…and then watched on Television, the State Funeral of Sir Winston Churchill which was most beautifully and reverently presented.  The Queen herself honoured the great man by heading the Royal Family representatives in the Abbey and it was a very notable gathering of Kings, Queens, Princes, Presidents and Prime Ministers ever seen at the funeral of a Commoner.  It was all very moving.  This afternoon I did some knitting and then fell asleep!