Thank you to my guests in this series, especially for answering my first question. I can’t think of any writer who would willingly just save one book!
I conclude with contributions from Bridge House Publishing/Cafelit colleagues, discover what two fine Scottish crime writers would save if push came to shove (that’s an apt expression given what they write!), and will finally answer the questions myself. [Read more…] about What Books Mean To Me – Part 3
It was a great pleasure last week to start this series on What Books Mean to Me. Now I write, I have realised how important reading well is for developing my imagination. [Read more…] about What Books Mean to Me – Part 2
Editor’s note: Huge congratulations to Rick on completing 100 articles in this beautiful series – what a massive achievement! You’ve taken all your readers on this exciting adventure with you and your Gran since January 2017. This series has formed such an important record in the history of Chandler’s Ford. We love these stories. Thank you for your contribution, your perseverance, and your hard work – you’ve brought us so much joy every Sunday morning with Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal by Joan Adelaide Goater. Thank You.
[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 100)
Any writer will say to write well, you must read well (and widely). Every writer I know is as happy to talk about the latest great book they’ve read as well as what they’re working on. Why would you write if you didn’t love books and stories in the first place? There are two sides to this coin.
Image Credit: A big thanks to my guests for supplying photos. Unless otherwise stated, the book and library pictures come, as always, from those magnificent people at Pixabay.
Editor’s note: Rick, next week you’ll reach the milestone of ‘part 100’ in this totally breathtaking series. We can’t wait! Thank you.
We discover the name of another local shopkeeper on October 7th 1959, when Gran explains that the butcher in the village (who also runs a market garden) says to her, “You have some experience of flowers don’t you?” and asks her to show him and his wife how to pack an order of over thirty dozen Chrysanthemums for the Queen Elizabeth in Southampton Docks. Payment for her services is pressed upon Gran by Mrs Olsen but having been given ”a dozen most beautiful bronze Chrysanthemums”, Gran tells her that this is ample payment for an hour of enjoyable work, so she is given another half dozen deep pink ones, Mrs Olsen saying she would hate Gran to think her mean. [Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 99)
What’s the most common type of business in Chandler’s Ford? Estate agents? Funeral directors? Supermarkets?
How many hairdressers and barbers are in Chandler’s Ford? Another barber shop is opening up. Do you know where it is?
[Read more…] about Another Weekend Teaser: Chandler’s Ford
Hello, it’s Chippy again with a few more photo teasers. My last photo quiz ended with a picture of the logo from the former Peter Hansford cycle shop and I hinted that this might have been a link to my next quiz. And so the theme this week is Cycling. More specifically cycle paths and their bridges. [Read more…] about Weekend Teaser
Channel 5 has recently shown the “Secrets of the Mr Kipling Factory” programme. This has triggered many people’s memories, especially those who used to work at Manor Bakeries in Eastleigh.
Our reader Jill Mayes shared her memories of Mr Kipling with us:
Watching Mr Kipling cakes. Both my parents, myself and lots of friends worked for them at Manor Bakeries at some time or other in Eastleigh. I worked off of cupcake alley and they even made my wedding cake. The test bakery cakes were lovely. My mum got a free box of cakes every Christmas until she died. 🧁🍰 exceedingly good memories.
Residents of Chandler’s Ford living in a house built before the First World War may be surprised to learn that their dwelling is probably built from Chandler’s Ford bricks.
The Chandler’s Ford Brickworks was not a single works, but the name often used to describe the seven or eight different yards situated on land now occupied by the Industrial Estate. This site was ideal, having an excellent quality of the basic raw material, clay, and being in close proximity to the railway. The manufacture of bricks began here in the 1870s and they were sent far and wide by train, as well as being used locally. [Read more…] about The Chandler’s Ford Brick Industry
Gran is home from her holiday in Scotland on July 10th 1959, and the afternoon is spent unpacking and recounting her adventures to “Mother and sundry friends”. She gives herself little time to recoup though:
In the evening I went to a short farewell party at Bassett – the old friends with whom I have played tennis, attended their little fortnightly whist drives and such, have had to sell their home and, owing to ill-health, join their daughter in Ireland, and I found this a little overwhelming after leaving Scotland and travelling all night, but I was glad I went.
[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 98)
There is no doubting the power of language. Used wisely, it can inspire people to wonderful endeavours they may not have previously considered. Used unwisely or, to my mind, stupidly, you can whip up hatred and intolerance and unleash their horrors.
The gift of oratory is a wonderful one but should never be misused. History sadly is full of examples where it was and the one thing you can guarantee is the innocent suffer for it. [Read more…] about The Power of Language
Work will soon begin to upgrade the M3 between Junctions 9 and 14 (Winchester to Eastleigh) to a Smart motorway. Site clearance and preparation works will start in the winter, with main construction scheduled from later in 2020 until 2022. When complete, the upgraded motorway will neatly dovetail between the new Smart M27 and the proposed improved junction layout at Winnall. Does this sound like a coordinated plan of road improvement schemes? I think it does.
A Smart motorway is a motorway with an extra lane instead of the hard-shoulder. A host of electronic gismos allow Highways England to monitor traffic flows, respond to incidents, and generally keep the traffic moving. [Read more…] about M3 to get Smart
Gran, at Fairlie’s house in Kent on May 27th 1959, walks the local countryside collecting flower specimens after “ Fairlie left for Chelsea Flower Show and while Norah had gone to her usual work in the Church”. Gran witnesses for the first time, a bird “anting”:
…a practise said to be undertaken for cleaning purposes. A Great Tit was moving rapidly round the rim of the well and assiduously picking up ants which he put beneath his wings, shook himself vigorously and then sprawled with spread wings, sunning himself.
[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 97)
I know we can all be fed up with petty rules which seem to serve no purpose other than to irritate us but there are rules which need to exist. [Read more…] about Rules That Need to Exist
Home again from Kingston on April 13th 1959, Gran receives a letter from Australia, which:
…brought me, posted on the day of issue, the first of the new series of stamps depicting native flowers. This one was the attractive Flannel Flower. Gilbert Whitley, of the Australian Museum, sent it, of course, and told me that his recently published book on Sea-horses is on its way to me. What a pal he has been, and it is forty years since he went to Australia. I have seen him only once since – when Jane was three years old – twenty-one years ago.
[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 96)
Well, is it? The simple answer is not on everything. It’s never a good idea to have favourite children, for example. [Read more…] about Is It A Good Idea to Have Favourites?
January 21st 1959 is an unpleasantly wet day, but Gran is loth to miss her weekly visit to best friends in Merdon Avenue:
This afternoon I went to see my Harding family. Mary was surprised to see me in such weather but I regard my “dates” with this dear family as one of my most valued privileges.
On the following day:
This afternoon we noticed that a Yew tree down the road had fallen right across one of the new gardens. It seems to me that, in excavating for the service road for the shops being built opposite here, the men must have undermined the roots, for it does not seem to me that today’s gale was of sufficient force to bring down a Yew tree that has stood for centuries. And I noted that there were no spreading roots – it seems they had been severed during the process of excavation. I am sorry for the owners of the garden, for they have worked hard, and a terrace and the fence must have suffered great damage.
[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 95)
Do you feel sad as the summer ends? The answer to that will depend a lot, I think, on whether or not you have school age children about to go back to school after the summer break!
I was always annoyed as a kid and later as a parent, to see the Back to School signs appear in the shops just before the children had even broken up for the holidays. As a kid, I hated being reminded. As a parent, I hated being nagged. (Still do, in fact! That approach has never worked on me!). [Read more…] about As One Season Ends…
Image Credit: Unless stated otherwise, all photos were taken by Allison Symes
I’ve recently returned from my annual trip to the Swanwick Writers’ Summer School, which is based at The Hayes Conference Centre in Swanwick, Derbyshire. I had a fantastic time learning from the courses and workshops, meeting up with old friends and making new ones. [Read more…] about Swanwick Writers’ Summer School
Many years ago, when my siblings and I were all of primary-school age, we went for a family walk around a country village a few miles from home. As we walked from the car, my sisters and I spotted a sign outside a cottage: [Read more…] about Family Histories – pas devant les enfants
