I spoke with a Sri Lankan Professor called Sunil about who are the Sri Lankans. The guide books say there are Sinhala, Tamils, Burghers, Moors and Veddah. How do you tell which are which? I asked.
“Did you expect Britain to vote for Brexit?” He asked. “And did you expect Donald Trump to be elected President of USA?” I told him “No” on both counts. ” [Read more…] about As Others See Us – Brexit Britain
As you know by now, I love train travel but I’m pleased to say I am easily outdone (in terms of distance and time taken to complete the journey) by two local authors who are bringing out a new book shortly.
The furthest I’ve been in a day from Chandler’s Ford Station is York (to date anyway!) but the new book, written by Martin Kyrle and Michael Roberts, is called Jottings from the Trans-Siberian Railway. Now there is considerable commitment to long distance train travel! [Read more…] about Book Launch News: Martin Kyrle and Michael Roberts
Michael Ondaatje writes a good story and some fine poetry. I have enjoyed his ‘Cat’s Table’ and ‘Running in the Family’. ‘The English Patient’ is his best known work.
I had been reading ‘Running in the Family’ about Michael’s early life in Kegalle, Sri Lanka. Michael Ondaatje left Sri Lanka at the age of 11 in 1954 and after a few years in England he moved to Canada in 1962 where he is a respected literary figure. The Ondaatje family had a coconut estate in Kegalle called Rock Hill where Michael spent his childhood. [Read more…] about Michael Ondaatje – Author
Last Sunday I had a brief interview with Frank Damerell, the 92-year-old war veteran from Chandler’s Ford.
Frank arrived at the War Memorial on Hursley Road just after 10.30am, accompanied by his son Phil. Frank later laid a RAFA (Royal Air Forces Association) wreath during the annual Remembrance Sunday Service at the war memorial at St. Boniface Church in Chandler’s Ford. [Read more…] about Meet 92-year-old War Veteran Frank Damerell
One hundred years ago a group of Japanese Red Cross nurses travelled from their Far Eastern homeland to offer their services at Royal Victoria Military Hospital in Netley in Eastleigh, at the height of World War 1.
The 20-strong team, many of whom had never travelled outside of Japan, spent a year at the Netley hospital, supporting their British counterparts, to attend to the thousands of soldiers wounded in the bloody battles of the war.
[Read more…] about The Japanese Red Cross at Netley, 1915-16
I have another little memory from my childhood in Chandler’s Ford prompted by a very old photo of Station Lane in Chandler’s Ford.
I remember there was a Mills’ family. They had moved down from Bootle in Liverpool. Mr Mills was I think in the The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) during World War Two, but he was in the St. John Ambulance brigade. [Read more…] about Chandler’s Ford Memories: Station Lane; Being a Cadet in the 1950s
You may have noticed in the news media that there was a Presidential election in the USA last week. You may also be vaguely aware that not everyone was happy with the result. Well, here we see an important and valuable lesson about the democratic process:
You don’t always get the result that you want.
About two hundred people gathered at Chandler’s Ford war memorial for Remembrance Sunday service and laying of wreaths this morning.
From 10am this morning, many people started walking towards the war memorial on Hursley Road at St. Boniface church. [Read more…] about Remembrance Sunday in Chandler’s Ford 2016
I went to see All My Sons by Arthur Miller at the Chameleon Theatre Company in Hursley Road recently.
Wonderful performances, a great story and I’m glad to have discovered this play. It is also, I think, apt that this review appears on 11th November given All My Sons is set in 1947. The impact of World War Two is still red raw on grieving families (as the play makes very clear). [Read more…] about Review: All My Sons – Excellent Production by Chameleon Theatre Company
Sri Lanka reveals itself more interesting the longer one stays here. We are back here in Kandy to study snake bites and Brenda is teaching and working to improve the library at a poor school.
I decided to research some of the improvements in the country since Independence in 1948 and got involved with some historians. The idea is to link events around the first road ever built in Sri Lanka, their A1 from Colombo to Kandy. Near the start of the road is the temple of Kelaniya. [Read more…] about Buddhist Rituals
It is exactly 65 years since I arrived at my boarding school in Cheltenham as a new boy. A harrowing time for me for I did not know where to go and what to do. A bell rang and everyone disappeared.
I was left alone in the vast main corridor with 20 or so closed class-room doors to choose from. The head boy saw me and asked me which form I was in. I hadn’t a clue. I eventually arrived late in the English class. [Read more…] about Teachers Who Inspire
I saw a photo of Station Lane on this website: Chandler’s Ford Memories (Facebook). It is the bottom end of Station Lane before going onto the Railway property and yard and Station beyond.
The year is unknown but very old as the railway line that served the old brickworks at the bottom of School Lane can be seen through the gate this is way before my time. [Read more…] about Memories of Station Lane, Chandler’s Ford
Further to my recent post on the Story Shuffle Project, I’m glad to share some further images of the app.
The Story Shuffle Project encourages children to write and ten local schools are taking part, one of which is Merdon Junior School. The schools partner up with local libraries and naturally Merdon is linked to our library.
[Read more…] about The Story Shuffle Project Update
One of the joys of writing for Chandler’s Ford Today is discovering projects I would not have otherwise come across. One of these was the Road to Agincourt Project which appealed to my love of all things historical.
Another was when I interviewed Kate Day of Chocolate Muffin Publishing and looked at their work with children and dementia patients (amongst others) to encourage creative writing.
[Read more…] about The Story Shuffle Project
One place that is always a joy to visit is beautiful Bath, which is an UNESCO Heritage site.
The trip from our station gets you to Romsey in just over 5 minutes and from there the Romsey to Bath journey takes about an hour and twenty minutes. [Read more…] about Away Days: Bath by Allison Symes
If it was possible to interview anyone in history, who would you choose and why? I thought it might be fun to sometimes write posts on who I would choose, what I would ask and what the replies might be! For this post I’ve chosen Richard III.
You can’t be impartial on Richard III. You agree with Shakespeare’s portrayal or you don’t. You are a red rose supporter or a white rose fan. Does it matter now? If a king can continue to be maligned, any of us can be. Reputation matters. [Read more…] about Impossible Interviews: Richard III
Just a quick reminder that Barbara Large’s new creative writing workshops start later this month at The Dovetail Centre.
Further details below. [Read more…] about Reminder: Creative Writing Classes at The Dovetail Centre
The free Medieval Weekend, organised by the Road to Agincourt project, was recently held at Manor Farm and Country Park, Bursledon.
This post continues with a look at the lives of typical villagers re-enacted over the weekend. And I discover what a fletcher was… [Read more…] about Road to Agincourt: When Medieval Life Comes Alive Like Magic
I remember “The Parade” of Chandler’s Ford well. It is along Bournemouth Road, coming from Southampton, just past the School Lane lights, down past the advertising hoardings. It’s the row of shops on the left before you get to Hursley Rd.
At that time, the Butchers shop where I worked was the first on the left, L.S. Horn, next was Lowmans the bakers, then I think it was the Lloyds Bank, Jenkins sweet shop, G.H.Baker & Sons, and grocers. I can’t remember the next one or maybe two shops, and at the end it was Mr Perrot’s fishmonger. [Read more…] about Where is “The Parade” in Chandler’s Ford? Memories from my 1950s Childhood
The free Medieval Weekend, organised by the Road to Agincourt project, was recently held at Manor Farm and Country Park, Bursledon.
The weekend was being launched to open a new walk, enabling people to walk down to the River Hamble where they could see the wreck of The Grace Dieu, one of Henry V’s ships. The interactive map I have written about in my previous Chandler’s Ford Today posts was in evidence too.
[Read more…] about Would You Live a Medieval Life?
