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Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 140)

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Crowds at Dibden; good news and bad by post; Hoopoe envy; the Black Prince; a “Goater Gallop”; “Mrs Hilly’s” last day; Rick grows a beard; worry over “dear old Tommy”; wonderful neighbours; sporting behaviour at Wimbledon, and the “Swedish boy Borg”.

On April 13th 1973 Gran needs an eye test and takes the bus into Southampton.  She says, with relief:

The eye-test was very satisfactory, with no deterioration in my sight since 1970, and I called in hopefully to Martin’s to see if my binoculars were back yet, and they were!  So I am fully equipped again now.  My knee was extremely painful and I was glad to get into the ‘bus.

And on the following day:

I took my swollen knee to the Doctor this morning and he said it was synovitis which was causing trouble.  I am to bandage it firmly and rest it as much as possible, but, as usual, I can do my household chores except for kneeling!  Well, I am going out with Brother for the day tomorrow…

The outing is to Dibden Bay, where she and Norris meet up with a British Naturalists’ Association (although Gran continues to call it the British Empire Naturalists’ Association) group in the afternoon.  The first Swallow of the year is noted in Baddesley Road, followed by a singing Blackcap, Crossbills and a drumming Lesser Spotted Woodpecker in the Forest.  Car parking at Dibden proves difficult, “People with binoculars were everywhere”, Gran complains:

… but they were not birdwatching.  The Queen Elizabeth II was sailing from Southampton for a cruise to Israel, and such is the present political situation between Jew and Arab that aeroplanes and helicopters were flying round and watching for anything unusual.  But our eyes were for birds, and the disturbance around left us few to see.

The QEII.  This was the last ocean liner on which Gran delivered flowers for Fowlers’ florists.  Image by Alan Hughes via Flickr.

Later, back in the New Forest, it is busy too, and Gran declares that, “…the world and his wife [were] out like slugs after rain.  I do not begrudge them a share in the beauty that is almost on our doorstep if only they would not leave their rubbish behind when they leave”.

Mid April brings news of old friends of daughter Jane:

Margot Warr (née McGregor) a friend of Jane’s, called in to say “Goodbye”.  She flies to America on Friday to join Clive, who is already working as a surgeon there.  Ugh! How horrid, and to leave England at this time of year.

Gran is not very keen on America or Americans!  And:

Jane’s old friend Pat (née Littlecott) came in to see me bringing her youngest boy Duncan, who is not quite two.  She has been home from Canada for a month and goes back on Thursday.

Retuning home from badminton that evening Gran is perturbed to receive a message from Eric, Adrian’s uncle, saying that Adrian’s mother, now rarely visited by Gran, and over ninety years old, is unwell, and Gran learns next day that she had had a heart attack a fortnight past and was in Kingston Hospital.

April 30th:

A letter from Jane brought me great pleasure this morning.  It was written from the farm, Oxenfell, Coniston, in the Lake District where the family were spending Easter.  Jane has been accepted for the post of swimming teacher for which she had applied and it means three hours on Monday and Friday mornings – very convenient.

Book 149

Gran watches a considerable amount of television these days, and though choosy, she usually finds a programme to enjoy while she knits, and on May 5th she writes:

Some television this afternoon – the Cup Final between Sunderland and Leeds United, which Sunderland won, but my interest was in an interview with the Russian Gymnast Olga Korbut, and the 3000 metres race.  This last, athletics, was an innovation this year in place of Community Singing, which had become something of a farce in recent years.  David Bedford and Ian Stewart ran for Britain…

She adds:

Barry arrived about seven o’clock.  He saw a Hoopoe at Hilfield Reservoir this morning whilst with a party of schoolboys.  He phoned Ricky who was with Beverly, and Rick “went through the roof” so Barry picked them up and they all saw it. Lucky.  One of my ambitions to see a Hoopoe before I pass on!

Hilfield Reservoir – our local “birding patch” close to the A41 Watford by-pass.  The Hoopoe was in the bushes along the far shore.  Image courtesy of Fred Taylor via Flickr.

May 11th:

I had written to Peter Davies, the warden of Tregaron Bog, asking him if he would send me a specimen of Andromeda to paint if there was plenty of it.  I mentioned that it had gone to seed when Brother and I visited it last year.  This morning’s post brought a card from him saying that he would certainly try to send me a flowering specimen during the next few weeks.  It will fulfil a longed for ambition if I can paint this special plant.

A specimen arrives on May 22nd, much to Gran’s delight.  She paints it and sends a cheque to Peter Davies, whose card, which accompanies the plant, states, “no charge”.  Some time later the cheque is returned, the Nature Conservancy not being allowed to receive such payment. Nevertheless, Gran re-sends it, with instructions to either accept it as a donation to the Nature Conservancy or to destroy it.

Joan Adelaide Goater - her journal about Chandler's Ford.

Barry and family are at The Ridge for Easter, and on May 13th Gran writes:

This afternoon early, David Shepherd’s “Black Prince” steam locomotive was going to run between Eastleigh and Romsey, along the now closed line.  As Geoffrey and Robin had never seen a steam locomotive, Barry took them to Flexford Bridge, under which it passed.  Crowds had gathered and the boys were thrilled, arriving home with shining eyes and great excitement.

The Black Prince.  Geoff and Rob still remember it passing under Flexford Bridge.  Image by Tony Hisgett via Flickr.

Hugh and Mary Robinson came to tea and said they knew Barry was here because there was a butterfly net in the car next to which they parked.  Mary brought me the Fiji First Day Covers and we all enjoyed their visit. Except, perhaps, poor Jane Elizabeth, who was taken very sick and poorly.

May 20th:

The Sunday Telegraph carried a photograph of Julian running in the 5000 metres for Oxford in the Inter-varsities match at Crystal Palace yesterday and the headline “Goater Gallop Cracks Tulloch’s Record”.  He won the race in 13:51.8 – not his best time but sufficient for the day and the write-up was most encouraging.  The first local Cuckoo I have heard this year flew over during the morning.

“A beautiful day, shadowed only by Mrs Hillier’s announcement that she is giving up work to help her daughter with her children and so will not be able to come to me any more.  It will make life that much more difficult for me”, Gran records sadly on May 24th. The 31st is “Mrs Hilly’s” last day as “home help” at The Ridge, and at the end of it Gran has, she says:

…felt depressed because my Mrs Hillier came for the last time, having given up work after many years of friendship and help for me.  I do not think I shall try for anyone else though I feel a bit overwhelmed at the prospect of managing without any help at all.

“Three small boys came asking for a job to do as their Mothers were out and they could not think of anything to do!”, she writes, with some despair, on June 2nd:

These Television-fed children!  However, I let them clean my bicycle and they made such a superb job of it that I walked to tennis rather than risk it in the doubtful weather.  They were delighted with the “pence” I paid them but I told them not to expect a job every day.

Next day:

I wakened late this morning and was only just going downstairs when there was a knock at the front door.  A bearded Ricky stood there!  He had been in Cranbury Park and had seen and heard a warbler, which he though might be a Bonelli’s.    He came to borrow my binoculars as he did not bring his when he came to his Mother’s… He promised to come back for me if the bird proved exciting but it was, after all, only a Wood Warbler with an untypical song.

… later, Ricky and Beverly came to tea before returning to Bushey.  It was good to have them but the visit was too short.

The rare Western Bonelli’s Warbler – it is similar to the Wood Warbler but my enthusiasm got the better of me on this occasion!  Image by Francesco Veronesi via Flickr.

Post on June 12th brings Gran both a letter and stamps from Gilbert Whitley and also one from:

…dear old Tommy, my friend for just on sixty years, [which] caused me much distress.  She is to go into hospital on Thursday for an operation for breast cancer and, though she says I am not to worry and I know several women who have had successful treatment, the very though in connection with Tommy fills me with sadness.  Tommy-like, she ends her letter by saying that even this “will not get old Tommy down”.

“This afternoon”, she writes with considerable relief, three days later, “I went to see dear old Tommy and, thank God, found her looking and feeling well and comfortable, her old cheerful self and quite beautiful”.  Gran’s relatively new neighbours, Bill and Ruth Kingston appear to have been a great help during this time and Gran records her grateful thanks for their “spiritual and moral support during the past few depressing days”.  They have truly become friends of a similar calibre to the Hockridges, whose place they took next door.  Gran writes on June 16th that:

Ruth came over to know if I would go and eat barbequed sausage with them in their garden, and this I greatly enjoyed.  The whole family is such nice company.  Later, Ruth appeared at the back door with a bowl of strawberries which she hoped I would enjoy.

A gift from good neighbour Ruth.  Image by Jill Cately via Flickr.

June 23rd:

I played tennis this evening, mainly singles with young Murray Legg, and then threesomes when his father came… I really do find singles rather much these days, but I did thoroughly enjoy myself… Whilst I was waiting for Murray to arrive, the Carolina Duck from the Lake flew over the court.

Gran watches the first day of the Wimbledon Championships on the 25th, having this to say concerning the lack of professional players taking part:

…in spite of the boycott by the Professional players in support of Pilic who has been suspended for refusing to play for Jugo-Slavia in the Davis Cup, and so barred from Wimbledon, it was attended by an almost record first day crowd.  Ilie Nastase of Rumania and Roger Taylor of Britain, who refused to join the boycott and appeared in separate singles matches on the Centre Court, were given such resounding standing ovations when they walked on to play that they brought tears to my eyes.  Far from spoiling Wimbledon, as had been half-feared, the absence of professionals has done nothing to reduce public interest and support and some really splendid matches took place.  Both Taylor and Nastase won their first ones, and the one between Lal of India and the seventeen-year old Swede, Borg, included a record tie-break in the third set of 20-18 points.  Borg won this most interesting and exciting match in three sets.  Mother and I watch the transmissions on Television…

The apparently rare event of hair-washing takes place a few days later, Gran saying that it,  “… was a chore with no sunshine to dry it but Ruth lent me her dryer so it was accomplished…”.

Later:

Horrors!  I switched on the Television for Wimbledon Tennis and only a brilliant horizontal line appeared.  A frantic phone call to Saull’s brought the promise of help either this afternoon or tomorrow morning so I had to be satisfied with a radio commentary until, praise be, the engineer appeared soon afterwards.  Mrs Benke, who had answered the phone and knew my passion for tennis, had told him he must come to me at once.  A spare part had to be fetched, but we did not miss very much of the play…

Weekly excursions, with picnics, to their well-known and loved countryside locations continue to occupy Wednesdays for Gran and her brother Norris.  All are written-up in detail, but usually with little of particular interest to record.  On June 30th though, they join a Hants and Isle of Wight Naturalists’ Association outing to Breamore House, where Roy Lancaster is to show them around the gardens and surrounding areas.

Breamore House, situated just north of Fordingbridge.  Image by Dorsetinman via Flickr.

At Downton, on the way to the meeting, Gran and Norris:

…made straight for the disused railway to look at the Lizard Orchid but, to our horror, it had been dug up and only a chalky hole remained.  How anyone can do such a dastardly thing to so rare a plant I cannot imagine.  However, with careful searching, I found a second one, which Brother and I did our best to camouflage with surrounding herbage.

A great advocate and admirer of good sportsmanship, Gran is pleased to record this, having watched more Wimbledon tennis on July 3rd:

…our Roger Taylor further enhanced his popular image with the spectators.  In his single against the Swedish boy Borg, he was serving at match point in the final set when the linesman failed to call a fault, which both he and Borg were sure should have been.  The Umpire called Game Set and Match to Taylor but he refused to accept it and in the end the Umpire called for a let.  Taylor made no mistake this time and the match was his.  Such a sporting gesture in these materialistic times does the soul good.

She plays tennis herself that evening; reluctantly singles, rather than her preferred doubles, but she wins, and says, “came home much encouraged”.

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