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Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 149)

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Misplaced credit; Vera gets wet; Sue loves the garden; Paddy Hine “fixes it”; an Oakley Easter; a heron at Radipole; Saints win the Cup; a green wedding invitation, and tennis at Bournemouth.

Gran, needing to find indoor things to do while still on crutches, writes on March 19th 1976:

I found out the lacquer-covered Japanese album of coloured and black and white prints which Daddy gave to Mother in 1897, and mended the damaged back and stuck in two loose prints.  I believe it would be quite valuable now and Enid wants to see it.

Ten days later her writing reminds us of a strange family anecdote about a family friend who, perhaps luckily in retrospect, avoids publicity about his role in giving the Loch Ness Monster, never officially seen by anybody, the scientific name, Nessiteras rhombopteryx.

A letter from Jane and a Mothers’ Day card from her and Stuart were very welcome.  Jane’s letter included an article and pictures of the Loch Ness Monster, written and photographed by Alan Wilkins, Stuart’s Best Man, who had seen the creature more than once.  It was he who supplied this information to Peter Scott and other scientists who took the credit and publicity, which was due to Alan.  It will be interesting to see if further proof of the existence of the monster is forthcoming.

Gran has been expecting Vera, Gilbert Whitley’s sister from Australia, to visit for some days and looking forward to exchanging news and views with her and also with her friend Enid Denis, who had once met Gilbert in Sydney.  She appears on the 29th:

Vera came this afternoon and so did Enid, and they were pleased to meet each other.  We all enjoyed exchanging news, photographs and happy memories of Gilbert, and time went all too quickly.

… later I took Vera in next door, where Ruth is putting her up for me; redecorating leaving me no comfortable bed for her.  Ruth and Bill made her most welcome, bless them.

Next day:

Vera took the opportunity this afternoon of getting her hair done at the hairdressers’ over the road and came home three and a quarter hours later looking very elegant but soaked to the skin and very cold having been “operated” upon by a rather inexperienced girl.  However, a change of underclothes topped by my warm housecoat (which would not meet round her) and my poncho to cover her upper regions followed by a hot cup of tea soon restored her.  We spent the rest of the evening very amicably together, exchanging confidences.

She ends her entry for the day with, “Ricky and Beverly are getting married early in July!!  I must get there even if I go in a wheelchair!”

Vera leaves Chandler’s Ford on April 2nd.   Gran is tired, “after almost a week of unaccustomed company”, she says, but which she nevertheless greatly enjoyed, and Norris, who took them to Calshot and Lepe on March 31st, was delighted to meet Vera again, whom he had last seen when she was eleven years old, before the Whitley family emigrated.

Lepe Beach – visted by Gran, Norris and Vera on March 31st 1976.  Image by Alison Day via Flickr.

April 4th Gran records as “a very comforting day, full of pleasant surprises”, one of which is the unexpected appearance at The Ridge of grandchildren and their half-sisters, who live in Devon Drive, Velmore, with their Mother, “Jock”, now known as Jo Sturman:

In the midst of chores, coming up the garden, I met Julian, his latest girl friend Sue, Ricky, Fiona and Robin!  It was lovely to see them all, though they could only stay a short while.  Sue is secretary to one of the R.A.F. Officers at Hendon and is a nice lass.  What she thought of this odd Grandmother I cannot imagine, but she loved the garden!

Gran wins third prize at a whist drive on the afternoon of April 6th:

… two tablets of soap – very useful for when I go to hospital.  I came home past the Lake and noted that a cob cygnet from last year had flown in.  He still had some of his juvenile brown feathers.

This evening I went to give my talk on Old Chandler’s Ford to the Hiltingbury Women’s Institute and was very relieved when it was well received.  I was presented with a very attractive basket of indoor plants; two Ivies, a red-flowered Christmas Cactus with many buds and a deep red-tinted Begonia rex.  There was a yellow ribbon bow on one side.  It delighted me.

Gran watches the television programme Jim’ll fix it on the evening of the 10th.  She writes:

I was surprised to see Air Commodore Hine thanked for arranging a flight in an R.A.F plane for a young girl who wanted to fly with her Father… Air Commodore Hine is, of course, Paddy, whose childish wounds and troubles I used to dress and comfort!  Most of our local lads of that time have done remarkably well.

A highlight for Gran of April 14th is a sight of, “… the splendid coach and four from Cranbury Park passing the gate…”  and, “Later”, she says:

I was delighted to see Jean Hockridge at the door.  She had driven Ken to work at Eastleigh and it was good to hear that he has recovered sufficiently to put in a day or two each week there now.  Not so good to hear was that Anne’s wedding has been fixed for July 3rd, the same day as Ricky’s so I shall certainly have to miss that one.

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

It is Easter-time and Gran has feared it would be a lonely time for her, with none of the family expected over the holiday.  But on April 17th, Easter Saturday:

A really wonderful day!  Ricky and Beverly, with Beverly’s parents [Margaret and Wilfred Vickers] and Gran, came about eleven o’clock and we then went to Selborne for the day, a area new to all but Ricky and me.

We went first to the Bookshop, and I introduced our party to Anne Mallinson, and several purchases were made.  I bought “The Lure of the Falcon” for Ricky and Beverly, and another scrap book for myself.

Beverly’s folk provide a wonderful picnic lunch, eaten in the hilly field beyond the Selborne churchyard, and later, waiting while the others return to the car with the remains of the lunch, Gran says:

A lady came and spoke to me about Selborne and said she had come from London and she and her friends had had their lunch at the Queen’s Hotel where they had seen some lovely flower paintings on the wall.  When I told her I had done them she was most surprised and, she said, pleased and proud to meet me!!

The Queens Hotel, Selborne – home for several of Joan Goater’s paintings. Image by garypearson via Flickr.

Completing her notes for the day Gran writes:

… Afterwards, at their request, my visitors looked at some of my Rackhams and flower paintings.  They had earlier greatly admired the garden, so I had enjoyed a most satisfactory and rewarding day with folk who fully appreciated Selborne and the things dear to me.

And then, on Easter Day itself:

Ricky and Beverly came for me soon after half-past ten this morning and took me to Compton Church and came in with me for Matins.  I stayed on for Communion, which gave me the perfect start to my Easter Day.  Afterwards, they took me to Oakley, near Basingstoke where Margaret and Wilfred and Beverly’s Gran are staying with Margaret’s Cousin [Edna Cooper, and husband Norman], who had kindly invited me to lunch and tea today.

Oakley Post Office – “… the village shop and the delightful house…” photographed in 1955.

The home I visited is the Village Shop and the delightful house and gardens connected with it and I was received with the utmost kindness and courtesy.  The lunch must be mentioned, for it was a delicious repast – turkey, bread sauce, boiled and baked potatoes, peas, cauliflower and purple sprouting, bacon rolls and stuffing, preceded by a refreshing course of lettuce, fresh pineapple, topped with cream cheese and ground walnuts.  The sweets were fresh fruit salad and clotted cream and a cream gateau.  A very enjoyable menu and certainly not what I had expected for my Easter lunch.

The party takes a drive into the countryside for the late afternoon; to the grounds of Wootton House to see the great drifts of daffodils there; through various Hampshire villages, and through the Malshanger Estate, “which”, says Gran:

… belongs to the Coleman family of mustard fame… and back to Oakley where a sumptuous Easter tea was put before us, our only regret being that we did not have room, even Ricky, to sample it all!  I was persuaded to stay until half-past eight and was glad I did because Ricky, Beverly and I went into the garden and saw our first Swallow of the season.

April 21st sees Gran, with brother Norris, son Barry, and grandsons, myself and Geoff, at Radipole Lake near Weymouth, searching for a Purple Heron that had been recorded there a few days earlier.  Gran is excited to see several first migrant birds for the year, as well as Bearded Tits in the reedbeds there and she also adds the heron to her list, after a bit of a wait:

I rested on a hillock overlooking the marsh whilst Barry, Ricky and Geoff walked a little further on, hoping to put up the heron.  They were joined by Phil Fawkes and a friend but no luck.  We were all walking back when Ricky called “Heron Gran!” and our bird flew over from an area to which it had earlier moved.  I was ahead of the others and watched it land by a bush and it was splendidly in view so that we could study it for a long time.  It was a superb bird and a new one altogether for Barry, Brother, Geoffrey and me.

“Heron Gran!”  An adult Purple Heron – rare in the UK and usually hard to see, being a bit of a skulker.  Image by Fred Langridge via Flickr.

Portland Bill is their next destination, where a Hoopoe had been seen the day before, but again, this “ambition bird” of Gran’s eludes her.

A bird of a more domestic nature receives a comment in her notes of the 22nd:

Timmy Griffin was full of consternation this morning because the Muscovy Duck, which had nested on their bank again, had been killed and partially eaten during the night, leaving many eggs in her nest.  When we all went in to see it, we came to the conclusion that it was the typical work of a Fox and the bird had been taken whilst sleeping on her nest.  Very sad!

Gran’s own garden is briefly home to a new bird species on the following day, though Gran is strangely unconfident in claiming it:

When I went to the bottom border to look round I flushed what I am almost certain was a Woodcock from under the large Epimedium.  It took flight so rapidly and flew with the characteristic erratic way that I could only get a momentary view but it was the right size and colour and had a long bill.

“This evening”, she writes on April 29th, “I ordered the Wedding Present for Ricky and Beverly from the World Wildlife Fund – table mats, coasters and matching tray in a pleasing design of Autumn berries and fruits.”  And two days later, uncharacteristically, she has some football news for us!

Tommy (Fowler) whose birthday it is, came to see me this afternoon and we spent an enjoyable time together.  It was the Football Cup Final at Wembley and, though we are neither interested in this game, our home team, Southampton, was playing Manchester City [actually it was Manchester United] who were the favourites to win, so we did see, on television, the teams presented to the Duke of Edinburgh, but turned off the sound and only looked at the score.  None at half time, but to the general surprise and great joy of the supporters, Southampton won by one goal to nil.  We watched the presentation of the Cup and medals by the Queen, the first time since the Cup Competition was inaugurated, one hundred and five years ago, that Southampton has won it!  Well done!

Some of the Southampton team – Image courtesy of Nils Erik Bratlie via Flickr.

On May 8th, a few days after a letter from the Masonic Hospital confirms the 24th as the date set for her hip replacement operation, Gran, distinctly traditional in her views, writes:

Post brought the Invitation to Rick and Beverly’s Wedding, a unique design which I had never seen before.  It is green instead of the traditional white and silver and it has poppies round it – only outline, not red.  It seems that I shall be able to go if all goes well with me.

The invitation “… green instead of the traditional white and silver …” Designed and printed by Mel Goddard, a good South Devon friend of Rick and Beverly’s.

And there is more news of the betrothed couple a few days later:

Post brought me a delightful letter from Beverly and Ricky… Beverly was thrilled with her Catkins, which, she said, called forth some amazed comment.  Some people thought they were photographed, others, real ones mounted in polystyrene or some such substance and were amazed when told they were painted. Very encouraging!  Rick and Beverly have bought a mobile home, fully equipped and are delighted with it and Beverly is moving into it alone until they are married.

Book 163

There are still Cuckoos in Hiltingbury in 1976; Gran writes (now and for the rest of her journal with a ball-point, rather than a fountain pen) on May 13th, “My dear Jane’s forty-second birthday…  I roused to the sound of the Cuckoo’s call early this morning and retired to the same sound this night”.

One of her “Red-letter Days” occurs on the 14th when, she records, “As promised, Lillian [Chalk] came for me just after half past nine this morning and took me to the Hard Court Tennis Championships at Bournemouth”.  They have Centre Court seats and play commences at 11.30 with the semi final of the Ladies’ Singles between Sue Barker of Great Britain and Miss Boshoff of South Africa.  “Sue Barker dominated the game and won 6-2 6-0”, says Gran.

A young Sue Barker – Image courtesy of eye dropper via Flickr.

She finds the match between Orantes of Spain and Kary of Austria, “both sporting and very attractive to watch”, adding:  “A departure from the traditional all-white attire for men was Kary’s – apricot-coloured shorts and orange shirt”.   And she notes that Fibak of Poland, who won his semi-final match, was “clad all in yellow”.  Gran is unlikely to have approved!

She awakens the following morning, she ruefully records:

… with an extremely sun-burnt face, my nose, cheeks and forehead like beacons and I wondered if Lillian’s were the same.  I certainly had not realized yesterday that this was happening as we were not facing the sun directly for very long and the fresh wind was deceptive.

Jane, on the phone the next evening, tells her that she and the family in Longton had seen Gran on television, watching the Gents’ Singles at Bournemouth. “It was Andrew who spotted me”,  she writes, “and said, ‘There’s Gran!’”.

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