Heat and drought; no more sticks; the Schneider Trophy; back on the bike; a resignation; disapproval at a banquet; trying to save Beattie’s field; a new bird at Keyhaven; “Granny” Pickford is 90, and budgie match-making.
The 1976 drought continues and Gran writes on August 8th, “Oh for a few days of gentle rain!”. Two days later she has a dental appointment and writes gratefully:
It was very hot indeed and the surgery was not yet open – it was ten minutes to two – so I went into the V.G. stores… I asked if I might wait in the cool shop and was kindly offered a stool to sit on by the cold counter.
And she adds that, “Trying to water the garden is a heart-breaking job in this driest Summer since 1727!”
The Brenans visit The Ridge for a few days, prior to a fortnight’s holiday in Austria, and on August 16th Andrew and his Dad, Stuart, buy a kite in Eastleigh. They fly it that evening, Gran tells us:
… and left Jane and me knitting. Stuart’s old and favourite woolly hat had collapsed in the wash and he fancied one knitted in the same Icelandic wool I had left over from Ricky’s pullover, so I knitted it for him whilst he was out.
Jane was wearing it when they returned, and had claimed it for herself but Gran tells Jane she’ll knit one for her in reverse colours, for their fell-walking, so Stuart receives his with delight.
On August 20th Gran is at the Masonic Hospital in London for:
… my check-up with Mr Cullin, just twelve weeks after my hip operation… Mr Cullin made me walk, without a stick, and tried out the hip movements whilst I was flat on the couch. When he told me to lift the leg straight up, it went so easily that I nearly kicked him in the face as he leaned over me. He said he was very pleased with me, that I could throw away my sticks and sleep any way I like. He said I could certainly ride my bicycle but not to fall off, but he was not keen on the badminton as he rather classed it with rugby, but I could knock a shuttle about gently later. We will see!
And later that evening she walks around the Lake, “carefully, as it is over a year since I walked out of doors without any support. I managed very well but was a little tired when I reached home again.”

“There seems no end to this appalling drought”, she writes on the 23rd:
…and the news of almost continuous fires in the Forest is most distressing. A disastrous one at St Ives near Ringwood has destroyed about three square miles of woodland… and one’s heart aches for all the little wild creatures who must have been exterminated.
She adds, on another subject, “Post brought me the Special Issue stamps that I had posted to myself, but some fiend had unsuccessfully tried to take one of them, which is creased in consequence. Maddening!”
On August 25th:
There was an interesting talk on Radio this morning about Ladybirds and the unprecedented numbers of Seven-spots this year. Four years’ research has shown that there was a build-up of Two-spots from 1968, and from 1972 – 1973, of Seven-spots, and this year’s huge numbers have resulted from two hot summers and a mild winter in between.
“Brother came today”, she says, “the first time for three weeks and his visits in future will only be fortnightly”. We are not told why, but surely Gran would have been saddened by this news. Next morning sees them birdwatching at Calshot, and though they see many nice birds, it is something else that catches Gran’s eye:
The Schneider Trophy Seaplane was anchored some distance out and periodically flew round. I did not know that one of these still existed, but well remember when R.J. Mitchell designed it and it won the Schneider Trophy for Britain. The Spitfire was, of course, evolved from this machine. Two Black-tailed Godwits flew over uttering their flight-call… we had not heard it before.

September 3rd:
This afternoon I watched sport on television whilst knitting and then went for a ride on my bicycle! Only down Hiltingbury Road, round by Lakewood and Merdon Avenue to Kingsway and so back to Hiltingbury Road and home.
Later she rushes, without sticks now, to the shops in order to get in some more food, as Barry and family, on their way home from a holiday in Cornwall, phone at short notice to tell her they will be dropping in to The Ridge for the night. They do not stay long the next day, and Gran spends more time out on her bicycle.
The following day she records several more small pleasures, and there has been enough rain lately to revive some of her garden plants, as she writes:
More tiny green shoots were seen on some of my special plants today. A friend, Mrs Jenkins, whom I met whilst shopping said that to see me walking so briskly was the best thing she had seen recently! I cycled up to the whist drive this afternoon and was greeted with amazement and delight by my friends there. I won the prize for the highest score in the second half. It was pleasant to free-wheel down the hill up which I had to walk earlier and I reached home scarcely tired at all.
And finally, “… I was delighted to find that I can again wear my blue tweed Welsh skirt, which had been too tight for nearly two years!
Clothes are also on her mind on September 13th when, she writes, but with little enthusiasm:
Faced with the invitation to a banquet at the Polygon Hotel at the end of the month, I went to “Roberta”, the shop over the road to see if she had anything suitable for me to wear, and she kindly put by a long black skirt and blouses to go with it until I could see if Tommy (Fowler) could come and ‘vet’ them for me this afternoon.
Tommy duly came this afternoon and we chose a pretty blue long-sleeved blouse to go with the skirt. She stayed to have tea with me and we enjoyed a long chat about our respective families and life in general.
There is a little moment of sad regret on the 14th, when Gran:
… went up to the Badminton Club with Myra, not to play, unfortunately, but to officially resign and find someone who would like my racquet and shoes. These went to Sheila Moody, who asked me if I would knit for her daughter an Aran sweater. I said I would.
She endures a “thoroughly domestic morning” on the next day, and says that she had to remain indoors during the afternoon, “because someone was coming to look at the chiming clock, won at the Southampton Tennis tournament in 1927, which had stopped again”. And:
Bee Richardson rang up to know how I was and asked if I could list some of the flowers in “Beattie’s field”, as she is working to save it from development. I later phoned Mr Aston who, I know, was keen to save it for its orchids and he has contacted the Hants and Isle of Wight Naturalists’ Trust, David Goodall and Colin Tubbs, all keen conservationists, so I hope all this will be successful. I hope to see Bee on Friday.
Her long-term botanist friend, Phoebe Yule, Gran tells us, is now in a Home in Poulner. Another friend, Sylvia Haines, hopes to bring Phoebe to see Gran soon and also plans to bring to Gran Phoebe’s “lone budgie, whose mate has died, because she knows I have one and will give her’s a good home”.
“Wonderful rain” has fallen in the last few days, and Gran records on September 25th that parts of the country have suffered serious flooding, including locally, as “… the flood water in the car park opposite here had washed the gravel onto the paths outside the shops. I heard Mr Lewis sweeping it away before the V.G. opened this morning”.
News from daughter Jane that evening includes:
… Katherine was successful in her violin audition, has been accepted for the training school for the Lancashire Youth Orchestra and starts tomorrow. The students go twice a month from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. so Katie’s life will be very full. They are all well, and Stuart better.
Stuart, Jane’s husband, has been suffering from what Gran has described as “an indisposition” and has had tests, which ruled out diabetes. Gran has also reported that a change in his diet should improve his symptoms.
September 30th provides Gran with an event with which she was not impressed:
This evening I went to the Centenary Banquet of Goater and Company at the Polygon hotel, which was attended by two hundred guests. The girls of the present staff were dressed in the costumes of a century ago and the meal was such as would have been served at that time. The Ladies were given Rosebud buttonholes presented by one of the girls and chosen individually from a basket, which she offered us. After the meal came the speeches (very tedious and boring) and the toasts, with an entertainment in between. This consisted of dancing displays, and exhibitions of the Waltz and Foxtrot by a lady in an orange tulle dress and her partner; a solo dancer who did the Hornpipe and a tap-dance; a team dance by six girls; the Can-Can (which I have always considered vulgar) and a modern affair by two scantily dressed maidens which interested me not at all, and anyway, I was almost asleep as it neared midnight.

On October 4th, Gran visits her doctor for advice about hair loss, from which she is suffering, and learns from Dr Bradford that this complaint is not uncommon following a major operation. She is prescribed some special lotion and is dismayed that she has to wash her hair before applying it, “initially twice a week!”, she exclaims.
“It poured with rain all the evening”, she writes on the 5th:
… but I went to the Hiltingbury Women’s Institute meeting with Norma and Myra. The speaker, from “Going for a Song”, talked about antiques, which the members had brought along, and I took my tea-caddy. He greatly admired this and told me that it was beautifully made of rosewood in about 1851 and was worth between £80 and £85. Mrs Green was there and told me she had a pair of Wrynecks about her garden this Summer. I wish she had phoned me.
On the following day:
David Goodall came to see me about Beattie’s Field as there is a conservation meeting tomorrow evening and he wanted to know if I thought it a good idea to write to Major Chamberlayne-McDonald about it as the land is on the Chamberlayne-McDonald estate. I do think so and we hope the Major will agree to help us…
She sees a new bird on October 13th, having learned from Barry that he and a group of Haberdashers’ Ornithological Society boys had recently seen a Grey Phalarope at Keyhaven. Norris collects her from Chandler’s Ford and they arrive at Keyhaven as the weather brightens after early rain, and they walk along the sea-wall. She writes:
Suddenly I saw a small bird in the distance swimming about rather erratically and drew Brother’s attention to it. It was, indeed, our Grey Phalarope, my first definite sighting and a most beautiful little creature. We walked slowly nearer and it remained quite undisturbed, feeding on flies on the water in characteristic fashion… it came very close to some weed and here it disturbed so many flies that it had a high time catching some of them.

Brother and Sister later make their way to Standing Hat, near Brockenhurst, where they eat their packed tea before walking in Pignal Enclosure. More food awaits them when they get back to Hiltingbury when, as usual, Norris parks their car next door, in the Kingston’s drive:
… Ruth came out and said there were two helpings left of a special pudding she had made and could we eat them for our tea? She explained to her brother John, and his wife, “These are lovely people – you could not offer leftover pudding to everyone!” It was a lovely pineapple chartreuse and we greatly enjoyed it.
“Winnie the Pooh is fifty today”, she writes on the 14th:
…having first appeared on October 14th 1926, and the original Christopher Robin (Milne) was interviewed on Television. What memories it evoked and how we have all enjoyed and still enjoy, the Pooh books. Children miss much when they do not know them!

Four days later she spends time with the Harding Family in Merdon Avenue:
This morning I went to buy an African Violet for Granny Pickford, who is ninety today and chose an unusual colour – a rosy-mauve. Frank came for me and took me round to Mary, who had organised a coffee party for the old lady, who was quite overwhelmed by this, all her cards and presents, and the lovely climax when Mary brought in her birthday cake, which she had secretly made and iced in white and pink. It had ninety white, pink and blue candles round it. She had received a cable from grandson Antony, Sally and the children in Australia and a letter, and from son Rex and family, also in Australia, and all had arrived on the right day! Mrs Beere, Tim’s mother-in-law brought me home.

The afternoon was cloudy and rainy but Sylvia Haines brought Phoebe Yule over for tea and brought me their lonesome blue Budgerigar who had recently lost her mate, hoping that she and Peter would be happy together… We opened the doors of both cages and put them close to each other, hoping Peter would go into the much larger cage. The birds “talked” to each other after a time but did not come close together.
That evening, Gran’s budgie, Peter, does enter the other’s cage, and Gran finds them, “perched, one each end, but quiet, so I hope to find them still together and good friends tomorrow”, she says.
There is no further news of her avian matchmaking on the following day, but she does receive “a very nice letter from Beverly”, who has been taking her State Registered Nursing Finals in Exeter:
She will not have her exam results until late next month. Ricky is back at College but, whilst he was on vacation and she on night duty, he picked eight pounds of blackberries on Dawlish Warren and made them into jam, tried out and succeeded in bread-making and has grown many vegetables in their garden. Let us hope he will always be so helpful!

More mail next day tells Gran that Adrian’s Mother, the old lady she refers to as “Mum”, has recently fallen out of bed, fracturing her hip, “and is now in Kingston Hospital with it pinned and plated, as was Mother’s”, and also rather more uplifting news from the Brenan family, including that Andrew had done well in a French test:
… six boys in his class… were given a twenty-page story to read and then to write their version of it, in French, and without the book next day. Andrew had made only one mistake and the master wrote on the bottom of his essay, “Outstandingly good for a boy of your age”. Naturally Stuart was very chuffed, this being one of his subjects.
And an update on the two Budgerigars, the new one of which is named Jose, over the next couple of days:
Peter and Jose are still together but Peter is somewhat indifferent at present and rather intimidated by Jose’s flying to and fro; he did utter a little of his usual song and both are feeding alright.
And then:
Peter has been less overawed by Jose’s activity today and has returned to his singing, which appears to hold her rigid with amazement. So far Jose’s only vocal effort has been loud shouting.
Article series
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 1)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 2)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 3)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 4)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 5)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 6)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 7)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 8)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 9)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 10)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 11)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 12)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 13)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 14)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 15)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 16)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 17)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 18)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 19)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 20)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 21)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 22)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 23)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 24)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 25)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 26)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 27)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 28)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 29)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 30)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 31)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 32)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 33)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 34)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 35)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 36)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 37)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 38)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 39)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 40)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 41)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 42)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 43)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 44)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 45)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 46)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 47)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 48)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 49)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 50)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 51)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 52)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 53)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 54)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 55)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 56)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 57)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 58)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 59)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 60)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 61)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 62)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 63)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 64)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 65)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 66)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 67)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 68)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 69)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 70)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 71)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 72)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 73)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 74)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 75)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 76)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 77)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 78)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 79)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 80)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 81)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 82)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 83)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 84)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 85)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 86)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 87)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 88)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 89)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 90)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 91)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 92)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 93)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 94)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 95)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 96)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 97)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 98)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 99)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 100)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 101)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 102)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 103)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 104)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 105)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 106)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 107)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 108)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 109)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 110)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 111)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 112)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 113)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 113)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 114)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 115)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 116)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 117)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 118)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 119)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 120)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 121)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 122)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 123)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 124)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 125)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 126)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 127)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 128)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 129)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 130)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 131)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 132)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 133)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 134)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 135)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 136)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 137)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 138)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 139)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 140)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 141)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 142)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 143)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 144)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 145)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 146)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 147)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 148)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 149)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 150)
- Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 151)
Hi Rick …
Well, this ‘episode’ brings back memories …
I remember well visiting Anthony Goater’s (Not Tony in those days) house in Velmore Road on many occasions. I am not sure if it was part of their property or not, but there was a small copse at the back with a lot of high bracken … a ‘tunnel’ had been created through the bracken leading to a ‘den’, and I seem to remember a tree-house …
Many a pleasant hour spent there
Keep ’em coming !
Stay safe …
Doug Clews
Lovely to hear from you Doug! A nice memory by the sound of things. Have a good Australian Christmas.