Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 152)

An engagement is announced; a holiday is planned; Nastase – a “rotten sport”; Katie does well; sad news of “a kind and understanding friend”; Christmas dinner – but leave the washing-up; Rob is impressed on HMS Victory; birds on the Ibsley floods, and “one of the darkest threads of life”.

Book 165

On October 23rd 1976 Gran takes part in an outing with the Southampton Natural History Society, looking for fungi in the Otterbourne area – her first such outing since her hip operation, and at the end of the day declares it to have been a great success and to have thoroughly enjoyed it.  She had been given a lift there by a kindly but unknown couple, who saw her waiting at the bus stop, and had been brought home by S.N.H.S. members Pat and Peter Heppleston.

On the 30th:

Barry, just back from the Scilly Isles, rang to tell me what a marvellous time he and the boys from Haberdashers’ Ornithological Society had enjoyed.  Barry had seen nine new species as well as many exciting but previously recorded ones, mostly American, but I cannot remember all he mentioned.

Gran watches a great deal of television these days, and on November 5th she is captivated by what she calls the “remarkable cleverness” of the dogs featured in the programme “One Man and his Dog”.  And she also writes, “I started kitting my favourite baby shawl, though there is no hint yet of the coming of a great grandchild!  But I hope for one some day.”  And she finishes with:  “It is Guy Fawkes night, which I hate…”.

On the 7th:

Sunset was obscured but my evening was much brightened by the coming in of Ricky and Beverly who brought me my lovely photographs of their wedding.  They had come up very early on Friday morning to go to Julian’s end of course Service and Parade [at R.A.F. Cranwell], which they thoroughly enjoyed.  They said that Julian looked very smart, and gave me the news that he and Sue are unofficially engaged.  I hope this will be official soon, for Sue is a very nice little lass and obviously devoted to Julian. Ricky and Beverly left at nine o’clock for the long journey back to Exeter.

Gran has only a few days to wait for the hoped-for confirmation, a phone-call from Julian telling her then that they plan be married next April or May.

On the following day she is with her friend Enid in her Twyford Avenue home in Bassett.  They are planning a holiday:

… we settled down to study the brochures, maps and magazines of the Yorkshire Dales which Pat Heppleston had lent us, and decided that Grassington is to be our venue for a holiday next year.  This afternoon we furthered our plans and decided which accommodation we would endeavour to get and I am going to write to three addresses for brochures, and also for a local guide book.  It seems a perfect area for us.

There are often two whist drives each week for Gran, and on the 11th, it’s the turn of the one at Hillside.  Gran writes:

One of the club members is selling her daughter’s collection of foreign dolls as her grandchild is not interested and she brought five for me to choose.  She did not name any price but when I selected two beauties and made my offer, she said I could have all five.  I am sure Katherine will be pleased.

And next day, she recalls for the second time in her journal, how she nearly played at Wimbledon.  And I think The Ridge now has a colour television:

This afternoon I saw a nice programme on the new television, an interview with Chris Evert and Mrs Godfree, who, as Kitty McKane was a Wimbledon winner about fifty years ago, and when I played in the Southampton Open Tournament with Jack Frost in the Mixed Doubles in 1929 and we beat the triple cup-holders Vi Chamberlain and Fletcher, Mrs Godfree clapped us as we came off court.  Frost and I had never met until that day but he was a marvellous partner to have.  The then Wimbledon referee, Mr F.R. Burrow invited me to play there the next year, but I wanted a family and the following August Barry was born.  How very glad I am that I made that decision!

There is a little more on tennis a week later: International Tennis from the Empire Pool, Wembley:

The second quarter-final between Nastase and Fibak, the Pole who won at Bournemouth and he won again today in this hard-fought match.  He is a far better sport and played well, but Nastase saved thirteen match points in all in the second set.  He is a superb player but a rotten sport and arguments and unpleasantness attend all his games.  This afternoon he walked off court at the end without waiting for Fibak.

Fibak loses his semi-final on the following day against Roscoe Tanner of America and Gran reports that everyone was sorry to see him defeated – “After yesterday’s supreme effort against Nastase and his tantrums, Fibak has become a great favourite”, she says.

November 29th brings us a moan followed by a moment of pleasure:

Tommy brought some very interesting photographs of old Southampton and I realized anew how beautiful it was before Hitler’s bombs destroyed it and the subsequent town planners erected the characterless monstrosities, which took the place of the buildings I knew.

But then, she ends her notes for the day with: “A pleasant footnote!”:

Post brought me my other R.S.P.B. parcel and two letters this morning.  Usually a woman postie delivers, but today it was a young man who used to come some time ago.  He was now in a proper Postman’s uniform hat and he called me by name and apologized for my correspondence being so wet.  Not surprising as a deluge was falling at the time, but what an impression his appearance and courtesy made upon me.  These are the things one likes to remember.

The mail brings her more pleasure, and also pride, on December 2nd, when a long letter with news, “written on ‘Pooh’ notepaper, because she knows that I like him”, arrives from granddaughter Katie:

And what news it is!  She has been chosen to dance in Peter Pan at the Preston Playhouse, an Indian one in which she is to be “Whispering Wind” a friend of Tiger Lily.  She is also to be a Mermaid in another scene, in which she just sits and looks “mermaidish”.  The performances take place during the Christmas holidays and she is learning the dance now.  Katie is also taking part in a concert by the Lancashire Schools Training Orchestra on December 10th and is delighted with it all.  Her Biology project for the holidays is on Fungi.  For the one she did last year on Animal Camouflage, she got an A mark.  She is a busy little person.

That evening:

I was thrilled to see Ceres Esplan on television talking about her book on medicinal herbs from her garden at Penny Hill, Amberley.  She brews them herself.  I rang her up later and asked if she would get me a copy of her book and sign it for me.  I will send her the cash for it.  It was so nice to talk to her again and we hope to meet in the Spring.  She did not know that I had been “hors de combat” for two years but glad to know all is well now.

The following day, in contrast, brings her melancholy, and she writes this to her departed Adrian, concerning his mother:

Post greatly saddened me this morning for it brought me a letter from Eric [Adrian’s uncle] telling me that ”Mum” died yesterday of bronchial pneumonia.  I knew that she had been failing for a long time – she was in her nineties – and she had endured much suffering and sorrow in her lifetime so it is a comfort to know that she is at rest at last, and, please God, reunited with her dear sons.  But she has been a kind and understanding friend to me for nearly thirty years and was my link with you, my dear.  I shall always remember her with deep affection.

More mail arrives on December 6th including:

…Ceres’ book, “Herbal Teas” in which she wrote, “Joan, a ‘real’ friend and companion, from Ceres Esplan and Alison Ross, Dec 1976”.  She had illustrated it with plant drawings under her professional name of Alison Ross.

And work continues on the shawl for her first great grandchild – as yet unplanned and unborn.  She writes:

This evening I put the marzipan on the cake and then sewed the second border on to the centre of the shawl, my heart full of love for this as yet, unknown Babe.  This knitting is an act of Faith and Hope.  So Life goes on.

Gran is delighted to be at Compton Church for an afternoon Carol Service on December 19th.  “A nice innovation”, she says, “was the introduction of hand-bell music played by six girls in their ‘teens.”  And she adds:

As we stood up to leave, Mrs Aston made herself known to me and asked me what I was doing in their area, since she had not seen me there before.  I told her I had been attending Compton Church for over thirty years but had not been able to go very often recently.

Parcels and cards begin to arrive for Christmas.  Mary Harding, Gran knows, has wrapped up a picture frame for her and she opens it early, saying, “… so I now have my picture of Barry and Ricky, taken after Ricky’s wedding, added to my gallery of dear ones”.

Barry and family arrive to spend Christmas at The Ridge, and, “Christmas Eve and a very hectic day”, Gran writes.  “Shopping was something of a nightmare with queues everywhere, but Jane Elizabeth helped me.  Barry and Geoffrey went for a long walk whilst she and I were busy in the kitchen”.

Christmas Day, a Sunday that year, starts with Early Service at Compton, much appreciated by Gran, who takes Communion there and enjoys seeing the Boys, Geoff and Robin, blessed at the alter by the Rector.  Then, breakfast over, presents placed around the tree are distributed, and Gran says that her “pleasure was complete when Julian and Sue, and Ricky and Beverly joined us”.  Washing-up is ignored as the family “bolted”, as Gran says, “… up to Farley Mount”, where she enjoys the Winter scene in “mellow shades of greens and browns, with the dark silhouettes of the leafless trees against the clear blue sky”.

Natural History-based outings dominate the few days when the family is together in Chandler’s Ford, but on December 27th, Gran records a trip more to grandson Robin’s taste:

This afternoon Barry took us (largely for Robin’s benefit as he does not enjoy these Natural History outings as we do!) to the Portsmouth Dockyard to see Nelson’s flagship H.M.S Victory, which, luckily, was open to the public today.  We were taken over her by a very pleasant young Marine with a thick Scottish accent, who greatly impressed Robin by removing his beret when we came to the place where Nelson died.  I was glad Robin had his enjoyment too.

There is snow next day with the result that the family departs earlier than originally planned.  Gran misses them but is grateful for the wonderful time they provided.

Her fortnightly outing with Norris is due on the following day and they drive together to the River Avon at Ibsley, extensively flooded and frozen, with over seventy Bewick’s Swans present, large numbers of Snipe and Lapwings, and White-fronted Geese in flight.  Their time is then spent near Beaulieu Road Station in the New Forest, looking without success for wintering Hen Harrier and Great Grey Shrike, but they enjoy a flask of coffee and Christmas cake there before returning home.

December 31st brings Gran’s usual round-up of the year in a “letter” to Adrian: her hip replacement surgery; convalescence in Bushey; the marriage of Ricky and Beverly; Geoffrey’s “graduation” to Bushey Meads School (nowadays famous as the school that nurtured George Michael and Andrew Ridgley), and her main sadness, “… the loss of your dear Mum, who has been such a good friend to me…”.

It seems we are never to  discover the name of Adrian’s mother.

Book 166

1977

On January 7th Gran receives a letter from her cousin Marjorie Rae, about her daughter, whose wedding at Ramsgate Gran had attended and described in her journal, in February 1954.  The letter, Gran writes:

… brought news… of one of the darkest threads of life.  Deirdre, only a little older than Jane, took her own life following an operation and subsequent treatment.  Most shattering and utterly uncharacteristic of Deirdre.  Poor Marjorie, with more than enough to bear already, and the bravest person I know.  I have sent her some flowers hoping they will convey to her the love and sympathetic understanding of my family and me, and bring her a small measure of comfort.  Lovely flowers speak more clearly than words.

The evening of the following day, spent with Enid at the Gaumont Theatre in Southampton, enjoying a Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet performance of The Two Pigeons and Act III, Aurora’s Wedding from The Sleeping Beauty, raises Gran’s spirits.  The two ladies agree that it is the loveliest ballet they have seen.  She writes much about this, including that:

In today’s performance the young girl was Christine Aitkin and the young man David Ashmole, who were really wonderful, Christine dainty with beautiful, expressive hands and wonderful mime, and David wildly tempestuous in his pursuit of the gipsy girl, Lois Strike, and pathetically tender and repentant when he returns to his girl.

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)
• Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 152)

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