Forty Years in Chandler's Ford - a Journal (Part 170)

Grateful memories of Adrian; the death of a favourite author; belated advice for Chris Evert; Julian bids again for the Olympics; Rick, with birds, on the telly; Andy – a scholarship to Oslo; a great day in East Anglia; signs of age; enchanted by a little girl at the Lake; a kind response to a donation; the “guttersnipe”, John McEnroe; Gran meets Zola Budd, and has a fall.

Book 210

It is 1984 and on January 12^th, that most significant day in Gran’s life, she writes:

Julian is thirty-one today and I wish him very many happy returns of his birthday and a long life of happiness and success.

It is also thirty-seven years today since you, Adrian, my dear, passed out of this life and left me desolate but with grateful and happy memories and you have been in “my” life for ever since. You increased my love of nature and inspired me to paint the wild flowers that brought us together in spirit though we never met in person. Julian is very special to me, not only because he was my first grandchild but because he came on the sixth anniversary of your passing and eased the pain in my heart… It has been a lovely sunny day…

The weather has been bad in some areas of the UK and on the 22^nd Jane, knowing her Mother would be concerned about conditions in the north, phones from Lancashire. Gran reports her news:

All is well and there has been little snow at Longton, though the tops of the Pennines are white. A friend told her that she had twice seen Ricky on breakfast television, feeding the swans at Slimbridge and talking about them. I saw in the evening news that a White-tailed Eagle had turned up in Bedfordshire [actually at Brill, in Buckinghamshire] and it showed hordes of excited bird watchers with binoculars and telescopes. I wondered if Barry were there.

In the days before many re-introductions had been made in the UK, it was quite something to see a White-tailed Eagle in England. The one at Brill was an immature like this one. Image by Ron Knight via Flickr.

On February 7^th:

A tremendous gale in the night, which brought down the large Cyprus tree in Griffin’s front garden. It fell across their drive, just missing the front of the house and brought down the telegraph wire which connects our phone and Kingston’s so we are now cut off.

As ever, Gran notes the daily activities of birds and other wildlife in the garden of The Ridge. She says, for example, on February 12^th:

I was surprised and pleased to see Robins building their nest in the top of the dead birch trunk by the Crocus – Cyclamen bed, up which the pink Clematis grows. A Mistle Thrush was singing and a Greenfinch piping when I went to read the thermometer at 8.30 this morning, and later a Jay flew across.

And major details of the lives of members of the Royal Family rarely go un-noticed, so the following day:

The main news of interest to England was the announcement from Buckingham Palace that the Princess of Wales is expecting another baby in September. May all go well with her.

The television provides almost daily entertainment for Gran, but she is choosy in what she watches. Sport, especially tennis, is always followed avidly, however, and on February 27^th she expresses a view on a life decision by the American player Chris Evert, now Chris Lloyd:

… the best programme being the final of the indoor tennis tournament in America in which Martina Navratilova beat Chris Lloyd 6-2 7-6. She has beaten Chris a number of times recently and I cannot help thinking that Chris would have been wiser to retire when she was at her peak about two years ago and start a family, which might have saved her marriage to John Lloyd from whom she is at present separated.

Book 211

“Walking up to the Tuesday Whist Drive this afternoon”, she writes on March 13^th, “I was made to realize that I am getting old!”:

Pausing for breath near the top of the hill, a lady came up behind me and asked if I were alright and could she help me! I assured her that I was perfectly alright but that the hill seems steeper the older I become. She walked with me as far as the Hall and then told me to mind the step and take care.

Two days later, there is more whist, and Gran is to be driven there:

… I had accepted Mr Mouton’s offer of a lift to the Community Centre Whist Drive this evening. I did not know Mr Mouton’s new car by sight and, when one stopped outside the gate at 7 o’clock, I got into it, only to find that I knew none of the occupants! With profound apologies and laughter all round, I got out and Mr Mouton was hooting from his car just behind.

The Boat Race is scheduled for March 17^th and Gran relates this:

I watched some sport on television hoping to see the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race but, during a practice start, disaster struck Cambridge when they collided with a barge, which was in an unexpected position and their boat was almost cut in half. Poor fellows managed to get it ashore but it was not usable and a replacement would need adjustment to fit the crew and would not be ready to fit in with the tide. After much discussion the race has been postponed until tomorrow.

She watches it on the following day, hoping, as usual, for a Cambridge victory but Oxford wins on this occasion.

There is continuing news of Julian’s running career and Gran notes on the 19th that the Daily Telegraph reports on a race at Nottingham in which he comes 4^th, and that he is training for a race in New York, moving house that day, and leaving the Royal Air Force after eleven years of service. Julian’s wife, Sue, on the phone to Gran that evening, tells her of, she says, “… an extremely funny happening” at Barry’s home, 22 Reddings Avenue, Bushey:

Rob [who had recently passed his driving test] has his car and, Mr Lees next door was returning from night work at 3.30 a.m. one day. He phoned 22 when he got indoors and told Jane Elizabeth that three disreputable men were looking at Rob’s car and moved away in their own when he came along. The three disreputable men were Barry and two friends about to leave for birdwatching at Stodmarsh!

The birdwatchers’ goal that day, successfully achieved, was a rare Penduline Tit.

A male Penduline Tit – a rare visitor to the UK, with a liking for beds of Reedmace. Image by Martien Brand via Flckr.

At the end of the month:

Second post brought a surprising and delightful letter from “Knitwell Wools”. I had written to ask them about wool and a pattern and explained that, as I was just on eighty, I could not trust my own calculations on V.A.T. etc. In a most courteous letter they sent me the order form made out, saying they were delighted to help at any time and that everybody in the office sent their best wishes on my being eighty and hoped I would be their customer for a long time to come.

On April 4^th:

I was saddened to read in today’s Telegraph that Elizabeth Goudge, my favourite authoress, died on April 1^st, but I am so glad that I have many of her books and the much-prized letter, which she sent me in 1960… This evening I sent a donation to the Invalid Children’s Aid Association as requested by Elizabeth Goudge in lieu of flowers, and then started to re-read one of her books.

Gran receives a kind letter from the ICAA a few days later in return, promising to relay her message of sympathy to Miss Goudge’s family.

April 27^th:

I had to go to the dentist this afternoon but only for a polish and to make an appointment for crowning… I had a lift up but walked back. Along the main road towards Merdon Avenue, I found Goldilocks (Ranunculus auricomus) in flower along the grassy stretch outside the fence. It is remarkable that this rather uncommon buttercup should have survived here for so many years, in spite of the walking of the public, the scuffing of children and the unwelcome attention of dogs. I came back by the lake and saw Speckled Wood…

A Goldilocks Buttercup – the flowers are often imperfect, like this one. Image by Peter O’Connor via Flickr.

On the 29^th, Gran is very pleased to hear from Jane that Grandson Andrew, who has been competing for a scholarship to study Norwegian in Oslo during the coming summer, has been successful, and the next day she receives a card form Andy himself, confirming the news.

Gran loved to receive postcards and letters from her family. This one bears good news from Andy.

Somewhat unwell at this time, Gran is concerned that a recent viral infection and on-going cough may be passed on if she undertakes a planned visit to Barry and family in Bushey. She visits her Doctor, who tells her she is “looking under the weather”. Gran continues: “He asked me how my appetite was and I told him very poor, so he said go to Bushey by all means and someone else’s cooking may stimulate it”. Her return coach ticket to Victoria, bought on May 3^rd, costs her £4.50, she tells us, rather than £7.00 because she is a pensioner. It seems to be a surprise to her.

While at Bushey she makes the usual visit to nearby Hilfield Park Reservoir with Barry: “We were surprised and excited to see a most beautiful cock Brambling in full summer plumage. It is very late for this species to still be in Britain…”, she writes.

A male Brambling – superb in his summer plumage. Image by Sergey Yeliseev via Flickr.

Book 212

On May 6^th, with Barry and Jane Elizabeth, she is driven to Purls Bridge on the Ouse Washes in Cambridgeshire. “The object of the trip was the beautiful Marsh Sandpiper, a very rare visitor to this country”, she says. They find the bird and Gran describes it in some detail – it is rather like a small, delicate and slender Greenshank.

She has a wonderful natural history-filled day, rare for her these days, seeing many unfamiliar birds and also some unusual plants, including wild Grape Hyacinth, in Suffolk’s Breckland.

*Muscari neglectum* – a rare wild Grape Hyacinth – which grows in the Suffolk Brecks. Image by it1315922 via Flickr.

They arrive at Lakenheath shortly after 10.15 and go hopefully:

… to the area of Poplar Woods where the Golden Orioles bred and which we saw last year. The woods are owned by Bryant and May and, to our horror, have been completely cleared, the trees used for matchsticks! Only a very small area on the other side of the railway is left, and the trees in the centre of this are dying. A sorry sight!

The family spends the next day quietly in Bushey and Gran reads in The Times the results of an international 10km road race in Oslo, in which Julian is closely beaten into second place by the Finn Martti Vainio.

Home in Chandler’s Ford the next day, Gran phones Julian to congratulate him:

… and he was pleased with his run. He has been training in Farnham with Zola Budd, the young South African runner, who was also in Oslo, and, when I phoned Jane Elizabeth later, she told me “The Observer” had given an account of Oslo and said that Julian had taken Zola “under his wing”.

May 9^th:

I went early down to Mead Road to ask at one of the bungalows if I might have a piece of the Mountain Avens (Dryas octopetala) which is growing in the rock wall beside the path. An elderly gentleman opened the door and I explained that I was recording British wild flowers by painting them but had not been able to find Mountain Avens when I was in Wales or Scotland. I asked if I might have a piece from his wall and he was absolutely charming about it and gave me permission to take what I wanted. So I came home triumphantly. Past the Lake I heard Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs and saw the two Canada Geese.

It was the mini-market at The Club this afternoon and I bought several things, which included a very nice warmly lined winter coat for £1, a slip, some tumblers and some hankies. Also a 21^st Birthday silver card for Katie on the 29^th… I started to paint the Mountain Avens soon after tea, doing the two flowers in case they withered and can fill in the foliage at leisure.

Mountain Avens – painted by Gran from material gladly given by a charming gentleman in Mead Road.

Later in the month, and again at the Lake, Gran, typically, cannot resist a small child, who today would be about 40 years of age. She writes:

I was enchanted by the sight of a small girl, aged about two, wearing a white sort of tracksuit and puddle boots, joyously running to and fro through a large puddle. When I said to her, “Isn’t that lovely fun?”, she went all shy and clung to her mother and would not do it again. So I, also in Wellingtons, said, “Oh, well, I shall do it.” So I did and she advanced and then changed her mind, so I said I would not look. I hope she continued to enjoy herself because her sensible mother had said since she had done it once she might as well go on doing it.

Gran, of course, is following Julian’s progress in trying to qualify for the 1984 Olympics, collecting press-cuttings supplied by neighbours and scanning the pages of Athletics Weekly for “mentions”. May 27^th she calls, “A day of thankfulness and one of bitterest disappointment”. The former because it is eight years since her completely transforming hip operation, the latter because, she explains:

… Julian was running in the Olympic trials for the 10,000 metres [at Cwmbran]. He was going well on the inside when McLeod collided with him and sent him right off the track, thus losing several yards. McLeod lost the heel of a shoe and was right out of the race. I felt that Julian had lost a place, for the second time, in Olympic Games and I actually wept. But he showed supreme courage and ran on splendidly to come third, only just behind Steve Jones, with Nick Rose a comfortable winner. Julian produced a great, and uncharacteristic, sprint finish to almost catch Jones. I was very proud of him but sorely upset on his account. After this, with furious knitting, I watched some Sunday television without much enthusiasm…

May 30^th:

This afternoon I walked by the Lake towards the Club but was given a lift in Lower Kingsway. Our speaker today was a lady who talked about nutrition and a balanced diet for the elderly, combined with walking as much as possible. I came to the conclusion that my instinct has worked very well!

The last day of May sees her, and presumably Grampa (she writes “we”), visiting Julian and Sue, and children Sam and Anna at their new house in Farnham. Gran is clearly excited on their arrival, as she writes:

A “strange” man who opened the door when Sue and Sam had welcomed us, was… Zola Budd’s Coach, and Zola and Julian were out running. It was very nice indeed for us to meet this little South African, now British, Athletic star and I greeted her very warmly. She is very shy and speaks in a low voice but is quite charming. She trains with Julian two or three times a week…

There is much discussion of the 10,000 metres Olympic qualifying race in which Julian came third and McLeod dropped out after the tripping incident, the video tape showing Julian not to be at fault during the collision. Gran, somewhat relieved, writes, “Julian has done the Olympic qualifying time and is feeling fitter than for two years and is running well, confident that he can do a better time”.

She relates news of her second grandson on June 5^th, saying:

Watching “Wildtrack” on television early this evening, I was surprised and delighted to see Michael Jordon at Slimbridge interviewing “Rick” Goater, Conservation Officer, who was bringing up three Barn Owl chicks in preparation for returning them to the wild.

A couple of Barn Owl chicks – not the prettiest of creatures at this stage. Image by vladeb via Flickr.

At the Club on the following day, Gran pays “my money for the Buxton holiday” – the first mention Gran has made of this, and she learns that several members had also been excited to see Rick on the television. Gran adds, concerning the Club’s entertainment:

The speaker was excellent and very well-spoken. He was from ITV television and told us all about cable and satellite television in the future, years ahead when few of those present will be here to see it!

Walking home past the Lake she notes, “Much work is being done round the banks, which I expect accounts for the absence of life in the area”.

Another acquaintance of hers makes an appearance in the media on June 8^th, when a plague of Brown-tail caterpillars near Portsmouth is mentioned on the early morning news:

Dr Langmaid, our entomological friend spoke about the medical side of the problem, the causing of a rash by the hairs of the caterpillars, and I remembered that Barry, as a boy, went to Hayling Island to collect some and, after handling them, rubbed his eyes and caused irritation and inflammation.

Caterpillars of the Brown-tail Moth. Do not touch! Image by pete beard via Flickr.

“Post brought me a letter”, she writes on June 16^th:

… from Scotland, written in a hand that I did not know and signed “Jessie Munroe”, whom I do not know either. The letter was sent to me personally, though the first part was printed and read: “Mark, Liz, Hugh and Jessie would like to thank you for your thoughts and prayers and want you to know how much they are appreciated”. The rest is written by hand: “And also for your letter of appreciation and your contribution to Elizabeth Goudge’s favourite charity. I enclose a card of one of the prayers she requested and we all said at her Service of Thanksgiving. Yours sincerely, Jessie Munroe”

And Gran has copied into her journal the prayer, entitled “Love”, written by Thomas Traherne.

The next afternoon she is keen to watch, she says, “… the Final of the Men’s Singles at the Queen’s Club between McEnroe and L. Shiras, an almost unknown young American”. Rain had stopped play but the game had resumed shortly before Gran settles in front of the television. The result is a victory for McEnroe but Gran’s vitriolic account of McEnroe’s behaviour is entertaining:

… McEnroe questioned a decision from the Umpire that his shot was out, and there followed a typical McEnroe tirade and exhibition of temper and foul language that I wonder he was not disqualified, in spite of the appearance of the Referee. Who this guttersnipe, with no manners at all, thinks he is, I cannot think. He may play superb tennis and no-one denies this but a more objectionable creature on the court it would be impossible to find. Shiras showed great calm and just retired to his chair until play could commence again. To the delight of the huge crowd and myself, he won the second set 6-3 but lost the final one 2-6. He had put up a splendid fight played with the best possible spirit and behaviour.

John McEnroe in recent times – today a well-respected and entertaining commentator and musician. I doubt that Gran could ever have forgiven him though! Image by John Shankbone via Flickr.

Afterwards, my ruffled feelings were soothed by the Sunday evening programme of hymns, and reading Elizabeth Goudge’s “Towers in the Mist”.

Gran hurts herself on Mid-summer’s Day, telling us:

I stupidly had a fall this evening but did no real harm. My left wrist sustained some bruising and a line of blood blisters under the skin; my right knee and left thigh may produce bruises by tomorrow but the hip is still intact, thank Goodness.

And Book 212 concludes with more news of Julian’s bid for the Olympics, Gran quoting from the Daily Telegraph:

Athletes such as Mike McLeod, Julian Goater and Steve Jones, who were involved in the crash during the United Kingdom Championships at Cwmbran are being forced to run again on Saturday in an effort to clinch the remaining two places in 10,000 metres when the team is selected on Sunday.

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Tags: Chandler's Ford, Chandler's Ford Today, family, Hiltingbury, Hiltingbury Road, history, Joan Adamson, Joan Adelaide Goater, Julian Goater, local interest, memory, nature, writing

Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 170)

Book 210

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