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Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 176)

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Not impressed by trendy worship; unwell but still gardening; disappointment after a dream; a proud day; two “wretched” warblers; a week in Cornwall; Julian runs a marathon; a nasty fall; Gran sends flowers; Grampa needs an operation and Halley’s Comet is overhead.

Gran does not feel well on September 1st 1985 – she often feels sick and unable to eat, has troublesome back pain and sometimes is very sleepy.  After a two-hour afternoon sleep this Sunday, and not eating owing to a prolonged bout of acute hiccups, she watches television but finds it disappointing at first, saying this:

“Songs of Praise” [came] from the Greenpeace Festival and consisted of all pop versions of worship, appealing only to youngsters who were wound up to such a frenzy of clapping, dancing and arm waving, which left me wondering if it were a great love of God or only of Pop “music”.  A later programme about English silk was very interesting and enlightening.

Her ailments, considered by stoical Gran as simple inconveniences, rarely prevent her doing what she wishes, so, on September 17th:

This afternoon I gardened for just over an hour, weeding more of the Crocus – Cyclamen bed, which was made difficult by the presence of many minute new cyclamen seedlings, with only one tiny leaf showing amongst the moss and the insidious Sheep’s Sorrel.  I also dug up some Brambles, Goutweed and Ivy, after which I was very tired and came in and slept for close on an hour.

The “insidious Sheep’s Sorrel”.  Image by Odd Wellies via Flickr.

In the evening she watches Emmerdale Farm on television – a programme that has become a great favourite of hers, which she rarely misses.

A newspaper cutting, giving details of an escaped Eagle Owl, lies between pages 25,180 and 25,181 of her journal, and Gran tells us on the 21st that it, “… was last seen yesterday in the Hiltingbury Road area and last night I dreamt that I saw it in Griffin’s garden and was very annoyed when I realized it was only a dream”.

News from Katie, newly employed as a teacher and living in Tonbridge Wells, arrives by post on the same day, telling her Gran that, “… the fifteen children in her class were polite, and respected her and she had enjoyed her first two days”.

Book 221

September 28th:

It has been a very satisfactory and proud day for me, I hope humbly and gratefully.  Tony and Joyce took Mrs Mouton and me, with our exhibits, to the Hall at about 9.15 this morning to arrange the table representing our Club, the Friendly Circle, in the Age Concern Crafts Exhibition, and brought us home again an hour later.

Back at the Hall that afternoon, she is pleased:

… to find that on our table, my shawl and flower painting [the one Gran painted for Ruth] had each won a first prize.  In the section for “other knitting” in the main Exhibition, my baby twin-set won another first, and, in the section for “something new from something old”, my cardigan made from the wool unpicked from my forty-eight year old Welsh jacket, won a second prize.

Gran is very pleased to be congratulated and warmly spoken to by the Mayor of Eastleigh, who had opened the Exhibition and presented the prizes, but, she says:

Most gratifying was the fact that our Club was awarded the Shield for the best exhibition, and our Vice-Chairman came and kissed me, congratulating me and saying I had done much to secure the Shield for the Club… I was very tired but well pleased.  I returned the picture to Ruth.  Someone had wanted to buy the shawl but it is ear-marked for the next baby in the family.  A quiet evening reading.

Gran kept this cutting from an Eastleigh paper within her journal.  Perhaps that is her prize-winning painting on the left.

The reported presence of two rare warblers, a Greenish from the east and a Parula from the Americas, at Hengistbury Head tempt Barry and his Mother out before dawn on October 5th.  The weather is poor and neither bird is found but Gran has an interesting day in spite of being “pestered by hordes of mosquitos, which gave us no peace and we were both much bitten”.  They visit other nearby areas before returning to The Ridge at midday, where, she writes “Jane Elizabeth had the dinner well in hand”.

An incredibly rare vagrant to the UK – a Parula Warbler from North America. Image by Andrew Weitzel via Flickr.

Two days later Gran is frustrated to hear from Jane Elizabeth, that “the wretched Parula is being seen again at Hengistbury Head and there is an American Redstart in the grounds of Winchester College!”

And it gets worse!  Because on October 11th:

Answering a knock at the front door, I was confronted by Barry and four Haberdashers, begging a cup of tea!  They had been to Hengistbury Head, the scamps, and seen the two elusive birds!  I did not turn them away on this account but welcomed them in and, of course, gave them tea, cakes and biscuits, all except Stephen, who preferred water.  The others were Matthew, Head Boy, Gareth and Susmito, Japanese, I guess, all delightful people.  I hope they will come again.

Gran departs for a week’s Club holiday in Newquay on October 19th.  Bill Kingston drives her to meet the coach, and, of course, Gran notes, comments upon and describes places passed on the journey, for instance: “We went through Tolpuddle where the noted Martyrs started the Trade Unions.  I am sure they did not expect the present trouble they cause”.

In memory of the Tolpuddle Martyrs. Gran disliked the Unions though!  Image by Anne via Flickr.

And they stop at Dorchester at 10.45, where:

We bought sausage rolls for elevenses and returned to the coach.  Confusion!!  An old couple [says 81-year old Gran!] were lost and several people, including the driver, went to look for them.  They were found and then several others were missing and we eventually left at 11.34.

Many pages of the journal are devoted to descriptions of her days in Cornwall.  There are almost daily coach outings from their base at the St. Brannocks Hotel to the other main towns of the peninsula and Gran enjoys them all in the company of other club members: husband and wife Joyce and Tony, Gladys Goddard, the Bassants, Mr and Mrs Kestor and Doris Williams.  She usually retires to her single room earlier than the others, following evening games of whist, in order to write and keep her journal up to date.

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

On the first day, she visits Trenance Gardens and the marshes of the Gunnel River and discovers a cafe that she later describes as the “highlight of my holiday – the lovely Cairn Cottage, in such wonderful surroundings”.  The cottage is 486 years old, she tells us, and she strikes up a close friendship with Christine, the proprietor, whose family have been associated with the property for several generations.  Gran, normally highly traditional in her tastes, enjoys a prawn salad there on that first day, but also relishes the cream teas provided.

Cottages in Trenance Gardens.  Image by Jon Lean via Flickr.

At the end of the holiday the coach driver drops Gran off at The Ridge, where she finds much interesting mail and daughter Jane who has been looking after her Dad and buying provisions for the house.

While at home repairing various garments on October 29th, Gran is delighted by an unexpected visit from Julian’s wife and children, Sue, Sam and Anna.  “Julian”, she writes:

… was at home asleep, having flown into Heathrow Airport in the early hours of this morning from America, where he had run in the New York Marathon.  He ran 13th out of the thousands entered – a very creditable performance in his first marathon.

She learns his time on the following day – 2hr 17min 33sec, and in a letter from Julian on November 3rd, she discovers that he was disappointed with his time but quite pleased with his position.  “He learned a lot about marathon running and preparation, and is looking forward to another one next year”, she writes.

Acorns from the large oak tree in the front garden of The Ridge are regularly buried there by Jays and Squirrels.  They often germinate.  Gran, on November 12th, says:  “I dug up some oak seedlings and a small Horse Chestnut from the garden to plant in the Pinewood this afternoon”.  And this she does, planting, “the little saplings in various parts of the wood”.  I wonder if they still survive, nearly forty years later.

There are new oak seedlings like this in the front garden every year.  Image by Wild Ennerdale via Flickr.

Book 222

After the Thursday whist drive on November 14th, Gran has an errand at the nearby Chemist’s, to collect photos before being taken home by Tony and Joyce but, she writes:

Unfortunately, coming back to the car park, I had a nasty fall on the smooth, wet path past Safeway’s, and hit my face on the broken shaft of my umbrella.  It was raining.  Two concerned ladies and a gentleman helped me up and offered to take me to Safeway’s but I said I was alright and had a car waiting for me.  My face was bleeding and very swollen and bruised inside my mouth, but I was only too thankful that my hip was unhurt.  The umbrella was smashed but I asked my Good Samaritans to put it in a rubbish bag.

Later she writes that her “… face became black with the bruise and both knees were grazed!”  Gran does not wish to be seen in this state and she says, the following day:

As soon as I saw movement in the VG shop opposite (8.35), I went over to see if I could do my shopping before other customers arrived, as I did not want them all to see my distorted face.  Of course, I was let in and Mrs Luffman showed great concern.  I later returned a book to Ruth who had asked for it yesterday and she too was very concerned.  Both tried to persuade me to see the Doctor but I did not think it necessary.  I did not go out again.

On the following day her friend Enid invites her to visit but Gran explains “that such is impossible at present”.  She spends much of her time quietly reading at home, first Gavin Maxwell’s Ring of Bright Water then his Raven Seek Thy Brother.

Four days later her face is still too sore to touch, and Ruth, good neighbour that she is:

… came in whilst I was having my breakfast and said it was so cold I ought not to go out today and she knew I had a prescription to get.  So, bless her, she got my stamps, addressed a First Day Cover, got my prescription and tablets and, also from the Chemist, my enlargement of Anna, which is lovely.

On November 21st:

Barry phoned to ask how things are here and was horrified to hear of my fall and asked why I had not told him.  I said I purposely did not because I did not want to alarm him or Jane and was able now to tell him there is only a small sore and swollen spot and I feel perfectly alright in myself.

Entertainment at the Club a week later consists of Gran reading to the members her account of the recent Cornish holiday.  “It was well received”, she says but adds:

A sad note was the announcement that Mr Mouton had died peacefully on Monday soon after I had been talking to Mrs Mouton over the road.  We stood in silence in respect to this very kind and friendly gentleman.

Next day:

As I do not like to send flowers to die on a grave but prefer to give them to the one left behind, I sent a little arrangement from Oury’s to Mrs Mouton.  I was surprised when she rang me up as soon as she received it and what she said made me very glad I had done so.

Gran receives news of the next generation’s doings at this time: grandson Andy “… has decided to go into International Banking and has had preliminary interviews with a British and an Austrian one”. And, “Ricky has got the job in Melrose [she means Montrose] out of over one hundred applicants [really?] and is going early in January”.  And, “Judy has a place at Kings (London) next year and is doing her education year and wants to teach French, Latin and German”.

There has been little recent mention of Grampa’s state of health until December 10th, when Gran writes, “Roy came to take Bill to Winchester Hospital to see yet another specialist… He is to go into Hospital on January 2nd for an operation so I hope he will be sorted out then”.

Halley’s Comet has been visible in the night sky but cloud and rain over Chandler’s Ford have foiled Gran’s desire to see it.  1986 is recorded officially as the year of its appearance.  However, on December 11th:

It was raining when I came upstairs… At 10.45 the sky was clear and I heard Ruth calling under my window.  I scrambled into coat and Wellingtons and, from her garden, saw Halley’s Comet!!  An event! And as a bonus, a shooting star!”

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Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 165) Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 169) Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 170) Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 175) Joan Adelaide Goater - her journal about Chandler's Ford.Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 180)
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