Chandler's Ford Today

You are here: Home / Community / Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 87)

Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 87)

By 1 Comment

Hedgehog action; mothing on Romney Marsh; a tour of the Queen Elizabeth; a plague of crickets; 50lb of blackberries; one of the “greats” of British botany, and a moving wedding.

August 5th 1957:

Early this afternoon Jean Hockridge called me in to see a baby hedgehog, which she had found in her drain, soaked by very hot water and soapsuds from her washing machine. The little creature seemed little the worse and was drying off in the warm sunshine.

Gran has more to write about a hedgehog that evening, saying:

…I discovered a young hedgehog preparing a hole at the bottom of the garden for his bed. He was nibbling off scraps of leaves and dry stems and carrying them to the entrance of the hole.  When he had collected a little pile, he went into the hole, where I saw his back moving as though he were scrabbling about, and then turned round and, with his front paws, drew in the herbage he had collected together.

Gran continues the apparently ill-advised nightly practice of putting out bread and milk for the local hedgehogs, which she started several years ago, and of course, the garden’s birds expect to be fed every day, as she notes on the 8th:

A Green Woodpecker yaffled loudly down the garden early and a Robin came into the kitchen during breakfast.  The clatter of spoons or teacups is always a signal for the birds to crowd round the kitchen window – they think it is time their food was served also!

“A Robin came into the kitchen” – Image by Mark Robinson via Flickr.

On August 14th, “Barry’s twenty-seventh birthday, God bless him”, she writes, Gran finishes a painting of Wood Sage, and, counting through her albums she is pleased to find her paintings now number two hundred and seven.

She receives a long and interesting letter from Barry around this time, partly in response to her asking him to identify a caterpillar she had found at Hatchet Pond a few days earlier. This, she learns:

…was that of a Broom Moth, which is common on heathland.  The boys at Haberdashers call it the “Bournemouth Belle” because of its brown and yellow stripes.

A Broom moth caterpillar – a similar colour scheme to that of the carriages of the Bournemouth Belle. Image by Paul Seligman via Flickr.

Dad’s letter details a highly successful mothing expedition to Romney Marsh in search of the larvae and pupae of a moth, Hydraecia lucherardi, recently discovered for the first time in England, and as yet without an English name. It feeds on the roots of Marsh Mallow.

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

“On Monday”, Gran recounts:

…he went with one Laurie Christie, who used to be at Watkins and Doncaster [the famous London-based supplier of entomological equipment], and discovered a huge field of Marsh Mallow, which was in itself an amazing sight… Whilst on the marsh, Barry made a delightful new friend – to quote his own words – Michael Tweedie, who has just retired from the directorship of the Raffles Museum in Singapore. He is an expert on Crabs, Snakes and other things, and does the most fantastic drawings, by means of dots, of Lepidoptera in natural surroundings.  For instance, he has one of Ivy blossom on which are two Angle Shades, a Common Sallow and a Barred Sallow.  He builds them up from flash photos, scored into small squares and they take up to a year to do.  His friends call them “Tweedie’s Tapestries”.

I quote this excerpt of Gran’s journal for my own nostalgic reasons; these two “grown-ups” were part of a cohort of Dad’s entomological friends who formed a backdrop to my young life. Laurie Christie and I, together on a Winter’s morning, looked for a Water Rail at one of the Tring Reservoirs in my early birding days, and there he introduced me to Mulligatawny Soup! Michael Tweedie, I learned, had had a bad time under the Japanese during the last war, though, while their prisoner, was allowed under guard to forage beyond the security fence for extra food.  To me, he never looked well, was always painfully thin, and, using the palm of his hand, could make his ear squeak like a mouse!  Adults, I’m sure, are often unaware of the legacy they may leave to young minds!

“Moths congregating at sugar” by Michael Tweedie. Courtesy of Barry Goater.

On August 20th, at Southampton’s Civic Centre, Gran meets some friends, from the Midlands and holidaying in Bournemouth, who want to see over the “Queen Elizabeth”.  They:

…proceeded to the Docks, where they were amazed at the size of the ship – a quarter of a mile long and eighty-five feet wide!  She looked enormous and to folk who had never seen our larger Merchant Navy ships, she was magnificent.  I enjoyed seeing over her again myself, especially with a guide, and the woodwork and general craftsmanship delighted us all.  Especially I admired the wonderful inlaid wall picture of the Canterbury Pilgrims, in which over a thousand pieces of hand-carved wood of different hues were used.

Gran is a little inaccurate in giving the ship’s dimensions, the vessel being a little shorter and somewhat wider than she says, but it’s still mightily impressive.  After the two-hour tour, they are glad to sit with coffee and biscuits in the First Class dining-room, and later they enjoy and excellent lunch in the Dolphin Hotel, where they are joined by Jane.

The mighty RMS Queen Elizabeth. Image by DJ Berson via Flickr.

Jane also accompanies Gran on a visit to Barry, Jock and the boys at Mill Hill on the 23rd, before Gran goes on to Kingston for a day, while Jane returns to Chandler’s Ford:

Jane was soon involved in a game of cricket with the little boys, which gave Barry and me a chance to talk about plants, birds, bugs and such…  There has been quite a plague of Crickets round Mill Hill, where they have been breeding on hot ash deposited there.  They have been coming into the houses in numbers.  It was good to see Barry and the children again and, though Barry has grown his horrid beard again during the Summer holidays, he was, nevertheless, just the same underneath…

The end of the month brings blackberrying time, and mother and daughter, over the late summer period, pick nearly fifty pounds, bottling some, making jam and jelly with others, and giving some as presents.  On one trip to Farley Mount at this time they are:

…saddened to see a beautiful Barn Owl lying dead in the road – victim of a car last night, I guess.  Its plumage was lovely, soft golden-yellow with mottled markings on the tips of the feathers, and a pure white face and legs.  A beautiful creature indeed!

One of the saddest sights – a Barn Owl, common victim of collisions with traffic. It’s a widespread species: this one is American. Image by Allen Gathman via Flickr.

Barry drops in for a few days prior to a Haberdashers’ camp at Beaulieu Road, and he and Gran manage to fit in some local moth-hunting expeditions, and botanising in the New Forest. At Hatchet Pond, with Brigadier Venning, they confirm the identity of a plant that had puzzled Gran on an earlier B.E.N.A. visit to the site. It was Shoreweed Littorella uniflora.  They find a number of other uncommon and rare wetland plants there, including Hampshire Purslane Ludwigia palustris, and there too they meet one of the great names of British botany.  Gran explains:

As we were about to leave the area, two more botanists arrived and waded into the pond to look at the Ludwigia.  Brigadier Venning recognized the lady and she introduced her companion to all of us. He was none other than J.E. Lousley, author of “Wild Flowers of Chalk and Limestone” – it was a privilege to meet him.  He did not know that the Bog Orchid grows at Hatchet, so we returned there to show it to him.  He was delighted with it!

Gran’s copy of Lousley’s Wild Flowers of Chalk and Limestone, surely her favourite book, and another lovely cover by Clifford and Rosemary Ellis.

September 3rd brings the long-awaited marriage of Jill Fowler and Dennis Brewster, the culmination of much planning by the Fowler family, which has also involved both Gran and Jane. The latter has had fittings and final adjustments to her bridesmaid’s dress, and she recently attended a full rehearsal, while Gran has been involved with planning the seating arrangements for the reception, and has had a hand in designing flower arrangements and in decorating the Church of St Michael and All Angels, Bassett, where the wedding is to take place.

Gran describes the flowers in great detail, and also the ceremony itself, parts of which follow:

I intended to be strong-minded on this occasion and not to be overwhelmed with a desire to weep, but a lump rose in my throat for a start, when my Godson John, who is a Server, appeared in his surplice to carry out his initial duties. The sight of Dennis, who lost one leg when he was a naval cadet and now, with an artificial one, walks with a pronounced limp, walking up to take his place to await his Bride’s arrival, almost overwhelmed me, as did Tommy’s arrival on John’s arm a little later.

There was a breathless hush, for she [the bride] was somewhat late but what a vision of loveliness when she arrived.  So fair is she, very tall and slim, with a splendid carriage, and she came, veiled, on her Father’s arm, looking calm and lovely in her gown of white lace and tulle with a short lace train and her veil held in place by a uniquely-shaped coronet of Carnation petals.  The three Bridesmaids, Diana, her married school-friend Elizabeth Lewis, and Jane, all dark in contrast to Jill’s own fairness, looked quite beautiful in their gowns of white sprigged nylon over green taffeta, so brilliant that the general effect was turquoise blue, with the tiny green, yellow and white daisies on the nylon showing up to perfection.

Jill’s bouquet, which she made herself, was all white and composed of Odontoglossum Orchids, Stephanotis and Lilies-of-the-Valley, and the Bridesmaids carried crescents of flame-coloured Madame Hoffmann Roses, yellow and deep flame Gerberas and Asparagus Fern and green leaves splashed with orange and yellow.

Gran has kept one, pressed and faded, between the pages of her journal.  She continues:

They wore gold brooches on the left side of their dresses, four Canadian maple leaves in graduated sizes, slightly tinted with the green and yellow in their dresses. These were the gift of the Bridegroom. The Ceremony was lovely, as Wedding Ceremonies should be, and rather unusually, Jill and Dennis had memorized their vows and said them without following the Vicar.  As Jill turned towards Dennis to pledge herself, the sun streamed through the window on to her fair head and down one side of her dress. A moment later it had gone and did not appear again all day.

The reception is held in a large marquee outside the hall, after which, as Gran relates, ”came the rather sad moment of farewell, for they sail for Canada on Friday and this is the last time many of us would see them, at least for a year or two”.  “Jill”, she writes, “went away in a saxe-blue suit and small close-fitting crimson hat, and looked charming”.

Jane returns to The Ridge late that night, having joined the other Bridesmaids and the four Ushers for a dinner-party at the Rose and Crown in Brockenhurst – arranged for them by the Best Man, at Dennis’ request.

She cycles with Gran to the Romsey Show on the afternoon of the following day.  It is wet, but they enjoy especially, the show-jumping, Gran writing:

In the Open event the famous rider Alan Oliver was competing and also his Father, who won it, Alan being, rather surprisingly, third.  His young brother Paul, won the Junior event, but this well-known family by no means had it all their own way.

Next day, September 5th, is fine and sunny:

After a busy morning Jane and I went to Potters Heron Hotel at Ampfield for lunch – a treat we had long been promised by Mother – and this seemed a lovely day for it.  We walked home along Gipsy Lane and across the edge of the Forestry Commission Hursley Forest, from which there is a truly wonderful view, through the beechwoods of Hook and Hocombe Roads and into the Chestnut Woods, emerging through Queen’s Road, now renamed Gordon Road for some obscure reason, and so home.  It was a perfect day for a walk…

^

Article series

^

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.


Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Related posts:

Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 69) Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 78) Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 121) Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 124) Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 131)
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. This is utterly charming Rick, what a wonderful gesture that you share with us your grandmother’s journals and the snapshot of a Chandler’s Ford of the past. What treasures tomes they must be and it seems to me reading your bio that the fascination for the world of nature has rubbed off onto you too. I see that there are many entires shared (this, my first, being the 87th) so I will dip back into them from time to time. Your grandmother had an eye & hand for detail and I love the way she describes the people she knew, including such detail about their appearance and the thoughts & observations. The wedding description overwhelmed. How many of us promise ourselves not to shed a tear, but do so anyway! Thank you Rick for your generosity

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.