Andy Vining shares his mother’s diaries in his new podcast. Listen to these beautiful stories on Spotify.
Andy Vining’s parents were John and Peggy (later known as Be Be).
March 1949
Early Signs of Spring [Read more…] about Andy Vining’s Podcast: My Mother’s Diaries 1948 – 1976: Episode 9 — March and April 1949
Andy Vining shares his mother’s diaries in his new podcast. Listen to these beautiful stories on Spotify.
Andy Vining’s parents were John and Peggy (later known as Be Be).
Podcast Opening Introduction – January 1949
Welcome back to My Mother’s Diaries. Episode 8, January 1949
We begin a brand-new year now — January 1949 — a time when winter still grips the countryside, but the promise of a fresh year lies ahead.
There is always a sense of quiet optimism at the start of a new year… new plans, small hopes, and the simple rhythm of family and farm life continuing day by day. [Read more…] about Andy Vining’s Podcast: My Mother’s Diaries 1948 – 1976: Episode 8 — January and February 1949
Image My Mother’s Diaries by Andy Vining 2026
Andy Vining shares his mother’s diaries in his new podcast. Listen to these beautiful stories on Spotify.
Andy Vining’s parents were John and Peggy (later known as Be Be).
November 1948
November opened in foul weather — rain sweeping across the fields from morning to night — and the children home for half term filled the house with noise despite the gloom.
I went into Winchester for new shoes while John attended Lodge, and there was uneasy talk of foot and mouth in Salisbury — never pleasant news when one keeps cattle.
There were brighter interludes. I went dancing at The Richie Hall, though the gramophone misbehaved and caused some disruption. [Read more…] about Andy Vining’s Podcast: My Mother’s Diaries 1948 – 1976: Episode 7 — November and December 1948
Image My Mother’s Diaries by Andy Vining 2026
Andy Vining shares his mother’s diaries in his new podcast. Listen to these beautiful stories on Spotify.
Andy Vining’s parents were John and Peggy (later known as Be Be).
September 1948
September opened with the Romsey Show. Betty and I set off early on the first, taking our lunch with us, and met John later among the livestock and produce stands. It was a jolly good show. There is something about the Show — polished cattle, prize vegetables, farmers inspecting each other’s stock — that feels like the summing up of a year’s labour. John still went to football that evening, never missing if he can help it. [Read more…] about Andy Vining’s Podcast: My Mother’s Diaries 1948 -1976: Episode 6 — September and October 1948
Image My Mother’s Diaries by Andy Vining 2026
Andy Vining shares his mother’s diaries in his new podcast. Listen to these beautiful stories on Spotify.
Andy Vining’s parents were John and Peggy (later known as Be Be).
July 1948
July began unsettled, though full of movement as always. John went off to cricket on the first, while I went to Mrs St Johns for some dancing lessons for the children.
Jane and Margaret came to tea later, and I tried to do a little gardening, though the midges drove me indoors before long.
Jennifer was quite beside herself begging for a ride on Lister’s pony, who had been brought over to the farm again and so she had a ride. She was really happy.
On the 2nd July John was busy cutting vetches with the big Mower. the great green swathes falling in neat rows.
I went to tea at Beechcroft and washed Janet’s hair, I do hope we get the water laid in soon.
Ann Lister brought the pony right onto the back lawn — much excitement. Mrs Manning took John and I to look at bees going into the hive, and I was stung for my trouble. One forgets how sharp it feels.
The third brought a fine success — thirteen bantams hatched out from the eggs I thought might have been spoilt last month. A good strong number, and always satisfying to lift the broody hen gently and count them.
Image My Mother’s Diaries by Andy Vining 2026
Andy Vining shares his mother’s diaries in his new podcast. Listen to these beautiful stories on Spotify.
Andy Vining’s parents were John and Peggy (later known as Be Be).
May 1948
May began with the yard still lively from the puppies. All had been sold, though we kept Jesse, Ruffles and Mr Leggs for another week or two before they too would leave. There is always a bustle when pups are about — feeding bowls, straw, sharp little claws on stone — and though one is glad when good homes are found, the yard seems strangely empty once they go.
Margaret Haskell stayed the first night of the month, and there were callers — Marge and Doug, Norah and her family. Bet and Fred had secured their job at last, which was heartening news.
John turned his attention to the front lawn, turfing a worn patch that had suffered through the winter. He went over to Norman Cooper’s in Hursley while I wrote letters indoors and telephoned the Sinclairs, inviting them for Whitsun. There is always something to plan ahead for.
On the Monday we went into Winchester. A calf was taken to market — never an easy sight, watching it loaded and driven away, though such comings and goings are the rhythm of farming life. The heifers were turned into the Sanitorium field, where the grass was coming on steadily. They took to it well enough, heads down almost at once, testing the new pasture. The land was improving with the season. Rain fell in the night, which would freshen the grazing and help the vegetable rows along.
[Read more…] about Andy Vining’s Podcast: My Mother’s Diaries 1948 -1976: Episode 4 — May 1948
Congratulations to Gopi Chandroth on his brilliant book, INDISHMAN.
Author Gopi Chandroth lives in Chandler’s Ford. He is a marine engineer with over four decades of experience in the maritime industry, including 15 as a marine accident investigator for the UK Department for Transport. [Read more…] about Good Book to Read – INDISHMAN – Reflections from India, Britain and the Sea by Gopi Chandroth
Image My Mother’s Diaries by Andy Vining 2026
Andy Vining shares his mother’s diaries in his new podcast. Listen to these beautiful stories on Spotify.
Andy Vining’s parents were John and Peggy (later known as Be Be).
Episode 3 — March and April 1948
March opened with sunlight.
On Monday the first, the weather was beautiful and all the washing dried by lunchtime — a small triumph after the long damp of winter. And it was such a lovely day that I went for a walk with Heather in her pram over to Flexford. It was a long walk a long walk down the Farm drive then up Hursley Road and left at The Baddesley Crossroads. I posted a letter there on the corner and walked along past the cricket field on the left and down the hill, over Monks Brook bridge and past The Hatley Sawmills on the right pp the hill and over the Railway bridge past Richardsons, Bridge House on the left and the farm cottages on the right where our cowman, Bill Wren, lives and then right, just before Mr and Mrs Trenfields house into the Flexford Yard where we had picked all the Snowdrops last month but now there are beautiful daffodils in abundance. [Read more…] about Andy Vining’s Podcast: My Mother’s Diaries 1948 -1976: Episode 3 — March and April 1948
Andy Vining shares his mother’s diaries in his new podcast. Listen to these beautiful stories on Spotify.
Andy Vining’s parents were John and Peggy (later known as Be Be).
In this episode, the name of Be Be’s father was Herbert Miller, originally Muller as he was German and became a naturalised Englishman before the First World War.
January 1948
My Father (Dad) has been quite poorly that week, and the worry of it sat quietly with me as I went about the ordinary business of the days. Still, life had to be kept moving. I went into Winchester with Betty my sister. Grateful for the small distraction of the trip.
While there we had Heather’s Polyphotos taken — she looked such a picture, bright-eyed and beautifully turned out. I bought new shoes for the children too, which cost £3 and 4d, (£160.00 Today), a sum that made me catch my breath, though it couldn’t be helped. Later, Eric and Phillip came by and we let them have the goose. It felt like one of those days full of little errands and bigger concerns, all jumbled together.
The next morning brought a small measure of relief: Dad seemed a little brighter. The white bougainvilla in the kitchen had opened fully and filled the house with a sweet, unexpected fragrance, lifting my spirits despite the dreadful weather. Rain fell endlessly, outside drumming on the windows as if it had no intention of stopping. [Read more…] about Andy Vining’s Podcast: My Mother’s Diaries 1948 -1976: Episode 2 – January to February 1948
Andy Vining shares his mother’s diaries in his new podcast.
Listen to these beautiful stories on Spotify.
Podcast Title: My Mother’s Diaries 1948 -1976
Episode 1 — Introduction
Hello… and welcome to this podcast.
My name is Andy Vining.
I’m eighty-two years old and as I record this, I I’m sitting quietly at home in Chandler’s Ford in Hampshire thinking about the past, and about the voices, people and places that shaped my life.
This podcast is not about me. It’s about our family. Memories, places, and the quiet, everyday moments that would normally be lost to time.
Most of all, it’s about my mother. And the diaries she wrote about her everyday life being a farmer’s wife and mother of five children while we were all growing up in on Hiltonbury Farm in Chandler’s Ford.
My mother was Peggy “Peg” Vining Nee Miller. Then when my brother Simon was born in 1958 she became BeBe because that’s what Simon called her.
But before I begin to read those diaries, I think it’s only right that I tell you a little about where this story truly starts… and how I come to be here, speaking to you today. [Read more…] about Andy Vining’s Podcast: My Mother’s Diaries 1948 – 1976: Episode 1 — Introduction
I hope you had a lovely Christmas break and may I wish you a very Happy New Year.
One of the things I love about the period between Christmas and New Year is having more time to catch up on reading. The rush of Christmas is over and there are a few blissful days before normal routines kick in again and I use that time to enjoy books. Winter is the perfect time for this, isn’t it?
We may allow ourselves a brief period of rejoicing, but let us not forget for a moment the toil and efforts that lie ahead – Winston Churchill.
Tuesday, May 8 th 1945, was an ordinary day. I was seven years old, and the only special event was that we had an egg for breakfast, a real egg, not dried egg powder, which came in
packets from America. When the newspaper dropped through the letterbox, mother picked it up.
‘The war is over,’ she cried, waving the paper high above her head. She rushed out into the street. ‘It’s over, the war is over,’ she shouted gleefully to an empty road. She gave me a hug and a kiss. ‘The war is over, it’s peacetime now.’ [Read more…] about VE Day – Thursday 8th May 1945
Dear readers, you must have seen many intriguing postbox toppers around Chandler’s Ford. They surprise us, delight us, and make us smile. A splash of colour; a creative design; a world re-imagined. For the past few years, the remarkable ladies (with some of their ‘helpers’) from Chandler’s Ford u3a have graced our streets and quiet lanes with their creations made with love and crafted with great skills. You may even feel a bit uplifted on a mundane trip to Asda, as the topper may remind you of an upcoming special celebration or a significant historical event, or its playful, whimsical nature may take you back to your childhood.
Credit: Special thanks to Sandra and Dave Claxton for providing the story and all the photographs in this article below.
Since the amazing response to our 25th Anniversary Postbox Toppers of 2023, our “Topper Ladies” have barely stopped in their endeavours producing themed Toppers for the King’s Coronation, Remembrance Week, Easter, Halloween, Christmas, Summer, the Olympics and were even asked to produce a Postbox Topper to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Eastleigh Borough last May.
[Read more…] about Who are the Mysterious Postbox Topper Ladies in Chandler’s Ford?
It is a great pleasure to welcome Debz Hobbs-Wyatt back to Chandler’s Ford Today for Part 2 of an in-depth interview celebrating the launch of her new novel, If Crows Could Talk (Walela Books).
Part 1 from last week covered Debz’s writing journey and wonderful advice regarding agents and the writing life. She also discussed the small presses (both of us are connected to Bridge House Publishing). Link at the bottom of this section of the interview if you missed Part 1. Whatever stage of the writing life you find yourself at now, do check both parts of this interview out. Debz has shared lots of wonderful tips.
[Read more…] about Author Interview – Debz Hobbs-Wyatt – If Crows Could Talk – Part 2
We read in Matthew’s Gospel that the magi observed the star at the nativity ‘at its rising’. Knowing this to be a sign fulfilling a prophecy of a Messiah’s birth, they followed it to Bethlehem. But what was this star? The last 2000 years has given us a feast of knowledge based on solid research, so that we are now in a position to unwrap the story of this wonderful and significant sign.
The most likely interpretation seems to be that this was a supernova [Read more…] about Star of Wonder
An autogyro is a strange flying machine resembling a helicopter but has no engine power to the rotor. Forward thrust is provided by a conventional propellor, usually mounted at the back. There are no wings; lift is provided by the rotor blades. Power for rotation comes from the wind moving through the rotor, like a child’s windmill. I set out to fly in one.
To get the autogiro into the air, its propellor pushes the machine forward, and the slipstream flows through the backwards tilted rotor. When the rotor is up to speed, it is tilted slightly forward to provide upward lift. Because the rotor blades are long and heavy, it takes a while to get them going. Modern machines have a flexidrive from the engine to start them off. The drive is disconnected when the rotor is up to speed, about 200 rpm. [Read more…] about Flying an Autogyro
“Mary and Joseph played with my Barbie dolls. But they didn’t have Santa hats to wear.” Alys, aged six, and her brother Jamie, three, were just two of the children who took part in the local Posada journey here in Chandler’s Ford. This annual event is become increasingly common in the weeks of Advent, as we prepare for Christmas.
The journey involves the nativity figures of Mary and Joseph, who will later adorn the crib in church during the Christmas season. The idea is that they make their way around the area, staying in people’s homes, usually for one night, before they move – or are moved – on. Families and individuals sign up for a roster so that the holy couple is passed from home to home each day. [Read more…] about The Posada Journey
A group of us from U3A visited the Masjid Abu Bakr (Masjid means Mosque) in St Marys, Southampton. St Marys boasts three mosques within 150 yards of each other. This one caters for 1000 of the 1.9 billion Muslims worldwide.
Why would a group of elderly Christians visit a mosque, particularly in times like these? All of us were brought up in the Christian tradition, some practising, some C of E by default, some, like the author, with no religious belief and others hovering between – the agnostics. Curiosity united us. We were invited to remove our shoes and the ladies covered their hair.
We were met by the ‘verger’ who explained the five pillars of Islam; the obligatory rituals and practices of all Muslims. The Shahada – the creed “I bear witness that there is no deity but God…” equivalent to the Apostles’ Creed. Salah – the practice of prayer, five times a day while facing Mecca. Zakat – almsgiving, set at 2.5% of what you have remaining after meeting your household expenses. Sawm – fasting during the month of Ramadan and, finally, the Hajj – a pilgrimage to Mecca to be made once in a lifetime by all who can afford it. [Read more…] about The Mosque
Long ago, my little sister and I had a holiday with our parents and grandparents in Dunoon, Scotland. Grandfather loved things mechanical, steam-driven and related to the sea, so the opportunity to sail aboard the Waverley, a paddle-driven steamship, was as close to heaven as he could get on this earth. He bought tickets lasting a week and we sailed the Clyde with him every day.
From Dunoon, the Waverley set across to Wemyss Bay for more passengers, and the adventure began. We approached the Isle of Arran, a misty blue hillock on the horizon. Gradually, it resolved into a mountain of colour, green bracken on the lower slopes, replaced by yellow gorse and then purple heather over the top backed by the blue sky. At Lochranza, groups of young people disembarked to visit the Youth Hostel. Would I ever be old enough to be considered a youth and leave for an adventure on an island? I hovered between childhood and being a youth, wanting to be considered grown-up.
We sailed on to Campbelltown and then by bus to Machrihanish, where North Atlantic rollers dashed against the rocky shore. Against the wind, the roar of the waves and sea spray like a fog on the land, we held bags of chips in our hands and felt good to be alive.
In the gloaming, we sailed the smooth obsidian-black waters of Loch Fyne with mountains on either side. We had a feeling of space and stillness on the quiet waters. Sheep grazed the hillsides, and white-washed cottages dotted the shore.
Later that year, the Scottish Nationalists removed the Stone of Scone from Westminster Abbey and took it back to Scotland.
Seventy or more years passed, and my sister and I embarked, once more, on the Waverley but in Southampton. On a beautiful sunny day, our cruise took us to Portsmouth, Yarmouth, around the Needles to Freshwater Bay and back. [Read more…] about Pure Nostalgia
At 4.30 am on a Sunday, as the sky was lightening, an ambulance with me on board rocked and bumped from our house en route to the Royal Hampshire County Hospital, Winchester. A sudden fever and collapse caused Madam some alarm, and fortunately for me, her 999 call brought the ambulance within 30 minutes.
‘We’ve got to strap you in, by law,’ explained the ex-soldier paramedic. No need, I thought. But the potholes and ambulance suspension showed it was necessary.
The RHCH was quiet at dawn on a Sunday, and I was soon in a bed.
‘What’s been happening to you?’ asked Dr Hemeda as he looked me over. I asked him where he qualified. ‘Ein Shams, Cairo. We’ll get you x-rayed.’ We chatted about Ein Shams, as I have lectured there a few times. It is the oldest of Cairo’s Universities and the Centre for Muslim Studies. On my first visit there, I took a bottle of Whisky for my host but thought better of it and kept it in my bag. [Read more…] about Winchester United Nations
