writing

An elusive Hoopoe; exhausted on Chesil Beach; a Glow-worm in Grove Road; an all-British Women’s Final; meeting a hero; Barry runs a mile; a small extravagance; questions from Julian, and little figures strike the hour.

Gran makes her way into Southampton en route to a field trip in Dorset on June 4th 1961, and a roadside sight, relatively unusual in those days, upsets her: “A sad sight at Bassett was a beautiful Badger lying dead beside the road, evidently killed by a passing car during the night”.  She continues:

…. I dashed into Aunt Em’s to tell Mother I would be late back tonight and found Brother there.  He imparted the startling news that there was a Hoopoe at West Wellow and he saw it last weekend with Doreen Peters, who I am to phone tomorrow in the hope that she can show it to me one day this week!

This is another birdy event, much like Gran’s putative Melodious Warblers, that has gone down in family history, Norris, on this occasion, apparently nearly ending up in a ditch in his excitement when he first glimpsed this rare visitor while driving through West Wellow.  Why he did not alert Gran to its presence at once, we never heard.  Doreen Peters picks up Gran in her car on June 7th.  Gran says of the bird, “it was on a grassy patch close to the road by a heath on the Brockenhurst Road out of West Wellow.  We were, however, unlucky and did not see it…” It will be many years until Dad shows her her first Hoopoe, at Portland, and I look forward to reading of Gran’s excitement on that occasion!

A Spring day out; a mystery bird; mint stamps from New Zealand; Julian needs stitches; Ladybird books; the maiden voyage of the SS Canberra, and Jimmy Edwards – unintentionally funny.

The absence of Book 91 in the sequence of Gran’s journals brings us to Book 92 and mid-April 1961. It is some time since I included a representative section of the more mundane of her daily writing so I have elected now to include in full, her description of a typical Spring day out – an example of much of the work that I usually heavily edit in order to avoid repetition.

Book 92

April 16th:

Today dawned fine and bright and a Goldfinch was singing in the garden when I went to read the thermometer.  Goldfinches were also singing as I went up Hiltingbury Road to catch the bus for the B.E.N.A. outing at Alresford, and, whilst waiting for it, I was thickly showered with the white petals from the Wild Cherry trees on the opposite side of the road as they fluttered down and were borne across the road by the wind.  They were a lovely sight in the sunshine.  Wayfaring Tree was flowering in the wayside hedge at St Cross and I saw more during our walk at Alresford.  Three Grey Wagtails were chasing over the stream by the Willow Tree Inn at Winchester and I saw many more of these lovely birds also around Alresford. [Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 106)

Eric Ashby films; Capetown Castle damaged; a conductor laughs; John Crook visits; looking for Sikas; laddered stockings and lost beads; influencing the young; a Turnstone is shot and Mandarins delight.

One of the great names of the time in natural history writing and film-making, Eric Ashby, gives a talk to the Southampton Natural History Society on December 6th 1960.  Gran writes that the meeting was most enjoyable:

…and Mr Ashby showed four of his excellent films of mammals of the New Forest.  He had taken them himself, tortured by midges and mosquitos, without the aid of hides… They were respectively of Badgers, Foxes, Deer, Dartford Warblers and Red-backed Shrikes.

Of the foxes, she says:

…and if all hunters could see the pictures of the vixen and her devotion to her litter of adorable cubs, I should think they would squirm with the burden of guilt every time they set out to kill them.

And there is an interesting sequence showing the Red-backed Shrike’s nest: [Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 105)

Spoiled for three days; quite a bit of television; news from Germany; Jane safe home; a new coat; the Rome Olympics; a small boy’s delights; friends of Jane’s wed and emigrate, and a letter from a famous author.

Book 88

Gran takes the train to London on her way to Chipstead, in Surrey, to visit the Rowsells on August 12th 1960.  “The train was very full’, she writes:

… and in my compartment was a family of four delightful children, one of whom, Margaret, became very friendly almost at once and I was soon involved in a game of “snap” which lasted until we reached Waterloo.

The Rowsells apparently intend to “spoil” their guest, for Gran is met at Waterloo by Mrs Rowsell and whisked off, by taxi, to Fortnum and Mason, for refreshment, before another taxi takes them to Charing Cross and their train to Chipstead.  There, Gran finds “Hollymead Cottage” awaiting her, with “spacious gardens and trim lawns”.  And, surprisingly, she pens this:

[The sun-room] was occupied by Tou-tou, quite the prettiest cat I have ever seen, soft grey her paws; underparts and face so pale as to be almost white, and the rest of her body “tabbied” with darker grey.  A gentle animal…

So much for Gran’s furiously written wish of just a few months past, to throttle every cat she sees!

A great longing satisfied; Princess Margaret weds, and so does Mike Harper; flowers for the Pendennis Castle; neighbourly comfort; kindly nursing at St Paul’s; Diana is twenty-one; a fox in the fridge; Jane goes to Italy; Firecrests in Southampton and a kind invitation.

Book 86

“A most important event this morning.  The first of Barry’s leautieri caterpillars hatched and was soon feeding on the macrocarpa I provided for it.  Let us hope it thrives!”  Thus writes Gran on April 21st 1960, and she is also given another moth-related task by her son – the gathering of fallen sallow blossom:

…presumably for lurking larvae, so this morning, I went up the road to where I had noted a lot on the ground two days ago.  I was gathering it up into a polythene bag when a lady approached and was most interested in what I was doing.  So I told her.  Whereupon she explained that she and her husband were interested in wild flowers, and photographed them in colour, and I said I was also, and painted them.  At this, she said, “Are you Mrs Goater by any chance?”  She had been told that she should meet me, so we exchanged addresses and she ran for her bus.  She is Mrs Edwards, and lives in Malibres Road.

Bicentenary celebrations; caterpillar-rearing; to Dorset for Spring Crocus, Peter Katin’s “sensitive, wonderful hands”; the fate of “Fig Cottage”; pressed flowers and a first day cover in the post; cycling with Jock; news from Scotland, and still no Nightingale.

On February 21st 1960 Gran writes:

This evening I went to a lecture and Reception at Taunton’s School, in Southampton, the first of a series of events to mark the School’s bicentenary.  The Lecture, “Content of Education”, was given by Lord James of Rusholme, an old boy of Taunton’s, former Assistant Master at Winchester College and now High Master of Manchester Grammar School.  It was an extremely interesting and thought-provoking talk, told with a quiet humour and great clarity of speech…

[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 101)

Editor’s note: Huge congratulations to Rick on completing 100 articles in this beautiful series – what a massive achievement! You’ve taken all your readers on this exciting adventure with you and your Gran since January 2017. This series has formed such an important record in the history of Chandler’s Ford. We love these stories. Thank you for your contribution, your perseverance, and your hard work – you’ve brought us so much joy every Sunday morning with Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal by Joan Adelaide Goater. Thank You.
[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 100)

Editor’s note: Rick, next week you’ll reach the milestone of ‘part 100’ in this totally breathtaking series. We can’t wait! Thank you.

Flowers for an hour’s work; the Salmon put on a show; The Grand under threat; rotting bananas; tears at Compton; two excellent lectures; Lord Montagu’s Eel; a new Church for Hiltingbury; postage stamps for Southampton; Gran’s “Marsh Warblers” discussed, and a complete list of Christmas presents.

We discover the name of another local shopkeeper on October 7th 1959, when Gran explains that the butcher in the village (who also runs a market garden) says to her, “You have some experience of flowers don’t you?” and asks her to show him and his wife how to pack an order of over thirty dozen Chrysanthemums for the Queen Elizabeth in Southampton Docks. Payment for her services is pressed upon Gran by Mrs Olsen but having been given ”a dozen most beautiful bronze Chrysanthemums”, Gran tells her that this is ample payment for an hour of enjoyable work, so she is given another half dozen deep pink ones, Mrs Olsen saying she would hate Gran to think her mean. [Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 99)

Upsetting paintings; a lovely birthday – and a cake; Butterbur hats; downland farewell; Ospreys; yellow trunks and a new flower on the Isle of Wight; a regretable change of neighbours; pigeon-toed tennis; ungrateful Sparrows and loyal friend Gilbert’s success.

Gran is home from her holiday in Scotland on July 10th 1959, and the afternoon is spent unpacking and recounting her adventures to “Mother and sundry friends”.  She gives herself little time to recoup though:

In the evening I went to a short farewell party at Bassett – the old friends with whom I have played tennis, attended their little fortnightly whist drives and such, have had to sell their home and, owing to ill-health, join their daughter in Ireland, and I found this a little overwhelming after leaving Scotland and travelling all night, but I was glad I went.

[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 98)

With cousin Fairlie in Kent; alley cricket in Mill Hill; amazing character studies at the W.I.; kissed by Joey; the Old Curiosity Shop and the wonders of Scotland.

Gran, at Fairlie’s house in Kent on May 27th 1959, walks the local countryside collecting flower specimens after “ Fairlie left for Chelsea Flower Show and while Norah had gone to her usual work in the Church”.  Gran witnesses for the first time, a bird “anting”:

…a practise said to be undertaken for cleaning purposes.  A Great Tit was moving rapidly round the rim of the well and assiduously picking up ants which he put beneath his wings, shook himself vigorously and then sprawled with spread wings, sunning himself.

[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 97)

First Day Covers; a cheeky mouse; Mottisfont marvels; fascinating creatures; Dame Sybil Thorndike – still beautiful at 80; Early Spiders – unbelievable but true!; the beauty of a village community; whist drive prizes, and a Kentish cottage described.

Book 78

Home again from Kingston on April 13th 1959, Gran receives a letter from Australia, which:

…brought me, posted on the day of issue, the first of the new series of stamps depicting native flowers.  This one was the attractive Flannel Flower.  Gilbert Whitley, of the Australian Museum, sent it, of course, and told me that his recently published book on Sea-horses is on its way to me. What a pal he has been, and it is forty years since he went to Australia.  I have seen him only once since – when Jane was three years old – twenty-one years ago.

[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 96)

Roadworks dismay; farewell to Miss Cope; glad tidings from Jane; renewed acquaintances; remarkable carvings; another little wood destroyed; litter; two impressive sopranos; two active boys, Coronation Walk, and a wedding produces a dramatic moment.

January 21st 1959 is an unpleasantly wet day, but Gran is loth to miss her weekly visit to best friends in Merdon Avenue:

This afternoon I went to see my Harding family.  Mary was surprised to see me in such weather but I regard my “dates” with this dear family as one of my most valued privileges.

On the following day:

This afternoon we noticed that a Yew tree down the road had fallen right across one of the new gardens.  It seems to me that, in excavating for the service road for the shops being built opposite here, the men must have undermined the roots, for it does not seem to me that today’s gale was of sufficient force to bring down a Yew tree that has stood for centuries.  And I noted that there were no spreading roots – it seems they had been severed during the process of excavation.  I am sorry for the owners of the garden, for they have worked hard, and a terrace and the fence must have suffered great damage.

[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 95)

An unexpected meeting; a new use for the old pram; the new Rector; the Adamson bookplate; the most fabulous order; hints of happiness, but no hope for the New Year; a pleasant surprise; Barry knocked off his bike; Jane kicked by a horse, and great hopes for Speyside next Summer.

I am surprised to discover that Gran even entertained the idea of using a weed-killer in the garden of The Ridge, but on October 23rd 1958, we read:

I squeezed in a little gardening this morning, raking up leaves from the front grass and then putting down a second dose of Fison’s weed-killer and grass fertilizer, which has already much improved the front lawn. Early this afternoon I cycled along to the end of Hiltingbury Road to get some beech leaves to preserve for Winter.  I found that the coloured ones were already very prone to fall, but there were still plenty of green ones, and all go golden brown when preserved in glycerine. Linnets were flying about where the old Polish Camp is being demolished.

[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 94)

A new racquet; promise of a green belt; a personal triumph; Jill has a baby; a tree from Canada; Mr Burdett retires; “These Americans!”; irritating evangelists; a hedgehog is saved, a visit to Scotland – perhaps, and ravaging beauty, nearly, if not quite, divine.

“This afternoon, I was just finishing painting the Lesser Dodder”, writes Gran on September 2nd 1958, “when Jane arrived home from Scotland.  She had had a wonderful holiday and had a great deal to tell”. Not only had she brought her mother some flower samples from the north, but:

She also brought me a superb new tennis racquet, the best on the market, which I could hardly wait to try.  I did, however, wait till after tea and then Jane and I went up for a game.  The racquet was wonderful and we had some splendid games.  Although I actually won the first set we were very closely matched in spite of the score of 6 – 0, but in the second one the first game took twenty minutes with an uncountable number of deuces, and we were forty minutes playing three games. Jane eventually won the set at 8 – 6 and we had been playing an hour and a half.

[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 93)

Hudnut’s factory; a trip to Oxford; a famous French artist; Britain wins the Wightman Cup; a strange Bee Orchid; a setback for the Ospreys; Fairsky –  a ship with a past life; at Wimbledon’s No 1 Court; new flowers to paint; a Wild Gladiolus hunt, and a letter from Mr Summerhayes.

On May 10th 1958 Gran writes:

This afternoon I went with Jean Hockridge to the Open Day at Hudnut’s Factory, where Ken is Production Manager.  Though I do not use cosmetics myself, I found it very interesting, and other drugs and liniments and such are also made there.  It was fascinating to see the various machines turning out tablets, mixing powders and creams, mixing toothpaste and putting it into tubes, filling, corking and labelling bottles of shampoo, and liniments and many other things. A very nice tea was provided and all guests were given various samples of the productions.

[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 91)

No need for a tirade; a couple of grebes; Woodlark hangs on locally; still cycling distances in search of flowers; promotion for Barry; the Boat Race; a Society Wedding at Otterbourne; old-fashioned toys for the Hockridge girls and a book comes to an appreciative recipient.

We have a revealing insight into Gran’s preferred brand of Christianity in early March 1958.  The Hockridges, the family next-door, active in their faith, are evangelical in their views and have on a number of occasions encouraged Gran to attend meetings at their church and elsewhere. On this occasion, Gran puts into words her thoughts thus: [Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 90)