Many people love a day at the races. But can you imagine the roar of the crowd, the thunder of hooves, the cries of the punters here in Chandler’s Ford? Yet indeed, Chandler’s Ford used to have a racecourse. Complete with grandstand and a course length of 2.25 miles, it was located on fields near the railway station (now Valley Park) and was described in the newspaper as ‘presenting a lovely appearance to those who come to drink a draught of nature.’
But why here at Chandler’s Ford?
Gran has joined several coach tours, mainly to the West Country, in recent months, organised through her Club. She enjoys noting the passing scenery and wayside flowers but is often frustrated by stops for refreshments and shopping. She usually wanders off on her own at these times.
On June 12th 1985 there is a half-day outing into Berkshire, which includes a canal trip:
We went over a level crossing towards Hampstead Marshall where the Kennet and Avon Canal was our stopping area… Our barge, the Avon, was awaiting us and after we embarked, I learnt that it was purpose-built for these excursions but on the traditional narrow-boat principle though now is a motor barge and not horse-drawn as originally… The windows were large with seats all round and a little shop and bar at one end. I bought a little ribbon plate for Ruth, a thimble with our barge on it for Sue, a booklet, “On the Kennet and Avon” and a biro for myself.
[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 175)
Image Credit:-
Many thanks to Maressa Mortimer for book cover pictures and author headshot photo.
Images for Creativity Matters: Find Your Passion for Writing kindly supplied by Wendy H Jones.
Most of the other images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos.
One of the joys of the writing life is meeting other authors. I met Maressa Mortimer via the Association of Christian Writers.
Maressa, who is originally from The Netherlands, and I, as well as meeting at ACW events, regularly meet on her Zoom event held most weeks where ACW writers get together to chat. It can be very funny and at times therapeutic. There is nobody like another author who understands when you have had a rough week.
Likewise, those same authors will rejoice with you when things go well. What goes around comes around in writing circles. Most authors are supportive of each other’s efforts. We know it is not an easy thing to do. We know marketing and drafting the next work is tiring (and invigorating). You do need a shoulder to cry on sometimes (yet another reason to network well and develop friendships).
[Read more…] about Introducing Maressa Mortimer – Being an Indie Author – Part 1
March 2nd 1985 is not a pleasant day for Gran: there is some domestic conflict and she writes:
After an unpleasant morning of continual complaints, I spent the afternoon in my room, wishing to be alone in tranquil and quiet surroundings. I mostly read Arthur Marshall’s book. “Life’s Rich Pageant” and had a short nap. This evening more reading and listening to the radio and, later I stuck in today’s cutting about Julian.
The cutting is from The Daily Telegraph concerning Julian’s decision not to run in the National Cross Country Championships, owing to a heavy cold. But the following day, after the race is run, she is pleased to read in The Sunday Telgraph that the first eight home in yesterday’s National Cross Country have been chosen for the England team, “plus Julian Goater who has been so consistent always”. [Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 174)
It is December 14th 1984, “My driver”, Gran writes:
… called for me at 10.15 this morning to take me to hospital again to have part of the spot cut out for analysis… the operation, under local anaesthetic, did not take too long and I was home by 12.20. I had taken ham rolls in case I was much later, but had one after soup at home. I am perfectly well and am to see Dr Charlewood on Wednesday or Thursday to have the stitches out.
Gran and some other Club members are picked up by coach in Kingsway for transporting to their Christmas dinner on the 15th, and Gran has clearly managed to produce the required floral table decorations, asked for at short notice. She writes:
… as I stood with the table decorations, a lady came and asked me if they were for sale, and another, who lives over the wine shop, and knows Ruth, said she had seen a copy of my “Te Deum”, [recently read out at one of her Club meetings] which Mrs Burton has and she wanted to know if she might read it to a prayer meeting to which she goes. I gave her permission…
[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 173)
Image Credit: All but one of the Swanwick photos were taken by me, Allison Symes, though I have used Book Brush for captioning purposes. It is a useful tool. Many thanks to Fiona Park for using my phone to take the photo of me signing books. It is tricky to do that kind of photo yourself! Other images from Pixabay as usual.
It was wonderful to be back at the Swanwick Writers’ Summer School recently. For the first time in its 70+ year history, it was cancelled last year due to You Know What. So getting back together again at The Hayes Conference Centre in Derbyshire was especially nice given I met friends I haven’t seen in person for two years.
There is something special about getting together with fellow creatives in person. Many of my Swanwick friends I keep in touch with via Facebook/Twitter and/or Zoom, which is something positive about social media. It has been a lifeline like that but when you get together in person, you do bounce ideas off each other, share useful tips and so on. There is something in the atmosphere which encourages this.
And it was my first train trip since before March 2020. Annoyingly Cross Country had taken off the direct service from Southampton Airport Parkway to Derby (the service runs on to Newcastle) so I had to go in to London Waterloo, across to St. Pancras, and then go up to Derby.
To be fair it only added another 40 minutes to my journey, which is not bad, but I do still feel it was odd to say the least to send people into the capital when it wasn’t necessary. I am hoping the direct service will be back next year.
The Swanwick Writers’ Summer School runs from a Saturday to the following Friday and comprises workshops, talks, guest speakers, specialist courses, and shorter ones over the space of those few days. The range of topics is incredible.
This year’s school covered flash fiction, poetry, historical fiction, social media, non-fiction submissions, world building (fantasy and science fiction), crowdfunding, book trailer production, creating suspense, writing compelling crime, competitions, writing for children, and the list goes on! I haven’t named half of what was on offer this year.
All meals (which are generous!) and accommodation is included and I pay a little extra to be on the coach that takes me to and from Swanwick from Derby Railway Station. Many of us meet up at Derby to enjoy coffee and a sandwich before heading off to the school. For us, Swanwick week starts there!
After a full day of workshops and courses, the evening entertainment consists of guest speakers who are experts in their field. One talk was from Tony Faber of Faber and Faber who talked about the history of the publishing firm. (Yes, he does have a book out on that topic. How did you guess?!). But it was fascinating to hear the history and especially about the links with T.S. Eliot.
On other nights, there are quizzes. One is a literary one and the other is a general knowledge quiz. I am part of a team known as the Prosecco Queens (no prizes for guessing why) and we ended up in medal position for both (one silver, the other bronze before you ask) so we can hold our heads up reasonably high.
Before Swanwick, there is a competition called Page to Stage where writers are encouraged to send in a script for a five minute play. These are judged anonymously by a professional theatre company and the best scripts go through for performance at Swanwick.
This year seven out of eighteen entries went through. At Swanwick itself, these plays are staged and volunteers are sought for acting, to direct, and of course the writers get to see their plays being performed. During the week the plays are then performed in the main hall in front of the other delegates and we the audience vote on the ones we like best. The winners are awarded a “Swannie”, which is literally a small trophy made to look like an Oscar but clearly isn’t! Trust me, these things are coveted….
Swanwick has a Book Room where authors can put out their wares. Writers fill out a form listing the books we’re taking in for this ahead of the conference and at the end of the week, when we pick up any unsold books, we sign our unsold books out on that list. Payment is made via BACS after Swanwick.
I was thrilled to sell out on Tripping the Flash Fantastic and I only took three copies of From Light to Dark and Back Again back home with me. This was my best year at Swanwick for sales and my first live event since before lockdown.
Networking is the other big benefit. It was a joy to meet up with Linda W Payne, a fellow Bridge House Publishing/CafeLit and Chapeltown Books author especially. We usually meet at the annual Bridge House event in December and that too was cancelled last year. We have high hopes it won’t be this year.
But you also get to meet new authors, publishers, all kinds of people at Swanwick, and they tell you what they do and you tell them what you do. Nobody thinks it odd here that we sit at our desks and make things up all the time! Of course a lot of the networking takes place at another side benefit to Swanwick – the bar!
The grounds at The Hayes are wonderful to walk around (and the main time for this is after lunch and/or if you decide to not go to a workshop etc). The nice thing about Swanwick is you can pick and choose what you go to. Nobody worries if you decide you don’t like a course and then try the others out instead.
And, after Swanwick, you can download the notes from all of the courses, whether you went to them or not. I don’t know of any other writing event that does this. Most tend to let you download notes only from the ones you went to. And you do feel connected to the overall writing community in a way you simply can’t do when you’re sitting at home drafting a story or a blog post on your own.
The biggest problem most delegates have is when there is a clash of courses you’d like to go to on the same day. I don’t envy the Swanwick Committee for putting this together. There is no way of pleasing everybody but being able to download the notes later from the ones you couldn’t get to helps enormously here.
The Hayes is an old country house and it has its own Chapel. A daily service is held during Swanwick week (only for about 20 minutes) and I led a Lift Up Your Hearts session, as these services are known, on the Monday I was away. I shared my favourite parable, The Good Samaritan, and talked a little about how stories can be told in hymns. (Possibly another form of flash fiction going on here as all hymns are well under the 1000 word count limit for flash!). One lovely thing is here is that the names of Swanwickers who have passed on are specifically remembered at the services here. And Swanwick has its own war memorial too.
So there is a lot going on and a huge creative buzz but everything stops for afternoon tea which is fabulous but fattening!
Of course, you get a chance to try out workshops here on subjects that may interest but which you are not perhaps yet writing in and that is useful. I never started out as a flash fiction writer. Would I have gone to a course on it when I was starting out? Probably. Out of sheer curiosity to find out more.
The one thing I don’t join in with at Swanwick is the Fancy Dress Evening/disco. (I have two left feet when it comes to dancing. Trust me, I am being kind on everyone in sitting that out). On the Thursday afternoon, there is a Dregs Party out on the main lawn and, later in the evening, a formal Swanwick Farewell in the main conference hall.
There are a couple of mini competitions during the week so prizes are awarded for the winners at the Farewell. It is also when the Swannies are given out for Page to Stage and I was delighted a friend, Penny Blackburn, won Best Drama for her five minute short play. I didn’t win the flash fiction competition but another friend, Fiona Park, did. Fiona also took this fabulous picture of me happily signing copies of Tripping the Flash Fantastic – I have the feeling I will be using this picture again in marketing efforts!
I had a fabulous time at Swanwick as you will have gathered from the above. The Hayes, for the first time, created packed lunches for people to take outside when the weather improved and that was a great idea which went down very well. Prior to that, you could have had three cooked meals a day there!
There were plenty of sanitisers all over the place and people were pretty sensible about distancing when possible, masking in enclosed spaces and so on. There was plenty of ventilation in our rooms and in the conference rooms. (We all carried out lateral flow tests before going and I carried out another on my arrival home on the Friday. Both negative I am glad to say).
What is wonderful is there was a sense of normality coming back, something everyone picked up on and appreciated, I feel. Now for more author events, please, live and on Zoom. I hope to share more news later on in the year as I have a couple of things coming up.
Oh and you may well know The Hayes for something else. It is the setting for the book and film, based on true events, of The One Who Got Away. Yes, The Hayes did see the only German prisoner of war escape Britain. Oberleutnant Franz von Werra escaped from their marvellous grounds during World War Two. On previous visits to Swanwick, you could go and see the remains of the tunnel he escaped from (and it is tiny, even by my standards and I don’t even make it to 5’ tall!).
Will I be back at Swanwick next year? Let’s just say I can’t wait for the booking slots to re-open!
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Hello again, thank you for all the lovely compliments I received for my first Chapter.
This is not Chapter 2 as promised but more Part 1: Andy’s Story – Part 1: Early Years, Hiltonbury Farm, and… My Old Morris as I have just returned from a visit to Devon where my older sisters Jennifer and Janet live and in conversations with them I have more to add to part 1.
My Father’s Mother died quite young. Jennifer thinks she died in the Sanatorium, a TB hospital in Chandler’s Ford just off Cuckoo Bushes Lane. It has been knocked down and the area is all houses now.
My Father’s Father was the gardener at Hiltonbury and my Father’s mother married him and it was terrible to marry beneath her. It seems that all the family except her Brother George Beattie disowned her but Uncle George was very kind to her.
Uncle George was the Farmer at Hiltonbury, who took my Father in after both my Father’s parents died and brought him up as his own son, sending him to Peter Symonds School in Winchester.
Father used to ride there every day on his bike all the way from Chandler’s Ford to school, and that’s about seven and a half miles. I agreed there was no traffic in those days but all the same fifteen miles a day and the roads were not up to much either.
I presume he would cycle up Hursley Road to The Pound, go right through Hursley, past his Cousin’s Norman Coopers place – North End Farm, and along through Standon to Winchester, then Chilbolton Avenue to Bereweeke Road and so to College.
What an achievement, rain and shine, hot and cold, along, not roads as we know them today but probably tracks some of the way. Amazing. You would not get the youth of today doing that. It’s even a long way to go in a car, probably take as long today with all the traffic as well!
Now back to Cantley in Wokingham where I was born, there are a couple of fuzzy photographs of me in a pram and sitting on the lawn having something to eat, also a photograph of Mr Watson who was the owner of the farm where my Father was the bailiff / manager.
[Read more…] about Andy’s Story – Part 2 – Stories from Beechcroft
Did you know that the Beatles have 229 songs to their name? The Fab Four have each contributed brilliant songs to this total but Lennon and McCartney were the most prolific.
Yesterday, we heard from our neighbours, who were visiting Liverpool, that they were drinking in the Cavern Club, birth place of the Beatles. It gave me the idea of writing a short story using the titles of some of those famous hits. It took fifteen minutes and I had a little help from my friend, my wife Jill. It’s not going to be a Booker Prizewinner but it contains 29 Beatles song titles (plus one repeat) and it goes like this: [Read more…] about Paperback Writers
At home at The Ridge on September 29th 1984, Gran does not hear the early arrival of the postman and coming downstairs finds:
… there was a Post Office card on the mat, saying that it had not been possible to deliver a registered package and it must be signed for and collected from the Post Office in Eastleigh. So I had to go there this morning but I was pacified when I found that it was stamps and coloured postcards from Tristan da Cunha. The stamps were featuring the constellations in “the night sky at Tristan da Cunha” and, as always, are very attractive. Also mentioned in the bulletin was the cottage craft of knitting garments from native Tristan wool, and those collecting the stamps are offered the chance of purchasing them. I have ordered a cardigan but it will be months before it comes. There was a Speckled Wood flying about in the sunshine…
Gran has not forgotten the presumed theft of her painting of an Early Spider Orchid while it was on show a few years ago, but she still remains pleased to be able to exhibit some of her work in order to raise money. On October 2nd:
In the Parish Magazine (Compton) today there was an appeal for funds for urgent repairs to the 800 year old Church, so I phoned Mr Ovenden to ask if he thought enough parishioners would be interested in seeing my paintings. I explained there would be some difficulty as, since one was stolen when I lent them out some time ago, Barry has said they must not go out of the house. Mr Ovenden thought it a splendid idea and he agreed to give some thought to it. He is going to pick me up or arrange for someone else to, for the Family Service in Church at 10 a.m. on Sunday and once monthly in future. I shall feel better if I can go.
And a few days later:
… Mr and Mrs Paris, from Shawford, kindly called and said they would gladly call for me at 10 o’clock on Sunday morning to take me to Church and bring me home again. Mr Paris has recently retired from the Solicitors Paris, Smith and Randal, who looked after Aunt Em’s affairs. A very nice couple indeed..
In the “Echo” was a picture of Lou [Meadon], unrecognisable at 89 and dressed in an embroidered blouse and now living at Fleming House Home. After having known her always in a black costume and hat, summer and winter, she now looked to be another person. I wrote to Barry and Jane Elizabeth and sent this cutting…
[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 172)
Having been asked to write some articles for Chandler’s Ford Today I thought for ages where to start and what to tell.
My Mother and Father had got married in around 1938 and my sister Jennifer was born on the 6th of Feb 1939, followed in 1941 by Janet, then the son that they craved (or so I was informed) dutifully arrived on 6th April 1943. I am told there were air raids while in the nursing home and I was shoved under the bed in a basket a number of times it seems.
Not that I am into the stars but it reports that people who are born on the 6th of April in 1943 have an astrological sign of Aries ♈. Aries’ life pursuit is the thrill of the moment and a secret desire to lead the way for others. People of this zodiac sign like taking on leadership roles, physical challenges, individual sports and dislike inactivity, delays, and work that does not use one’s talents. The strengths of this sign are: courageous, determined, confident, enthusiastic, optimistic, honest, passionate. OK on most of that but not so sure about the physical challenges bit!! [Read more…] about Andy’s Story – Part 1: Early Years, Hiltonbury Farm, and… My Old Morris
June 23rd 1984 Gran calls “A day of extreme emotions, starting most pleasurably and ending in great disappointment.”
Barry phoned and the Family has been making great efforts for my eightieth birthday celebrations and they can all manage the Monday 23rd July, the day after (except Andrew, who will be in Norway), and Julian and Sue want it at their house, Sue specially wanting to do the catering. Barry and Jane go to France at 6 o’clock the next morning and will stay at Farnham on the Monday night and no-one will actually be here on my birthday. That will not matter…
… but it was athletics that caused my heartache and disappointment. Julian did run, but the 10,000 metres started late and only the early laps were shown and the introducer said the result would be given on the News at 5.55. I became more and more nervous and was shattered when it was announced that Julian again ran third and did not qualify for the Olympic Games. This is the second time he has missed out… I watched Val Doonigan’s [sic] show without my usual enthusiasm and enjoyment and have retired sick at heart for Julian.
[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 171)
It is 1984 and on January 12th, 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…
[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 170)
Gran is shopping on July 20th 1983:
This afternoon I went to Winchester… and whilst there looked for my art shop, which had disappeared. On enquiring for materials elsewhere, I was told that there was an art shop in the Romsey Road, and here was able to get a tube of Sap Green paint and two no. 2 sable brushes. The lady in charge told me that the other shop had gone bankrupt five years ago.
[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 169)
On Mid-summer’s Day 1982, Gran joins a coach trip to Mottisfont Abbey. She is not usually one to complain, but the day leaves a lot to be desired in her view, even though she is delighted to find a Southern Marsh Orchid in flower on a grassy pathside when she manages to escape the crowds. “The outing had been arranged”, she says:
… by Hampshire Age Concern and it was chaotic from the start, far too many old folk having been encouraged to go. The coaches were not allowed to go into the Abbey car park, so that the approach road was completely blocked by the coaches, and the leading one had to disembark its passengers before the others in the queue could reach that point… We were received at the Abbey grounds by the blaring of a ghastly hurdy-gurdy but after viewing the small part of the Abbey open to the public, I made for the river.
A cloudy and mild day and one of great excitement, dawns for Gran on February 6th 1982, when Barry drives her to the Wildfowl Trust at Slimbridge, arriving at Rick’s home there, Moorend Farm Cottage, in time for breakfast with him, Beverly and young Tom.
Several pages of the journal are dedicated to this visit, Gran enjoying special treatment, in particular access to bird-watching hides normally unavailable to the general public.
She records a fine array of wild waterfowl including, within a flock of 4500 White-fronted Geese, the Bean Geese that had not impressed Princess Diana earlier in the winter, and also two rare Lesser White-fronted Geese, new to her, “… from a small hide to which Ricky took us, and, when he went to fetch some other visitors who particularly wanted to see them, I came away to make room for them…”, she writes.
[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 167)
The two families, Barry’s and Jane’s, depart Chandler’s Ford after the celebrations for Grampa’s 80th and Gran is left feeling lonely. She says on August 25th 1981, just after the Brenans have left, “I dashed up to my whist drive, missing only the first hand and received a great welcome. I did not want to be at home with all the family gone”. However, Barry returns that evening, she says:
… to do some high house painting outside for us tomorrow and lured me down to the New Forest for some moth-hunting. I was already very tired but I would never refuse such a chance so packed up some supper and left at 7.15.
Mother and son have a fairly unsuccessful time “sugaring” oak trees with treacle at Tantany Wood, attracting few moths and they return home by 10.30. Gran, as usual, puts out food for the Hedgehog last thing, “after which”, she writes, “I tumbled, exhausted but soul-satisfied, into bed!”
House-painting is delayed until the afternoon of the following day. Gran admits that, “Though tired, but unwilling to admit it, I accepted Barry’s offer for me to go along the river this morning and it was very beautiful, very warm, and the water clear”. They also spend a brief time at Shawford Down looking without success for Chalkhill Blues, and Gran notes, “… the area is now so overgrown with coarse grass, the little downland foodplants have no chance”.
[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 166)
Gran writes on June 20th 1981: “I finished knitting the waistcoat, ironed the sixty-year old dress of Mother’s which I washed this morning and hope to wear for the Club’s Prince of Wales Party…”
June 24th:
The tour of Israel for the Lancashire Schools Symphony Orchestra has been cancelled owing to the unsettled situation there but the authorities are trying to fix up one in Switzerland instead. Naturally Katie and Andy are disappointed but I think it is a wise decision.
The Championships at Wimbledon, as ever, provide Gran with interest in June and July, and, also as usual, she passes comment on the behaviour of some of the players. So, on June 29th, when the number seven seed, Pam Schriver, defeats the number three seed, Tracy Austin, she says of the latter, “… as expected after her rude outburst to the Umpire in an earlier match, [she] was not a gracious loser, but Pam played bravely and deserved to win”.
July 1st:
Post brought my butterfly First Day Cover signed by Peter Scott, which will be amongst my treasures. This afternoon I walked quickly up to the Club to join the coach for the drive through the New Forest to Bournemouth to see a performance of the Black and White Minstrels at the Pavilion.
[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 165)
March 23rd 1981 begins badly for Gran when some of her treasured flowers are damaged. She writes:
On going to the Post Office, I was distressed to see that some devil, human or dog, had torn off a lot of the wild Daffodils on our outside bank. I brought in those with any stem and put them in a bowl but there were many heads on the ground with no stem at all.
Small signs of the effect of Gran’s increasing age are beginning to creep into her writings these days. Her penmanship is still almost immaculate; just the occasional page with slightly wayward writing, and spaces left unfilled where she has forgotten the scientific name of a plant, or the surname of an acquaintance. Sometimes she recognises the effect on her of the advancing years. So, two days later, she says, and not for the first time, “I am getting very stupid in my old age!” This because, she relates on the 25th:
New stamps for the year of the Disabled were issued today and I bought my usual, sending off one First Day Cover, but when I later went to stick in my mint set I found I had lost or mislaid them.
[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 164)
On October 27th 1980, Gran records local drizzle and says: “But we were lucky. In Lancashire torrential rain had caused the Ribble and the Wyre to burst their banks and the road above Preston is flooded… I have been anxious about Marsh Lane”.
And later:
This evening my dear Jane phoned, guessing that I should be worrying about the family and, indeed, the Ribble has filled Marsh Lane right across, the Doulton’s house next door to Jane is flooded and water is in Jane’s downstairs in places and the carpets and other things are upstairs. As usual, Jane said, friends are being a wonderful help, and the piano and other furniture is raised on bricks and the council has taken precautions, but she and the children expect to be baling all night.
Gran discovers the next day that it was not the River Ribble that flooded Marsh Lane but a local stream, whose sluice gates should have been opened to allow flood waters to drain away. Minor damage is caused to the house and Jane, Andy and Katie had, indeed, been busy dealing with the problem overnight. [Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 163)
On June 30th 1980, Gran watches tennis on television with some pleasure, writing:
Play at Wimbledon started at noon again today… there were more excellent matches and results were much as to be expected except that Britain’s last hope, Virginia Wade, was beaten by the American fifteen-year old, Andrea Jaeger.
“But”, she says, “My main pleasure had already taken place!”
We have read once or twice of her encounters with the Wryneck, a rare woodpecker-relative once fairly widespread in the south, and on this day she has another one:
Looking into the garden instinctively from the television, I saw what I at first thought was a juvenile Green Woodpecker feeding on the ground by the Silver Birch on which the nearest nesting box hangs. Closer inspection, however, proved the bird to be a Wryneck, which was feeing in characteristic manner, on ants, I expect. After it flew across the bottom of Kingstons’ garden, down the Kingsway ones, I got out the Handbook and identification was absolute. I have only ever seen three Wrynecks, including this one, so it is a splendid record. I phoned Barry this evening to tell him and he was amazed and pleased. Geoff has yet to see his first!
[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 162)
