writing

A white Christmas; family visits; success with one “special bird”; 1970 – not an easy year; Norris is 69; farewell Aunt Em; downstairs in her nightie; Charles Wise – lost at sea; hoping to see Gilbert Whitley, and risk of a hanging.

Gran’s journal entry for December 22nd 1970 is short but full of small details: Dad and I leave The Ridge early for another trip to look for the Portland Bill Desert Warbler, and:

“Brother came as usual and reported seeing a Great Grey Shrike and a Hen Harrier in the Beaulieu Road area… We went to see Aunt Em this afternoon… she seemed a little better, even showing a flash of humour… Barry brought Ricky back after a successful trip… after tea, Jean ran in with a phone message – Julian has a place at St Edmund Hall, Oxford, so we were all very excited… I played badminton this evening”.

[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 131)

Snowdon’s treasures; a long drive home – “all honour to Brother”; Tibby brings tickets; Rosewall and Taylor on Centre Court; the Prince of Wales – “a very fine young man”; the Hockridges return; bulldozing on Farley Mount;  power cuts, and a rare bird on Portland Bill.

It is June 1969 and Gran and her brother, Norris, are holidaying together in North Wales.  We are treated to 78 pages of records, almost entirely of plants and birds seen during a fortnight of daily expeditions into the countryside.  Most evenings at their guesthouse, run by Mrs Jones, are convivial affairs, with chat to locals, and to other holidaymakers in the kitchen.  The highlight of their time in Wales occurs on June 10th, when they meet Evan Roberts, described by Gran as “the local botanist and Warden of Snowdonia National Park” for a trip up Snowdon itself.  The drive to meet him involves, Gran says:

…an enormously steep and rough road to the point where we started our climb.  We had allowed a Sunbeam car to go ahead of us and, when we pulled up to park beside it, the driver said to me, “Fancy you getting up here in that thing!”

[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 130)

The Truths of Life in Hursley Forest; guilty picking; birding at Keyhaven; the “abominable feline”; approval of the “QE 2”; sparrow hooligans; to Wales in the “Dagenham Donkey”, and nostalgia in Snowdonia.

Book 124

1969

Two of Gran’s journals are missing since August 1968, and we find ourselves on April 4th 1969. Barry and his family are staying at The Ridge for the Easter break.  Gran, apparently unable to go to Church, says:  “Good Friday, but I was unable to spend it as I used to do, but I must confess that I enjoyed my day and felt very close to the real Truths of Life”.  She spends the afternoon with Barry and Ricky, in Hursley Forest, noting new butterflies for the Spring, and seeing several nice birds, including Willow Tits, unheard of there today, and virtually extinct in the whole County of Hampshire.

[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 129)

Searching 12,000 pages; two Flycatchers; Lizards – still present; an impressive moth-catch; rail travel – no longer a joy; the White Buck – shot, and the Harding family – a wedding and a baby.

Gran, always keen to be helpful, agrees on June 13th 1968 to act on the contents of a letter:

…from David Glue, of Southampton Natural History Society, asking for bird records for Hythe and Dibden Bay for the 1950s.  He is doing an ecological survey but has few records for these years.  It means looking through all my nature notes from 1947 to 1959 for I only keep my flower notes separately and this means twelve thousand, three hundred and twenty-nine pages!

[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 128)

A strange plant; voices recorded for posterity; Ricky “will get every encouragement”; farewell to good neighbours; bad behaviour at Bournemouth; a Glossy Starling; Lady’s Slippers to paint, and monkeys and soldiers.

It is Easter-time, 1968, and the Brenan family spends some of the holiday at The Ridge, arriving on April 8th. Gran escorts the increasingly bird-keen Stuart around the Pinewood and the Lake on 9th. She discovers a strange plant:

In the mud at the end of the Lake I saw a surprising sight.  Scattered about were about half a dozen Arum Lilies – they must have been garden escapes, but how they got there I cannot imagine.  They were inaccessible, streams all round and the mud deep, but I ran home for my Wellington boots and managed to reach the smallest one.  They are a clear yellow, faintly touched with green and some very large though the whole plant was quite short.  I can find no definite mention of them in any book, except that there are species of African Arums and they may be one of these.  But what are they doing here, open in a rather cold April?

[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 127)

A quiet Christmas; a Fox runs by; an old friend dies; spirits lifted by a butterfly; a Presidency for Barry; “21 years of our journal”; the Brenans move house; foot and mouth disease restrictions, and searching for Daphne.

December 7th 1967: “I wakened cold this morning”, writes Gran:

…and it was truly a very bitter day.  This afternoon I dashed to Southampton to do some Christmas shopping and spent an enjoyable little while at Fowlers’ shop, paying my account and giving my Christmas orders.  There have been staff changes in the past year, but it was nice to see one or two familiar faces.

News of Katherine is encouraging later that day, and Andrew is as mischievous as ever:

Katherine is still improving and is quite happy settled in hospital.  Grandma Brenan has arrived and is coping well and Andrew is quite back to form!  Today he took the handle off the larder door and Grandma could not get things out for dinner.  She had to get a neighbour to open the door with a screwdriver!

Six inches of snow fall on the following day, Gran saying the blizzard drives snow into the doorways and packs it against the windows.  “Of course, it looked beautiful”, she adds.  A knock on the door late that day surprises her but it is: “Barry himself, with Julian and Ricky.  He had come by road and found little difficulty until he reached Hocombe Road, where the car skidded on the corner”. [Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 126)

Sherborne House – recalled; a fence triggers a memory; Fair Isle knitting; tennis at Bournemouth, Wimbledon and “Mr Chalk’s lovely garden”; vertigo in Cheddar Gorge; anxiety over a “beastly complaint”; Margaret – a new friend; Ricky does well; plenty of visitors, and some tears.

On April 16th 1967, Gran writes of a kind gesture, telling us that:

…Mrs Dowson, who taught Barry and Jane at Sherborne House School, came to take Mother and me for a drive, mainly so that Mother could see Primroses at their best.  We went through Hursley and Farley Mount… and on towards Sparsholt…

Dad adds a little bit of background:

“Sherborne House School in Lakewood Road, was opened in 1933, shortly before I started there. The Headmistress was Mrs [Eva] Wise. Her two daughters, known as “Miss Dorothy” and “Miss Wise” [Nancy] made up the rest of the staff. “Miss Wise” married soon after I left, and became Mrs Dowson”.

And:

In 2003 the school celebrated its 70th anniversary. Seventy-three-year-old Barry was invited to the gathering at the school and there he found “Miss Dorothy”, over one hundred years of age but still remembering “Barry Goater, the boy who was late for school one morning because he had found a Pine Hawk-moth”.

Gran, Greaty and Mrs Dowson drive on, to Leckford and Stockbridge, and then, Gran continues, “We turned off the main road and came to a wide grassy verge along a lane, which was carpeted with Primroses, a glorious sight.  Mrs Dowson picked a posy for Mother”.

[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 125)

No Church on Christmas Day; fears for 1967; a wretched rabbit; a new washing machine; unaccustomed boredom; thank goodness for Mrs Hillier; an adorable bundle; a party in Bushey; a new bicycle; a driving test passed; a long session of tiddlywinks, and an anniversary.

It is Christmas Eve, 1966.  The Brenan family arrives at The Ridge for the festivities and, Julian and I, the two older grandchildren, Gran writes, “…came, bringing their little half-sister, Fiona, and Julian took them, Katherine and Fiona, to the Lake before lunch”.

Christmas Day at The Ridge passes as usual, with presents passed out round the tree after breakfast, preparation and enjoyment of the dinner (no doubt with the traditional Woodpecker cider), and enjoyment of the grandchildren’s antics.  Tradition, though, is broken uncomfortably for the first time since Gran began her journal, twenty years earlier, Gran writing of the day: “…I was sorry not to be able to start it by going to Church.  With an invalid and the family to look after I just could not get away”.

[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 124)

Snow in April; families in tears; Scotland – postponed; a Garganey; a pilgrimage; sorting out Em; Husky Norris; two christenings; another wild place lost; a wet garden party; the gallant Manuel Santana; the “World Football Cup” and a boot and a half.

Book 112

April 9th 1966:

This afternoon, in sunshine, Brother and I went out together, going by quiet ways to the New Forest… We passed the Sounding Arch, across which Florence Nightingale used to pass from her home, Embley Park, to the Church at East Wellow (in which churchyard she is buried) but which was recently struck by a lorry which was too high for it, and it has now had its top removed, so there is no longer a passage from Embley to the Church.

They drive on the Millersford Bottom, where they leave the car and walk:

…joined by a very friendly Golden Retriever, which stayed with us until we returned to the car, sitting down and patiently waiting every time we stopped to watch birds or investigate anything.

April 14th:

A horrible shock on awakening to a white world this morning!  Yes, indeed, snow had fallen in the early hours and lay to a depth of about two inches.  It was 1950 that I last recorded snow in April and I remember a heavy fall in 1908 when I was living in Bassett.

[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 122)

The wrong music; botanizing with an expert; Teesdale flowers under threat; Battle of Britain and Ugandan stamps; Geoff’s first birthday; cycling on the M1; Roy Lancaster; a failed outing; ships change names; London Festival Ballet at the Gaumont; Kenneth McKellar; Mrs Griffin runs in, and Aunt Em falls.

On September 11th 1965 Gran writes:

This afternoon Dr Dony and his wife called in on their way to Milford-on-Sea, to arrange a day’s botanizing with me.  We have fixed for next Thursday.  This evening I went to see Mrs Freestone, still in Winchester Hospital.  She is still very confused, but she knew me and was glad to see me.

At the end of the next day she writes, having decided against going to Church:

I was going to Church this evening but was put off by the knowledge that the Rector is away and it was to be modern music tonight.  I do not like modern music at all and am sure I should find it offensive in Church – it is the peace and serenity that draws me there, and modern music jangles the nerves with its discordant noise.  Perhaps I am prejudiced and should have gone with an open mind but I am too old to accept such changes in my place of worship.

[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 121)

Winston Churchill’s Funeral; Gran cleans her bicycle; woods are cleared and orchids bulldozed; a visit to Chew Valley; “tall beauties in a Kentish Wood”; Pendennis Castle runs aground; a rare visit to Kingston; some fine tennis; The Sound of Music; botanizing with Barry, and the joys of grandchildren.

My [silver] discs for Andrew and Geoffrey arrived from Canada this morning, so, after a hurried lunch, I took my Grandmother’s bracelet to Parkhouses to have them put on, and to have a safety chain added.

On the same day, January 28th 1965, Gran delivers a very expensive arrangement of flowers to Lady Sopwith, aboard the Windsor Castle.  It is made up entirely of pale pink Cymbidiums, Lilies-of-the Valley and Freesias, and Gran is pleased with the Lady’s positive response to their arrival, different, she says, from the often blasé acceptance from many passengers.  Lady Sopwith was very keen on field sports and a skilled user of the shotgun.  Gran would not have approved!

“I did only the most necessary chores this morning”, she writes on January 30th:

…and then watched on Television, the State Funeral of Sir Winston Churchill which was most beautifully and reverently presented.  The Queen herself honoured the great man by heading the Royal Family representatives in the Abbey and it was a very notable gathering of Kings, Queens, Princes, Presidents and Prime Ministers ever seen at the funeral of a Commoner.  It was all very moving.  This afternoon I did some knitting and then fell asleep!

Gran gives thanks; a change to the Castle Line schedule; The Bartered Bride; a tough time for the Eagle family; two christenings; disapproval of plant collecting; fifty pounds saved; “nippers” on HMS Victory; a new bird on Brownsea Island, and farewell to Winston Churchill.

October 4th 1964: “A quiet afternoon writing more letters”, Gran tells us, and she continues:

…this evening I went to Church, primarily to give thanks for Geoffrey’s safe arrival and Jane Elizabeth’s well-being, but it proved to be a most uplifting and inspiring service, conducted by a visiting clergyman, a Welshman, whose name I unfortunately do not know.  His sermon was based on our interdependence one upon the other and our Brotherhood in God the Father, and he spoke with the utmost sincerity and forthrightness.  I shall long remember this evening.

A homely welcome at Shulbrede Priory; more grandchildren on the way; two boys with “astonishing energy”; the Wayfarer’s Dole; Mother is eighty-seven; a third daughter for Jean Hockridge; chasing a Wryneck, and Cousin Fairlie joins her in Teesdale.

Being a Grandmother is a great joy to Joan Goater.  On March 13th 1964 she receives some welcome mail from overseas, and reports:

Today’s post brought my Grandmother’s bracelet from Jill Brewster in Canada, silver discs bearing the name and date of birth of my grandchildren, Julian, Rhoderick (Ricky) and Katherine.  I shall, D.V., have another one to add in September and I am proud and delighted to have it.  It is a Canadian idea.

“A wonderful day though it was not in the least what I expected”, she begins her entry for the 15th.  “I met Peg at the top of Hiltingbury Road at ten minutes to ten and we set out for the Punchbowl at Hindhead, in Surrey.”  Snow is falling.  It is already two inches deep and she is not optimistic about the outing, which is with members of the Mid-Southern Branch of the British Naturalists’ Association.  Nevertheless, she describes an interesting day:

The object of the expedition was mosses, and the leader, the Honourable Laura Ponsonby, whom we have not met before… we realised that hunting for mosses in such conditions was impossible so she suggested that we should try lower ground and led the way.  Three cars followed her through quiet lanes… to Lynchmere, where Miss Ponsonby turned into what was obviously the drive into a private estate.  When we got out, I asked her if it was all right for all our cars to park there and she said, “Oh yes.  I live here!”

“Here” was the old and beautiful Shulbrede Priory, which was built in 1190, and we were taken round the grounds on our moss hunt.

The car goes “clunk”; hello Katie; a plant search with little hope; Santana and Osuna – equally matched;  Soberton Mill for sale; Julian and Ricky – embarrassed; planning for Teesdale; another grand-child expected; Spring-fever brings depression, but the Royal Ballet is uplifting.

Gran has a good day’s botanising on June 8th 1963, with other members of Southampton Natural History Society, on Browndown Ranges, near Lee-on-Solent.  The group is led, she says, by Mr Westrup, who is compiling the new Flora of Hampshire.  Nottingham Catchfly is a particular goal, a new plant for Gran, and they find plenty of this as well as several attractive grass species, also new for her list, including Purple Small-reed and Bush Grass [now called Wood Small-reed].  She paints the Catchfly next day – the five-hundred and first in her collection.

Two winters compared; ” just what he needs”; a cocoon in a hat; Bucklers Hard – a disappointment; a visit to Bulcote; drawings lost – and found; the Mudds move out; fifteen Robins’ eggs, and an addition to the family.

The bitter weather of the now infamous 1962/63 winter is still making itself felt at the end of January 1963, and on February 1st, Gran says:

The snow is still with us and January’s final records are in!  It was the coldest January for one hundred and twenty-five years, but, paradoxically, it was also the sunniest and the driest this century.  It is certainly one that I shall remember.

And a few days later, she records the figures in more detail, comparing them with those from the equally memorable winter of 1947.  The lengths of the cold spells were similar: fifty days in 1947 and forty-six in 1963, but most telling are the days of frost and snow-lie, with fifteen days the longest run of frost in 1947 compared with thirty-seven in 1963; and the days with snow lying in 1947, a mere twelve compared with forty-two in 1963.

There are several newspaper cuttings pressed between the journal’s pages concerned with the plight of birds and other wildlife during the winter, including that of the Dartford Warbler, almost, and potentially completely, wiped out in its British stronghold – the New Forest.

Natural History outings continue, including a return to Hayling Island, with friend, Doreen Peters and brother Norris, the latter very keen to see his first Collared Doves, which they do, as well as finding a new goose species for Gran, who writes:

I spotted a small party of geese in a field close to the lane and we stopped to investigate.  We remained in the car to avoid disturbing them and had a wonderful view.  There was no doubt about it – they were actually Pink-footed Geese, nine of them and we could see every detail.  This was a new species for me.