It is the season of parties, not to be left out, we are arranging one. Is it any different in Sri Lanka?
Sri Lankans do not seem to plan their diaries too far ahead nor do they always respond to invites but they turn up on the dot. There is no angst about who to invite and there is no angst about who should come. If you have friends staying, you take them along. [Read more…] about Party
Merry Christmas and Happy New year to all our writers, readers, contributors, and friends ……
It’s a brief message – I want to thank you all for writing, reading, commenting, and sharing our articles. [Read more…] about Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Chandler’s Ford Today
On November 21st 1955, Gran is surprisingly sanguine about the unwelcome developments on her doorstep:
This afternoon I finished the Poppy calendar and decided this is the one for Mary. Somehow it looks like hers. The sun was still shining, burnishing the tips of the trees opposite here, whereon a few last golden leaves are clinging, and giving a beautiful sheen to the velvet-dark Yew trees, which, thank God, are still standing. But the opposite wood is pitiably thinned and a little township is springing up where once I gathered blackberries and vetch, and listened to the warblers, watched the Siskins and saw the first Brimstones in Spring. Soon I shall have to roam far afield for the glories that have been on my doorstep for over twenty-seven years. But I am very grateful for the years in which I have known them.
[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 75)
On October 21st 1955, Gran tells us that tomorrow will be a full day:
…for I leave home …for London where later I visit the British Empire Naturalists’ Association Jubilee Exhibition at Kensington Museum, in which my flower paintings and Jane’s collection of birds’ feathers will be on view. I shall stay at Kingston for the night and go on to the London B.E.N.A. field outing on Sunday…
The journey by train early the following morning frustrates her; to start with, the train is six minutes late, and, she adds:
…throughout the journey, steamy windows within the carriage, smoke from the train without on one side, and the fact that I could not get a corner seat, all contrived to restrict my observations to the very minimum.
[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 74)
On August 20th 1955, Gran plays tennis in the heat in Eastleigh and enjoys an evening at home listening to a Promenade Concert with much music by Gilbert and Sullivan, which she loves. She records that:
At the end of the concert, after Suppé’s “Poet and Peasant Overture”, which was encored, Sir Malcolm was presented with a Peter Scott bird picture in recognition of his sixtieth birthday in April and his work for the Promenade Concerts, by a representative of all Promenaders, both at the concert in person, and listening in at home. Unfortunately we did not hear Sir Malcolm’s response.
[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 73)
Gran’s dislike of television seems to have been overcome, and the watching of it more or less normal by July 1st 1955, the word itself no longer qualifying for a capital “T”:
I spent this afternoon glued to the next-door television and saw Tony Trabert of America, win the Men’s singles at Wimbledon from Kurt Nielsen of Denmark… I saw the gold cup presented to the winner by the Duchess of Kent and there was much fun and laughter between the victor and the vanquished which was good to see.
An encouraging and pleasing result of play in the semi-finals of the Women’s doubles is the fact that there will be an All-British final tomorrow – the first since 1936!
[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 72)
At 11 in the morning of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 the guns fell silent on the fronts of the world at war. Turn your minds to that event and write a strict 500 words to catch the moment. [Read more…] about Armistice
What did Jesus look like? You know, don’t you? He has long, straight hair, a full beard, wears sandals and Arabic robes, he never smiles.
In Europe, he is depicted with fair skin and hair. What did he really look like? There are no clues from the Bible. [Read more…] about What did Jesus Look Like?
News from Mr Roseweir on June 4th 1955, is that V.S. Summerhayes, the Orchid specialist from Kew, plans to visit the area the following day. Gran, with Brother and Fin make their way to Steven’s Castle Down, in the east of the County, in order to check on the condition of the orchids he plans to investigate there. Stopping on their way, to check the Farley Mount area also, she notes:
We turned left at the Farley – Sparsholt fork, past what used to be the vast rookery, but today I hardly recognised it, for all the fine old beech trees have been felled and there is now a wide-open space. If it was cleared in the hope of destroying the rookery, the result must be disappointing, for the Rooks are now occupying a line of Pine trees beside the road, only a few yards away!
[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 71)
I love autumn, as I’ve mentioned before, but must admit I do dislike the earlier and longer nights.
I like lighter evenings. They make it easier to spot my black collie, Lady, for one thing. At the moment we have to put one of the click on lights on her collar from early evening so she lights up the world like a little fairy light! She isn’t impressed by this but it does make her easier to spot. Walking around Hiltingbury at this time of year, you get to spot a few of these lights and the full on illuminated coloured collars. There are some well lit up dogs around here! [Read more…] about The Light Fantastic
In the second week of May 1955, Gran visits Salisbury with her friend Joan Sheppard, to see an exhibition of floral art at the Guildhall there. She fully describes, in particular, those exhibits that she finds most attractive, noting that there is only one male contributor – Gordon Clarke from Dorchester – and whose work was “truly sensational”. [Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 70)
On March 30th 1955, Gran, with Adrian on her mind, writes:
During the evening I listened to a beautiful but poignantly sad play, “Autumn Crocus” by Dodie Smith, and have come to bed dear, with my soul wrung by it and living again its own anguish. But, as with Fanny, the beauty remains and nothing can take that from me even though I grow old.
[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 69)
On February 10th 1955 Gran is in Southampton. She has an appointment there for a chest X-Ray but does not enlarge upon this, preferring to record that:
I had drawn an unexpected fifteen shillings overtime for Christmas week, and, having also a book token to spend, I went to Smith’s bookshop and gave myself a book for which I had longed for many months. It was “Wild Orchids of Britain”, by Summerhayes, of Kew, and I also bought the latest edition of “Hampshire Review”, in which an article of Barry’s on birds of the coast appears. It is a good article and reveals depths in Barry’s character, which may not be apparent to those who only know him superficially.
[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 68)
Gran is still looking after the two-year-old Julian while Jock recovers from my birth, and she finds it a tiring business, “…in spite of Jane’s help”, she writes, on January 9th 1955. She continues:
Jane took Julian for a long walk this afternoon whilst I did some cake-making. They saw several Grey Squirrels, which ran up the trees and Julian gave me a graphic description on his return. He also stroked the nose of a horse but withdrew in alarm when it snuffled at him, and this, too, was described to me with much drama.
[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 67)
November 29th 1954:
Gran completes her last painting of the year with Butcher’s Broom – she has been doing one each month – and her skill appears to be improving. She writes:
I was quite pleased with the result and intend to paint wild flowers seriously next year when I should have more free time. I feel that I could do better with more practice, for these last are a great improvement on my earlier efforts.
[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 66)
The joy and challenge of writing flash fiction is creating a short story out of nothing, with a proper beginning, middle and end, to a tight word count.
The joy and challenge of creating a novel is conjuring up your own world out of nothing and having an enthralling story set there, which usually comes in at the 80,000 to 100,000 word mark. (So your story must be strong to literally go the distance). [Read more…] about The Joys and Challenges of Writing Series Novels – Part 1
The world of literature would be much poorer without its fantastic fiction and its realistic opposite (and I am including non-fiction in what I term reality writing). Both show worlds we can identify with in some way.
For example, in The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkein’s epic fantasy work the way Saruman attempted to destroy the natural world to make his weapons and build his power is a direct reflection of how things have been on our own planet time and time again. I needn’t name the dictators and while Tolkein always denied any comparison to the build up to World War Two, you can see why people made that link. An absolute evil had to be destroyed. An unlikely hero did so. (Who would have thought Britain would win the Battle of Britain? We weren’t supposed to!). [Read more…] about Fantastic -v- Reality Writing
Empty nest syndrome; fun collecting crab apples; flowers for a Queen; a dockers’ strike; a farm wedding; “Goodbye Mary”; and another wedding.
September 21st 1954:
Jane left early this morning to return to college at Eastbourne and Jill Fowler, who joins her there tomorrow, arrived just before she left, with some things which Jane had promised to take for her. Our farewells were brief, for even when we feel our best, we dislike these partings but today with the shadow of Robin’s tragic accident hanging over us, neither of us was fit for prolonged speech.
“Poor little Jane”, Gran continues, “it is the first time tragedy has so nearly reached her and she is being very brave”. Later that day, she cycles to the top of Otterbourne Hill “to get some blackthorn upon which to feed a Fox moth caterpillar which I am looking after for a youngster while he is on holiday”. [Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 65)
One that got away; enjoying Barry’s and Julian’s company before they leave the district; quiet reflections in Compton Church; goodbye Mary Robinson; news of a tragedy; another wedding, and a hedgehog knocks over a milk bottle.
Jane encourages Gran, dogged this day and regularly at fortnightly intervals, by her debilitating headaches, to accompany her on a walk along the Itchen, downstream from Brambridge, on the evening of August 16th 1954. Few people are about, apart from a lone fisherman and a single dog-walker. A Kingfisher flashes past, and a family of Mute Swans is on the water. Gran and Jane observe the fisherman, whom they saw: [Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 64)
Gran, we learn on July 18th 1954, is Godmother to John, one of Tommy and Bob Fowler’s children. On that day, she, with Jill and Diana (the other two Fowler offspring), and Tommy, drive to Cheltenham, where John is at what Gran describes as “the famous school”. The journey is, typically, described in some detail, Gran enjoying the Cotswold villages with, to her, unusual names: Warborough, Stratton St Margaret, Blunsdon and Cricklade. She is impressed by the verges near the last named, “massed with Meadow Cranesbill”, some of which she collects for planting in her garden at The Ridge. And she recounts an amusing incident:
… a boy emerging from a side road was so startled by the sight of an approaching car that he promptly fell off his bicycle and disappeared into a ditch, though we were nowhere near him!
[Read more…] about Forty Years in Chandler’s Ford – a Journal (Part 63)
