May 2018 – Page 3 – derrickjknight

Degrees Of Energy And Enthusiasm

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Light rain remained in the overcast clouds until the last hour of the very successful Tiptoe May Fayre which we visited this much cooler afternoon.

When we arrived, hopeful owners were taking up positions in the judging ring for the last few pooch prizes.

The Punch and Judy show was a great hit with young and old. Glee and excitement built up quickly. Children’s faces registered their emotions; I had the sense that the older members of the audience may have been reliving their own earlier years. Despite being attached to a leash in one little girl’s hands, her dog studiously ignored the performance. For some, it was difficult to concentrate on both ice cream and the entertainment. One woman had been left holding the candy floss. I was not the only photographer.

The dog agility contest caused canine chaos, from which the careful orchestrator conjured a semblance of order. The children understood what was expected of them and their pets. The pets, however, approached the exercise of negotiating the obstacles with varying degrees of energy and enthusiasm.

This evening we dined on a second sitting of Mr Chan’s Hordle Chinese Take Away fare, with which Jackie drank Hoegaarden and I drank Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo 2017.

Angel Lane

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This morning Jackie drove me to the GP surgery at Milford on Sea to collect a blood test result which, along with a questionnaire I then posted, in the pillar box featured yesterday, to UCH Hospital in London. The material is part of a follow-up survey after my metal-on-metal hip replacement nine years ago. Problems have surfaced from this method. I have none. The blood test is normal and requires no action.

Because of the number of comments I have received complimenting the work of the Milford WI, and in order to show the ladies yesterday’s post, I visited the Community Centre in search of a member to whom I could give a blog card. The volunteer running the café this morning was ‘Tricia, who had helped set up the exhibition at 7 a.m. on Saturday morning. Naturally we had an enjoyable conversation and she asked for four cards which I was happy to hand over.

We chose the somewhat circuitous Angel Lane route to Milford. The sunlight streamed across the narrow, steeply undulating lane, which made for several interesting head-on encounters, mostly with commercial vehicles in a hurry.

Bluebells, cow parsley, and other wild flowers lined the verges; to the left lay private fields, some carpeted with buttercups, one warning us to keep out; to the right a public footpath had been barred off – not an unusual sight in this area.

Bedding plants

We then drove to Hockey’s Farm Café for brunch and returned via Ferndene Farm Shop where Jackie filled the boot of the car with bedding plants mostly destined for her hanging baskets.

This afternoon I paid the car tax fee over the phone and made an A4 print of this photograph taken 3 days ago for Helen.

This evening we dined on Hordle Chinese Take Away fare with which Jackie drank Hoegaarden and I finished the Médoc.

Sharing The Duchess Of Cornwall’s Bench

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According to Wikipedia: ‘The WI [Women’s Institute] movement began at Stoney Creek, Ontario in Canada in 1897 when Adelaide Hoodless addressed a meeting for the wives of members of the Farmers’ Institute.’

‘Born in 1915 out of the ashes of the First World War, the WI was initially sponsored by the government with a mission to help boost food supplies and energise rural areas. But the gatherings proved so popular, it soon took on a life of its own and its members set about righting wrongs, mounting surprising and enlightened campaigns, many of which were light years ahead of their time.’ This is an extract from Emma Barnett’s excellent 24th May 2015 article in the Daily Telegraph.

This year Milford on Sea is celebrating its own centenary in a witty exhibition of art and craft. We visited it this morning.

Most stationery objects around the village green have been adorned with the results of loving labour involving lanate thread and knitting needles. (See the contentedcrafter comment below – also crochet hooks)

Benches and bollards are bestrewn;

bunting bedecks trees and railings.

There are two lighthouses, one bearing a bird.

A gull, reflected in The Village Coffee Pot window, perches atop the pillar box.

Other birds, woodland creatures, insects, a lizard, flowers, vegetables, an octopus, starfish and seashells, cling in abundance to the bollards.

Noddy, Rupert Bear, an elf, a guardsman, a little boy, and an elderly couple occupy the benches.

Just when I thought I had covered everything, a woman asked me if I’d seen the spiders in the tree by the car park. I hadn’t, so I wandered down to put that right. There was also a blue tit in residence.

I engaged in conversation with a gentleman resting his backpack on a bench while he studied his Ordnance Survey map. He was from Leicester and, as part of his aim to walk around the coast of England, was undertaking the stretch from here to Mudeford today. The Duchess of Cornwall seemed quite happy to allow him to share her bench.

Paul and Margery came for a visit this afternoon. We enjoyed our conversation as usual.

This evening we dined on roast belly of pork, Yorkshire pudding, crinkly kale, crunchy carrots and new potatoes. Jackie drank Hoegaarden and I drank more of the Médoc.

The Beast With Two Backs

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Another pleasantly sunny morning gave way to a more overcast afternoon. Much of my day was spent in boring administrative tasks involving banking, form-filling, posting letters, sorting out a computer problem, paying a fixed penalty speeding fine, and finalising and paying for our funeral plans, and exchanging for sterling euros I had kept in a pot for four years. I therefore welcomed a drive out, taking in Brockenhurst, Beaulieu and Lepe.

Several of the forest pools are now foaming with water buttercups.

A virtually deserted Lepe beach was the scene of what I took to be sea defence works of some kind. Apart from a digger on the shingle, much of the equipment seemed to be on larger moored craft with smaller boats engaged in some kind of exploratory activity. Ferry boats and yachts crossed the scene as usual; a daredevil wind surfer delighted in taking to the air; a more upright water skier took advantage of the brisk breeze, and a black dog played fetch with a ball; all against the backdrop of the Isle of Wight.

As we left the car park we were careful not to disturb a beast with two backs.

We stopped off at Milford on Sea to purchase some Mr Pink’s fish and chips to accompany our pickled onions for our dinner at home.

Great Nephews

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Many of the blooms on the still quite small pink rhododendron, seen in this sculpture’s eye view from Five Ways, are now fully open.

Others recently flourishing include the yellow tree peony, various geraniums, and elegant libertias.

The flamboyant red and yellow tulips are changing their hues with age, while the euphorbias have reached full sculptural maturity.

A clematis Montana festoons the mauve lilac tree.

Orange poppies lead the eye to the marigolds alongside the greenhouse. Similarly the heuchera alongside the Dead End Path echos the recently flourishing copper beach leaves.

This latter path is visible from the patio where we sat with Helen, Shelly, Billy and Max who visited us this morning.

Although his usual cheerful self, poor little Max has chicken pox, so he was a bit thirsty and drowsy. Helen administered the bottle.

Billy was as active as ever, manoeuvring his vehicles, wandering about the garden, and munching chocolate bars. The two boys are Helen’s grandsons and Shelly, Jackie, and my great nephews.

This evening we dined on prawn toasts and Jackie’s superb egg fried rice with a rack of pork ribs in barbecue sauce followed by Easter bread and butter pudding. Should anyone wonder what this is, I would ask what else would you do with weird hot cross buns purchased in error, not having realised that the currants were in fact chocolate chips, other than put them in the freezer in case they might come in useful. Jackie drank sparkling water and I drank Tesco’s finest Médoc 2016

Wimbledon (Last Facebook Diary Entry)

Here is the last of my Facebook diary entries, from 8th May 2012. The following day I turned to WordPress:

Having broken not one but two cafetiere glasses last week I walked to Wimbledon and back in search of new ones. Wimbledon, land of Starbucks, Costa and Cafe Nero. Wimbledon, where, in my childhood, you could smell coffee roasted and being ground in a shop along the broadway where I rode the last of the original trams to run in London in the early 50s. Wimbledon, where Centre Court is a modern shopping mall sporting, among other outlets, Whittards (of Chelsea) where I bought the replacement glasses. Centre Court is alongside the grand 30s Town Hall of my youth which is now a Tescos.

Nothing stands still, said Heraclitus.

On the way there, in Mostyn Road, I exchanged ‘good morning’s with a man who looked so like Stan Laurel that I half expected him to scratch his head in the comedian’s idiosyncratic way.

After a fry-up in the Mica Cafe (Wimbledon’s best , if you don’t go up the hill to Wimbledon Village where a fry-up is a full English breakfast) I returned by a circuitous route involving Dorset Road, Circle Gardens, and Mostyn Road.

This evening Jackie and I ate at the Watch Me, our favourite Sri Lankan restaurant on Morden Road.

Apple Or Ice Cream?

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Knowing that today would be the hottest May bank holiday on record prompted a trip to Lyndhurst for a spell of people watching.

On our way, Jackie parked opposite The White Hart in Milford Road on the outskirts of Lymington so that I could walk back to the roundabout and photograph the bluebells and other wild flowers on the banked verges. As I returned to the car along the footpath, a couple of cyclists approaching me from behind asked me to “excuse” them. I was unable to move out of the way, even if I had been so inclined. They were forced to pop up onto the grass, but thanked me anyway.

Eventually Lyndhurst High Street and its traffic became so crowded that it was impossible to focus on anything from my perch on one of the benches beside the pillar boxes, so we went home.

The High Street is approached down the hill beside the parish church of St Michael and All Angels. The Antiques Centre stands next to Down to the Wood where Romsey Road forms a T junction. On this corner people tend to stand to make up their minds which way to go next.

Often, like this couple pausing at Paws in the Forest, they will wander up the hill and return with an ice cream purchased at

the outlet advertising its wares with its outsize cone. One little girl chose an ice cream to match her blue sandals.

Cornets were definitely the treat of choice, although one gentleman preferred an apple.

Judging by the number of mobile homes, some carrying bicycles, in the perpetual stream of traffic, many travellers were making their way back to London or to Southampton.

At least one mobile phone was in evidence.

One gentleman was in need of liquid fuel as he carried his toddler.

Family groups

and others, walked aided or unaided, with or without dogs, occasionally pushing bikes, thronged the pavement, crossing the road when there was a gap in the traffic.

This afternoon, I joined Jackie for her gardening break in the Westbrook Arbour, facing the Phantom Path. These views met our eyes.

With this evening’s meal of pepperoni pizza and plentiful salad, I finished the pinot noir since I had preserved some from our drinks on the patio. Jackie had consumed all her Hoegaarden.

Rupert Bear (Before WordPress 12)

Here is my Facebook diary entry, with supplement, for 7th May 2012:

Brunch today in the tea room of the Chesapeake antiques centre in Wickham. It was such a miserable day that it was reminiscent of endless afternoons in May during my cricketing days, when we hung around hoping for the rain to stop so we could play, eventually giving up and disconsolantly going home at about 4 o’clock. The difference this time was that it did brighten up when we got back so that we could get in some gardening. I did further work on the new bed.

Danni Keenan made a delicious turkey and veg. curry followed by baked apples.

Elizabeth spent some time pricing and packaging two Rupert annuals from the 1940s for a Charity shop she helps. A fascinating piece of social history, Rupert Bear being a character familiar to most, if not all, living English people; and the soft covers of these volumes reflecting the unavailability of board for covers during and just after the Second World War.

(The following paragraph added 7th May 2018)

‘Rupert Bear is a children’s comic strip character created by the English artist Mary Tourtel and first appearing in the Daily Express newspaper on 8 November 1920. Rupert’s initial purpose was to win sales from the rival Daily Mail and Daily Mirror. In 1935, the mantle of Rupert artist and storyteller was taken over by Alfred Bestall, who was previously an illustrator for Punch and other glossy magazines. Bestall proved to be successful in the field of children’s literature and worked on Rupert stories and artwork into his 90s. More recently, various other artists and writers have continued the series.’ (Wikipedia) The illustrated page is by Alfred Bestall.

As we had parked under a tree at Wickham the passenger side roof and windows were spattered by, given that cows don’t fly, the droppings of a very large bird.

Now I am going to have a moan. Nic O’Beirne had the temerity to beat me at Scrabble – and it’s not the first time. She clearly has no respect.

Catch Me If You Can

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Aaron of AP Maintenance’s main task today was weeding the Back Drive.

Taking it in turns to stand aloof, a pair of wood pigeons, wobbling along our eastern fence, engaged in their annual mating ritual. Each time the chaser reached his target she turned her back; he feigned departure; she took up the chase. A provocative game of ‘Catch Me If You Can’. It works for any species.

Today’s butterflies were mainly white, flitting about elusively. This Green-veined variety was considerate enough to take a moment’s rest.

Hopefully, Jackie’s new roses planted in the West Bed will soon climb the Gothic arch across the Brick Path.

Always the last to sprout, the copper beach leaves are putting in an appearance.

Among Jackie’s plantings were Nori gladioli in the New Bed.

From his vantage point on the roof a tiny sparrow stands guard on his family in the eaves.

This evening we are on our way to Cadnam to dine at The White Hart with Jacqueline and Elizabeth. Should there be anything of note to report, I will feature it tomorrow.

Bits Of Metal Pressing Into Her In All Sorts Of Places (Before WordPress 11)

Here is my Facebook diary entry for May 6th 2012:

Began the day reading pieces from England in Particular, ‘a celebration of the commonplace, the local, the vernacular and the distinctive’ by Sue Clifford & Angela King. This consists of a collection of small articles about anything remotely to do with England. Today I read Choughs, Churches, Churchyards and Cider & Cider Orchards. so you will see I haven’t got very far. Fascinating stuff. Thanks to Sam, who gave me the book for Christmas 2011.

I then spent an hour preparing a new flower bed for Elizabeth.

The three of us went to the Bishops Waltham Garden Fair held at Wintershill Hall, Durley. Despite the dull day the rain kept off. The produce was all in tiptop condition and we bought lots of plants, many of which Elizabeth and I planted in a bed prepared last autumn. Jackie did a considerable amount of weeding.

I also bought another birthday present which cannot be detailed here for the same reason as the one bought in Wickham last week.

Most of the cars parked in a field allocated for the purpose got stuck in the mud and had to be dragged free by a tractor. We were fortunate and by dint of careful driving by Jackie and a push from me and another man we were able to get out of the mire.

Elizabeth and Jackie between them bought a very nice and sturdy arch for the rose which lost its support last week when the acacia blew down. This necessitated a lot of pushing and shoving, testing of the car’s upholstery, and dispensing with all but the driver’s seat. Jackie took it back on her own with bits of metal pressing into her in all sorts of places and having to bend her elbow into very strange positions to change gear.

The two ladies are preparing a roast chicken meal as I write.

(Today’s Header Picture comes from the same event of May 5th the following year, by which time I had begun to illustrate my posts