August 2018 – Page 3 – derrickjknight

A Turning Point

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Last autumn, Jackie bought a job lot of gladioli corms, having no idea what colours would emerge. She was so excited by these blue ones that she had to tie up as a protection from today’s steady rain descending from a granite sky, that I just had to brave the elements to photograph them.

The Ashes series of 2005 was one of the greatest cricketing contests between England and Australia. This iconic photograph from Getty Images of Andrew Flintoff comforting Brett Lee after a fighting innings which just failed to snatch the Edgebaston match from England is considered a picture of one of the most sporting moments ever.

That series was a turning point for cricket in England for three reasons. The first is that BBC lost the recording rights of International cricket to Mammon, in the form of Sky Sports, who outbid them. This means that those young children, whose resurgence of interest in the game formed the second point, could only watch live games via a subscription to the media giant.

My grandson Oliver was the third reason. In the Spring of that year, I had taught him the basics of batting and bowling in the garden at Newark. He watched the series, closely studying the batting techniques on screen. By the end of the Summer, although I still had something to offer as a bowler, it was apparent that I had nothing more to teach the lad whose skills far exceeded mine.

By August 2007, when I made these colour slides scanned today, the eleven year old boy was an opening bat for the lower sides of Sanderstead Cricket Club.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s perfect, spicy, pork paprika with splendid savoury rice. The Culinary Queen drank Hoegaarden while Elizabeth and I drank Eszterbauer Sogor Kadarka 2015.

Picking Up The Trail

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Today the sky was pure graphite and rain fell intermittently. This afternoon I bought a now available sheet listing the entries to the Hordle Scarecrow Trail. As we had feared, the numbers were down considerably from previous years, and some had suffered from the recent gales.I featured a few of the exhibits in ‘Seeking Hordle Scarecrow Trail’

Now the extended time limit had passed the sheets had been published today. The staff member in the pet shop who sold me the form told me that her own personal entry, a Frog Prince, had been ruined by the gales, and so would not be on display. She wasn’t sure that she would be able to repair it. In an effort of encouragement, I told her I would be looking out for it after the weekend. She had won the competition in two previous years.

The Little Princess had stood outside 6, Elizabeth Crescent. This decapitated scarecrow was all that was left of it.

The third entry, from Ramblers, Woodcock Lane, was missing. This was Eric who was meant to gaze lovingly at Ariel, his sweetheart, at Rose Cottage, next door.

Undamaged Frog Princes sat outside Hordle Pavilion, Vaggs Lane,

and 36 Heath Road.

The residents of 1 Windsor Close paid homage to Gareth Southgate, England’s World Cup Football manager.

I needed to remove and replace a large protective plastic bag from Princess Jasmine at 20 Larch Close.

Princess Anna & Elsa (from Frozen) reside at 43 Charnock Close.

We’ll have a look next week for the two absentees.

This evening the three of us enjoyed Jackie’s delicious sausage casserole, mashed potato, cabbage, carrots, runner beans and mange touts; followed by a melange of chocolate cheesecake, vanilla ice cream, and strawberries. Jackie drank Prohibition Budweiser, and Elizabeth and I drank DiMarco, Primitivo Puglia 2015.

Setting Up The Barricades

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Today having been one of continuous gale-force winds and intermittent heavy rains, the garden was delighted, and regular readers will know that for me that meant a forage in my archives.

I scanned a baker’s dozen of the Streets of London series from July 2007.

Porchester Gardens,

Queensborough Passage,

and Queensborough Mews are all in Bayswater’s W2 district,

as is Porchester Terrace.

The Catholic Church of St Mary of the Angels in Moorhouse Road is also visible from the corner of Head’s Mews.

Fulton Mews demands various viewpoints.

Over at the Notting Hill area Westbourne Grove, W11,

Westbourne Grove Mews,

and Ledbury Road were all preparing for the Notting Hill Carnival. All the shops put up barricades against the inevitable damage, including the use of wialls and doorways as urinals.

This post has been completed in the Royal Oak because we cannot access the internet. Elizabeth, Jacki, and I are now returning home where Danni and Andy are dining with us on Jackie’s delicious sausage casserole.

Directions From The Window

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On a dull day with intermittent light rain Jackie drove Elizabeth and me over to Mum’s to carry out a few tasks.

The major object of the trip was the rescue of a wayward wisteria, flattened, and stretching across the grass. Jackie provided the expertise

and a metal stake with which to reinforce the old rotted wooden one snapped at the base.

She took a heavy mallet to the new stake in order to hammer it into the still rock hard ground.

I lent a hand or two.

Elizabeth offered support, guidance, and assistance in positioning the plant.

Mum offered directions from the sitting room window,

and Jackie pruned to the level her mother-in-law required and wired the old post to the new one.

My wife and sister then went shopping while I cut up all the pruned branches and fed them to a green garden rescue sack. When they returned we enjoyed a lunch of salad, ham, cheeses, bread, quiche and strawberries, all fresh from Sainsbury’s.

Elizabeth then mowed the lawn and she and Jackie carried out more tidying and weeding while I kept my mother company.

After this we returned some inappropriate equipment to a local health centre, and made our leisurely way home.

This evening the three of us dined on Jackie’s succulent roast lamb; roast sweet and normal potatoes; Yorkshire pudding, cabbage, our own runner beans, and carrots. Jackie drank Hoegaarden, and, Elizabeth and I, more of the Merlot.

Seeking Hordle Scarecrow Trail

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This afternoon the three of us set out to follow the Hordle Scarecrow Trail. The entries for this annual competition had been due to finish on Sunday 5th, after which sheets listing and locating the entries would be on sale at various local shops. We tried several outlets, ultimately to learn that entries had been extended to today and that therefore the lists were not available. We therefore trawled the village seeking possibilities in gardens from previous years.

The theme this year is princes and princesses. In Stopples Lane we have Disney’s Aladdin, Jasmine, the genie, and the lamp.

Not far away, in the window of the pharmacy in Everton Lane, stands a Frog Prince.

Staff of the Budgen’s garage by the Everton Lane roundabout have produced Princess Leia and a cuddly Ewok.

As he passed them, this nostalgic Austin driver probably didn’t see the Star Wars visitors.

It was Jackie who spotted the Princess and the Dragon in Everton Road. She came to a halt further up the road, and Elizabeth and I walked back with our cameras.

Prince Charles also appeared in Everton Road. He was in his gardening gear, complete with wheelbarrow and terrier.

Next door, Robert Gill had gone to town on Princess Leia and Star Wars. The last four portrait images were produced by Elizabeth.

We rather hope the delay in proceedings is an administrative problem rather than a shortage of submissions. If so, there will be more to photograph in a day or two.

This evening we dined on Mr Pink’s fish and chips with Garner’s pickled onions with which Jackie drank Becks Blue, Elizabeth drank Hop House lager, and I drank more of the Merlot.

Unashamedly Odious

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Once hailed as ‘one of Hampshire’s loveliest gardens’ we last visited Apple Court Garden, under its previous ownership in the spring of 2014. Elizabeth had also viewed it before then. Today it was open under the NGS (National Gardens Scheme) which raises money for charity. The three of us went along to be profoundly disappointed. Certainly we have endured a very dry summer, but that was no reason for the general air of decay and lack of care, especially as the entrance fee and prices of rather sad plants for sale were high.

My camera worked hard to find things of beauty to photograph.

Jackie and Elizabeth studied the plants for sale, on the way to the entrance hut.

Such colour as there was on this stretch – or anywhere else for that matter, appeared in scattered spots, like this spiderwort tradescantia,

or this attractive two-tone crocosmia.

Elizabeth having paid our £5 a head entrance fee we scoured the beds for interest. Here Jackie contemplates the parched earth.

The distant agapanthuses looked well enough;

This bright phormium sent up reddish feathered foliage;

a decorative Turk’s Head lily swayed to

Joe Pye Weed is attractive to bees. We noticed none in the garden.

A modicum of interest was engendered by the emergence of other visitors in the gaps between the beech hedges.

At least, we imagined, the water lilies

and the carp in the Japanese garden would sparkle. Sadly the once clear water was too murky for the lens to penetrate to any depth; spiders’ webs festooned the wooden screen;

the surrounding path had become overgrown and the gravel so sparse as to offer raised circular stones as booby traps.

Comparisons are odious – so the old saying goes. Well, in our view this is no longer a lovely garden. A glance at the last two images in the post highlighted in the first paragraph above will show the difference in the carp’s pool. Our own garden, containing far more colour per square metre, is about a quarter of a mile from Apple Court. I am unashamed in making these two comparisons.

This evening Jackie produced, for the three of us, succulent roast lamb; perfectly crisp roast potatoes; Yorkshire pudding; runner beans from the garden with crunchy carrots and soft mange touts; and onion gravy so thick as to require a spoon for serving. Jackie having drunk her Hoegaarden on the patio beforehand, abstained from alcohol, while Elizabeth and I drank Castillero del Diablo reserva Merlot 2017.

Spot the Bees

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Jackie continued watering the garden this morning. This afternoon we both carried out an extensive dead-heading session.

After this, I wandered among the flitting butterflies and the laden bees, occasionally sitting down, and photographing the still colourful range of flowers. The day lilies have been struggling, but some still survive. Look for the bees in some of the blooms. Captions to the gallery pictures offer identification.

This evening the three of us, including Elizabeth, dined on Jackie’s marinaded chicken fillets, pork rack of ribs, Plentiful vegetable rice, and ratatouille. Jackie drank Hoegaarden, and Elizabeth and I drank Casillero del Diablo reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2017.

Sunny Afternoon

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This afternoon Jackie and I spent a glorious Sunday afternoon at Cathy and Rob’s barbecue. The weather was perfect, the company delightful, and the food and wine excellent. I imagine most of our fellow guests will be familiar with

The captions to the gallery photographs detail this random selection from the fancy dress party.

We needed no further sustenance when we arrived home.

“I Was Trying To Get Out Of Your Picture”

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Late this afternoon Jackie and I took a car ride into the forest.

Whilst we were making our leisurely way along Braggers Lane,

we passed a friendly young woman riding a horse. I exchanged waves with the rider.

Further on, I disembarked to photograph fresh ferns in the hedgerow

and the sloping landscape with ponies.

I was pleased to hear the gentle, rhythmic, clopping that told me the rider was approaching. I waited for her to arrive and she effected a skilled manoeuvre taking her steed across the road taking backward steps.

She was happy to be photographed, but said “I was trying to get out of your picture”.

“I wanted you in it”. I replied, “It’s all part of the scene”.

“I guess so”, was her smiling response.

“Definitely”, said I,

and she continued on her way.

Further waves were exchanged a little later on.

As we neared Burley, a New Forest tour bus approached us. We keep promising ourselves a ride on one. We must look into it. The photographic perspective should be interesting.

This evening the three of us dined on mango and chili chicken fillets; juicy ratatouille; roasted sweet potatoes; and tender runner beans. Jackie drank a local wheat beer, and Elizabeth and I drank more of the Merlot.

Fleur De Lys

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On 1st August, without notice, Facebook stopped allowing the link from WordPress. I managed to post that one manually, but could not do the same yesterday. Elizabeth and I unsuccessfully wrestled with the problem. Jackie managed to access it from her e-mail alert. Today I sought the advice of James Peacock who set me up a Facebook page to receive these posts. Previously they had been going to my profile. We will have to see how we get on with this one.

This is how its own website describes ‘The Fleur de Lys [which] resides in the beautiful village of Pilley just outside Lymington. Serving excellent local ales, wines and spirits, the Fleur-de-Lys first pint being served can be traced back to 1096 and has a list of landlords beginning in 1498. This makes her the New Forests oldest Pub.

As well as being a pub rich in history, she’s also one of the prettiest, smothered under a huge thick thatched roof and the beautifully refurbished interior is traditional, welcoming and serene. She has a rustic busy bar at one end, main restaurant, seating around 30 in the center and a snug room further on which is ideal for private dining or large groups. Vast open inglenook fires in each room means this will the place to be in the midst of the winter, and during the summer laze in the pretty garden with a chilled glass of Rose next to the original water well. Dogs are welcomed in the bar and snug area but not the main restaurant.

We look forward to welcoming everyone to Fleur de lys…. the Grand Old Lady of the forest. Very young children are not permitted in the resturant in the evening due to the small and intimate nature of dining at the Fleur de lys. We are a very small pub that caters for an adult environment, during the summer when the garden is open and there is plenty of space to run around children are more than welcome.’ (I have chosen not to edit this).

We just had to try it out.

The advertisement for a Paranormal Evening suggests the establishment may be haunted.

Before our meal we spent an hour in the garden which boasts a well

and a little thatched house.

Elizabeth

sampled different seating arrangements.

The service was excellent and mea incredibly good. Jackie’s breadboard and dips starter was more than enough for her, so Elizabeth and I had to help her out. We were also given little cups of cream of tomato soup.

Elizabeth and I both chose a Brixham crab starter.

For her main course Jackie chose mushroom risotto.

Mine was a brill dish,

and Elizabeth’s what she considered the best liver and bacon ever.

I have seen scrolls of parish priests going back centuries before, but never pub landlords. The eleventh century brewers were monks who started with mead.

Of all the other historic items on display, I found this one the most amazing.

You have seen what we ate. Jackie drank Jail ale, and Elizabeth and I shared a bottle of Merlot.