On a morning of sunny intervals, Jackie and I nipped out to buy bread and took the opportunity for a short forest drive.
The heather on the moorland straddling Holmsley Passage is glowing purple, and the bracken beginning to yellow.
Several cyclists crossed Holmsley Passage in their trip along the gravelled path converted from former railway tracks of one of the lines destroyed by the Beeching/Marples combination of the 1960s.
Ponies and foals were cropping the verges of Bisterne Close.
We lunched with Mat, Tess, and Poppy at The Rising Sun at Bashley. Despite the hundreds of customers in this extensive establishment, we were all impressed with the speed and efficiency of the service and the excellence of the meals. Mine consisted of steak and ale pie, chips, peas, carrots, and cabbage with thick, meaty gravy, followed by ginger sponge and custard. I drank Otter ale.
There were not quite as many ponies outside the pub as in this image from 2017, but enough to give credibility to my prediction that there would be a sighting.
Our granddaughter met another contemporary called Poppy and her sister Florence – the names of our Poppy and her cousin, Becky’s daughter.
Afterwards, Tess and Poppy drove off to a beach, while the rest of us returned home and flopped.
Later, the others grazed while I didn’t.
A question just occurred to me. I’ve come to understand the concept of a Commons, but who owns all these ponies, donkeys, cattle, and such? Are they also held in common? Or privately owned? Or a combination? You may have written about it, and I’ve missed it.
Thanks very much, Linda. These questions have been variously answered in relation to quite a few posts. The animals are all privately owned. Some, e.g. cattle, pigs, and sheep are in farms and allowed out at particular times. The donkeys and the ponies are owned by individual commoners who have pasturage rights and remain free throughout the year. The pigs are loosed in the autumn to eat up acorns and such (mast) which are poisonous to ponies. There is an annual round up of ponies called the drift. One of these appears in the second part of this post: https://derrickjknight.com/2016/08/30/the-drift/
What an interesting post that was. Any time boats, strawberries, and horses can be combined in a single entry (not to mention crabbing) I’m there. Your answer here was great, too — covered it all. I’ll note as an aside that freeze branding increasingly is being used here. It takes longer than hot iron branding, but has some advantages. I noticed a commenter or two who used words like ‘barbaric’ to describe branding, but responsible owners who keep medical, breeding, and other records on their animals need a way to distinguish them. As for cattle, it sure does help when a steer wanders off to be able to check the brand and get it back to its home!
One of the most interesting highway overpasses I’ve seen is in the Texas Panhandle. It’s embossed with historic Texas cattle brands.
I’m pleased you liked it. Linda
Your meal sounds so delicious, Derrick! And the countryside is very beautiful too. Shore Acres has a good question, who owns all the animals? We don’t see this over here.
Thanks a lot, John. I am answering Linda’s (Shore Acres) comment.
Your meal at The Rising Sun sounds so good, I even got a wisp of the savory gravy 🙂 Gone are the days when I enjoyed a well-cooked steak.
Thanks very much, Rosaliene. 🙂 I once enjoyed a steak in an Argentine restaurant. None other has ever come near it.
What a lovely day out!
Thanks very much, Sheree
This sounds like a perfect outing.
It was, Anne. Thanks very much
Love your posts. Our Appalachian mountains also had a fall tradition of letting pigs loose to fatten up. I don’t know be it some places still do that.
Thanks very much, Pat
Another great ride through the forest, Derrick!!
Thanks very much, GP
A far sighted government (ha ha) would have retained all the closed tracks and converted them to well paved cycleways, leaving open the opportunity for reinstatement later as railway lines. As I cycle along busy roads beside deserted and overgrown old railways, I grind my teeth.
Marple made his money building roadways. That was his far sight. Thanks a lot, Tootlepedal.
Love your forest adventures! Sounds, and looks, like a grand day! The ponies are always a joy to see! Pretty perky ponies populating the pub partying peppily! 😉 HA! 😀
(((HUGS))) 🙂
PS…The thought of Human-Beans grazing (which we do) always makes me grin! 😛
Thank you so much, Carolyn X
The ponies of today, and also of 2017, look as though they’re affected by post pub legarthy!
I’m not very keen on heather – but can’t help but admire its ability to survive – even thrive – on quite barren land, as illustrated perfectly by your wonderful purple display.
Thanks very much, Emma. We don’t like heather in gardens, but like its glow on hillsides. And I like legarthy
That’s it – you’re absolutely right, Derrick; it’s not a garden plant, it is for free areas, hillsides and natural, untamed areas..!
A beautiful set of pictures.
Thank you very much, Mrs W
Your welcome.
Ah one of dad’s favourite pubs. Because of its signage dad called it thr Japanese pub which has stuck in the family
Thanks a lot, Geoff. I’ll borrow it.
Good to know it’s continuing
Thanks for the lovely outing, Derrick. I laughed at the last line.
Thanks a lot, Jill. 🙂
That has to be one of the most beautiful days out for just a simple task of picking up bread. Thank you for answering the ownership questions as I too was curious.
Thanks very much, msw
Mmmm … a lovely day all round 💕
Thank you very much, Val
A fine day out! 🙂
Thanks a lot, Quercus 🙂
🙂
That does sound like a hearty lunch.
My thought, too! No need for grazing later.
Thanks very much, Lindsey
I love the “heather landscape” photo!!
Thanks very much, Liz. I got Jackie to back the car down that narrow lane for that shot.
Please let Jackie know that I appreciate her obliging you!
Have done so. She smiled with pleasure
Thank you! 😀
Those ponies all look like they are waiting to get into the pub! That is quite a collection. The heather is beautiful.
They do indeed, Lavinia. Thanks very much
You certainly brightened up day my with your older photo of the ponies gathering outside The Rising Sun Hotel … thank for sharing Derrick , and this photo has been placed into my “Derrick File”
Thanks very much, Ivor
Lovely lavender and an interesting name for a restaurant. It’s so nice to see the poines roaming free in the town and no one trying to exploit or move them. FYI, I have not been able to click on individual photos lately. Not sure why.
Thanks very much, JoAnna. Actually the lavender is heather. I’m afraid the freezing of the gallery pictures is WP’s latest mess-up – this seems to be intermittent. Sue W has reported and been told they will fix it!
There have been a lot of challenges lately on WP.
Yes
Is this lavender in the fields?
It is heather, Pat. Thank you, very much
That was a long journey to buy bread! I am delighted for those photos of the moorland. The closing line is interesting.
Thanks very much, Uma. Nobody was very hungry and I was stuffed 🙂
That was some meal and quite a herd of ponies.
Thank you very much, Laurie. I ate nothing more that evening
Not hard to understand why. 😉
🙂
It is nice to see ponies, they are beautiful. We don’t see them here.
Thank you very much, Lakshmi
A beautiful day! I love the name Poppy 😉
Thanks very much, Ribana. Her mother’s surname is Flower
That’s wonderful 😍
Wowy, hats off to your memory. Was it the first time after 2017 were you there?
We pass it most days when we go into the forest, Rupali. Thanks very much.
I’ve never heard of a steak and ale pie, but it sounds good. The countryside is beautiful. Thanks for sharing your photos!
And thank you for coming along, Priscilla
I can remember the days when every pub had queues of men waiting for opening time, nowadays it’s horses!
Certainly here it is. Thanks a lot, John
It looks and sounds like you had such a lovely day. I love the heather landscapes.
Your comments at the end of the post made me chuckle. 😀
Thanks a lot, Merril
I love horses and ponies too Derrick ☺️🐴 have a joyful day ~ smiles hedy
Thank you very much, hedy
I love the pictures of the donkeys and the heather landscapes. The scenes you share reflect upon a peaceful existence.
Thank you so much, Eugi
You’re welcome, Derrick.
Looks like a lovely place and sounds like a delightful day, Derrick.
Yes – thanks very much, Dolly
My pleasure, Derrick.
Your family day sounds as though it was delightful.
your grandchildren also vary in ages just like mine. My eldest is twenty one and the youngest is just four months
How old is Poppy?
Poppy is 6, Florence 25 – those are our shared ones. My eldest is about 27
Thanks for sharing your forest drive. Quite lovely! I especially enjoyed “The heather on the moorland straddling Holmsley Passage … glowing purple, and the bracken beginning to yellow.” Your prose is poetic!
Thank you so much, Jan X