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This afternoon Jackie drove us around the forest,
beginning with Tanners Lane where ponies, delaying our arrival at the beach, played at disrupting the traffic.
They crossed and recrossed the narrow lane in their eagerness to crop the grass
and prune the hedgerows.
When we actually arrived at the waterfront, a cyclist who had weaved his way through the horses ahead of us, was already sunning himself on the shingle;
a young lady carrying an Ordnance Survey map soon sat on a lump of concrete to take her rest.
The now familiar boat floated on the tide which was the highest we have seen it.
On the approach to St Leonards lies an apparently insignificant field that performed an important role during World War 2. Across The Solent in the background the Isle of Wight can be seen. Here Jackie reads
this explanatory sign. (I haven’t managed to enlarge this image in WordPress’s improved editing facility), so
I offer this information from the D-Day Museum website:
“Needs Oar Point, like Bisterne and Lymington airfields, was a temporary two steel track runway built in 1943. The runway was built to support the D-Day operations. On D-Day and for the next four weeks, squadrons flew sorties in support of the troops in Normandy. Additionally the Hawker Typhoon ground-attack aircraft flew from here. This provided low-level close air support to the Normandy beachhead.
During the Second World War there were twelve airfields in the New Forest, nine of which were built in wartime. Flat areas of land in this region made it suitable for creating airfields. Being situated near the south coast of the UK also made the The New Forest a useful base for aircraft operating over continental Europe.”
This evening we dined at Lymington’s Lal Quilla, where we received a very warm welcome and delicious food. My choice was Purple Tiger, which is a dish of tiger prawns, tamarind, and various other spices. We shared special fried rice, onion bahji, and a garlic naan. We both drank Kingfisher.
I used to love cycling around all the old New Forest airfields – lovely and flat and edged with unusual weeds and thinking about all their history. Have you been to all of them?
We haven’t, Sol. Something to rectify. Thank you.
Something to look forward to – I was going to ask your favourite – though I cannot think of the answer myself.
If I was a horse I would disrupt traffic all day long just because I can. 🙂 As a pedestrian without a car I waste a lot of time trying to cross roads.
I like the photos of the man and the girl resting – were they looking at the Isle of Wight? 🙂
Many thanks, Mary. I should have said – they were 🙂
Such different and wonderful things you show us!
Thanks very much, Lynn. I also like your Palouse.
I love the views you show us, something so different for me
Cheeky horses! What a lovely day you had out. I love days like this, traffic disruption and all! 😊
Thanks, Miriam. The light in the forest was wonderful
I’m thinking we need to have ponies wandering at will around here – all the hedges and grass verges would be kept in tip-top condition and there’d be none of that Sunday morning noise of machinery! I shall write to the city council forthwith 🙂
Good idea, Pauline. 🙂 Thanks a lot
Where ever you go in the forest the verges are close cropped and beautifully green, not only kept short by the ponies and cattle but liberally fertilised as well!
Yes indeed! I was thinking if we had them here I would keep a bucket and spade by the gate and dash out and get me some fresh garden fertiliser on the hoof 🙂
We often think about it, Pauline. If you can bear the length of this one (You could skip the video) you will see that, even in London, horse droppings were to be gathered up in the 1940s: https://derrickjknight.com/2015/04/17/an-historic-london-borough/
Thank you Derrick, I was reading and thought ‘this is familiar’ ……… And was definite when I got to Jackie’s bit at the end – for some reason I didn’t leave a ‘like’ but did leave a message. I remember when I was very young there were still horses around doing the odd jobs and the driver [ostler?] had to gather up any droppings as they went. I think nowadays it might be much appreciated by home gardeners!
Sorry about that, Pauline. I thought that as you hadn’t ‘liked’ it you must have missed it. Thanks, all the same
bloody ponies. Anyway you know what I think of them! My grandfather spent time at Beaulieu aerodrome in WW1 before flying planes to France. Gordon has his log book that records his time there.
Thanks, Geoff. I do like to wind you up 🙂
LOL! I love this, Derrick. I think that one pony was quite surprised by your visit.
🙂 Thank you, as always, Jill
Any post with ponies, beaches, and history is automatically a good one–but your photos make it extra special. I love the pony pictures, but the one of the cyclist and woman resting is really wonderful. I guess it’s the perspective and the angles.
Your dinner sounds great, too. 🙂
Very many thanks Merril
How I love horses
Thank you, Nita
I’m starting to wonder Derrick; do any of the beaches or seaside resorts have sand, or are they all pebbly beaches?
Our nearest ones are mostly pebbly, but sand is not far away. Thanks, Brian
Enchanting Forest area as always, Derrick.
Thanks very much, Cynthia
I like the ponies and horses (or donkeys sometimes! 😉 ) any way you choose to display them in your photographs, Derrick.
We come across new information from your blog thereby add to our know how. Thanks
Thank you, Harbans
My gratitude sir. Regards
It is amazing how very ordinary places can have a very exciting and important history
How true, I have driven past that rather ordinary looking field so often without giving it a second look.
Many thanks, John. Jackie has answered for us both
Wonderful Derrick, Those horse’s truly help set up the scene and slow down all of the lives who wish to zip here and there ever faster.. Lovely Photo’s and beautiful Day of blue sunny skies.. 🙂
Very many thanks, Sue
So much history in the UK and it’s set in such beautiful countryside.
[I’d LOVE to have a horse be the cause of a traffic jam – instead of the usual crazy driver reason!]
You would, GP. Thank you
Great photos again, weather looking good. We had a learner driver hold us up this morning – your road block is a lot more interesting!
Thanks, Quercus. Our road blocks are wonderful. They really don’t give a monkey’s
😉 I suppose you get used to allowing more time for travel.
We do indeed
Ponies, history, the ocean. Who could ask for anything more?
Those ponies are a hell of a lot more endearing than the traffic I have to deal with almost daily! I would trade any day! 🙂
A-ha, ponies! Now there’s an interesting traffic calming measure.
Horsing around in traffic – fascinating cultural expression of ponies in the lane. Would not happen here in Canada, our loss. 🙂
‘Some more cars coming, chaps. Gather round. Just remember, act very casual as you step out in front of them, And while you’re blocking them pretend they’re not there. For maximum fun, ALMOST get out of the way a number of times … but don’t.’
Perfect speech bubble, Colonialist 🙂 Thank you.