Category: Uncategorized

Chair Repairs

The chair we had repaired just before Christmas was the Victorian Captain’s Chair the family had given me last year. It was in need of improved refurbishment, so we placed it in the capable hands of

Andrew Sharp Antiques in Brockenhurst who

repaired and tightened all the loose joints, including putting a new rod in a leg that had been broken in the past, replacing the now desiccated old glue with longer lasting animal glue.

A pair of plugs in the arms were replaced with ones furnished from

oak which matches the grain of the now firm limbs.

Albeit without the recent fierce winds, today’s continuing rain had turned to sleet by the time we arrived at Andrew’s workshop to collect an Art Deco carver chair of which I had broken the back a few years ago, and replace it with another, not broken, but in need of a similar strengthening that he had effected on the desk chair.

Here the craftsman shows his work on the broken chair, including reinforcing the hessian seat with substantial yet invisible wooden blocks, taken, like the plugs mentioned above from

his collection of offcuts enabling him to match the wood used in the original items,

in the case of the carver, being maple, with a bone insert decorating the central rib of the back.

I really enjoy the character of the small room where Andrew and his employee, Jason, work their miracles.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s tasty cottage pie; pure white cauliflower; firm carrots and Brussels sprouts, with which she drank Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2023 and I drank Paarl Shiraz 2023.

Richard And The Princes

Between dinner and bed we generally watch TV, but, as I prefer to close my blog posts with a culinary note, perhaps rather earlier than Samuel Pepys’s “and so to bed”, I don’t normally include what we have viewed.

I am making an exception to cover two programmes we enjoyed over the last couple of evenings with Becky at her recommendation.

King Richard III, England’s last Plantagenet monarch, was killed at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485 and for half a millennium his body was missing, hence the title of the film we watched two nights ago – “The Lost King”, which focusses on the search for the remains and their discovery under a car park in Leicester, some 12 miles from Bosworth Field.

Despite withdrawal of financial support by other funders, Philippa Langley, the amateur historian instigating the search, having succeeded in gaining the necessary resources, persisted and unearthed

the bones that DNA confirmed were those of the king. The film focussed on Ms Langley’s efforts and her relationship with the University of Leicester. Richard III had, for more than 500 years, been regarded by many as an evil usurper, influenced by portrayals from William Shakespeare and Sir Thomas More. Having now been accepted as a rightful monarch he received a more dignified reinterment on 26th March 2015 at Leicester Cathedral.

In response to his portrayal in the film, “Richard Taylor, a former deputy registrar at the University of Leicester, is suing [writer Steve] Coogan, the production company Baby Cow and the distributors Pathe.

“He claims the 2022 movie The Lost King shows his character, played by Lee Ingleby, behaving in an “abominable way” towards the amateur historian Philippa Langley, played by Sally Hawkins, who spearheaded the dig.

“Taylor claims the film shows him taking credit for himself and the university that was rightfully Langley’s for the 2012 discovery of Richard III’s remains in a Leicester car park more than 500 years after the king’s death.

“[High Court Judge] Lewis’s ruling after a preliminary hearing means that the case can proceed to a full trial where Coogan, Baby Cow and Pathe will have to defend the defamatory portrayal.” https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/jun/14/steve-coogan-the-lost-king-defamation-claim

Moving on almost 200 years since the death of Richard III, “on 17th July 1674, two skeletons were discovered inside the Tower of London. Many believed they were the Princes in the Tower – 12-year-old Edward V and 9-year-old Richard, Duke of York.

“The boys disappeared in 1483 during the Wars of the Roses, creating one of the biggest mysteries in British history. Then, nearly 200 years after they vanished, Charles II re-interred the two skeletons from the Tower in their names at Westminster Abbey.

.”The identity of the children discovered at the Tower of London in 1674 may never be known. Similarly, the fate of the Princes in the Tower may forever lie beyond our understanding. However, this should not deter us from asking questions and embarking on new research. Research is a journey we learn from even if we don’t arrive at our anticipated destination.” (Charles Farris Public Historian for the History of the Monarchy Historic Royal Palaces)

Philippa Langley, however, was convinced that Richard III, long blamed for the believed murder of his two nephews, was innocent, and that the children had survived their time in the tower to make their own attempts to secure the monarchy as first Lambert Simnel (Edward V) and later Perkin Warbeck (Richard, Duke of York). Thus she collaborated with Rob Rinder, an investigative lawyer to research the evidence in Channel 4’s documentary ‘The Princes in the Tower: The New Evidence’. They present a compelling case for the boys having survived to in turn lead attempted invasions against the incumbent king. Neither of these succeeded.

As well produced as was this programme, without DNA evidence from the boys’ bones I cannot be convinced that the nephews were even murdered. I think it was Philippa who said that these particular remains could only be DNA tested with Royal permission which had been denied by Queen Elizabeth II because she believed they should be allowed to rest in peace. Of course this procedure could only clarify whether or not they were the children concerned.

Naturally the conclusions of Langley and Rinder have been challenged by numerous establishment historians, which leaves us with the truth of the final paragraph of the extracts from Charles Farris quoted above.

Moving on even further to this afternoon, Becky and Ian returned to their own home and Jackie and I took a forest drive

when the sun was lowering in advance of its setting.

There were still many pools on the roads but none remained impassable.

The dampness had kept the woodland brightly mossy;

skeletal trees swept skies;

and ponies quietly foraged.

This evening we dined on tempura prawns on a bed of Jackie’s savoury rice, with which she drank Diet Coke and I finished the Malbec.

Culling from 1985

These images have been retained in the cull of those in

Heard On The Telegraph

as have these

from

A Dog To Befriend

Afterwards I read more of ‘The Brontës’.

This evening we dined on pork spare ribs in barbecue sauce; Jackie’s colourful savoury rice topped with a thick omelette; flavoursome samosas; and tender runner beans, with which I drank more of the Malbec.

Impassable

On a weekend in which the vast majority of the UK has been beset by severe snowstorms we have to consider ourselves fortunate that the ferocious winds that have raged around our far gentler microclimate for two days and nights have been flinging floods of more manageable precipitation, the effect of which we encountered the minute we turned the corner into Hordle Lane on our intended forest drive to lunch at Hockey’s Farm Café.

We could have played ducks and drakes on the surface of this lane just a stone’s throw from our home.

The water from the moorland lapped across Tiptoe Road.

Unusually both fords along Holmsley Passage were full of fast-running streams;

the landscape flanking the passage as it climbs bore pools and soggy bracken beneath misty horizons.

Most vehicles, such this Land Rover outside Burley sent showers of spray across the flowing tarmac, the height of the cascades depending upon velocity involved.

A well submerged stretch of Crow Road was the first that my nerve-wracked Chauffeuse considered impassable.

Despite valiant further efforts she finally gave up the idea of Hockey’s and took the A31 to inexcess Ringwood Garden Centre’s Charlotte’s Tea Rooms, where very friendly, welcoming, and efficient, staff in a relaxed environment served our lunch of

cheese and red cabbage in a rustic roll with latte coffee in Jackie’s case; leek and potato soup with fresh bread and butter in mine; and two huge cheese scones to take back for Ian.

Walls and ceiling were covered with reproductions of printed posters and the tables were immediately cleared. In the bottom right corner of the table clearance photograph can be glimpsed a child’s high chair.

Balmer Lawn on our return was awash. We could safely ignore the ban on swimming and water sports.

Finally there was quite a hold up on the A337 outside Brockenhurst where traffic had been diverted around floods under a railway bridge.

It was fortunate that we had avoided returning by Hordle Lane because Becky had seen a car having to be towed out of the deepened pool.

This evening we dined on Jackie’s cottage pie; tasty firm carrots and Brussels sprouts, with which I drank Chilean Reserva Privada Malbec 2023.

Before Pictures Began

It was not until June 2012 that I began illustrating my blog begun the previous month. There were therefore no pictures to delete from either

Rabbits On The Roof

or

A Knight’s Tale (67: “Don’t Turn Round”)

I have, however retained those from

‘If You Don’t Like It, Move’

This afternoon I read more of Juliet Barker’s ‘The Brontës”.

Our dinner this evening consisted of tasty lamb leg steaks sprinkled with rosemary from the garden; mint sauce; boiled potatoes, tasty Brussels sprouts, carrots and cauliflower, and meaty gravy with which I drank Pierre Jaurant Malbec.

A Frosty Morning

We woke this morning to a layer of frost.

I wrapped up well and wandered around the garden.

This afternoon, having deiced the car windows, Jackie drove me to Southampton General Hospital for my cystoscopy undertaken to check the result of my BCG instillations. The procedure was performed efficiently and in a friendly manner; the result was given to me immediately – it demonstrated that the tumour has not returned. The after effects are minimal. A next round of vaccine instillation will begin in three months time.

Later, we dined on Mr Pink’s excellent fish and chips with pickled onions and gherkins.

More Retentions

I have retained these photographs from

The Magnificent Seven

this one from

Columbo

and this one from

Sir Garfield Sobers

This afternoon I began reading Juliet Barker’s ‘The Brontës. Given the size of this I may be some time over it.

The grand-family having begun their journey home this morning, the rest of us dined on turkey and vegetable stewp and bread.

A Cooking Lesson

I will not be deleting any of these photographs from a visit of Michael, Heidi and their children to my house in Sigoulès in The Dordogne in May 2009, three years before I began blogging.

Daughter-in-law, Heidi, an excellent photographer, would have produced these pictures of Alice, me, Elizabeth, Michael, Oliver, and Emily at the window and on the doorstep of the house on 25th May. The dog, we named Po, followed our grandchildren home from a walk.

On this same trip Oliver carefully helped me cook a curry.

Here, at home today, the storms that have once again beset us all night continued raging until late afternoon, when Elizabeth, and Jacqueline, who brought very apt presents for Flo, Dillon, and Ellie, visited, after which the rest of us dined on takeaway fare from Royal Spice. My choice was Tandoori King Prawn Jalfrezi and egg fried rice.

Here, at home today, the storms that have once again beset us all night continue raging.

Answering Neigh

Late on a dull, overcast, afternoon Jackie and I took an optimistic forest drive, finding nothing worth photographing until surprised at

seeing more ponies in the woodland of Bisterne Close than would normally have been expected on such a day.

The denizen featured in these last two pictures first pricked up its ears at a distant neigh to my right; answered it, then trotted off in response across the road.

This evening we all dined on tasty roast duck; crisp Yorkshire pudding; creamy cauliflower cheese; boiled and mashed potatoes; firm carrots and Brussels sprouts, with which I finished the pinotage and the others drank soft and fruity M & S rosé.

Retained During Deletion

Having added many more pictures to my iPhotos in the last month I am starting to get a move on in my culling process.

These are retained from https://derrickjknight.com/2015/02/06/fundraising/

Two days ago Becky, Flo, Dillon and Ian went on a shopping trip to Lymington, intending among other things to buy a coat at Mountain Warehouse, where they had been encouraging me to enquire about Nordic Walking Poles for myself. On their return I asked whether they had seen any of those aids in there. “No”, said our daughter, not exactly making eye contact. A few minutes later, after a parental disappearance, Ellie presented me with a lengthy wrapped parcel.

You know what was in it.

I tried them out walking around the garden this afternoon. They are very helpful.

This evening we all dined at the regenerated Royal Oak pub three doors away. The have been numerous ownerships and managers trying to make a go of the establishment in the ten years we have lived here. They only opened on the 6th of December, have settled in well, are friendly, efficient , and very reasonably priced. We all enjoyed our choices, mine being various types of game suet pudding, carrots, green beans, red cabbage, chips, and gravy, followed by a giant lemon curd Eton mess, and accompanied by a dark coloured draft bitter the name of which I have forgotten. We will visit again, at which time I will take a camera in preparation for featuring the establishment.