children – derrickjknight

This Later Season

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This morning I learned that my PSA result was clear – no action required. It is an interesting phenomenon that this is one situation in which no news is good news. The GP only contacts the patient if there is a problem. Otherwise the patient has to make the call.

This afternoon Jackie drove me to Sears Barbers for Peter to cut my hair. Afterwards we visited Tanners Lane,

where a few others were having fun. Two women, children, and a Labrador collected shells; a young man walked his dog; two people rowed a canoe.

A gull atop a post ignored the swirling eddies where currents clashed in the otherwise calm waters.

En route to this site we had noticed a glimpse of the view across to the Isle of Wight from Shotts Lane. The second picture reveals the Isle of Wight ferry and smoke from a fire on the island. The cattle in the third image conveniently wandered into shot.

In order to remove the five barred gate from the scene I needed to scale it a bit, then climb down again.

Pheasants in Sowley Lane, no longer dressed in their mating finery, reflected this later season by picking at stubble in a ploughed field. Others sought the shelter of the Becks Farm drive.

A Good Thing I Wasn’t Waiting For A Bus

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On her way to lunch with her sisters at MacPenny’s Garden Centre, Jackie deposited me, equipped with a packed lunch, a camera, and, in case of necessity, a book at the bus shelter looking down Ringwood Road in Bransgore. This was in order for me to watch the traffic.

A steady stream of cars approached the junction in front of me.

Some were open-topped. It was certainly the day for it.

Vans and trucks tended to publicise goods and services.

Pedestrians tended to walk down to the row of shops on the right side of Ringwood Road and return with purchases.

Crossing the road, especially for those with arms and buggies full of children, was quite a precarious undertaking. The moment had to be seized, although preferably not on the run with fish and chips.

Cyclists of various ages and styles were much in evidence. Some were obviously locals out shopping, others kitted out for a forest ride.

The same applies to motorcyclists.

A camper van carried its own resting place, while a hearse bore a coffin to its final one.

Bringing up the rear are the trailers which carried a variety of loads.

During the 2 3/4 hours I was perched at this spot, the only method of transport not represented at this very busy corner was a bus. It is a good thing I wasn’t waiting for one.

This evening Jackie and I dined on breaded chicken breasts, sautéed new potatoes, and a melange of fried onions mushrooms and peppers. Jackie drank Alta OItalia Trentino pinot Grigio 2017 (courtesy of John Jones), and I drank Camino del Angel Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 (courtesy of Elizabeth).

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.

A Sausage And How To Eat It

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This afternoon we visited Danni and Andy for a housewarming barbecue. First we were given the guided tour of their lovely Victorian semi-detached house.

I couldn’t resist photographing their distant neighbours’ washing.

The contemporaries of my niece and her husband, some with their children, and older relatives like us, all enjoyed the produce of Andy’s barbecue, and salads made by Elizabeth and Helen.

I will mostly let the randomly placed photographs convey the joyful atmosphere.

Danni decided that I should be photographed, and chose to capture me demonstrating how to eat a sausage.

Needless to say, we needed no further sustenance on our return home.

On The Beach (2)

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Darting pin points of fleeting snow given added impetus by biting winds crossing Christchurch Bay failed to deter family out to enjoy fun on the sand, despite this morning’s gloom necessitating the use of car headlights.

For the first time this year my fingers tingled painfully as I plied my camera while Jackie snuggled up in the car with her puzzle book. The precipitation did not settle.

Children brought their own transport into play, in the form of smart scooters

and a wobbly bicycle.

Judging by the gesticulation displayed in the twist of her free hand, one young woman was engaged in an animated mobile conversation.

A little girl put the sea wall to the use for which it was intended.

Dogs frolicked with or without their owners,

and made welcome new acquaintances.

A photographer operated on the roaring waves with the use of a tripod and an extension cable.

He wasn’t so concerned with the two ferry boats coming into harbour, bearing a few intrepid passengers.

A crow on the sand watched the incoming waves,

and a stranded cotton reel had once been bobbin’ on the tide.

On this second weekend of the Six Nations rugby tournament, I watched first ITV’s coverage of the game between Italy and Ireland in Rome, followed by Wales v. England on BBC in Cardiff. The first game was far too one-side to enthrall; the second one of the most thrilling I have ever seen.

Our dinner this evening (look away, Yvonne) consisted of Jackie’s hearty liver and bacon casserole, served with boiled potatoes, carrots, and curly kale. This was followed by Sicilian lemon tart and cream. Jackie drank Hoegaarden, my choice was Cimerosa Reserva Privada cabernet sauvignon 2015.

Party Time

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Grey javelins were hurled from a slate sky all day today, so I went to a party.

This was for Louisa’s fourth birthday, at Gracedale Road in 1986. For the purposes of this post I will only identify

the birthday girl herself;

Becky who took charge of games like pinning the tail on the donkey drawn by me;

Wolf;

and Sam and his friend James. Despite James’s efforts Sam still got in a peek at the camera.

Matthew’s portrait hangs on the wall behind his younger brother. Above and to the right of that picture, obscured by the balloons in the donkey game photograph, is the print snaffled by Alice.

Glee, bewilderment, tiredness, scuffed knees, excitement, and participation in happy games were all exhibited during an entrancing afternoon.

On the end of the roll were a few pictures of Louisa, tolerating her cousin, Danni, exploring her face with prodding fingers, as babies are wont to do.

This evening we dined on mushroom and onion omelette, chips, onion rings, bacon, and tomatoes. I finished the cabernet sauvignon.

Byron Road

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After a day spent writing and posting Christmas cards, buying stamps for the next batch, purchasing a Christmas present, completing our decorations, and filling up with petrol, it seemed appropriate to join the throngs viewing the lights of Byron Road.

When I featured this annual display last year, I erroneously called it Knighton Park. That is because we approached it from that road. Today, I give the residents of the amazing terrace in Byron Road the credit they deserve. A visit to the post highlighted above gives an explanation of what this communal effort is all about.

The entire terrace is adorned with various motifs on the front facade and on the left hand side wall.

Each small front garden is packed with figures, often singing and dancing. We have reindeers, Santas, snowmen, dogs, penguins, polar bears, lambs, cribs, and many more.

Enraptured children have a free run up the garden paths, in order to press buttons, gaze at the exhibits, or cuddle Father Christmas. I needed to be very careful as I backed away to frame my pictures. Otherwise I might have crushed an excited infant.

Jackie raided the freezer for Yellow Ticket bargains for our meal this evening. This resulted in a melange of crispy chilli beef, crispy aromatic duck, and Asian vegetable rice cones, supplemented by her own egg fried rice. The space previously occupied by them is required for the Christmas stocks. Jackie drank Hoegaarden and I finished the Fleurie.

An Alfresco Birthday Party

It was my granddaughter Jessica’s eighth birthday yesterday. She and her sister Imogen and friends were taken out for a pizza and there were four extra little girls sleeping over at Haywood Road, Mapperly that night. Louisa posted some photographs on Facebook. Except that Jessica’s mother, Louisa, enjoyed a May birthday, and could have the parties in the garden in Newark by the time she was eight, this, for me, was reminiscent of my daughter’s own celebrations.

I was, of course, in attendance at Louisa’s events with the camera. I still haven’t found any of the negatives of these, so have resorted to scanning prints from her seventh birthday in May 1989. Here is a selection from a great deal more:

Our teenaged baby-sitter, Kate, was engaged to organise the games in this particular party, and a great job she made of it.

One particular activity involved each child in turn moving forward for a purpose which now escapes me. First Louisa, then Sam, are having a go. The others sat behind them and waited their turn.

For some reason Sam sported a T-shirt bearing a facsimile of my signature.

Some of these children, like Sarah-Jane Hyde have remained lifelong friends.

Matthew Colbourne was to provide the musical entertainment on the evening of Louisa’s wedding to Errol.

Others dropped out of the circle after a while. Louisa’s parties were to continue for another seventeen years, by which time the activities and the groupings had changed a bit.

Jessica provided a general oversight, but more importantly, plentiful party platters to be devoured at tables on the lawn.

Louisa was able to send her photographs around the world seconds after she had taken them. The process, for me, has taken rather longer. Such is the march of technology.

This evening’s platters for Jackie and me contained her smoked haddock and cauliflower cheese (recipe) meal that I call her symphony in white. Fried leeks were added today, and it was followed by sticky toffee pudding and custard. We both drank Cimarosa Zinfandel rose 2013.