Last night I finished reading Chapter 7 of Barbara W Tuchman’s “The Proud Tower”, being a collection of articles on the build-up to the First World War. This is ‘Transfer of Power – England: 1902-11. It deals with the beginnings of the rise of Socialism and the weakening of the dominance of the aristocratic landed gentry and hereditary peers.
On a dank-dismal day Danni and Ella dropped in with a parcel shortly before Jackie and I drove to Walkford to meet her sisters and their husbands for the annual wreath-laying on their mother’s burial plot in the Woodland Burial Ground.
Our great-niece protested that she wanted to come indoors, but settled soon enough for
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a tour round the garden involving chucking stones into the Waterboy’s shell pool. We left her with her mother as we drove off.
As always, we tramped along soggy paths to the site, where Shelly placed the wreath and we all paid our respects. Jackie photographed the wreath
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and the husbands, and I focussed on the wives.
We had begun with coffee and cake at The Walkford and returned after the event for lunch.
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The Assistant Photographer photographed the rest of us and I photographed
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my brunch and her Hunter’s chicken meal. Our drinks were Abbot’s Ale and Amstel respectively.
Ham sandwiches sufficed for our evening meal.