Late this morning we took a trip to the north of the forest in order to brunch at The Potting Shed Café at Hyde. We had enjoyed it so much on Saturday with Jessie that we wanted to go back.
From Holmsley Passage I photographed some heather scenes for John Corden;
Dog walkers and cyclists made way for us to pass on the road.
We pulled into Smugglers Road carpark to picture standing ponies and a prone foal.
We were some way from our goal when I spotted that we were about to run out of petrol. The only chance of finding any more was to make it to the busy main road to Ringwood. Which we did. And turned left. And ran out of Petrol. Opposite a bus stop.
As we sat wondering who to call,
with the tailback building up behind us while we blocked traffic in each direction while oncoming vehicles paused to allow
those behind us to pass and continue on their way, David came to our rescue. He was on his way home from Ringwood. He turned round, drove Jackie back in the direction from which he had travelled, stopped at a garage where she bought a can and a gallon of fuel which he poured into our tank having driven her back to me sitting in the Hyundai, and waited until our engine fired up at first turn of the key. We couldn’t thank him enough. Next time we travel to Hale from whence he hails we hope to meet him again.
Ponies gathered on the green at North Gorley, and those forcing traffic onto the sward don’t seem to have moved since the 17th.
Splendid sunflowers tower above the fence to The Potting Shed Café, where Jackie produced photographs of both establishment and meals:
she chose very fresh and tasty blue cheese and walnut salad; I enjoyed a repeat of my last meal there:
The Full Works breakfast, with best quality ingredients, and water. In the first picture the hash brown is obscured by the authentic black pudding, and the herby sausage by the bacon in the second.
On our return through Bransgore Jackie photographed Tom and Jerry decorating a postbox.
For a late, light, supper Jackie chose asparagus soup and salad; mine was scrambled egg on toast. I drank water.