Spring update

Without talking about the mundane it has been hard to find inspiration during the winter period when we’re “getting on with life” rather than being involved in an adventure. But the reality is that life is very interesting here and we’re loving it. This part of Berkshire is quite rural and consists of numerous little lanes linking up small hamlets and villages, plenty of farms and little woods everywhere. We enjoy waking up each morning to views in one direction across 'our' big garden to the surrounding countryside, to the other side into 'our' forest, and think how lucky we are. It is certainly a huge contrast to this time last year when we were flat-sitting in Reading and only had a bleak cityscape to look at.

Welford Manor

We joined the National Trust here which gives us free access to numerous big stately homes and gardens and motivates us to get out in the weekends and see the area. Spring has arrived late this year. One month into it and it still only creeps up to 10C most days and is often cloudy; some rain but rarely enough to see me heading inside from the gardening.

Snowdrops

The flowers in Spring are impressive here as it goes through the cycle of snowdrops, crocus, daffodils, and then bluebells. For the best snowdrop display we went to nearby Welford Park which is only open for a short period. They have planted millions of bulbs that make it really look like snow has fallen.

Another nearby place we visited (principally because it is free to National Trust members) is The Vyne, an early 16^th C house in large grounds. The National Trust properties are looked after in proportion to how many visitors they receive, some of the well-known ones are in very good condition, this one was average. Like many there is continuous restoration going on and some rooms are closed. One of the more interesting features to us was a huge framed map of London lurking in a dark corridor with a weak torch available for viewing it. The map was not restored and dated from the late 17^th C, and it was fascinating to see how London was really a series of towns (eg. Westminster), separated from the City by farmland. It wasn’t until much later that they all joined up into one large metropolis. Another highlight was the Oak Gallery: a large room panelled in oak with swords hanging around. You realise the amount of history when told it was where Elizabeth 1^st presented the French ambassador with the head of the Earl of Essex. The other item of real interest is a Roman ring, one that contains words etched into the surface for which Tolkien was called in to inspect. It is suspected that this may have been his inspiration for the ring in the Lord of the Rings.

The Round Table. Maybe.

A good day-trip from here is Winchester, where we went with my sister Gail and brother-in-law Janos. A delightful old shopping street to wander down, a well-known cathedral (though a bit boring I thought compared to Wells or Salisbury), and a working mill powered by a waterwheel where we took home some stone-ground flour. I’m expecting a loaf of bread from Vicki very shortly! … There are plenty of attractive old buildings, one of which contains “Kings Arthur’s round table” - very impressive even if it was built several hundred years after Arthur himself!

The Mods pull out of town ..

We also did some trainspotting recently. The local camera club that we belong to told us that a newly refurbished steam train was passing by in a few days, so we dutifully drove to Pangbourne station to watch it go by one Saturday morning. As we neared there we passed a chap on an old 10-speed cycle dressed up in tweeds, cap and rucksack. Vicki immediately identified him as a fellow trainspotter and he did appear on the platform with us. It turns out he restores old bicycles for a living and was immensely proud of his 1959 Raleigh in original purple. No one had warned us how different a main-line steam train is to the normal restored engines that putter along private tracks. We saw it in the distance and then, ten seconds later, it had flashed by. Oh well.

Spring continues with plenty of growth in the garden and lots of temptations for the local deer. We are forever battling to shore up the fence and keep them out. Tulips are a special favourite of theirs. And now we have a badger burrowing under the fence too. They will be near impossible to keep out as they can chew their way through wire if need be. We have two badger setts in our woods and it is not surprising that at least one is trying to get into the garden. Our concern is for our two chickens. Apparently if a fox gets in they will decimate the entire coop and leave body parts everywhere, whereas a badger will neatly take one away. Then come back for the next. And the next. By morning the coops will be empty.










We're looking forward to a busy few weeks..... next weekend we're planning a weekend near Frome with Gail and Janos (who are currently in snowy Iceland with their daughters); a week later we're celebrating Vicki's birthday with dinner and a show in London; and at the end of the month we're off to Morocco for a week, with a few days in Marrakesh and a three day tour to the desert with camel ride and camping in the dunes!  On our return to the UK, we'll have our fingers crossed that the UK Border Agency will stamp Vicki's passport with another six month visitor's visa - we're not yet finished with our travelling here and would like to spend another six months in the UK before moving on.