OUT OF THE FOREST..

Been absent from these pages for a couple of weeks, partly to avoid any flack stemming from my suggestion that we might be going overboard with our collective national mourning - interesting that the flack never arrived.   

Anyway, we had a week in my old stamping ground of Hampshire`s New Forest, scene of my misspent boyhood and it was, as ever, a real treat to revisit those places that I hold dear and which were, I suppose, at least partly responsible for  some aspects of my persona from my formative years.

One of the real pleasures was to go back to Setthorns Inclosure, close to the village of Sway where we were staying.   It`s one of the smaller of the Forest Inclosures but it always appeals as one with genuine forest trails among spectacular trees.  Above is a photo I took just as we were coming out of the forest where it gives way to the open heathland.    Please click on the photo for a better image.

THERE WAS A TIME..

Went to the local Tesco supermarket this morning for our weekly shop.  As we drifted aimlessly around the aisles a tannoy announcement informed the customers and staff that, at 12.00 noon there would be a two minutes silence in memory of those who lost their lives in the Grenfell Tower disaster exactly one year ago today.

Now I don`t want to be misunderstood here because I have every sympathy for those who were killed on that dreadful night and for the genuine grief suffered by their relatives and friends, along with those who survived the fire and whose lives have been severely affected by what happened.

And, of course, I didn`t mind my retail progress being interrupted for a moment or two of quiet reflection.   But it did just make me wonder whether, as a nation, we have a tendency to dwell perhaps a little too much on these tragic events, almost to the point of revelling in a kind of national outpouring of collective grief. 

As ever there have been hours of TV, radio and acres of print media devoted to this most poignant anniversary and I begin to wonder whether all of that is really helping the friends and relatives of those who were lost to come to terms with it all - or whether it is perpetuating their misery yet further.

There have been times in the past - and I have lived through some of them - when as a nation  faced with calamity on an enormous scale, we used to dust ourselves off and just get on with it?

I`ll shut up and go away for a while, you`ll be pleased to learn.

A DAY TO REMEMBER...

This is Dudley, our new golden retriever.  He won`t take the place of Barney or Henry or any of our previous five retrievers but he will be welcomed into our home, our family, our community and our village when he joins us in a couple of weeks` time.   On Saturday we made the journey down to the New Forest where we had to choose which puppy to have from the adorable litter.  We were left with a choice between two and it was difficult to choose between them - I think we would happily have had both - but in the end we chose this one;  I`m sure you can see why.  

We then went on to revisit one or two places that are a little bit special, well to me anyway.   On the way we drove through some of the open heathland areas of the New Forest and I caught this picture of  a new foal and its mum which kind of sums up what the forest is all about:-

Then on to Lepe on Hampshire`s south coast.  I still recall that when I was about five years old in 1944 walking to Lepe beach from the house my mother and I were staying in with relatives during the war.  It was the first time I had ever seen the sea and it was at the time of the build-up to D-Day in June 1944.  I still remember the hordes of American trucks driving through the village and the troops throwing packets of sweets to us urchins as they drove through en route to Lepe where the Mulberry harbours had been constructed.   These days Lepe is a busy country park but still has the views out to the Isle of Wight.  Here`s a photo of that timeless view I took on what was truly a day to remember:-

(As ever, please click on photos for better images)

NOT COMPULSORY...

I`ve long been an admirer of church architecture and the details you find inside even the smallest and most remote places of worship - for example, the bench ends at Holbeton in south Devon; the crossover at St. Anthony`s church on the Roseland; and the stained glass windows at St. Neot, all of which I have visited, enjoyed and been impressed with the skill and dedication that has gone into producing such treasures.

And arguably the most remarkable and attractive church I have come across is another one on Cornwall`s Roseland Peninsula.   Now being of sound mind and body (well, mind anyway) I have serious reservations about the authenticity of supreme beings - any number of religions seem to produce any number of allegedly supreme beings - and if there is one or even loads of them, then you have to ask why there is so much suffering in this world of ours.   But despite my obvious atheism or agnosticism (if I get up there and discover it was true after all, I`ll be the first to apologise) my admiration for the ambience of churches is enforced each time I return to St. Just in Roseland.

Here`s a photo I took on my last visit there - you can see what I mean, I hope - and perhaps agree that it is not always compulsory to become a member in order to enjoy what`s on offer:-

(As ever, please click on photo for better image)

SUCH A PERFECT DAY...

High summer has finally arrived here in our Kentish enclave - yesterday was dry, warm, sunny - all the things you need  at this time of the year.  We had a visit from middle son and six-year old grandson and in the afternoon we wandered down to our village green which has a play area for the children, room to kick a football around and a tinkling stream flowing through it.

I took this photo whilst grandson was invading the swings and roundabouts and it occurred to me that we, as grandparents, were having a good day, having also seen eldest son, our daughter-in-law and our two grown up granddaughters in the morning.  And in the evening had a chat on the phone with youngest son who lives abroad.

Such a perfect day - I`m glad I spent it with you.