Tramping tales for November 2012

The second weekend of November the Starks family from London - Nuala, Jack and their two children, Ruan and Bea, came to join us for the Tetney Bonfire weekend.  English Bommies are not too different to the colonial ones we grew up with in Rhodesia. By the time our children were growing up, fireworks had been banned for a spell in consideration of animal rights and other safety issues!  Over here, the Gypsies reserve space on the playing fields for their Fun Fair (Luna Park as we called it in Africa) giving the Village Hall much needed revenue.  On the day of the Tetney Bonfire, Daniel helped move the Gypsy’s heavy equipment over the soggy sportsground with his JCB. In turn, they gratefully him free rides.  Roo, Kiki and granny Mom-mom went on the Cliff Hanger together. This wild ride sent Lea’s long legs flying every which way totally out of control as the machine whizzed up, down and roundabout and we all shrieked in a mixture of pleasure and horror.

Ruben barrowed his ‘Guy Fawkes’ up to the village Hall only to find his Guy was the only entry. It was placed on top of the bonfire and he delightedly pocketed a twenty pound gift voucher.   

Out on the field Lea’s hands and feet steadily froze that eventually she could stand it no longer and hobbled home before the fireworks display had even begun. Fortunately George had refused to subject himself to the cold night air and the two of us settled down to TV instead – The X Factor has grabbed our attention for weeks as Ella Henderson, the little girl we used to hear singing “Tomorrow” with such heartfelt clarity has, at sixteen years of age, made it through to the final 12 and we are committed to cheering on ‘our girl next door’ (quite literally). Another week later, despite pundits saying she’d win, she was voted OUT to the stunned amazement of the country.

The night before we drove down Suffolk way George happened to take an issue of Countryside to bed where he became absorbed in an article about Muntjac deer.  Imagine his astonishment, on taking the luggage out to the car next morning to find a Muntjac deer hanging from the grapevine. Having learnt much overnight, George recognised this fascinating little buck, of Asiatic origin, by its two tusks (downward pointing canines) used for fighting and its large sub-orbital scent glands used for territory marking.

Muntjac, a deer introduced in 1838, escaped in 1925 and now so numerous it is predicted to become the most abundant deer species in the UK. 

Returning home the previous night, Daniel tghrew2 it in the back of his van seconds after it’d been hit by a car. Determined to eat it, Dan commenced skinning and degutting it next morning along with a good deal of retching and hung it in George’s workshop to mature.

We couldn’t resist a photo of Dan, completing his task in the workshop as we departed for the familiar A16 road south, aided by the tom-tom to find Beccles and the home of Cousin Ian Vivian and meet his wife Jill. She had been at Arundel School with his sister Sandra and in the back of Lea’s mind her name rang a distant bell making her keen to see whether the face in her memory matched the name! Cousin Sandra and her friends had always kept a kindly look-out for Lea as a new girl at senior school. Despite the passing decades, Lea recognised Jill although she recalled Jill being of fair colouring. She was! Her hair had darkened after having children.  After a cuppa, Ian and Jill were keen to show us around their neck of the woods as we didn’t know the area at all. We drove through Beccles, once a flourishing river port in the Waveney Valley and spotted all the river craft parked in the marinas as we made our way to the coast and Lowestoft. Very like Grimsby, Lowestoft had been a port for the North Sea fishing industry – until its decline.  And like Cleethorpes a popular holiday destination. 

We were amazed by Lowestoft’s beautiful wide sandy beaches with the inevitable rows of colour beach huts as we walked along the promenade talking nineteen to the dozen and caught up on the years.

Over breakfast, Ian happened to mention the church they attended, belonged to the Suckling family – a familiar name in Howman history dating back to Norfolk and the dynasty of vicars that somehow created a close association between the Howman, Suckling and Nelson families! Ian had no idea of these connections other than the Most Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Barsham has played a significant part in his recent life in Beccles, as his wife, Hilary’s funeral took place there and, he’d recently married Jill there. This gave us all the more reason to fit in a quick visit before we set off for the day to explore Reedham.   

We paused in the Lych-gate of the Church of the Most Holy Trinity, Barsham, where Ian and Jill were married in July 2012.

The Church of the Most Holy Trinity had a quaint and ancient looking exterior, set well back from a quiet English lane (described as a ‘rat-run’ which rather tickled us!) and situated in a large green meadow with a stately looking parsonage close by (the very home where Catherine Suckling -mother of Admiral Lord Nelson, was born and brought up).  Inside the old church, Ian pointed out the length of wall where hung England Expects That Every Man Will Do His Duty signal in flags and more recently discovered - the little lancet window through which an Equinox Event takes place.  Whether this is a magical occurrence or a useful check on the season is unknown. It is however, difficult to experience the Equinox phenomenon lasting all of 4 minutes but it must be pretty special event to witness. The incredible chill in the air of the church chased us onwards into the Norfolk countryside and the itinerary Ian and Jill had planned for the day. Off we tootled to the Reedham vehicular chain ferry across the River Yare, the last of these types of ferries and the only crossing point between Norwich and Yarmouth thus saving users a journey of 30 miles. Although the plan was to enjoy walking the village of Reedham on the northern side we decided it was too muddy and crossed by car doing short walks within the village before returning to a delightful pub lunch in the Reedham Ferry Inn very close to the crossing followed by a necessary stroll along the river to help work off the good meal before heading to a little pup – Mitzi, waiting at home for her walk.

Unsure whether we were going to Surrey or Suffolk, Mona Skehel had clarified it perfectly for us north was – Norfolk and south was Suffolk which not only made perfect sense, it made a difference to our understanding of the Bulge on the map of England. And, we’d heard of The Broads... After all the years of wanting to do a narrow boat trip; within a month we twice have the opportunity. With the Broad Waterways on their doorstep and a most perfect blue domed day made to order via Ian and Jill’s ‘hot line’, the Vivian’s were eager to show us Alex, their narrow boat and gave us a wonderful outing down the River Waveney.

Barely seven months old, Mitzi is already a well trained narrow boat dog ‘smiling’ for the camera as Ian engaged his bow-thrusting device to gently nudge the boat away from the jetty and take us exploring the River Waveney.  

Compared to the Shropshire Union Canal we’d travelled along last month, the Norfolk Broads were very different. To begin with they are tidal; there are no locks to have to open and close; the waterways are a lot deeper, the water a lot cleaner, and having been left in a more natural state, the bank edges are aesthetically appealing. Some bridges were very low and we had to check the tidal gauges before attempting to go under. We were also struck by the long views obtainable over the marshes. Skeletal trees had large flocks of rooks rising out and circling- strange how much more noticeable they are when the trees have lost their leaves. In perfect timing for lunch we turned down a blind ending towards Geldeston village and tied up alongside the open gardens of The Locks, a delightful and popular pub and spent a happy hour there over lunch and a pint of bitter.

As the townscape of Beccles with its detached sixteenth century perpendicular Gothic Bell tower, soaring 97 feet,  came into view to end a fine day out -  Lea popped her head up to say “Pleez don’t stop”!

Interestingly, Horatio Nelson’s mother Catherine Suckling married the Rev. Edmund Nelson in St Michael’s church where he’d been a former curate and not her father’s church in nearby Barsham.  Sadly our wonderful few days with Ian and Jill had come to an end – it had been so good to share family time together after far too many years of silence that we were sad to leave.  An early departure had us taking the circular route around Norwich as we were keen to check on Peter Sladden in Southrepps Hall before we made for home. Into his nineties he had lost his much loved wife, Eve, in February this year.  Despite the odd missed turns we found our way to the front door of the manor house a little too early for unexpected visitors. No sign of anyone other than a gardener up in the Southern Rhodesia Avenue of Tree. He assured Lea, Peter had been up for breakfast and the housekeeper was around. We eventually required his help to locate her and advise we were at the front door. Thankfully the children of long time family friends don’t have to stand on ceremony and we were admitted into Peter’s office despite him being in his dressing gown. Fair enough at his ripe age on a wintery day.  He was delighted to have us call by and we spent a good hour chatting before hitting the road.  Lea ran up the historic avenue to the EG Howman Tree for a quick moment at her parents headstones and then across and back down the other side to Eve’s burial ground. The mound surrounded by pansies and primroses. And, from the immediate avenue trees hung a good many bird feeders with a bench below – no doubt for Peter to rest upon when communing with his wife over a lifetime of memories. Touching! Travelling through the wooded archway of trees via Holt and Kings Lynne, leaves were fast floating down around us putting us in mind of a ticker tape salutation to the advent of winter.

On our return from Beccles, Justine had her father ‘butcher’ the venison into a roast, a stew and fillets to ensure their arrival in her kitchen would appear to be straight from Tesco! From road kill, she apparently produced three deliciously successful meat dishes for her guests that night. Fortunately we had a dinner engagement in Lincoln as Lea would have found it exceedingly difficult to put mind over matter!!!

Andrew Skehel was up from London and as Lea hadn’t seen her ex Kariba pupil (1968) since he was a young lad his parents, Joe and Mona had invited us up to Sudbury (outside Lincoln) for the weekend. Hard to believe this strapping man was the impish freckled face little boy, Lea had imprinted in her head!

The Skehels – Joe, Andrew and Mona

Andrew dashed off after breakfast next day to visit his youngest son, in his last year of school, as it was his birthday. We enjoyed a lazy Sunday with Joe and Mona before departing for Tetney as the last light fell.

We were delighted to receive a phone call from Ruth and Pieter Smith, visiting family in Yarm with hopes they could come and stay the very next day, as they zigzagged gently down England.   Fortunately Justine and Dan are more than accommodating and Lea prepared a bed in the play-room.  A Christmas spree in Castleford at the Junction Outlet Centre, an hour north of Grimsby had been arranged amongst Justine and her friends and her nine seater vehicle enabled Lea and Ruth to jump aboard.  Browsing the shops on a cold and very wet day was a good choice.  The next day we took the Smiths through to Louth and walked the old market town as far as the medieval church of St James with its impressive belfry and spire. It is a striking landmark for miles around and the tallest spire of any Anglican parish church in England. We were able to go inside and garner some of its history. Lea was interested to read before the time of pews, people gathered here to start the Lincolnshire Uprising and the Pilgrimage of Grace, against Henry the VIII’s ecclesiastic changes which resulted in the church being stripped of its wealth. Despite that, it has continued to be a good working church and there was a hum of activity when we stepped in.

Our good time with Pieter and Ruth Smith sadly passed all too quickly.

The last week of November was suddenly upon us. Lea was caught up in a variety of activities amongst which was time at Signhills Academy. Otto had invited her to take part in a group activity amongst all the Year six students. Each group challenged to build the strongest bridge out of identical materials - 8 straws, 4 pieces of paper, sticky tape and a length of string! Add too, a morning at the manicurist with Justine, before she departed for “time out’ in Sardinia with her husband leaving Mom-mom to hold the fort and her husband to pick up the slack when absolutely necessary! Yes, George IS in another ‘space’. He has been there for months totally absorbed in computers (the plural is correct!) using the publishers Blurb, who provided the layout and graphic elements for George to turn our blog into published editions for ourselves; and Justine’s Apple to make i-movies combining songs of Australia and photographs he has taken along the road. 

Three books to date plus one on his adventures with the yellow baboons of Niassa! 

As IF that wasn’t time consuming and dysfunctional enough, Pieter Smith told George about devices used for digitising slides and video tapes and George immediately located them through Amazon and began the process of rescuing our obsolete ‘library’ for posterity. A magnificent job when it is finally achieved but M-E-R-C-Y! Does George have to be quite so single-minded and driven?  

Early mornings, de-icing the car in readiness for the school runs became additions to the privilege of caring for the grandchildren and, on the eve of December, Lea took off to relax with her Weelsby School friends at a dinner party hosted by Jan Slesser.

Recalling the stress and strains of teaching and the support of each other - Marilyn, Liz, Pauline and Ann in the back row with Jan, Rachel and Sally sitting

Lea couldn’t resist a photo with two avid and interactive followers of our Blowing in the Wind blog since the very beginning... Jan Slesser and Sally Souter-Smith.