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Sep. 13th, 2006 08:04 pmEast Hampshire's Civic Day today. On the drive there my mother began to tell John there was a wedding (of a friend of a friend) she'll be unable to attend on 11 November because of the bowling club dinner-dance. At the mention of the word wedding, though, John went into a routine saying 'oh, congratulations' to me - he went on for minutes, until I sardonically observed "Who'd have me?" The main focus of attention was the murder of a youth in Leigh Park last night - we stayed tuned to Radio Solent to keep track of the news.
Arriving at the East Hants civic offices for coffee and chocolate biscuits, when we met Richard my mother said she was sorry to hear about the killing, and Richard told us it had been just 200 yards from his house. We talked about Leigh Park for a while, and Richard did point out that the area has one of the lowest crime rates in Havant. I walked around with my cup of coffee saying hello to everyone I knew, till the call came for us to get on the bus. While I and most of the guests immediately began to move, my mother and half a dozen others stayed behind in the room talking. That annoyed the hell out of me - when you're called to get on the bus, you start moving towards the bloody bus! You can talk as you walk. Just standing still like suet puddings, holding everybody up, is plain rude.
On the bus, Jim and Maria were sitting together, so I said to them "You two have made up, then." Maria said no, she'd go off and sit on her own again if she found a spare seat. Our first port of call was Edward Barnsley's Workshop. We saw some magnificent hand-made wood furniture, including a beautiful desk and chair set in rippled sycamore - a snip at £9,500. With some pride, the lady guide showed us their exhibition piece, a majestic lady's writing desk, with lots of intricate little drawers inside, in walnut, cherry and holly, made to mark the Jubilee in 1977. To everyone's amazement, the guide told us Edward Barnsley's verdict on the desk had been "not bad"!
Next we had a walk round the actual workshops, and saw the craftsmen and apprentices making a card table for Lady Martlesham ("she can afford it", my mother said wryly) and a superb lectern for Tiffin Girls' School - Jim said he wanted one of those for Test Valley council chamber. A workman showed us the shed where the wood was drying out, including 'bog oak' - from oak trees that have been submerged in water for centuries. While we were having our tour, my phone rang to signal an incoming text. In transit between the shed and a craft shop I peeked at the message - it was Hardcore Sue to say her personal organiser had died so she needed my birthday. I started to reply, but before I'd finished we arrived at the shop so I had to stand there holding my phone and listening, message half typed, till they said goodbye to us.
Back on the bus, Maria was now sitting with Sue :) I noticed the No Smoking signs were in both English and Welsh, so told my mother, Maria and Sue that we must be on a Welsh coach. When I pointed out the sign to Maria, she didn't realise it was back to front and tried to pronounce the Welsh backwards! That led her to quip that as the signs are posted to read the right way round on the outside, that means you're not allowed to smoke on the outside - you can inside the bus!
We went on to Brookfield Golf Club for lunch, the same venue as last year. We were all allowed a free drink from the bar; they had London Pride there, but nobody else was drinking beer - it was only 12 noon - and I knew there'd be wine at lunch, so I resisted the temptation and settled for a coke.
After dinner we went to Chawton House, famous for having been the home of Jane Austen's brother - she often visited, and is said to have based Mansfield Park, and a location in Pride and Prejudice, on the grounds. The home is dedicated to literary women of Jane's era; the reception room is lined with portraits of lady authors and well-read actresses, including Mary Robinson, novelist, actress and first mistress of the future George IV. Later rooms and corridors had paintings of more fascinating women. In the dining room, one of the portraits was of the renowned society beauty Kitty Fisher - the lady guide told us the true story of the nursery rhyme; Lucy Locket was a courtesan who loved a Mr Pocket, and Kitty took him away! The guide didn't tell us who one of the pictures was of; when I asked, she said "I thought someone was going to ask that!" She admitted that as yet they hadn't found out who that portrait depicted, and added "We call her Sonia, because she looks like Sonia from EastEnders"...
The library was amazing. It was full of first and early editions of late 17th, 18th and early 19th century books, predominantly by women. We weren't allowed to touch any of them (you have to be in their membership scheme to do that) but a few books were lying open on the table for us to look at their title pages. One was by a naturalist called Elizabeth Blackwell; the guide told us how the proceeds from her books got her husband out of debtors' prison - "that was a common experience for women writers in those days". On the shelf I noticed the memoirs of Harriette Wilson; I mentioned them to the guide, adding that she was the lady whom the Duke of Wellington told to 'publish and be damned', and the guide told me some more about Harriette.
After the tour came tea and cakes. There, I met a lady whose badge said 'PA to Alan Titchmarsh'; as my mother is a great fan of Mr Titchmarsh I went off to introduce her to her and they had a good chat. The day ended with Brian, the East Hants chairman, formally reopening the Walled Garden, making a speech and snipping the ribbon on the restored 1905 iron gates. He and wife Audrey walked in first, and we all followed. There was a table where drinks were being dispensed, but we were being picked up early for my mother to go to a committee meeting back in Gosport. Our pick-up time drew near, and I went round saying goodbyes to the other mayors and chairmen, but my mother had gone and got a glass of apple juice and was walking round looking at the garden, and obviously didn't want to go! I had to enlist Maria's help in getting her to move.
Back home, chilled out with Goodnight Sweetheart on ITV3 then Comedy Doubles.
Arriving at the East Hants civic offices for coffee and chocolate biscuits, when we met Richard my mother said she was sorry to hear about the killing, and Richard told us it had been just 200 yards from his house. We talked about Leigh Park for a while, and Richard did point out that the area has one of the lowest crime rates in Havant. I walked around with my cup of coffee saying hello to everyone I knew, till the call came for us to get on the bus. While I and most of the guests immediately began to move, my mother and half a dozen others stayed behind in the room talking. That annoyed the hell out of me - when you're called to get on the bus, you start moving towards the bloody bus! You can talk as you walk. Just standing still like suet puddings, holding everybody up, is plain rude.
On the bus, Jim and Maria were sitting together, so I said to them "You two have made up, then." Maria said no, she'd go off and sit on her own again if she found a spare seat. Our first port of call was Edward Barnsley's Workshop. We saw some magnificent hand-made wood furniture, including a beautiful desk and chair set in rippled sycamore - a snip at £9,500. With some pride, the lady guide showed us their exhibition piece, a majestic lady's writing desk, with lots of intricate little drawers inside, in walnut, cherry and holly, made to mark the Jubilee in 1977. To everyone's amazement, the guide told us Edward Barnsley's verdict on the desk had been "not bad"!
Next we had a walk round the actual workshops, and saw the craftsmen and apprentices making a card table for Lady Martlesham ("she can afford it", my mother said wryly) and a superb lectern for Tiffin Girls' School - Jim said he wanted one of those for Test Valley council chamber. A workman showed us the shed where the wood was drying out, including 'bog oak' - from oak trees that have been submerged in water for centuries. While we were having our tour, my phone rang to signal an incoming text. In transit between the shed and a craft shop I peeked at the message - it was Hardcore Sue to say her personal organiser had died so she needed my birthday. I started to reply, but before I'd finished we arrived at the shop so I had to stand there holding my phone and listening, message half typed, till they said goodbye to us.
Back on the bus, Maria was now sitting with Sue :) I noticed the No Smoking signs were in both English and Welsh, so told my mother, Maria and Sue that we must be on a Welsh coach. When I pointed out the sign to Maria, she didn't realise it was back to front and tried to pronounce the Welsh backwards! That led her to quip that as the signs are posted to read the right way round on the outside, that means you're not allowed to smoke on the outside - you can inside the bus!
We went on to Brookfield Golf Club for lunch, the same venue as last year. We were all allowed a free drink from the bar; they had London Pride there, but nobody else was drinking beer - it was only 12 noon - and I knew there'd be wine at lunch, so I resisted the temptation and settled for a coke.
After dinner we went to Chawton House, famous for having been the home of Jane Austen's brother - she often visited, and is said to have based Mansfield Park, and a location in Pride and Prejudice, on the grounds. The home is dedicated to literary women of Jane's era; the reception room is lined with portraits of lady authors and well-read actresses, including Mary Robinson, novelist, actress and first mistress of the future George IV. Later rooms and corridors had paintings of more fascinating women. In the dining room, one of the portraits was of the renowned society beauty Kitty Fisher - the lady guide told us the true story of the nursery rhyme; Lucy Locket was a courtesan who loved a Mr Pocket, and Kitty took him away! The guide didn't tell us who one of the pictures was of; when I asked, she said "I thought someone was going to ask that!" She admitted that as yet they hadn't found out who that portrait depicted, and added "We call her Sonia, because she looks like Sonia from EastEnders"...
The library was amazing. It was full of first and early editions of late 17th, 18th and early 19th century books, predominantly by women. We weren't allowed to touch any of them (you have to be in their membership scheme to do that) but a few books were lying open on the table for us to look at their title pages. One was by a naturalist called Elizabeth Blackwell; the guide told us how the proceeds from her books got her husband out of debtors' prison - "that was a common experience for women writers in those days". On the shelf I noticed the memoirs of Harriette Wilson; I mentioned them to the guide, adding that she was the lady whom the Duke of Wellington told to 'publish and be damned', and the guide told me some more about Harriette.
After the tour came tea and cakes. There, I met a lady whose badge said 'PA to Alan Titchmarsh'; as my mother is a great fan of Mr Titchmarsh I went off to introduce her to her and they had a good chat. The day ended with Brian, the East Hants chairman, formally reopening the Walled Garden, making a speech and snipping the ribbon on the restored 1905 iron gates. He and wife Audrey walked in first, and we all followed. There was a table where drinks were being dispensed, but we were being picked up early for my mother to go to a committee meeting back in Gosport. Our pick-up time drew near, and I went round saying goodbyes to the other mayors and chairmen, but my mother had gone and got a glass of apple juice and was walking round looking at the garden, and obviously didn't want to go! I had to enlist Maria's help in getting her to move.
Back home, chilled out with Goodnight Sweetheart on ITV3 then Comedy Doubles.
