Rain, Rain and More Rain then, finally(!) sunshine

On Tuesday, we had lunch with Susie, George and James Brown, then tea with Jane Hammond, and, finally, dinner with Uncle Peter and Helen.  We only had to drive for 15 minutes from the Hartz's home to Rob and Susan's house in Kingsclere near Newbury.  Rob is currently in Japan on business, Rosie lives and works in London, and Immie was at work so not at home.  We had a pleasant chat in the sitting room, then a delicious lunch.  Susie had to go off to work, but, since the rain had temporarily ceased (although there was no sun in sight), the rest of us decided to take a walk on some of the country roads and pathways.  At first we stuck to the paved road, but then George and James led us through the woods and along fields on rain-soaked, mucky routes.  Of course, they had on wellies (rubber Wellington boots), but we are not traveling equipped with this essential gear for England. (In fact, neither Katya, Matthew or I even own wellies!).  I had the good sense to borrow a pair before we set off.  Peter had on leather shoes, so he managed, but the kids' tennis shoes were dirty and wet by the time we arrived back at the house.

Jane Hammond and Peter

Our next stop was in the little village of Upton in Wiltshire to visit a long-standing family friend of the Brown's, a schoolmate of Anne's.  Jane Hammond (and her husband Noel, now deceased) used to take in the Brown boys sometimes during short holidays from boarding school in England when it was not feasible for them to return to East Africa.  She now lives in a lovely old three-bedroom cottage within walking distance of her old farm, which one of her step-sons now runs.  Still spry and engaging, she told us about her children, grand-children and 14 great-grandchildren!  Through the rain, we walked to her old farm and paid a quick visit to Alistair.

Back in the car, we headed south for Poole.  We checked in to rooms at the Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI), right on the water.  Our rooms are large, comfortable and relatively inexpensive, with large windows giving views of the water and the recently completed Two Sails Bridge, a drawbridge which, when raised, has the appearance of two tall masts with slender white sails.

It is only a short walk to Peter and Helen's four-story flat near Poole Quay.  We went to their home for a delicious dinner, with sushi for appetizers, and enjoyed catching up with them.

On Wednesday, we left the kids on the own at the RNLI (with the idea that they would work on their summer assignments for school) after making a quick shopping trip to a superstore called ASDA next door, which is part of the Wal-Mart chain.  We needed a SIM card and a few toiletries.

We drove northwest to the small village of Evershot to visit Barbi Sykes, one of Anne's cousins and the person who introduced Anne and Arthur in East Africa.  She suffered a stroke a couple years ago, but except for having some weakness in one leg and needing to use a cane, she appears to be doing well.  She has live-in help and one of her children visits every weekend.  She broke her arm earlier this year and suffered some nerve damage which has affected her right hand.  Fortunately, she is left-handed, which means she can still draw and paint.

She took us to lunch at the historic Acorn Inn in town, just a short walk from her old house.  The gourmet meal I had, spinach risotto with warm goat cheese and watercress, was colorful, delicious and filling.  Barbi enjoyed the same while Peter failed to finish the enormous ploughman's lunch he ordered.

Afterward, we went back to her house just before heavy rain began to fall.  She and Peter caught up on family news and I talked about our recent travels in Japan, South Korea and Russia.

mute swans at Abbotsbury

We left after tea and headed to Abbotsbury Swannery on the southern coast of Dorset.  It has the only managed colony of mute swans in the world, with about 600 swans.  Originally run by Benedictine monks of St. Peter's Church at least as early as the 14th century (as a source of meat), the large lagoon called the Fleet is an ideal site, sheltered from the sea by Chesil Beach to the south.  The swannery was used by the monks until 1539 when the monastery was dissolved by King Henry VIII.  It was then purchased by the Strangways family and has remained in their ownership through fifteen generations up to the present day.  In addition to swans and cygnets which just hatched a month ago, the lagoon is home to thousands of other birds, including Canada geese, moorhens, gulls, avocets, ducks and oystercatchers.  We had a chance to participate in the 4:00 feeding and listen to a very informative talk about the history of the swannery and the habits of mute swans in addition to admiring the birds and their habitat.

The skies had cleared by the time we left Abbotsbury.  (It was a shame that we didn't have more time as the village and the remains of the monastery looked like great places to explore.)  Back in Poole, we found the kids lazing away the late afternoon in their room.  The four of us walked the few blocks to Helen and Peter's, where we watched Andy Murray win in the quarter finals at Wimbleton before having (in recognition of America's Independence Day) pizza followed by Rocky Road ice cream.  Taking advantage of the clear weather, we took a long walk along Poole Quay afterward.

St. Mary's on Brownsea Island

The weather forecast for today (Thursday) was as good as it has been since our arrival in England. Despite gray, dreary skies, we hoped for a respite from the rain and drizzle and caught the 10:00 ferry to Brownsea Island.  This destination was particularly exciting for Matthew since it is considered the founding site for Boy Scouts since Lord Robert Baden-Powell held the first camp-out for 20 boys here in August of 1907.  The island is now part of the National Trust so is well-preserved and managed.  We stopped first at St. Mary's Church, not far from the Castle and grounds (which are privately managed and not open to the public) and the ferry dock.  A very pleasant woman explained the history of the structure and played the organ for us.

peacock on Brownsea Island

The green lawns of this eastern part of the island are home to a number of peacocks and other fowl.  Even though they are exotic and not native to the area, we still enjoyed their beautiful, iridescent feathers.

The visitor centre has displays about the history of the island, including its use as a strategic defense from attacks from the sea, and the various owners through the centuries, as well as hands-on exhibits about the local flora and fauna.  Volunteers were eager to share information. We walked along the cliffs on the southeast side of the island, which offer great views of Poole Harbour and the Purbeck hills and cliffs.  From the South Shore Lodge, we walked down to the pebbly beach, where we found chert, flint and other interesting rocks as well as chards of clay conduit pipes, probably washed up or dumped rejects from the pottery formerly located on the western shore.  They created a colorful mosaic of reds, ochers, tans and brown beneath the eroding clay above the shoreline.

Matthew, Peter and Katya on the south shore of Brownsea Island

We reached the area where Baden-Powell held his first camp for boys and where Scouts and Guides still have camp-outs.  There is a memorial stone and a trading post nearby.  Matthew was delighted with the opportunity to shop to pins, neckerchiefs and patches.

We then continued our circumnavigation of the island, passing by the abandoned pier for the pottery as well as the remains of a village and vinery.  We made out way around the muck to reach the lily pond in the woods near the center of the island, where white and and pink waterlilies were in bloom.  Passing by the marshlands and through the woods, always careful to avoid the mud, we reached the eastern side of the island, where we enjoyed local Dorset ice cream before spending a bit of time looking at and listening to birds in the lagoon and wetlands which comprised the northeast part of the island.

Western headlands from the ferry

The ferry back to Poole was, to our delight, not direct, but took us by Sandbanks, to the mouth of the harbour, and past many small islands. The captain provided an entertaining and educational narrative as we took a winding course to avoid the sandbanks in the shallow harbour.

Peter and Helen's daughter Ali, her husband Mike and their children Polly and George (who also live in Cape Town) are arriving today, so we will have a big family dinner this evening and then watch the Thursday evening fireworks from the quay.

Peter and Matthew by a statue of Baden-Powell on Poole Quay