A Traffic Jam But Not As We Know It!

The last forecast we heard was for a reasonable day today, weatherwise. As usual, they weren't quite right but at least it started dry.

We had decided on a trip via Lyndhurst to Milford on Sea where we'd walk Rowley between the sea and the fresh water lagoon.

We'd gone no more than 3 miles across part of The New Forest, which isn't forest, it's open common land. Up ahead cars were breaking and it looked to be a right kerfuffle, with vehicles crossing from one carriageway to another.

As we drew nearer the problem become obvious. There was some sort of meeting between some of the local, free roaming livestock and it was taking place in the middle of the road. In fact a couple of the cattle started copulating as they crossed the road. I've been in some traffic jams but this was the most unusual and by far the most entertaining.

By the time we reached the coast, the storm clouds were gathering and the walk was a lot shorter than intended. My eyes are still suffering from wind-burn this evening. However, it was a good walk and a good chance to take some '50 Shades of Grey' photos.

We just made it into a cafe, before the rain started and warmed ourselves up with drinks and a bowl of cheesy chips, then headed back to Sandy Balls, for a swim and a warm in the Jacuzzi and Sauna.

Fordingbridge

Today dawned bright and calm and seemed like a good opportunity to try the walk down into Fordingbridge, which is about a mile and a half from where we are parked. Situated on the River Avon, its name gives a hint that it’s a town liable to a bit of flooding and has been appearing on Radio 2’s Traffic reports for the last couple of days for a road closure.

We found we could walk a good part of the way through Sandy Balls, past the timber chalets and a residential area of the site. They are in such a lovely setting with the most beautiful views, I’m feeling quite tempted to sell up and move here, it certainly looks like a good way of life.

It was apparent, before we descended the hill that the valley was still flooded, so there was a possibility we wouldn’t actually get to the town.

The weather seemed to be changing with the ticking of time, one second sunny, then some cloud, then dark and even a few spots of rain and the bitterly cold wind got up before we returned home.

At the bottom of the hill, after we joined the road, the flooding was still there but just about passable for us, with a little bit of paddling. We were both wearing our walking boots. What an investment! You can’t walk long distances in wellingtons but I bought both Mike and I ankle height, proper walking boots. Not cheap but never regretted. They seem to help walking by giving a more purposeful stride, they are more stable on uneven ground and waterproof when walking in muddy, or really wet ground.

Having reached the town Mike found a Barber’s and went and had his hair cut! Yes, he agreed to have it cut and it has taken years off him. He would love to grow his hair long but it grows in the oddest shapes and it really doesn’t suit him long. And when it comes down to it, it’s me that has to look at him and he can’t see the back of his head.

The walk back was a slog, that is one steep hill but it must have done us some good, so we could have tea and Ginger Cake, without feeling too guilty.

Back on the Site, I saw my first Snowdrops of the year, it would be lovely to think this is the start of Spring but no doubt Mother Nature has a few tricks up her sleeve yet.

A bit of housekeeping was needed when we got back, emptying the waste water and refilling the fresh tank. While I was out turning on the tap, I noticed we had a bright, half moon, in a beautiful blue sky, so grabbed my tripod and took a couple of photos. I used the maximum 30 x Zoom and then cropped the photo on the laptop, to bring the moon’s image up larger. It’s amazing what you can capture with a fairly ordinary camera, which the naked eye can’t see.

Storm Surge

Well, I couldn't be this near to the coast and not go and see the waves, could I? I have loved the sea from my first childhood holiday. So today we drove down to Christchurch, although at times it looked more like driving through the sea, rather than countryside. So many fields are flooded and at times running onto the roads.

We headed to Avon Beach, as we went there in November and knew we could easily park. It was worth the trip. The sound of the waves booming onto the beach and sea wall was exciting and the wind certainly blew the cobwebs away.

I did wonder about the sanity of the wind surfer!

The Festive Season

So Christmas and New Year were spent at home. Living in a not large house, with five people wasn’t easy, with different meals at different times, plus 7 cats and a huge dog. The weather was dreadful, so not much of a chance to get out on the long walks we’ve become used to and I had some sort of gastric bug for the best part of a week.

Getting back on the road, with that ever present proximity to the great outdoors, was looked forward to with relish.

First stop was a night at Bath, to see Mike’s daughter and her family, her husband was cooking us one of his excellent Chicken Thai Green Curries. We had a lovely evening and much laughter over old family events and photos, of which this is one. Chloe, who is now almost 19, was in hysterics over this one of her sitting on my lap.

I look like the Cuprinol Man!!

Saturday the 4^th January saw us on our way to Sandy Balls, in the New Forest. The rain seemed to have forgotten how to stop. Rivulets were running down most roads and dips were developing into pools, ponds, lakes even. We had to queue for some time, as traffic took it in turns to get through the shallowest part of this flood under a railway bridge. Some smaller cars had to turn round, knowing they wouldn’t make it.

Then we had a rainbow when we got to the Site.

The hour and a half journey took just over 2 hours and everywhere, the landscape was turning into a vast, watery waste.

Thankfully, Sandy Balls is on a hill, high above the River Avon, so as long as we could get there, we had no fears about the site being flooded.

As if we hadn’t seen enough water, as soon as we’d got set up, we took ourselves off to the swimming pool, with the added benefit of a sauna.

We are here for two weeks, time to relax and walk and swim off a few of those Christmas extra calories.

Today is the 6^th January and we only managed a shortish walk, due to the rain clouds that keep blowing up but from the viewpoints here, it was interesting to see just how flooded the river valley is.  Fingers crossed for an improvement in the weather later in the week, as forecasted.

Boxing Day

A bright sunny morning, once the mist lifted, although it was slow to clear in places and looked very strange where it was rolling along very quickly in the valleys. 

One of the Boxing Day traditions is Morris Dancing at The Talbot at Knightwick, on the banks of the Rover Teme, so what better way to get out of the house, than to go and be entertained, meet up with friends and drink beer, in the fresh air.

Being Home

Christmas was just that. Presents, wine, sitting by the fire watching telly and cooking and eating a roast turkey dinner.

The best bit of the day was seeing 4 year old Grandson opening his presents.

Christmas holds none of the magic for me now that it had when I was a child. We would go to my Grandma's house for the Turkey dinner, usually about 12 of us there for that, then in the afternoon to early evening my Uncles and Aunts would arrive, plus their children. My Dad being the youngest of five, meant I had cousins who were teenagers when I was born, so in the later years before Fairhaven was sold in 1966, those cousins would have their children too. I suppose at the end, there would be between 30 and 40 of us there.

I loved that house, I was sent there every weekend, to stay with Grandma and my Aunt, her husband and their almost adult son. It had Minton tiling in the Hall, oak panelling, stained glass windows, a Box Room, where all sorts of fascinating things were kept, including the stored apples from the garden and the Rag-Bag. I went back in 2004 and knocked on the door. I had no idea what reception I would get. The lady who lives there invited me in to have a look around, she has lived there since 1968. Unfortunately, the person that had the house for the 2 years before took the oak panelling out. The hall was now carpeted and I didn't like to ask if the tiles were still there. She gave me a photo of the back of the house, which I treasure. In my dreams, I will one day own this house and the summers will be full of sunshine and the scent of roses.

The games and the fun from those Christmases 50+ years ago were wonderful, so much laughter, although my Mother says she never enjoyed it, as she hated her Mother-in-Law and considered her to be interfering. No doubt something I have inherited.

Back Home For Christmas

Our next journey was to be back home for Christmas, stopping of for a night at the In-Laws at Newport Pagnell. It's been good to see more of them and we arranged to go and spend the second half of January with them, as the weather may not be so good and we can give my sister-in-law a bit of a break from caring for her husband and Mum.

21st December we were back home, 22nd December is my Mum's birthday and she was going to be 85. She had invited us, with other close family, to lunch at The Lyttleton Arms, Hagley. It's where she she goes every Sunday, for lunch, with Sarah, who went to school with my younger sister and is also the daughter of old friends of my Mum & Dad (they both died young). Sarah has also been Mum's Hairdresser for about 30 years and is officially, Mum's 'other' daughter. They even went on a Cruise together last year. 

To be honest, my sister Val and I have a lot to be grateful to Sarah for, as she keeps Mum busy a lot of the time as Mum finds it impossible to stay in and doesn't like her own company  (I'm saying nothing!)

Mum has to be one of the Lyttleton's best customers, so when we arrived, it was no surprise that they had laid something on for her, An ice bucket was next to her chair, with a large bouquet in it for her, plus a card signed by all the Staff.

The lunch went well, followed by a cake being brought in that Val and I had made for her.

Later on that day my step-son, his wife and their little boy came round to visit and the best game was rough-housing on the sofa.

The next couple of days were spent whizzing around buying a few presents and the other bits and pieces needed for Christmas.