Widecombe Fair.

Tom Pearce, Tom Pearce, lend me your grey mare

All along, down along, out along lee.

For I want to go down to Widecombe Fair

Wi’ Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer, Peter Gurney,          

Peter Davy, Dan’l Whiddon, Harry Hawk,

Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all                                                   

Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all.

As a child I sang this song with gusto but never stopped to think about the words or wonder whether there was any truth behind its story. So it came as a surprise to find myself in the tiny village of Widecombe last week on one of the hottest days of the year.

Staying in Devon, I joined a coach tour across Dartmoor.  The views were stunning; ponies everywhere, their foals a delight to see. After stopping to climb High Tor and look down on other counties spread out below, we scrambled  back into the coach and descended the steepest of hills into a picturesque village – Widecombe.

A wide green, under a glorious copper Beech tree; stone cottages; quaint tea shops and tiny general stores. All in the care of the National Trust, it is the epitome of an English village.

The Cathedral-in-the-Moor

To one side of the green is the church of St Pancras with its solid square tower reaching towards the hills.  It's known as the Cathedral-in-the-Moor.
Walk inside and discover a large model of the Old Grey Mare; Uncle Tom Cobley and All, made by the late Harry Price and exhibited by the Widecombe History Group.

And on a board on the Green the 2013 Fair is advertised – after all these years it still goes on.

Strange Tastes

Have you ever sat in a café and glanced at the people round you?

It’s fascinating to see the things they eat and the way they behave;

so different from your own ways.

The elegant café at Bowes Museum a few days ago was so busy, that as I sat

with a friend I couldn’t help but watch my neighbours. I was amused to see that one little boy had toasted teacake and chips, while a small girl at another table ate strawberries with her sandwiches.

I wonder if these were simply childish trends or a new variation on the menu!

 

 

Shar Pei Dogs and Photography

Have you ever tried to get a professional photograph of a Shar Pei dog?

Believe me, it’s not easy and I speak from experience. After thinking I’d come up with the perfect birthday present for a man who has everything, I booked an appointment with a skilled young photographer in Barnard Castle.

As Shar Pei’s go, the dog behaved well but then they’re not known for their easy manner and quick response – they don’t leap after sticks and their ears are too small to prick up at the sound of a squeaky ball - which is obviously necessary for natural-looking photograhs.

For the first ten minutes Winston moved obediently from side to side, graciously accepting nibbles of cooked chicken and looking reasonably amenable.  After that, he lost interest and the poor photographer had to move from one position to another, even lying on her back to get better poses of him! 

By the end of the session I thought she might have a nervous breakdown and I did my best to reassure her that some of the pictures were certain to represent the Shar Pei breed; that is haughty and aloof.

It was probably a ridiculous idea of mine and next year I’ll buy Chocolates and After-Shave as usual, but I must say I await the results with interest.

Keswick in Springtime.

Memorial to John Ruskin 1900

A Saturday in April and the sun shone as it’s supposed to do in springtime. 

Keswick was its usual bustling self, although a strong wind still whipped around the lake making boats bob like corks. However, it was a perfect day for a short walk to Friar’s Crag, a promontory jutting into Derwentwater and described by Ruskin as one of the three most beautiful scenes in Europe.

From Friar's Crag

We almost resented the time we spent in the Theatre by the Lake, watching “Rogue Herries,” Walpole’s play set in Borrowdale at a time when men could sell their womenfolk  in the Keswick market. The large cast of professional and amateur actors portrayed the story well.                                                 

Looking Back Beyond Keswick.

In the interval we wandered out into the sunshine again and were brought back to the present day by the sight of a Rescue helicopter taking off from the grass immediately opposite the theatre doors. 

The Rescue Helicopter

A Coincidence.

On Sunday the weather was damp and dismal, but it didn't detract from the pleasure of visiting a spring garden around a solid town house in Bishop Auckland.  This was opened under the National Gardens Scheme.
Mauve and white crocuses filled one very big corner.  Bird boxes hung from every tree; Northumbrian pipers played gentle music from the summer house and water poured from the four faces of a fountain.
But the most interesting thing was my conversation  - over tea and cake - with the present owner, who said the house was built in 1856 by a prominent Bishop Auckland family and had changed hands only twice since then.  She was both surprised and delighted when I added that I owned a grandfather clock that had belonged to that first family.
It is very plain; possibly a kitchen clock and certainly not valuable any more, but I would never part with it.
When the first family came to an end, their furniture was auctioned; my mother went to the sale and she bought the clock for my first home.  It's been with me ever since.
So - a very special Sunday afternoon!

Birthday Blog.

It is exactly a year since friends persuaded me to set up a Blog. At the time I had no definite theme to follow or special interest to write about, so I simply called it a notebook and that's what it has become. Whenever something attracts my attention I jot it down on the Blog and I've had so much pleasure and simple fun from doing this.
Occasionally somebody leaves a comment and I imagined these were the only people who looked at it until the day I discovered how to check "traffic" which shows the times and places when it is being viewed.
To my amazement my Blog has been viewed 1900 times in this country, 468 in the USA and 437 in Russia as well as in 15 other countries in the world as far afield as Japan, Belarus and the Ukraine; India, Canada and Sweden. Thank you to all of you!  I wish I knew who you were, but please keep visiting my Blog.
I think of you whenever I make an entry.

Wear Valley Writers Have a New Home

Bishop Auckland Town Hall.

In 1993 Wear Valley Writers moved from the branch library at Woodhouse Close to the main library at Bishop Auckland Town Hall.  Their leader was Wendy Robertson, local author and teacher.

The group met as the library closed for the day; the atmosphere was bright and cheerful and of course very conducive to writing as our tables were surrounded by shelves full of novels that we hoped to emulate.

Town Hall Library

Over the years some of us have achieved this and our books have been launched at ceremonies hosted by the friendly and supportive Town Hall staff where, for a long time, Gillian Wales was manager. Wine was both provided and served on every occasion.

However, in 2013 the Recession hit the country and the libraries were obliged to make a charge for their rooms. As Wear Valley Writers is now a smaller, self-help group we were not able to meet those charges.

Sadly we said goodbye to the Town Hall library and its wonderful staff and looked elsewhere for a suitable place to meet. 

Our New Home.

We found one in the most unlikely of places – Asda Store, in Bishop Auckland offered us free use of its Community Room every Wednesday evening.  Walk through the store; past the Fish Counter and through a green door in the corner and discover a world of offices, staircases and a canteen.

Our room is on the ground floor with an enormous oval table and comfortable blue chairs.  Of course we miss the splendour of the Town Hall library, but we are most grateful to Asda for making us welcome.

Our writing and our friendship continue to flourish.