{"id":2077,"date":"2020-12-27T10:00:13","date_gmt":"2020-12-27T10:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk\/dorset-history-centre-blog\/?p=2077"},"modified":"2021-01-07T09:33:34","modified_gmt":"2021-01-07T09:33:34","slug":"in-search-of-christmas-in-england-27th-december","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk\/dorset-history-centre-blog\/2020\/12\/27\/in-search-of-christmas-in-england-27th-december\/","title":{"rendered":"“In Search of Christmas in England”: 27th December"},"content":{"rendered":"

And the day after!<\/u><\/em><\/p>\n

It was not so hard after all to lift the head from the pillow, – for in the words of the wise Elephant<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIf the wine is good \u2013 there is no evil aftermath\u201d! and the wine was certainly good.<\/em><\/p>\n

I had been promised a day seeing as much as possible of the Hardy Country, so we set out reasonably early.<\/em><\/p>\n

We made our first stop in Stinsford, to see Hardy\u2019s grave and those of his family. It is a quiet green place, with a small and very unpretentious little church.<\/em><\/p>\n

Stinsford<\/u><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Here are two pictures which do not either of them convey it very well, and I was sorry to find the church closed. \u2013 No wonder we are poor church-goers in this country! Rarely does one find the small country church open except on Sundays!<\/em>We found Higher Rockhampton (I assume this should be Bockhampton, but it\u2019s definitely written Rockhampton) and the small cottage so picturesquely situated deep in woodland on the very edge of \u201cEgdon Heath\u201d. It was here Hardy wrote \u201cUnder the Greenwod Tree\u201d and \u201cThe Return of the Native\u201d —\u00a0 This last was my mother\u2019s favourite I think, unless it was \u201cFar From the Madding Crowd\u201d.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

We found the quaintly named village \u201cTolpuddle\u201d to say nothing of \u201cPuddletown\u201d Piddletrenthide and Piddlehinton. ! \u2013 One wonders about their origin.<\/em><\/p>\n

Then touring westwards the fascinating spot \u2013 Cerne Abbas. <\/u>Here in a small clean inn we luncheon \u2013 and then made a gorgeous tour of the downs. \u2013 Lyonsgate, Evershot, Tollerdown gate, Beaminster, Hook, Toller Porcorum, Kingston Russel, Winterbourne Abbas, Maiden Castle and and so home.<\/em><\/p>\n

It was a beautiful afternoon. And superb country. Never before have I felt so intensely the power of a countryside. \u2013 No wonder Hardy drew inspiration from it. \u2013 One feels too, that it is unchanged and unchanging, – Almost I would expect to find myself riding behind that farm cart and see Bathsheba Everdean combing her long hair! (Far From the Madding Crowd.)<\/em><\/p>\n

This part of our holiday has been a real treat for the Mouse!<\/em><\/p>\n

We had a delightful evening again, after dinner talking with the young Stockdale brothers. \u2013 two very nice boys. \u2013 one a Barrister and a great reader \u2013 he is a great admirer of D.H. Lawrence \u2013 so won my heart instantly!<\/em><\/p>\n

Dorchester itself I love too and did I not find the most enchanting old iron pot boiler to hang on my cottage crane?!! \u2013 Down the hill is a glorious old rummage shop!<\/em><\/p>\n

Very reluctantly we packed our bags for the return journey and said \u201cgood-bye\u201d to the \u201cAntelope\u201d<\/u> !<\/em><\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

There was yet one more night to spend on the road, and as usual it became a matter of great discussion. \u2013<\/em><\/p>\n

Maps have a devastating effect on both of us, – we both get very drunk on maps and go careering all over the country !<\/em><\/p>\n

We left Dorchester early and headed for Sturminster Newton<\/u>. There to Durweston and Blandford again; — wildly now across country to Cranbourne and Fordingbridge, Cadnum and Romsey once again, — Here we paused \u2013 but not for lunch – !<\/em><\/p>\n

Where<\/u> should we spend our last night?!<\/em><\/p>\n

In the back of my mind, tucked away I remembered reading about a \u201cgood old fashioned Inn where Miss Florence White lived \u2013 Miss White being an old lady now, and an expert on country food. \u2013 the authoress of many good articles on the subject, and an enthusiast on preserving Old English customs and Fare. \u2013<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cNow Jumbo\u201d said I. \u2013 \u201cthat surely is the place\u201d!<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat place\u201d?! said he with a growl. \u2013 \u201cI can\u2019t see inside your head my dear Mouse\u201d !! —<\/em><\/p>\n

Of course I was in one of those abstract moods! All the same it suddenly flashed out. — \u201cFareham<\/u> Jumbo darling\u201d!<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cFareham\u201d! \u201cRight\u201d!<\/em><\/p>\n

We arrived at the Red Lion Hotel Fareham <\/u>in time for tea.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

It was terribly disappointing \u2013 it was clean, – but oh so modern<\/u> inside, and its outside had seemed so promising! We didn\u2019t like Fareham very much either.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd now\u201d —? (J.)<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t<\/u> know — I give it up!\u201d (M.)<\/em><\/p>\n

Out came the maps.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cLets got to Bosham\u201d! (J.)<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cooo! Yes!\u201d — (M.) I\u2019d seen pictures of Bosham!<\/em><\/p>\n

We neither of us knew anything about it \u2013 so of course we went there through Cosham and Havant and Emsworth, none of which was really very attractive country!<\/em><\/p>\n

But — !<\/em><\/p>\n

Bosham! Oh! What a gem of a place \u2013 queer little cottages, a fascinating old mill house that I\u2019d buy to-morrow if I could. A strangely fascinating small harbour, and a great atmosphere of otherworldliness about it.<\/em><\/p>\n

Alas! Alas! There was no where<\/u> to stay! It was getting \u201clate\u201d and dusk was upon us, – there was nothing for it but Chichester<\/u>, – so to Chichester we went and without a word from either, — straight to the Dolphin <\/u>and Anchor<\/u> hotel \u2013 now a Trust House. \u2013 but none the less very comfortable.<\/em><\/p>\n

We had to climb two flights of stairs to our rooms, for we were tucked away on a small quiet landing by ourselves, – at least there were only three rooms there.<\/em><\/p>\n

We washed and prepared to dine. \u2013 Jumbo was ready first and went ahead I followed. \u2013 as I opened my door, the third door opposite opened too, and there stood Geoffrey Bilson, – a charming acquaintance we had made on a return journey from Germany in the Autuumn!<\/em><\/p>\n

We both nearly fell-down the narrow stairs and as we arrived in the Lounge Jumbo roared with joy.<\/em><\/p>\n

I think I must draw a veil over the rest of the evening, – at least after the hours that followed a very good dinner together, for there was a good fire, good drink and good company and midnight had struck \u2018ere we negociated those two flights of stairs and carefully opened our respective doors \u201cin case we wake up the chap next door\u201d said young Bilson with a grin.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIts me! You fool\u201d! said Jumbo and closed his with a bang loud enough to waken the whole hotel!<\/em><\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

Read the final entry here…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

And the day after! It was not so hard after all to lift the head from the pillow, – for in the words of the wise Elephant \u201cIf the wine is good \u2013 there is no evil aftermath\u201d! and the wine was certainly good. I had been promised a day seeing as much as possible… Read more “In Search of Christmas in England”: 27th December<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1892,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[10],"tags":[82,28,109],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk\/dorset-history-centre-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2077"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk\/dorset-history-centre-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk\/dorset-history-centre-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk\/dorset-history-centre-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1892"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk\/dorset-history-centre-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2077"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk\/dorset-history-centre-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2077\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2135,"href":"https:\/\/news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk\/dorset-history-centre-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2077\/revisions\/2135"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk\/dorset-history-centre-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2077"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk\/dorset-history-centre-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2077"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk\/dorset-history-centre-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2077"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}