I have been down in Lovedean with Robyn since Friday evening and have had a good time recharging my batteries.
On Monday I went exploring in Winchester and found the remains of the pub, The White Horse Inn (no, not the one in the musical!!) where my great great aunt lived in the High Street - it's now Clark's Shoes but the name is still displayed in the flint work at first floor level.
On Tuesday I went to Alton to research on Pikey's great great grandfather, Henry Hall, who owend a brewery there as well as several pubs in the area.. His house in the High Street which he built to replace one of his pubs and rather grandly names it The Manor House has now been demolished and is the site of the Halifax Building Society and Curry's. The only visible relic is the fact that the car park at the rear is called "Manor Car Park". Then I went to the local museum and the parish church where I had a lot more success. The large memorial to Henry Hall and his wife Maria is in exactly the same style as the mosaic memorial in Winchester Cathedral to Frederic Walker Joy, their son in law, who was the Rector of Low Bentham. It was Henry Hall who donated several items to St John's, Low Bentham, where Pikey's funeral took place. That seems a long time ago now even though it's only two week today.
I lost my favourite flowery walking stick in Alton while taking a photograph.
After the visit to alton I went to the Mid Hants Steam Railway and was delighted to see "Lord Nelson" (Southern Railway No 850) standing in the sidings - delighted because it was the pride and joy of the OGauge model railway which mark and I had as children - that also seems a long time ago and was!!!
Lord Nelson - especially for Hugo.
On Wednesday I went to lunch with George and Jenny Burr (he was Pikey's first husband) and we had a lovely lunch and time reminiscing and chewing over old memories. He's agreed to fill in many gaps about Pikey's life before we met which I need to include in "Our Lives". I'm going to get her sisters, some childhood and school friends to help as well.
On Thursday Robyn had the day off and we went to Meonstoke the spiritual home of the Holland family and gathered a lot of facts and pictures which I hadn't got before.
Today I went back Winchester to try to find the Eagle Hotel in City Road where my great great aunt lived with her second husband; her first husband had died and she had to leave the White Horse. I think I found it but will have to do some research to identify it positively.
Walking back down the High Street whom should I see but Chris Huhne - on foot but walking quite fast!! I just refrained from shouting "Speedster" at him.
I also bought a new flowery walking stick!!
So you can see that I'm buzzing around in my bright white Yeti and trying to forget what is still far too fresh in my memory every now and then.
Lots of love from Robert.
3 comments:
Someone nicked your walking stick? That's awful.
No..... he abandoned it by mistake. He nearly lost another today at the Royal Naval Submarine Museum in Gosport. We also saw the original mother ship of all subs. The Holland I. No relation!
Actually that was me that wrote that.
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