Little things to make me smile – Page 2

In the here and now

Lately, I’ve been posting about 2021, the lockdown, and life slowly getting back to normality. All the while, life in the here and now has been moving on. The threat of COVID may have been downgraded, but the spectre of war has taken its place in the daily news. If researching and writing about the first half of the twentieth century has taught me anything, it’s that the newspapers and the media are not to be trusted. They may be great for propaganda, but they’re not so good for solid facts. Even so, the invasion of Ukraine can hardly be ignored. The parallels between these days and the dark days of the late 1930’s are clear for all to see and my heart breaks for the ordinary citizens of Ukraine.

A very long, short walk

When we left Manor Farm we were still at the start of our four, or so, mile walk to plot marshal points for the upcoming race. The sky was bright blue, the sun was out, so it was a nice day for a stroll, but with all the stops and starts, I was beginning to think it would be dark before we got to the end. As it was Halloween, I wondered if we’d see any ghosts and ghouls if that happened.

Snapshots of normality

One of the things we really missed during all the COVID madness was the normal round of running events. Parkrun was cancelled, as were all the races we’d normally have gone to. It was a joy when parkrun was finally allowed to restart in July 2021, and later in the year, there were two big races to look forward to. The first of these was the Southampton Marathon in early September. As usual, I went along with my camera to take photos. Runners do like to have their photographs taken so these events are always busy occasions for me. As it turned out, this one was busier than I could have ever expected.

Expect the unexpected

The last time I had a wander through Hatch Grange I was suffering from a numb mouth after a bit of dental work to repair a cracked tooth. It was August 2019, I was training for a marathon walk, blissfully unaware that a little cold would turn into a chest infection disaster and my marathon would end at the half way point. COVID19 was not even a thing, or that cold would have been much more of a worry. My mind was full of research on Spanish Flu for a book I was planning to write. Two years on it felt as if the whole world had changed. The word pandemic had certainly taken on a whole new meaning. Now, the book was written and in the throes of being published, Commando was the one visiting the dentist and I had an hour to kill. Hatch Grange was the obvious answer. At least there was one thing that wouldn’t have changed, or so I thought . . .

What’s going on at Marhill Copse?

Mid August 2021, and it really felt as if the worst of the pandemic was behind us, so for the first time in a long time, I met up with Kim for a little stroll. Well, I have to be honest, it was more march than stroll and it wasn’t exactly little either, but still . . . For once I had a plan, and it mostly involved finding out what, exactly, was going on at Marhill Copse. The last time I walked this way was in June 2020. I was meant to be walking with Kim but she had a terrible headache that turned out to be the start of her brush with COVID, so I went on my own. Now, as I walked across Riverside Park towards Woodmill to meet Kim, it felt as if I was was completing the circle somehow. We were finally going to get that lost walk.

Plagued

It has been a long time coming, but finally, the big project I have been working on for the last few years has come to fruition. All the research, head scratching, procrastination, imagining and working late into the night have finally paid off. My first novel, Plagued, has now been published and I can call myself an author rather than just a writer.

Messing about in a boatyard

William Street, heading for Shamrock Quay

May 2021 was mostly spent aimlessly wandering around local streets, and even my next big adventure, on 26 May, didn’t take me very far from home. In fact, it took me to Shamrock Quay, the scene of many happy post football match drinks. Once upon a time I could usually be found outside the Old Waterfront on a Saturday afternoon, with a burger in one hand and a drink in the other, chatting to Bernie and Kath who ran the place in those days. This particular adventure was prompted by a need to research something I was writing. I was particularly interested in the wharves and boat building yards around William Street.

Another lion’s tail

1803 watercolour painting, Edward Hawke Locker, Bargate, Southampton.

On a miserable wet day back in April 2019, I went to have a look at the Bargate lions. In September the year before a council worker had found the tail of one of the lions on the ground. At first it was thought vandals might have been responsible but it soon became clear that the lion was merely suffering from a bad case of old age. The poor things have been guarding the medieval gate in all weathers for over two hundred and seventy five years after all. These two rampant lions, symbolising courage, nobility, strength and valour replaced the wooden lions who’d guarded the town since Tudor times. They also represent the legend of Sir Bevois, the founder of the town.

Memory lane

My big writing project, inspired by my paternal grandparents, was completed (I promise all will be revealed soon, bear with me) and I had tentatively begun a second big writing project. This one was inspired by my mother’s parents. Where my memories of Pappy are still vivid and much of his story was told to me first hand, my memories of Nanny, Laura White, are far more hazy because she died when I was just four. I knew even less about my mother’s father, Leonard White. He died when Mum was barely more than a child and she had never talked about him much.

Beware of trolls

With Commando on furlough, I suddenly found myself with a walking companion. I’d been telling him about the fairy doors I’d seen on the Butterfly Trail and the fact that many had been removed. He suggested a little circular walk to have a look at what was left. The idea of walking down to the sea was appealing, although from what I’d seen on social media, it was so crowded down there that actually walking along the shingle wasn’t going to be an option.

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