Saturday, March 22, 2008
22nd March. Horsham.
Today we went to Horsham - about 8 miles from Crawley.
It felt so cold today with fierce winds and frequent showers of sleet and hail.
But Horsham put on quite a show for our visit.
It was the weekend of the Italian Market. How those Italian stall holders must have wished they were home, warm in some Italian piazza rather than in The Carfax, wrapped in coats and hats and gloves.
The items on sale - breads, cheeses, olive oils, nougat etc looked very appealing, but were extremely expensive we thought.
As we browsed a tenor sang in the band stand and Italian flags flapped wildly in the wind.
We needed to be somewhere warmer and so went to Horsham Museum, one of the best museums I know - and it costs nothing to get in.
I liked the old optician's sign hanging from a beam in the barn.
One of his most famour poems is Ode to a Skylark. Well, I didn't manage a skylark (wrong time, wrong place and wrong weather) but the pigeon in flight deserves an ode all to itself maybe.
It felt so cold today with fierce winds and frequent showers of sleet and hail.
But Horsham put on quite a show for our visit.
It was the weekend of the Italian Market. How those Italian stall holders must have wished they were home, warm in some Italian piazza rather than in The Carfax, wrapped in coats and hats and gloves.
The items on sale - breads, cheeses, olive oils, nougat etc looked very appealing, but were extremely expensive we thought.
As we browsed a tenor sang in the band stand and Italian flags flapped wildly in the wind.
We needed to be somewhere warmer and so went to Horsham Museum, one of the best museums I know - and it costs nothing to get in.
The Museum is housed in a lovely building at one end of The Causeway. There are old barns at the back, housing more exhibits and also a walled herb garden.
They say we should learn something new every day and today I learned about the Cokelers of Warnham (village just outside Horsham - where Bill's Uncle Fred lived). The cokelers were a religious group who ran much of Warnham, and other Sussex villages, including village shops. They brought in a particular ceramic and this became know as Cokeler China, which they sold in the shops.
Some say the name comes from the serving of cocoa after their meetings.
There really is so much to look at. Here is an old chemist's shop from 19th century Horsham.
There really is so much to look at. Here is an old chemist's shop from 19th century Horsham.
I liked the old optician's sign hanging from a beam in the barn.
A Horsham clock.
The poet, Shelley, was born between Horsham and Warnham. He produced some fine poetry in his short complicated life.
A block of fine buildings opposite the museum.
The old Town Hall. A number of kinsfolk from different generations were married here. Bill's grandmother was not free to marry in church because the marriage was illegal. At that time one was not permitted to marry one's dead husband's brother and so she lied and married Bill's grandfather using her maiden name and declared herself to be a spinster.
It seems that this building is destined to join the many many eating places in Horsham before long.
My memories of it are of a short time between my first cancer treatments in 1992 when I attempted to prove I was strong by setting up a stall at the Friday market with mostly second hand books.
A stained glass representation of the town hall.
As the tenors sang for us in the bandstand a large contingent of Italian cars drove into the area in front of the town hall to be admired by the townsfolk - and Bill of course.
We were soon feeling cold again and so scurried down West Street until we reached The Lynd Cross, a pub taken over by the Wetherspoons chain.
It is alongside the Shelley Fountain, which was not working today - maybe they feared a freeze.
The fountain is modern, but if you look carefully you are able to find connections with Shelley's work.
One of his most famour poems is Ode to a Skylark. Well, I didn't manage a skylark (wrong time, wrong place and wrong weather) but the pigeon in flight deserves an ode all to itself maybe.
Another view of the Shelley Fountain, with The Lynd Cross in the background. I normally rave about Wetherspoon's buildings - but this one was fairly basic and crowded on a Saturday lunchtime.
Nevertheless they were efficient and we didn't have to wait long for our meals which for us were real bargains.
Ashley had vouchers.
We chose meals that cost £5.99 each and a drink each of course and the bill came to just over £11.
I had tasty chicken tikka marsala with rice, naan bread and poppadums. Ashley had the vegetable curry and Bill had a lasagne and salad. I can always have at least 2 cups of tea with a meal because I have it weak and black and then ask for lots more hot water.
The couple hovering in the distance are Ashley and me, eager to get out of the cold.
On the way back to the car we called in at Wilkinson's and bought some lovely photo frames. We also bought a new dish drainer.
Soon we were driving home and looking forward to a cup of tea. We were cold and all very tired.
Ashley slept for a while up on his bed.
He decided that he didn't have the energy for late night vigils in church. He will go to Mass tomorrow instead. It will still be very cold tomorrow and there could well be some light snow.
It will be an early night for all of us - and lets hope I don't get another major coughing attack during this night.
