Saturday, March 07, 2009
Hunting, Exploring and Patching
What an exciting day - we have been hunting and exploring and even shooting! I hasted to add that it was just photographs we were "shooting".
We left home at about quarter to seven and drove down to Ford.
At first it seemed like today was going to be fruitless - there was stuff to buy and we asked about a lot of things, but we were meeting with the greediest kind of dealers.
If we had paid their prices then we would be heading for making big losses.
One was a particular rogue, I thought. I love card games and will sell all kinds. The seller had a lot and I asked how much he wanted for them - "Depends on what they are" he grunted. So I picked up a lovely Speed game and asked again. "£3" came the reply - not too bad I thought. I picked up a further 10 packs and hoped I could knock him down a bit from the expected £30.
I was more than a little surprised when he totted them up and told me it would be £70!!!! Needless to say he didn't sell any to me.
Later we did find things we could afford and I have come home with the usual variety of things to sell.
When we had finished we decided that we couldn't stay away from The Balaton. One day perhaps we will go to Hungary and visit Lake Balaton; we have flown over it - and it is is huge.
We are known there now (in the cafe, not the lake of course). That is lovely for there need be no explanations about my weak black tea and hot water is ready for me to soak the tea bag a second time.
We enjoyed sitting looking out the window as boats plied their way up and down the river estuary.
And enjoying on eavesdropping other conversations. A man and boy clearly had his (the Dad)new girl friend with them. She bent over backwards to be charming to the young son!
We walked back to the car enjoying the sea birds and the swans.
We planned to stop and take a quick look at a village on the way home.
The main road passes a road to Clapham on one side and to Patching on the other. We have often wondered what we would find along these roads. Each is a dead end road.
We had a quick drive in Clapham, seeing some old cottages. But somehow we were drawn to Patching.
We explored and walked much more than we expected and enjoyed making a friend.
We began at the church and then walked up and down the village street and then out onto The Downs.
We met our "friend" 3 times and chatted a little each time.
The first time could have become most interesting.
We were just chatting, like one does, when a car stopped and the window opened and a reasonably elegant woman looked at him and said "You don't remember me, do you?" Our man looked a little bewildered. "I'm Dawn" she said. And still he didn't remember. "I was married to your brother, Bill." I wonder what history is there! Our man didn't seem to be very impressed when she introduced her new partner.
We left them to reminisce.
Our man was still in the road, with his dog, when we returned and still talking to somebody in a vehicle - but it wasn't Dawn. She had gone. This time he was passing the time of day with another local.
We then walked off towards The Downs. Our friend suggested we came back in the bluebell season because the woods on the way are famed for the blue carpets of flowers.
Out on the Downs there were people on horses and bikes.
And out in one field a woman with a golden labrador was being taught how to train her dog with command and whistle.
The dog didn't seem to want much of the activity. We imagine it thinking "Oh no - she is taking us to see that bossy man again."
But the man's 2 black labradors were perfectly behaved, so I guess he knew what he was doing.
And back in the village we found our friend again, working in his front garden. We stood and chatted for nigh on half an hour.
He sounded like an old country bumpkin - but was clearly not short of a bob or two. His cottage was charming and he had recently bought The Old Forge next door, which might be for his daughter.
We got back home at about 2 o'clock and enjoyed a cup of tea and a hot cross bun from the bakery stall at Ford. Woe is me - I have had too much bread once again!
I have cleaned and written up all my purchases, whilst watching athletics from the European Indoor Championships.
And now here is a photographic tour of Patching.
Interior of the simple church dedicated to St John the Divine.
Two views of the church across the fields.
The dog trainer and his dogs.
Thatched cottage.
Impressive flint wall leading to big house with a clock tower.
Flint and brick wall at the end of a cottage.
The Old Forge. Our friend said he would show us around next time!
Old Forge weather vane on our friends cottage.
We left home at about quarter to seven and drove down to Ford.
At first it seemed like today was going to be fruitless - there was stuff to buy and we asked about a lot of things, but we were meeting with the greediest kind of dealers.
If we had paid their prices then we would be heading for making big losses.
One was a particular rogue, I thought. I love card games and will sell all kinds. The seller had a lot and I asked how much he wanted for them - "Depends on what they are" he grunted. So I picked up a lovely Speed game and asked again. "£3" came the reply - not too bad I thought. I picked up a further 10 packs and hoped I could knock him down a bit from the expected £30.
I was more than a little surprised when he totted them up and told me it would be £70!!!! Needless to say he didn't sell any to me.
Later we did find things we could afford and I have come home with the usual variety of things to sell.
When we had finished we decided that we couldn't stay away from The Balaton. One day perhaps we will go to Hungary and visit Lake Balaton; we have flown over it - and it is is huge.
We are known there now (in the cafe, not the lake of course). That is lovely for there need be no explanations about my weak black tea and hot water is ready for me to soak the tea bag a second time.
We enjoyed sitting looking out the window as boats plied their way up and down the river estuary.
And enjoying on eavesdropping other conversations. A man and boy clearly had his (the Dad)new girl friend with them. She bent over backwards to be charming to the young son!
We walked back to the car enjoying the sea birds and the swans.
We planned to stop and take a quick look at a village on the way home.
The main road passes a road to Clapham on one side and to Patching on the other. We have often wondered what we would find along these roads. Each is a dead end road.
We had a quick drive in Clapham, seeing some old cottages. But somehow we were drawn to Patching.
We explored and walked much more than we expected and enjoyed making a friend.
We began at the church and then walked up and down the village street and then out onto The Downs.
We met our "friend" 3 times and chatted a little each time.
The first time could have become most interesting.
We were just chatting, like one does, when a car stopped and the window opened and a reasonably elegant woman looked at him and said "You don't remember me, do you?" Our man looked a little bewildered. "I'm Dawn" she said. And still he didn't remember. "I was married to your brother, Bill." I wonder what history is there! Our man didn't seem to be very impressed when she introduced her new partner.
We left them to reminisce.
Our man was still in the road, with his dog, when we returned and still talking to somebody in a vehicle - but it wasn't Dawn. She had gone. This time he was passing the time of day with another local.
We then walked off towards The Downs. Our friend suggested we came back in the bluebell season because the woods on the way are famed for the blue carpets of flowers.
Out on the Downs there were people on horses and bikes.
And out in one field a woman with a golden labrador was being taught how to train her dog with command and whistle.
The dog didn't seem to want much of the activity. We imagine it thinking "Oh no - she is taking us to see that bossy man again."
But the man's 2 black labradors were perfectly behaved, so I guess he knew what he was doing.
And back in the village we found our friend again, working in his front garden. We stood and chatted for nigh on half an hour.
He sounded like an old country bumpkin - but was clearly not short of a bob or two. His cottage was charming and he had recently bought The Old Forge next door, which might be for his daughter.
We got back home at about 2 o'clock and enjoyed a cup of tea and a hot cross bun from the bakery stall at Ford. Woe is me - I have had too much bread once again!
I have cleaned and written up all my purchases, whilst watching athletics from the European Indoor Championships.
And now here is a photographic tour of Patching.
Interior of the simple church dedicated to St John the Divine.
We like a good ornate statue on a grave.
Latch on the outer door of the church.
Seat outside the church gate, donated in memory of a loved one and with daffodils all around and growing up through the seat itself.
Seat outside the church gate, donated in memory of a loved one and with daffodils all around and growing up through the seat itself.
Two views of the church across the fields.
The dog trainer and his dogs.
Thatched cottage.
Impressive flint wall leading to big house with a clock tower.
Bill said that he thought one of these animals on the clock tower weather vane was a fox. I think there seem to be 2 cats!
Flint and brick wall at the end of a cottage.
The Old Forge. Our friend said he would show us around next time!
Old Forge weather vane on our friends cottage.
And here he is!
He is in his own front garden, sporting a great hat.
And you may well guess that we are tired out this evening!
But we will be up early to go to Dorking in the morning.
Goodnight.
