Grandma P's Ramblings Through Life

I went early to the car boot sale at Faygate.  It is not a sale where I tend to find things to sell on, but it is relaxed and I usually find clothes.
I began with Marks and Spencers corderoy trousers for Bill for £2.
A bargain!
But my item was even more of a bargain,
I bought a jacket for £1. There was a brooch on the lapel and I figured I could sell that for £4.
A bargain already then.
I got home and found a pound coin in the pocket!
Later Bill accompanied me to Edenbridge car boot sale. I did find some things for selling on. That's good.
We went into the village/small town afterwards for a drink in Ye Old Crown. It's quiet and pleasant - lovely music playing quietly.
































We took a brief stroll after our drink.


I like walls of hung tiles.





















Stained glass window by Byrne Jones in the parish church.























A moving tale indeed.
I have tried to discover how Anne Jemet died and how soon it happened before her planned wedding.
One thing I have discovered is that her mother's family had lived at Gabriel's, now Gabriel's Farm. This farm is now split up into all sorts of enterprises - and that includes the summer car boot sales.

High Street, looking south.

Lat weekend cousin Ann had a birthday...she was 85.
I am very fond of Ann and enjoy her company.
It was my birthday too.
Baby Nancy was born.
It would have been her Nannie Pam's wedding anniversary today.
There are so many birthdays about now....my sister in law, a couple of great nephews today, a distant cousin......lots of memories and hopes on these days.
Let's go out, I suggested. Nannie Pam came too.
Cousin Ann was happy and suggested The White Hart in her village, a Beefeater pub.
Obviously a popular choice; seemingly it would have been better to book today. It was very busy.
We had to wait for a table.
We had drinks from the bar - skinflints we....3 halves of shandy and a soda and lime!
Not too long a wait at the bar, I guess.
We were escorted to our table and scanned the menus. The budget meals appealed and we ordered. I asked for a jug of tap water and that was brought.
We chatted and we waited......waited for too long.
There were occasional apologies from our waitress.
After an hour I went to talk to her and with a smile I told her that we were disappointed. Complain, Paula - but be nice.
At last our meals arrived - 2 plates of fish and chips (huge pieces of battered fish) a lasagne, chips and garlic bread and I had a spicy chicken breast with chips and salad.
I did ask about the chips.......bottomless chips". What are they?
They should have explained.........bottomless chips mean unlimited chips; if one wanted more chips it seems one only had to ask. I learned this on the internet later.
Actually I don't think any of us would have needed more.
We declined desserts - I made a point of saying we had already been out for too long.
So, we asked for the bill. I was ready to scan the bill and then discuss a discount for our disappointing wait - 10% maybe; 25% would be more acceptable.
I didn't get the chance to ask........our waitress, who was lovely and friendly returned and said there would be no charge.
We left her a good tip....enough to supply the double brandy she laughingly said she would need after that particular so hectic lunchtime session.
We returned to Ann's house for our after dinner teas and coffees and a dessert of home made Victoria sponge.
It was a lovely lunchtime and afternoon - the wait which, whilst disappointing, didn't hinder us too much; lots to talk about.
good company.
A good meal, which we didn't pay for.

We walked again today.
First round the Ford car boot sale - bought mostly books and tins.
After our breakfast we walked again.
Just a word about breakfast......I was chatting with sailor John, a man in his 80s. He was proudly telling me that he had recorded an interview with Spirit FM radio about the Littlehampton lifeboat station and his family connection with the lifeboats. He was interviewed by an attractive young woman....then he chuckled..."Hard to concentrate really, my eyes were constantly drawn to her breasts"!!!!
And with that we left to go walking.
We drove to the top of The Downs - to a spot between Kithurst Hill and Rackham Hill.
How beautiful and golden it was up there.
We have never been up on that part of The Downs before and were so pleased to have discovered yet another place of beauty.













Looking south to the sea..










































A brand new outfit.....well, new to me.
Very pleased with the skirt and top. (£4 for the 2).








































































Looking north.


The hills are alive with the sound of music!




































































I love playing with photographs. I wonder which of these harvest patterns you like the best?
I super enhanced the top one and I love it and it has been received favourably by friends.







The last of the poppies in the hill top hedgerows.




















I love our walks - not long walks. We are not hikers - never have been. Maybe we were once walkers. There is a difference!
Now, we are "amblers".
I am guessing that today we may have ambled 3 miles and that is enough for us these days.

We followed it up with tea and cake in the second hand bookshop cafe in Storrington.
Fabulous cake - a moist banana cake with a lime flavoured cream topping. We shared one piece of that between us.

 A day of rest - very much so for B.
He chooses not to get up until about half past ten, has breakfast and then dozes. Just 12 hours later he wants to go to bed again.
Tomorrow will be different - must get out to Ford and probably Littlehampton.

We did go out this afternoon to see his sister, Pam.
She asked us to go over when the new baby, Nancy would be there.
I had a cuddle and pictures were taken. There must be hundreds of pictures already of this wee 5 day old.













































































And back to sleep with Nannie Pam.
































Just a baby to you........but a lovely one to add to our family tree.
She is great niece/nephew number 38.
I give you due warning that number 39 will be with us within a month!

Another day of sunshine - too good to waste.
But then everyday is precious.
We none of us know what is round the corner and I think our circumstances emphasise that to me.

After Bill had been to the nurse for a routine blood pressure test and check up we went for a picnic.
Don't ask about the nurse appointment - I know almost nothing.
"Don't be fobbed off with being told that blood pressure is fine" I said, "ask her what it actually is"
But, of course, that didn't happen.
I did discover that height and waist were measured - yes his BMI index is too high; Bill is obese.
He likes to think not and protests that he doesn't eat much.
Ah well - I will try to encourage a better regime; but maybe it is better to have Bill making decisions for himself even if they are not the best decisions.

Today I wanted my final destination to be the shop, so we headed in that direction for a walk and picnic.
We have driven through Holmbury St Mary a number of times, but never stopped. And I knew nothing of Holmbury Hill - almost as high as Leith Hill.


Our walk took us through fairly open woodland.
That's OK - I am not a fan of thick woodland walks. It feels claustrophobic.
But today there was plenty of open sky and beautiful trees.

We took the longer route up  on a path that wound round the outside of the hill.













We began to get some glimpses of the view through the trees.


























Look - that's home!.
We could just make out The South Downs - but it was very hazy.















A small stone "cairn" had been built at the top  - a memorial to a local couple.


We had our lunch on a memorial seat under the trees.













Looking east to Leith Hill.
















Looking back to the sun drenched hill top from the shady woods.

There is a huge clearing in the trees at the top which shows the remnants of an ancient hill fort.










The rowan trees are heavy with berries.

























We have driven through the village a number of times and the Victorian church of local sandstone has always looked charming to me.





































Plums in a garden.
Couldn't reach them - so no scrumping.
















Much of the village is Victorian.
But there are some older dwellings from a more ancient community - a community renowned for smuggling.






















The village in the valley.























We were tempted by the old pub (of course). But we needed to get on and headed for Dorking to make a cup of tea in the shop.
We had a jolly time and enjoyed tea and cream cakes.

To think that I had felt down for a couple of days!
Fortunately that feeling rarely stays with me for long.
Today the sun shone and it was warm and I was busy and happy.
We were at the track before 10 o'clock. I assembled my gallant team of timekeepers and we began the day in very relaxed style; but it soon got hectic.
People come from all over south east England to this meeting.
There were good competitions - good races and I saw some fine long jumping and pole vaulting.
The men's 100 metres was interesting. It was obvious that we were expecting a close finish.
Then about 3 metres from the line the one in the lead collapsed with a pulled hamstring, leaving the next 5 runners to cross the line almost simultaneously (just 12 hundredths of a second between the 5 of them! Hard to concentrate with a guy rolling on the floor in front of your eyes in agony. Proud to say my time on the winner ....and they could all be separated by the computer.....was just one hundredth of a second out.
Good fun! Good company and a feeling of being appreciated for our efforts.
I continued the good feeling by joining folks afterwards for a drink at the Pease Pottage pub. Some of us had something to eat there too.
I enjoy being a part of the athletics "family".
I took no pictures today - too busy.
But I have a few that will give a flavour of the Irish festival yesterday.



























































































Bill's cousin, Sue and husband, Chris. Chris's parents emigrated from Ireland just after the war.


There had to be Guinness, of course!




















Chris returns with another Guinness.
































There were 2 stages. This is the bigger stage with noisier music.
We parked our chairs at the other stage to hear more traditional Irish folk music.

Whilst I was there a Crawley girl was presented to the audience. She had won the London Rose competition which took her to Tralee in Ireland for The Rose of Tralee  competition.





Then came a performance of a song written specially for her about beauty, Ireland, love and tragedy.
The girl's father had died at some time round The Rose of Tralee (or something like that).