Highclere and Chichester 30th July to 6th August

We caught up with friends in Great Bedwyn. Phil's step father worked with Jeff on a farm at Lambourn in 1978 when Phil and Jeff joined the local Great Shefford Young Farmers Club. We have visited them each time we come to the UK but sadly they have never been able to come out to NZ.  They take much delight in taking the mickey out of our kiwi accents hence Diana calls Jeff "Jif" and Phil loves to ask " say this word Sandra" ...then rolls about laughing.  They have a Down Syndrome son and Diana has Parkinson which is tragic.  

Jif wearing his birthday apron with Di and her JIF birthday cake.

In the UK charcoal BBQ's are the thing, which given the difficulty in managing the temperature, we thought another of the idiosyncrasies here.

The area around Great Bedwyn includes Newbury which is a nice town and has the Kennett and Avon canal passing through. Still has a stand-alone butcher near the bridge who has great patter, we like to support these businesses as it is tough competing with the supermarkets.  We went into the town a couple of times for supplies and give the dog a walk on the canal path.  

The pub beside this cafe is called the "Wagon and Horses".

We were invited for aperitifs by folks next door to our housesit. Malcolm was one of the brothers that owns the farm estate. During the day Malcolm had decided to cart a couple of old big bales to the farm manure pile and then set them alight. It was the hottest day of the week and English summer thus far at 29C. His weather finger in the air told him the wind direction was OK and a thunderstorm was forecast. The farm estate houses spent the day and the following enveloped in smoke and some irate neighbours let him know about it. There was a tap on the door when we were having drinks and a tenant gave him his pedigree to which he intern advised " I am not @#! God so cannot control the wind or amount of rain". Think maybe burning in the Autumn, as his wife had said, would have been the path of least resistance.

Next day we visited another YFC who has a 600 cow dairy farm now managed by his son. Alastair had been farming with his father near Lambourn since 1953 and originally had 180 cows then to 250 cows. When his son took over a few years ago; the herringbone milking parlour was replaced with a rotary as James had been to NZ and wanted to improve productivity in the English climate. Cow numbers increased to 600, year round milking, contracted to Sainsbury's supermarket at around 43p per litre. Not paid by kg as in NZ. Even though it is summer here all cows and calves are kept in huge sheds because they get more litres per cow than if they were out on the grass fields using energy. This does not sit well with us. They also have the issue of dealing with all the slurry, environmental pressures and Sainsbury's increasing box ticking. They use thousands of litres for wash down, cleaning etc. Son James has put in a biomass burner for heating the water. It would not be viable without the UK agri subsidy they receive. We wonder where it will all end constantly expanding to stand still.

Biomass boiler and controller

They buy in the chip because they do not manage the woods on the farm.

This is Alastair's son in law Luke,who along with their daughter, also live on the farm in one of the houses. Luke has completed a Nuffield Scholarship and produces what they call chard or charcoal for a number of uses. Very enterprising man and being able to work at home is very necessary as Alastair's daughter has MS.

We had several more walks in woods and about until we finished up on Saturday with the housesit. In the UK there are thousands of public walkways, bridleways signposted that cut across fields which may have crops. Some land owners leave a narrow path easily recognised or you make your way in what you think is the right direction. Great fun and we both love these always interesting walks.

Bruno our housesit dog is at the end of the lead on the public footpath through a field of oats.

We left Woolton Hill, Highclere and headed to Chichester to spend time with our great friend Marj. Now retired from medicine she travels, sails, cycles and looks out for her Mum. Marj had put us onto Peak Tours, who we cycled with in Provence, she has done dozens of tours with them. Another friend, from the Isle of Wight; Suzanne, was also staying so lots of laughter.

Next day a walk on the South Downs Way. Got the bus near Marj's house to the start at Cocking as Chichester backs on to the National Park. The South Downs Way is a 160 mile walk of which we did 12 miles. A perfect day and our walk took us past where Marj works with the Sussex  Wildlide Trust in the winter coppicing Hazel. 

The coppice stems are used for Sussex fencing, stakes in Garden centres etc. 

The walkers Marj, Suzanne and I.

A view from the top of the South Downs. Classic English countryside in the south.

To our delight there was a village cricket match on the go when we walked back through Lavant to Chichester. Sitting around the park watching for a while was hard to beat.

Marj cooked an amazing meal for Jeff's continuing birthday that night.  Beef Wellington perfectly done  with greens, potato bake and good wine.  Dessert was a mound of profiteroles. Thought we had died and gone to heaven. 

For our penance, long walk the day before not withstanding, Marj had us out for a cycle next day along quiet roads for 27miles/44km with a coffee stop in Compton. We were very pleased with how we felt given we had not cycled since Provence some seven weeks ago. 

Thankfully Marj has a few cycles, helmets and shoes to borrow. This is a typical signboard. We had stayed at Rowland Castle a couple of weeks previous.

In the afternoon we walked into the city to do a shop at Marks and Spencers the go to department store in the UK for good quality and value. Another celebrity  bottle of bubbles, this time Pelorus brought by Suzanne, and then in the  evening we strolled up to the Earl of March pub for dinner. Jeff birthday celebrations having had a good weeks effort by now felt we had honored his 70th in style.

Yesterday we decided to visit friends in Wimborne, Dorset with Marj. Many years ago we would all meet up with Geoff and Lisa at the Bath New Year sales. The idea was to see who got the best bargain then meet at the Green Tree pub, reknowned for it's bangers and mash for lunch to view the spoils. One year we only bought a sink plug for the accommodation we were working from and Geoff said " we just did not get it".  Geoff is a retired GP with a passion for classic cars and Lisa works as a speech therapist at Salisbury hospital. Their daughter had recently stayed with us on her gap year travelling in NZ. Before we got to their home we went for a walk around Wimborne known for the  Minster which includes a medieval chained library from 1686. The books are actually chained as back in the day the public were not trusted with valuable books, one is from 1343 on how to evade spiritual pitfalls and tomes in Latin written on lambs skin.

Marj and I on the walk around Wimborne on the Castleman Trailway.

This is called the Lady Wimborne bridge from 1853 that was used as a rail bridge until 1977. Certainly not utilitarian and unkempt now but had its glory days.

One of Geoff Ottleys classis cars, Jaguar XK. They took it for a run at a very fast clip.

So today is organising ourselves to fly out of Heathrow at 9pm having completed our grand tour of Spain, France and the UK having left home on the 4th May, phew! It has been all we could have hoped for; fun, fascinating, filled with laughter, good friends and safe. We fly to Port Douglas arriving 32 hrs after we leave Heathrow 😴 to celebrate my sisters 60th birthday with her friends. Home to Nelson night of 15th August is the plan.

Rowlands Castle, Cheltenham and Highclere 21st - 29th July

 We headed off from Yorkshire at 6.30am bombing down the A614/A43 to get to Cheriton in Hampshire to meet friend's for Sunday lunch. The Hinton Ampner is a lovely pub and was great to see David, Anna and the children again. David had retired as a GP only a couple of days before. Unfortunately the NHS in the UK makes a GPs job impossible and he could not fight the system anymore. Another excellent family doctor lost to their patients.

After lunch we returned to their home a Rowlands Castle which is a small village near the south coast; Chichester, Southampton etc. The village has a Green, chemist and Londis store also an excellent cafe The Bumblebee. Their house borders the South Downs National Park so plenty of walks from the house. A walk the next day with the children using our app which 12yr old Nicholas was enthralled with.

Nicholas takes the lead, Anna and 8yr Charlotte in the South Downs. 

Fishbourne Palace is an outstanding display of Roman mosaics which are kept under cover that were found in the 1960s and excavated. This is in a suburban area of the south coast. There are many of these sorts of finds throughout the UK as the Romans built roads, forts, towns in their advance across Europe.

We spent the rest of our time at Rowlands Castle mucking about in their large garden, doing quizzes with the children. A hoot.

On the way to visit them we called into Oxford for a leg stretch. Fabulous place teaming with summer international students. Hit Waterstones and topped up on books; two books for one book so can't go wrong.

Laird Hatters since 1362. 

After a couple of days with David and Anna we headed to Cheltenham for another couple of days stay with friends Stuart and Ros. They had been Wwoofers for us a couple of times at Jefferswood. We have kept in touch with them over the years even though they no longer work on organic farms. They are very keen hikers, having completed many of the several days walks in the UK and France. The Cotswolds is synonymous with stunning villages, buildings and a National Park status. 

This is in the village of Naunton which we passed though on a days walk plotted by Stuart. Was just lovely countryside. Note the dovecot on the top of the roof.

Ros and I. Just the best hollyhocks growing everywhere. That's the flowers!

Stuart at pace leading the way.

We had a posh picnic in Ros and Stuart's garden as the weather has finally turned to summer so a delight. Cheltenham is also a stunning city with the university and being the centre of the Cotswolds. We had a stooge about as Ros and Stuart live within walking distance.

The UK does hanging baskets everywhere, we love them.

Some great art pieces in the Plaza area.

Our next house/ pet sitting started on Friday 26th near Highclere called Woolton Hill by Highclere castle.

Highclere Castle was used in the Downtown Abbey series. We have visited it on a previous trip, high tea no less, so not going again. It is fully booked throughout the summer and understood there is another film being shot there.

Our house-sit is part of a farm estate where what would have been farm workers cottages, have been rented out. We are caring for a dog, Bruno, a cat called Ari and a first for us  - a hamster. Good set up with outdoor area backing onto a wooded area and many walks from the front door. The owner is away for a week being her first holiday for 7 years after being housebound after a long illness. The animals had never had anyone else caring for them. It is quite a highend area with many large homes and gardens in the surrounding areas and villages.

First night we had a wander about Woolton Hill village. Another dog walker told us about this pub and we just had to call in. As you can see Bruno is a very portly, beagle composite cross, nearly ten years old. He is up for anything but life is ruled by food.

These Kiwis have me on a get fit and trim program!

This is the hamster, who is nocturnal ( who knew) and every second night likes to spin around the lounge in his plastic ball. Gets stuck in the corners sometimes. We just look at each other and laugh, another experience never forgotten. The hamster belongs to Sarah's daughter, Matilda who has been her mothers carer.

Out for a walk Saturday we went into the Thorngrove school fair. A dog competition was being run with a "Golden oldies" section. Jeff thought Buno was a starter and astoundingly this overweight dog charmed everyone. (The dog not Jeff)

Bruno won first prize, a rosette and treats. Was fun and folks intrigued that kiwi housesitters were amongst them. Even though the animals have new people they are very content and easy. 

Jeff's young farmer friends, Great Shefford YF, from 1979, got together and we had a long lunch at Burghclere, on one of the members family farm.  Celebrated Jeff's 70th birthday a day early in great style, lots of fun and grateful to have an excuse to get together. Jeff has celebrated his birthdays; 25th, 65th now 70th with them.

Note all the snowy heads, Young farmers of 45yrs ago now. 

Couple on the right were the hosts.

Birthday boy with his favourite chocolate cake made by Carol who had a recipe that Jeff had given Carol 2 years ago.

Is a lovely property being passed on to a YF member by her father. They farm suckling cows having started out as dairy farmers. At 40pc a litre you go broke pretty soon especially with all the ridiculous environmental dictates here. We brought the dog with us and he behaved impeccably, in the car under a shady tree, as long as he could see Jeff he was happy. Man love!

On Jeff's birthday, Monday, we talked with our great friends, the Johnsons of Havelock, the wonders of WhatsApp. Many messages, cards and a phone call from David Patient, now on holiday in Cornwall. Was a stunning day so plotted a circular 9 mile hike from the Jack Russell Inn. Was going to be a 27C day so were mindful of the dog but he was up for it. Took lots of water and plenty of stops in the shade. 

Walk a mix of open space and walking through deciduous woods as above.

One of our many stops for Bruno. Not keen on uphills but jollied him along.

This is the view of the Northern Wessex Downs. One of the YF told us you can see 16 county's from here. Was a 360deg view.

 

Broad beans field for stock feed. To our dismay we also saw many " rewilding" fields whereby farmers get paid to leave land to nature by the government. The UK does not grow enough food to feed itself hence buying Moroccan tomatoes, Egyptian green beans, Spainish broccoli sprouts at Tesco supermarkets but they let land go rank full of ragwort and every weed known to man. The UK's "emissions" are as negligible as NZ and will not save the planet by this misguided effort. Farmers also get paid for sowing wild flowers and planting hedgerows. Look great but does not feed the populous. We met a chap in Ashmansworth village as we were sitting under an old Beech tree. The council will not remove the tree from his boundary, even though it could fall onto his thatched home due to the trees disease, because there is a pigeon nesting. Possible damaged home over an endemic species, the world is mad.

They are into hedge manicures here, a snowman; very clever.

Really nice grounds and Sophie our friendly waitress.

Bruno happy to get back to the Jack Russell Inn, bowl of water, a meatie bite and good to go.