Reading, Dragonfly, Knitting and Back to Herefordshire Part 1: Jubilee Afternoon Tea Pary

 

Recent Reading

The "Guilty Ones" is book 4 in the Jackman and Evans series and it was brilliant and totally gripping. 

This Shire book was excellent and a great read if, like me, you want to know more about timber framed buildings. I got the idea of visiting Leigh Court Barn from this book. Ideally I would prefer to have the "proper" book and if I see it anywhere I will buy it.

I think it was Caroline from the "Wild and Wonderful" blog who recommended this book and I think Rosie from "Corners of my Mind" has read it too.  The author was awarded for this book The Women's Prize for fiction 2020.  The book was inspired by Shakespeare's son Hamnet who gave his name to one of the playwright's plays. I found it poignant as Hamnet's twin sister goes down with the plague and Hamnet catches the disease too.  I won't reveal any more but it is a good book.

I re-read Miss Read's books at bedtime when I am struggling to get a decent night's sleep. There is something quite comforting about them.

The next in the Mitchell and Markby series. I enjoy these books - set in the Cotswolds and the plots have lots of twists and turns.

I tend to knit if I watch tv and to be honest had got fed up with knitting hats and scarves - there are only so many you can wear and of course you have to store them!!!  Years ago I used to make simple jumpers but I am ashamed to say I used to get my mother to finish the neck if you had to pick up stitches and to sew them up.  Mom is no longer with us and for 10 years before she died she had alzheimer's and her eyesight was poor so sewing up my jumpers was not an option.  Early this year I decided to have a go at a simple jumper even though I had to pick up the dreaded stitches. It took me over 3 months and here's the result which I am quite pleased with.

Garden Dragonflies

A Broad-bodied Chaser which is a garden "tick". A female I think.

Herefordshire

E's on holiday from work this week and wanted to visit the caravan for a few days and as there was a Jubilee Afternoon Tea Party at the site on Saturday afternoon we travelled Friday evening picking her up from work on the way and arriving just before 8.00.

On Saturday morning B and D fetched a Morrison's Click and Collect from Leominster and stopped off in the town centre. I wasn't with them so the photos are D's.

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The caravan site used to have a yearly Summer barbecue which we have never been to as no events have been held due to the pandemic so the Jubilee Afternoon Tea party was the first event in several years.  To be honest I was quite nervous especially as I haven't mixed socially with people since 2019!

People were asked to bring cakes or savouries so I bought some mini Afternoon Tea cakes and made a ginger traybake (like parkin). Emily in the week made a Strawberry and Lemonade Cake (a recipe in BBC Good Food Magazine) which we froze and then she decorated it on the Saturday morning.

There was a prize for the most patriotic caravan (we didn't win!) but B and D put some bunting and flags up on the Friday night.  To be honest I would not call any of us royalists by any stretch of the imagination but I think the Queen is to be admired for her unstinting years of loyalty and duty.

The cakes we took - note we had already eaten a lot of the gingerbread!

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The party took place in the walled garden, lasted for 3 hours, and the time went quick. The site owners had done a super job organising it all and there was a table tennis table where B and I played several games and a royal quiz.  There was a lot of food. To be honest we didn't mingle much as most people were sat in groups with friends and family which for me was a relief especially as I don't hear that well these days.

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I want one of these postboxes!!!!!

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Before we leave the Jubilee a couple of photos of a postbox I saw in Solihull a few weeks ago with a crocheted topper.

Final photo - the Herefordshire Oak

On Sunday D and I went to Bromyard to see the Scarecrow Festival but I will leave that until the next post.

Photos taken by me with the Panasonic Bridge Lumix FZ330 bridge camera and photos marked *D taken by D with the Canon SX50HS bridge camera.  (if anyone wishes to use any of  my photos or my son's I would be grateful if you could email me first - thanks)

Garden, Reading, Baking and Two Churches

A few days ago I was in the garage and noticed there was a dragonfly perched on a nearby pole in the garden.

I am not sure whether it is a Common Darter or Ruddy Darter.

Rosebay Willowherb has self seeded on the patio.

Recent Reading


This is a new author for me - the book is quite short and introduces Kate Shackleton and her first case. I enjoyed the book enough to buy the next in the series on the Kindle.

This book was really interesting - just wish I had the "proper" book rather than a Kindle version. I do like Arts and Crafts Gardens and Houses and one day will return to Wightwick Manor and Hidcote.

The latest Maisie Dobbs story was good - I have enjoyed this series. For some reason I have a feeling this may be the last MD story but I hope I am proved wrong.

E made a Cherry Cake yesterday - another recipe from Mary Berry's "Fast Cakes". We are still ok for flour having got some from Shipton Mill but trying to order cake making ingredients when you do the supermarket online shop is still proving difficult. So many items are out of stock from mixed dried fruit to greaseproof paper, from vanilla essence to light muscovado or even light brown sugar! I did, however, manage to get some more plain flour and some icing sugar in this week's Morrison shop.

Last Sunday E and I went for a drive around the Fillongley Lanes. I was hoping to stop off briefly at two churches I have not visited before to get photos of the church exterior and churchyards. E was not impressed and insisted on remaining in the car on both occasions so I only allowed myself 5/10 minutes at each church. A shame as there seemed a lot of interest - I shall have to return on my own.

St Leonard's, Over Whitacre

The church is on a main road outside the village and as I knew I couldn't park on the road I checked google maps and found there was a car park at the church next to the village hall. I used to do a BTO Atlas transect walk round this area some years ago and I never realised the car park existed but used to park in a pub car park in Over Whitacre itself!

By the North West churchyard gate there is a former school which now fronts the village hall. The building is 1840's Tudor in stone with a cross on the central gable.

The church sits on a hill looking towards the town of Coleshill and in the very distance the city of Birmingham. The church with its Baroque and dramatic steeple was built 1765/6 and possibly it was the early work of Francis Hiorne.

The West Door is flanked by volutes.

The church is now open for private prayer if you contact the church warden. As far as I know this church is usually locked and I have never seen any details of open days.

The churchyard contains 18th and 19th century memorials in slate and stone including one to a local steeple builder who lived in nearby Over Whitacre. I really should have read my Warwickshire Pevsner before visiting!

The base of the churchyard cross supporting an octagonal bowl with quatrefoils alternating with the symbols of the Evangelists.

St Cuthbert's Shustoke seen across the fields.

And so onto the village of Fillongley and

St Mary And All Saints

The nave of the church was widened and rebuilt around 1300.

Although it appears the church will be opening for private prayer it is not I think a church that is normally open to the general public who wish to take photos. So many of the North Warwickshire churches are kept locked.

The church has some good examples of 17th century table tombs (such a shame I didn't have longer to look round!) and the remains of two crosses - one 15th century restored by Bodley and Garner in 1896.

According to "Ghosts of Warwickshire" by Betty Smith this church is or was haunted. Over the years there have been many reports by people walking along the churchyard path of the cowled figures of monks chanting Latin verses and some individuals felt they were being held back by an invisible force.

During World War 2 the vicar's wife went to the church as it was getting dark and inside she saw a man wearing what appeared to be a black cassock standing by the altar. She thought it was her husband although thought it a little strange as she had just left him at home sitting by the fire. As she walked towards the figure it suddenly disappeared into thin air.

Stories of the ghosts spread around the village and one very sceptical man who didn't believe in ghosts said he would spend the night in the church BUT just after midnight he came running out of the church terrified. He refused to tell anyone what he had seen or heard and never went in the church again.

Fillongley never had a monastery so who were the monks who haunted it? Eventually it was discovered that the altar stone in the church had come from Maxstoke Priory a few miles away and it was thought that the ghostly monks had come with it.

Maxstoke Priory was founded in 1331 by Sir William de Clinton of Maxstoke Castle. The monks, however, did not lead very pious lives and there were many complaints about assaults and marauding and in 1399 one of the brothers murdered one of the other monks.

The Priory was dissolved during the Dissolution so perhaps the 7 monks who were residing there at the time made their way to Fillongley along with the altar stone?

When the hauntings began to really worry the villagers a clergyman volunteered to go to into the church at midnight and read a Special Divine Service designed to remove spirits. As he read the latin verses he bcame aware of other voices joining in and making the correct responses - the ghostly monks were taking part in a service that was supposed to exorcise them!!!! The clergyman fled rather rapidly!

At Maxstoke Priory there have also been reports of the voices of monks chanting in Latin.




I have no idea whether the church is still haunted but I certainly didn't notice or hear anything strange during my very brief visit! In fact only once in all the churches and churchyards I have visited did I experience something a bit "strange". I was taking photos of the font and so strong was the feeling that someone was standing just behind me that I kept turning round and looking but there was no-one in sight. The sensation disappeared once I had moved away from the area by the font. I am sure there was a logical explanation as there were several people in the church praying and it could be one of them left and passed behind me without me noticing.






I hope everyone is staying safe and well. Take care all.



All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera


Reference
"Ghosts of Warwickshire" by Betty Smith
"The Buildings of England Warwickshire" by Chris Pickford and Nikolaus Pevsner