Snowdrop Sunday at St. Botolph's Church, Swyncombe, South Oxfordshire

On our way down to Reading we saw hundreds of snowdrops in the Oxfordshire countryside.  There were daffodils in bloom too.  They had probably been planted and had spread and were growing wild along the verges and in the woods.

On our way back home to the north of England we did a detour to see the snowdrops and aconites growing in the churchyard at St. Botolph's Church, Swyncombe.  I've shared a visit to the church before, but as it was one of the weekends in February when everyone is invited to view these delicate flowers before they go over we took the opportunity during our journey to return.  Refreshments are served by members of the congregation on these special occasions, but we didn't stay long.  It was another chance for Mr P to rest before we joined the Oxford by-pass and then drive across country to the M1 motorway.  

It's a beautiful area.  There are woodland lanes, small villages and market towns on this stretch of the road.  It's also where the red kites hang out and it's good to know that the numbers are multiplying.  We saw them flying and sailing high up in the thermals in the home counties and even beyond Oxfordshire.

We turned off by the village war memorial at Cookley Green and followed other visitors who were going to the church.

St. Botolph's was probably built by Saxon workers under the supervision of the Normans.  It's situated on the Ridgeway Path which was once a major road from Avebury in Wiltshire to the flint mines of Norfolk.

The sheep in the surrounding fields still have their woolly Winter fleeces on.

There were daffodils in bloom that must have been planted by the residents of Watlington.  They were a bright sight to greet visitors.  Up here in the north of England daffodils are still tightly in bud in our garden and we look forward to sunnier, warmer weather for them to open.  (The ones below are from March 2022).

Happy St. David's Day to all my friends with Welsh connections!  

Thank you for coming by.  Have a good weekend everyone!

By the River Thames Again

Goring-on-Thames Lock and Weir (Creative Commons)

We were grateful that daughter D drove us around during our stay with her in Reading.  It certainly helped Mr P rest and enjoy the visit.  The weather was dull but dry so the photos I took reflect this.  I suppose we should expect poor light at this time of the year.

We had refreshments at the Swan Hotel in Streatley before walking in the grounds of the hotel.  Below are views of the bridge linking the two villages of Streatley, Berkshire and Goring-on-Thames on the South Oxfordshire side of the river.

The main reason for travelling down to Reading was to see our new great grandson for the first time as well as to be with family and friends.  A theatre visit had been booked and I'll share more another day.  

Meanwhile I wish you a good new week.  It'll be March soon!

Nettlebed, Oxfordshire

Our drive back home to Sheffield was more straightforward than going down to Berkshire when one of the major routes across country that we usually take was closed due to a Moto Grand Prix sports motorbike racing event at Silverstone race circuit.  The beech woods in Oxfordshire were shades of green compared with the above photo taken on an earlier journey when the trees were beginning to turn into Autumn shades. 

Driving through Caversham we stopped to put flowers on the family graves at Henley Road Cemetery.

We then stopped in the village of Nettlebed as I had hoped to see the stained glass windows in the church designed by the English artist John Piper, a painter, printmaker, photographer, book jacket and theatrical set designer.  Unfortunately when I spoke to a villager who was out litter-picking (although from what I observed the village looked immaculately well-kept), the gentleman explained that the church was closed at this time because of vandalism.  However, the key could be obtained from a church warden who lived opposite the church.  With a long journey ahead of us it was not possible to stop for long, but I did take a walk in the churchyard and took photos of the exterior of the church and surrounding buildings.

The origin of the name Nettlebed is unknown.  There are various theories.  One is that Roman soldiers in the 1st and 2nd century AD rubbed nettles on their limbs to keep warm on marches!  Another well known fact is that nettles yield a thread which can be made into linen cloth.  Many homes in the 18th century had sheets and table cloths made from nettles that grew in abundance around the area.  

The present church was designed by J. Henry Hakewill (1811-1880) of London and built on the site of the original 12th century church.  Remains of the first church can be seen forming the base of the tower of the present building (not photographed).

The lychgate is also a war memorial.

There was a beautiful copper beech in the churchyard.....

and an impressive hedge at the entrance to the garden of one of the village homes.

This notice looked intriguing so I walked a short way down the lane by the side of the churchyard to take a look at what might be there.

The refreshments at The Cheese Shed looked inviting.  It was a pity that we couldn't stay and sample them - another time if we're in the area.

Looking back I saw the gentleman litter-picker and engaged him in conversation. We know now that we need to contact the church warden if we want to visit the church out of hours of church services.  

Someone has visited and has taken a photo of one of the stained glass windows and has given it public domain status which gives an idea of one of the designs.  It would be even better for us to visit the church sometime and take in the detail of this place of worship.

The lane by the church. In the Home Counties and elsewhere the grass was brown due to the lack of rain.  The fields that we passed were golden with wheat and barley, but farmers have reported that the grains are small and the yield will be less because of the intense heat and no rain over the Summer months.

Despite the lack of rain people are still lovingly tending their gardens.  Above are some random photos - dahlias in a garden near our daughter D's home and a Reading Council flower display outside the Italian restaurant taken at night.  Opposite are the Forbury Gardens.  I'll probably post some old photos of my walks in Reading town centre another time.  This time it was all about being with our family.

The internet seems to be back on track. Thank you for coming by.

This and That on a Monday

Hello again.  I hope that you had a good weekend.  We had rather gloomy days weather-wise.  I had intended to go out for a walk, but in the end it didn't happen. There was the usual housework and some shared cooking (layering up lasagne sheets in a baking tray).  Mr P made the tomato sauce and I made the topping of white sauce flavoured with parmesan cheese. Most of the time we just pottered, watched the Remembrance Services and the Lord Mayor's Parade televised broadcasts from London, Strictly Come Dancing etc.  I do find I get a melancholy feeling at this time of the year.  It's mainly because of the gloomy weather, not being able to walk out so much because of the cold and also I feel sad about conflicts of any kind. 

I did a bit of reading and embroidery although I can't spend too long on close work now.  I  have quite a few craft projects in my sewing basket and I thought I would start on one of the easier ones.

I like to follow an outline rather than do free form stitching.  This pack that the grandchildren sent through the post a while ago when we were in lockdown is simple as the stitches are mainly straight stitch, outline stitch, French Knot and Lazy Daisy stitch.

This is what it should look like when it's finished and then I shall have to find a frame.

As this blog is also meant to be a personal record which I find useful because it's easy to forget past events I'm still thinking of our time in Reading.  The above flowers were bought to take to put on the family graves at the municipal Henley Road Cemetery in Caversham - parents, grandparents and my uncles are all in the oldest part of the cemetery.  We also bought some slate chippings to refresh my Uncle James' grave (Little Jimmy who died when he was knocked down in the street outside school.  It was a tragic accident that I've written about before). I'm thankful that our daughter or her children who live in Reading visit the cemetery and put fresh flowers on the graves.  

We saw some woodpeckers by the family graves.  They were next to the fence that separates the cemetery from the parkland of the former British Broadcasting World Service building and the birds must spend time in one of the oak trees in the grounds as I went to take a look over the fence and could hear them there when they flew off when we approached.  Daughter D identified them as green woodpeckers.  They eat insects they find in the earth.

We saw mistletoe berries there too.

To finish off here are some images of the Oxfordshire villages we drove through on our way back home. 

a church built of knapped flint at Stoke Row near Henley-on-Thames

the War Memorial at Cookley Green

a black and white timber framed cottage, Watlington

The Market Hall, Watlington, built by the Stonor family in 1663, refurbished in 2013

A Remembrance Day display, Watlington

Stopping at roadworks in Watlington allowed me to take more photos. To the extreme right is the entrance to Watlington Methodist Chapel.

more brick and flint

Back at home the bouquet of flowers that was given to us by Berkshire grands are still looking fresh and lovely.

There's a lot to share with you regarding the garden in November.  That will have to wait for another day.  

Meanwhile, thank you for coming by.  Have a good day!