Tuesday 31 March 2020

Tuesday 31st March

The equine character in this series of photoes was called Twinkle. She came into our lives a few weeks after we'd moved to Hoxne.  I took a 'phone call which complained that a small dapple grey pony was playing in the traffic two or three miles  along the road from us. The game she was playing was called havoc, or that at least was what she was causing. At this time (the late sixties) every east Anglian police officer kept a halter in his garage, so pausing only to pick up my halter I set off on my bike in the direction of Stradbroke (the place of the last recorded sighting of the pony).  I found him at a crossroads (harassing traffic).  I  leapt off my bike, applied the halter,  remounted the bike,  clasping the halter in my righ hand, with the pony trotting along beside me, back towards Hoxne.

I seemed to spend the next few days on the 'phone, trying to find the owner of the pony without much noticable success. No one seemed eager to claim the pony that the girls had now named 'Twinkle'.
Two or three days later I finally took a 'phone call that looked like being  helpful from a lady farmer who lived just the far side of  Stradbroke.  She'd lost a pony who sounded very like the one that Sarah was at that point riding round the front lawn on a halter. The putative owner's parting shot was not reassuring.          "If you have children" she said "Don't let them near that pony. She's vicious.

   
Later that afternoon the pony owner drove over to identify Twinkle, which she did; and I could see within minutes what the problem was.    She was afraid of him.  She stretched her right hand out to full length and patted his neck with three trembling fingers .He replied by laying his ears back and baring his teeth at her. The owner said she didn't know how she was going to get him home. She didn't have access to a horse box, and anyway he always tried to bite or kick her, if she went near him. I suggested a return trip by the same  method I'd used to get him to Hoxne, and all went without a hitch.  I think I must cut this story short by saying that in the end I taught our two oldest girls to ride, and also the horse owner's  daughter who was about Sarah's age (and who wasn't afraid of the pony).
                                                                             


Monday 30 March 2020

Monday 30th March

Above is meself and the Duchess/

  

Above is again the Duchess, with me father  in attendance (he loved horses) .  


Again, the Duchess, with meself in attendance, and my  sister Margaret mounted.

Sunday 29 March 2020

Sunday evening


Sunday afternoon 29th March 2020


Sunday 29th March


Monday 23rd March


Snapshot is of  a corner of the new home, in a corner of the garden.

Friday 13 March 2020

Friday.


Do any (or indeed - All) my google friends, or at least the ones who have retired, have difficulty in remembering what day of  the week it is?  It's not as much of a nuisance as you'd expect in that it doesn't matter too much  (and I think I'm getting used to it, anyway..)
I've developed  a habit of saying to Ann "Have we anything on tomorrow ?" as we get into bed ; and she'll run through anything important booked for the morrow, and on a good day, I'll wake remembering what I'm  supposed to be doing that day (well - sometimes I do).   I  must stress that during the majority of our fifty seven year marriage, mine has been much the most reliable of our memorys. Now, though, I have to consciously remind meself who this very  pleasant lady beside me in the morning is.  I exaggerate, of course, but (just to be on the safe side) I'm trying to develop a habit of addressing her as m'dear first thing ack emma ,  which seems to be working.  I am, of course, exaggerating my memory problems, but if any of you with the same problems have any tips for improvement, they would be gratefully received. 

I've just read this out to Ann, and she's gone off in a fit of the giggles, so that's alright.


Goodnight All.

Tuesday 10 March 2020

Tuesday.


Few snapshots of
 the new home:-


Above is a photo of  the central hall, giving onto the door into the drawing room.




Library door (contents of library shaking down nicely). You'll probably have to 'embiggen'  the above two photies to make much sense of them.  Point is that the place is beginning to look like home, we think.

Sunday 1 March 2020