AUGUST NEWSLETTER
Getting Hitched – Emsworth Style
Calling all shipping areas Dover, Wight, Portland, Plymouth, Lundy, Fastnet and Irish Sea ….
After months of planning and despite several last minute setbacks, the first ever marriage of two EmsValley U3A members finally went ahead on Saturday July 10th, proving that even in our twilight years romance can still blossom
As Carol pointed out in her speech/ interview she had been considering moving back up to her native Cumbria two years ago but Emsworth had other ideas for her future and was determined to keep her anchored here. For a start she had far too many wonderful friends here, many of whom she had met through U3A, the Twinning Association and also Village Voices. It was through meeting James however in the Autumn of 2019 that she finally found the most secure of moorings.
July 10th dawned wet and miserable but when the time came for that memorable drive to St James’ church in her friend’s suitably bedecked VW camper van the sun was peeking through the clouds and stayed out for the rest of the day. Carol’s son, Jeremy, accompanied her down the aisle where James was waiting expectantly. The service, led so beautifully by Andrew, hit just the right notes of formality and light-hearted humour. After photographs in the church garden the 68-strong wedding party processed along Church Path, over the A259 and down Bridgefoot Path to the Slipper Sailing Club marquee for the reception where Dennis and Lesley Spencer masterminded operations and served an excellent meal.
Nautically themed table centre pieces were designed specially by Judi Milburn’s grand-daughter and the delicious wedding cakes baked and iced by Sue and Keith Davies’ grand-daughter. Instead of making the usual speech Carol and James chose to involve a handful of their guests so that it made it into a kind of interview. James’ naval sword was the weapon of choice when it came to the cutting of the cake and when the speeches were over and toasts made the evening was rounded off with music from the Portsdown Reel, a local fourpiece Ceildh band.
Editor: And don’t forget that Mother in Law Audrey Mant is also an Ems Valley member. Surely this is a record that will never be broken, Bride, Groom and Audrey all in our u3a!
Gardening One visits
Diana Driver reports that Gardening One can accept a few more members and that they are visiting Homesteads, a garden at Northney, Hayling Island on 8th August. It may not be possible to add names for this visit because of Covid requirements, but places will be available for the next visit on 14th September. This is to West Dean Gardens at Chichester.
If you are interested in joining Gardening One or in the visit to West Dean please contact Diana on 02392 719321. Diana has promised us a report and photos of the Homesteads visit in due course. Homesteads are a member of the National Garden Scheme. She would welcome anyone who has an interest in gardens and would like to visit gardens nearby. In the winter she plans to hold meetings on Zoom. Gardening One, Diana Driver
Camera Workshop Outings – Chichester
Diana Driver’s Camera Workshop met up at the end of June for a “Black and White” project, or as Diana put it –“to see in Black and White” The interesting results are shown below:
Above - Diana Driver
Left and Right
- Jill Gask
Above – David Griffiths
Left – William Saywell
The Mary Rose
On Monday 19th July (so called freedom Day in 2021) the Mary Rose sank off Southsea Castle in full view of Henry VIII . That was in 1545, 476 years ago, and it remained there in the mud on the sea bed until 1982 when it was raised and taken to Portsmouth Dockyard for an extensive “refit”. It is now one of Portsmouth’s prime tourist attraction!
Confucius didn’t say:
Man who wants pretty nurse must be patient.
Lady who goes camping with man must beware of evil intent.
Man who runs in front of car gets tired but man who runs behind car gets exhausted.
Man who leaps off cliff, jumps to conclusion.
Man who eats prunes gets good run for money.
Man who drives like hell is bound to get there.
Man who stands on toilet is high on pot.
Wise man does not keep sledge hammer and computer in same room.
War does not determine who is right: it determines who is left.
A man is stranded on a desert island all alone for ten years. One day he sees a speck on the horizon. He thinks to himself: “It’s not a ship.” The speck gets a little closer and he thinks: “It’s not a boat.” The speck gets even closer and he thinks: “It’s not a raft.” Then, out of the surf comes this gorgeous blonde woman wearing a wet suit. She comes up to the guy and she says: “How long has it been since you’ve had a cigarette?” “Ten years!” he says. She reaches over, unzips the waterproof pocket on her left sleeve and pulls out a pack of fresh cigarettes. He takes one, lights it, takes a long drag and says: “Man, oh man! Is that good!” Then she asked: “How long has it been since you’ve had a drink of whiskey?” He replies: “Ten years!” She reaches over, unzips her waterproof pocket on the right, pulls out a flask and gives it to him. He takes a long swig and says: “Wow! That’s fantastic!” Then she starts unzipping this long zipper that runs all the way down the front of her wet suit: “Oh, No! Don’t tell me, you’ve got golf clubs in there?
GUESS THE CRYPTIC FOOTBALL CLUB Answers at bottom of Newsletter 1 Weight for a long time 2 Male meadow 3 See through Royal residence 4 An animals car 5 Currant bun 6 Detectives need these 7 Its not ….. Dull Off 8 It destroys houses 9 Cowboys boots have them 10 Maybe a famous Jockey 11 Keep the home fires burning 12 Underground 13 Maybe a former President 14 Definitely the complete bacon joint 15 Larger than a duck pond 16 Needed to live 17 Light a candle naked 18 A parents illness is over 19 Car outside Spanish house 20 Prison Clock
It’s Caption time folks….. Here we have u3a line dancing supremo, Gary Willard, with his first mate Neil Cowell and before you send your caption in, all references to the man sized steering wheel, the black hooter a blind man couldn’t miss and the chrome roll bar that has been manufactured too small to effectively save the occupants are banned because they will convey a serious lack of nautical knowledge. Competition idea by the Editor, Picture by Richard Swaine
More Childhood memories
Because many people are having “staycations” this year, there is an ongoing short series on Radio 4’s Today Programme about childhood memories of holidays in England.
This stirred my own memories, and perhaps yours too? In the late ’40s our family holiday was taken in North Wales. Although I didn’t know this then, my great-aunt with whom we stayed had been in service at “The Big House” and so lived in a tied cottage. There were no facilities at all: water we had to collect from a nearby spring; the lavatory was a hut with wooden planks to sit on with a hole in the middle and a bucket underneath which had to be emptied regularly – wonderful fuchsia bushes! Lighting was by paraffin lamp. The cottage was perched on the edge of a small bay which we had to ourselves – climbing down the steep cliff path each morning to spend the day on the beach swimming and building sand castles. The beach was used by fishermen who had to pass the cottage with their catch on the way home – so lots of very fresh fish to eat.
Our first holiday there started very badly as my great-aunt had ordered the only taxi to meet us at Pwllheli, but unfortunately the train had carried us on to Abersoch and my father was not best pleased to have to walk with two heavy suitcases, my mother and three small children across fields to the cottage.
I can’t remember how we all fitted in because I do recall there was only one bedroom plus a large landing at the top of the stairs.
I don’t think the whole experience would go down well with today’s families, but I have lovely memories!
Ann Sims
Best of MATT
Anyone for Water?
We hardly stop to think today about a precious gift – as we turn on the tap – our water supply! Well I suppose It’s not a gift as we need to pay our water rates! But now turn the clock back to the seventeenth century. If you were well off, you would have a well in the garden. If not, the vast majority of people would make the daily trip to the communal well/ pump which would be in your street if you were lucky. Right up until the nineteenth century, Portsmouth residents obtained fresh water from springs on Portsea Island, either within the town walls or in the adjacent commom fields.
While all had access to the common street pumps, some people were either unwilling or unable to collect water themselves. They were supplied by water carters whose price in 1690 were fixed at 2d a half-hogshead. One hogshead equals 54 gallons. Then in 1694, two gentlemen, Richard Barrey of London and George Sorocold of Derby obtained permission from the Corporation to operate a waterworks. It was to be from known springs in White Swan Field in what is now Commercial Road, Portsmouth. They intended to lay on the town’s first piped water supply. They had installed successful water supplies in Exeter, Norwich and Leeds, but all of these had flowing water. Portsmouth had below surface springs which could dry up in times of summer drought and also could be contaminated by sea water.
A contemporary local writer suggested that “we are badly supplied with water, having none but what partakes of a saline quality; and even this is so scarce that were it not for showers of rain, which is most industriously catched by everyone, people could not possibly subsist.”
Then an Act of Parliament was passed in 1741 permitting a new means of conveying water and from a new source, from springs at Farlington. Colonel Smith, Lord of the Manor of Farlington, obtained this Act but died before it could be implemented. The powers passed to Peter Taylor, the MP for Portsmouth who began the digging.
An immense well in ‘Crookham Copse’ near Purbrook was dug and then carrying an archway of brick through Portsdown Hill by way of large pipes expecting that the line would pick up the known springs in that area. After this immense expense of mining and brickwork through the whole bed of chalk, the workmen emerged just behind Farlington Church but not a drop of water was encountered! The speculation had failed miserably.
In 1808, a public meeting rejected an £60,000 proposal to pipe water from Farlington to Portsmouth in favour of a cheaper scheme (£32,000) by William Nicholson (seen left), to supply the piped service to the town from the White Swan Springs. The subscription total for this scheme was met in just 24 hours with over 75% of those putting up money living in Portsmouth. Nicholson was an eminent chemist and inventor.
However Ralph Dodd, (seen below) the proposer of the Farlington scheme, not to be out done, otained the assignment of Colonel Smith’s original Act of 1741 and raised the necessary capital from “Gentlemen and Businessmen in London and the Home Counties”
Ralph Dodd cannot claim to have been the greatest of technical engineers but his ideas and entrepreneurial flair led to the construction of many important British landmarks, including Vauxhall Bridge in London, the Gravesend to Tilbury tunnel, the Grand Surrey Canal and London Waterworks.
By the way, he also had connections with the formation of The London Distillery Company and that Distillery launched a super premium gin with luxury retailer Fortnum and Mason in tribute to him quite recently.
So Portsmouth had two schemes in being and there was no love lost between them! The White Swan engineer immediately published a pamphlet ‘proving’ that there was insufficient good water at Farlington to supply the town. (in truth, his criticisms would have been better directed to his own Company’s source!) They fought each other through their respective offers to the residents. The idea was to obtain the largest number of customers to reduce the per capita development costs. Both schemes were implemented, side by side.
I hope to return to this water battle in a future edition.
I am grateful to Tony Perry for the loan of the Portsmouth Papers account of the history of Portsmouth’s Water supply. Alan Borrow
Sequel to Richard Swaine’s COPP articles.
Richard has received a number of contacts from interested parties following his COPP series. We publish a very descriptive and original account of that D Day as one soldier recounts his Gold Beach landing:
The above is written by the late Ian Wakefield, and is an account of his D Day landing. Tod Wakefield, his son and neighbour to Richard Swaine added the following: My father unfortunately had Alzheimer’s for the last few years of his life and after reading my father’s memoires once again, I made a mistake on 6th June 2004, when I was at my parents’ house. On that Saturday morning, at exactly 08.20am, I asked my father if he could remember where he was exactly 60 years ago. “No can’t remember!” “Well you jumped out of the landing craft at exactly 08.20am and your waterproof trousers split. “Oh yes - split trousers” he said thumping the table with delight. It was a mistake on my part, because the memory took hold and for the next six months he delighted in going around shooting people with his walking stick !
Tod added, “at his funeral, Gordon Duffy and Ernie Partridge turned up, with their medals and they wanted to help carry the coffin. They were in his platoon, both aged 18, on D Day. They called him ‘The Old Man’, he was only 24 years old, but had been through El Alamein, and he, they felt, kept them safe through that extraordinary day”. A Day out with the Cycling Group
‘A day return from Emsworth to Woolston please’. I was standing in Emsworth station just over a week ago, buying my ticket for our next cycling outing.
‘What’s happening at Woolston – and where is Woolston? I have had lots of people ask for that same ticket today.’ The ticket-office clerk replied.
‘Ah, it’s our U3A cycle outing, we are catching the train to Woolston and cycling to Hamble then catching the train home from Bursledon’.
So it was, that last Monday, on that hot, humid morning, our group set off West on the 09.35 from Emsworth.
We changed trains at Fareham where we were joined by one member who lives locally. A decision was made to alight at Sholing - not Woolston, in the interest of a prettier, less urban route.
Sure enough, within a few minutes of leaving the built-up area of Sholing itself, we were cycling down a slippery gravel footpath under a totally covered canopy of trees and bushes. Morning walkers and walkers with dogs were the only traffic; although some walkers seem to have met by design (romantic liaisons perhaps?).
After a couple of miles of this enchanted canopy, we arrived at solid ground once more and came out into the sun; we closed the shoreside at Southampton Water. We were able to cycle on a little but found that it was necessary to push our bikes over the shingle – those members with heavy e-bikes may then have found this bit less amusing! I think it was around here that Neil gave us a fascinating talk on the subject of samphire - and how it could be found and harvested locally.
On we cycled to Netley. We didn’t stop for more than a comfort break at the Royal Victoria Military Hospital there. Photos do not do justice to what is left of this wonderful old establishment. We did not have the time to visit the museum but promised ourselves a return trip to do just that.
Some cycle rides include a coffee-stop, but by the time everyone has queued for coffee, chatted and drunk the coffee, looked for the loos, queued and looed, that can account for an hour. This morning we did not have an hour to spare, so Neil and I declared ‘No coffee today! Having cycled past the old hospital, we saw what would have been the residence of the Hospital’s Commanding Officer, a charming little abode, with just the odd dozen or so bedrooms and grounds. On then to the outskirts of Hamble, where the 21 century light industry was seemingly everywhere and unavoidable. Then we were suddenly in the village of Hamble-le-Rice and quaint yachtie charm gave promise of a relaxing waterside lunch. We had pre-booked accommodation at The Bugle and we stowed our bikes at various places in view of the pub - to dissuade interference or theft. Some ingenuity was needed because there were only a couple of legitimate bike racks.
The beer tasted wonderful after the hot sticky ride and the food proved inexpensive for such a high-profile spot.
We had promised the riders a pink ferry and after lunch – that is what they got, There were two gaily painted pink
ferries which took us across the River Hamble for the princely sum of £2.50 + 50p for each bike!
Once across the other side our destination was obvious – Bursledon. We just had to cycle up the few miles on the other side of the Hamble River to make our way to Bursledon Station.
Our anxiety over timing was misplaced in the event. We were concerned not to miss the train because they only run once per hour back to Fareham, as it was, we were half-hour early. To add insult to injury, when we arrived in Fareham, expecting a few minutes wait for the connection, a notice told us our train was delayed; an announcement then declared our train was cancelled
owing ‘shortages’ (??!)
We eventually arrived back in Emsworth about an hour late, but we had all thoroughly enjoyed the day. We think we may add variations to this lovely route, perhaps to add length to the East or West – but repeat it anyway, perhaps in the Autumn.
Gary Willard
Craft Group
Whether you’re a skilled Craftsperson, or a complete novice who would like to learn a little in a sociable setting, this will be of interest! Some ideas …… Mosaic Tiles; Bunting Making; Glass Painting; Decorative Photo Frames; Felting; Quilting; Cushion making; Embellishing an existing garment; Card making; Beeswax Food Wraps; Ribbon Wreaths; Magnetic Clothes Pegs; Bulletin Boards; Felt Ball Garlands; Night Light Jars; Painted Flower Pots……..
If this little article has whetted your appetite please contact Angela Blunden on [email protected]
It is hoped this group will meet monthly on the first Wednesday morning, but if you are keen but not free at this time, do contact Angela to register your interest.
Never worry about being ill……
What happened on 30th August 1989?
You may have forgotten that a massive fire enveloped UPPARK HOUSE at Harting on this day. ‘Bricks Business’ were
reminded of this at their July meeting recently. It was the worse fire ever experienced at a National Trust property! 27 Fire engines and 156 firemen were at that scene. They fought the fire the whole of that evening, the whole of that night and all the following day. Due to wonderful teamwork over 90% of the internal furnishings and pictures were saved. It was so fortunate that the weather was dry, albeit windy, as the treasures were carried out and laid on the adjacent lawns.
But the Ems Valley Bricks meeting was shown that there was one aspect of that fire which, ironically, had done more to save Uppark than any other. Much of the interior was gutted but the outer brickwork stood firm as the picture at the end of the article shows. The restored house, very largely, retained the original brickwork, an attractive Hampshire red handmade brick. How did this happen? Normally with a fire of this intensity, the outer brickwork would be scorched and structurally affected. Look at any serious house fire. What happens? The windows blow and flames exhaust to the oxygen – you see flames spurting out through all openings.
But at Uppark, you can immediately see that the brickwork largely survived, only molten lead from the valley gutters and chimney flashings had caused splatters.
Look at the plan diagram on the left and in particular the internal staircase hall. Once the roof had disintegrated, a massive internal chimney was formed and this Staircase hall became one huge funnel through which the flames were channelled. The fire was thus diverted from the windows into the centre of the building, saving the outer brickwork.
So when we look at the building today, we see the original brickwork by and large, and after an amazing restoration, you can, once again appreciate a lot of the interior. It truly is an amazing tribute to the work of the conservators that the building welcomes its visitors today!
Below UPPARK HOUSE TODAY:
Alan Borrow
SINGING IS BACK!
Our Singing for Fun Group started meeting this month – absolutely wonderful to see everyone again, and to have four new members too! Not only that, but we now have a lovely pianist – Helen Hockey – organist at St James’ Church. We sang our way through an enjoyable range of songs, ending, at Helen’s suggestion, with a rousing rendition of Jerusalem – very WI, we felt, but hugely enjoyable. We meet again in September on the fourth Wednesday – do come along if you think you might want to join us. You would be very welcome.
Anne Powell
An elderly lady with a Zimmer frame was leaving the Stansted Farm Shop as I was going in. She stopped outside, sagged against her Zimmer and removed her mask with a "Phew - glad to get THAT off!" I laughed and she said "It's just the same feeling we used to get when we took our corsets off" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Answers to Crytic football clubs 1 Everton 2 Mansfield 3 Crystal Palace 4 Oxford 5 Chelsea 6 Leeds 7 Brighton 8 Wrexham 9 Spurs 10 Leicester 11 Stoke 12 Bury 13 Lincoln 14 Fulham 15 Swansea 16 Ayr 17 Berwick 18 Motherwell 19 Aston Villa 20 Celtic
Message from the Editor: As usual, I am looking forward to your news – now that we are back and our interest groups are running as normal!