What's at Petersfield?

I don't know if this ever happens to you, but there are some places that I have been going past for years yet never stopped to see what's there. Petersfield, just over the border in Hampshire, is one I drove past many times when I was studying over that way and at that time the route took me round the outskirts. Nowadays there's a bypass so no opportunity to even peek. I asked my friend Jane what she knew of the town and as it turns out she is well acquainted with it. It's pretty with a big lake and a free physic garden to see. It sounded the perfect place to while away a lunchbreak whilst we travelled across the county for a short break earlier this year.

Forftied with a cup of coffee from the Plump Duck cafe we started off by stretching our legs and taking a stroll around the perimeter of the Heath Pond. It is teeming with wildlife and it wasn't long before I turned up that fairy house hiding in the tree stump and the outlet pipe painted to look like a wendy house [named after Wendy Darling from Peter Pan apparently]. Initially that stubby little duck had us foxed, but it's the result of a mallard cross breeding with a white domestic duck and isn't uncommon.

The Physic Garden is sited just off the High Street and is the perfect place to get away from the hubbub for a few minutes [yes that's tulips you can see. This was in the Spring]. It was donated by Major John Bowen in 1988 after he had learnt of rare wild flowers being destroyed in the building of a housing estate. His response was to donate his garden to the town where it is cared for by the group of Friends. It's been developed as a 17th century example following the discovery of the connection to John Goodyer and John Worlidge who were both heavily involved in botany and horticulture at the time and were both locals. There's a herb garden, orchard, topiary garden and the knot garden where we sat and watched the world go by. When I stumbled across the plaque for Goodyer I was intrigued to see his is terracotta to blend in with the brick house it is affixed to rather than the standard blue ones you usually see.

The town was founded in the 12th century by William Fitzrobert, 2nd Earl of Gloucester and much of its wealth came from the wool trade. There are several references to this dotted around the centre including the woolbale sculpture by Richard Perry and the shepherd by Andy Cheese. 

I found there to be many beautiful buildings to stop and admire as we trundled back to the car. One John Small lived in the brick town house in 1802. He was a noted batsman and maker of cricket balls no less. Contrasting was the care worn patina of the corrugated metal forge. Am always a sucker for a bit of peeling paint.

Was definitely worth making that detour even if it has taken me forty years to get round to it! 

Arilx

Titivillus

Had you asked me as recently as yesterday whether I knew what the word 'titivillus' meant I would have said no. Had you asked me whether I had ever seen one again I would have answered in the negative. However, it's a funny old world and although I would be quite right in saying that I had never seen one...that would be because I've actually seen two and here's the proof!

These are not just your average demon as I had thought. That scroll they're holding gives it away that they are both a titivillus. This type of demon was said to collect all the errors made by the scribes and the idle gossip during the church services and put them into a sack. To increase his hit rate he was even said to deliberately add errors to written docouments. He'd then hurtle down to hell with his bag of goodies and these transgressions would count against you forever more. I am not sure that he's not still fully operational even in our increasingly secular world....surely somebody or something has to be responsible for all those wretched typos I frequently make😈Even though I have technically proof read every post I write before I hit publish there is nearly always a boo-boo hiding in plain sight when I read the final version the next day!

Every day's a school day.

Arilx

Dad's Pavlova

We celebrated my Mum's 80th birthday this week. She didn't want a big do so my sister and I organised a bbq with their very dear neighbours. It was a wonderful evening with a lot of Pimms and Prosecco. I made her a coffee and walnut cake as requested and my Dad, at the tender age of 82, made his first ever pavlova. In the words of the late Bruce Forsyth, didn't he do well! It was delicious and disappeared rapidly.

That's my final glimmer for the week. Hope you have a good weekend.

Arilx

 

David's been busy.

For as long as I've known David he's either been making things, adapting things or mending things. He tells me that he's always been the same and it's come straight from his father who was another academic but equally practical man who could pretty much turn his hand to anything. My husbanf is at his happiest when he's being a busy bee. With all the warmer weather we've been staying at home in the afternoons. Whilst I reach for a book he's got started on the dollshouse bathroom. Am delighted with what he's done so far💚

Today's glimmer.

Arilx

Perspex perspective

I have admired the brightly coloured perspex details set against the stark white of the building every time I've gone past in tne car. Saturday's dancing in Broadwater, Worthing gave me the chance to walk by it on foot. I find the facade very cheering.

Wednesday's glimmer.

Arilx

 

The big one.

We had the pleasure of going on a free local butterfly walk last Sunday. Twenty plus years ago a group of volunteers in a nearby village were given permission by the landowner to restore the wildlife in a couple of scrubby unused fields. This is an ongoing project and they have now recorded 33 species of butterflies amongst many other insects. This in turn has brought back red listed birds including nightingales. We were there when they saw their first Spotted Flycatcher which caused great excitement. I was further back in the group, but was already happy with a Blood Veined moth sighting.

The walk leader warned us that with climate change we were well past the butterfly peak and that we shouldn't expect to see many varieties. That prediction seemed to be borne out by there mainly being Gatekeepers and Meadow Browns on the wing with a Purple Hairstreak flitting about high above our heads. The Purple Emperor is our biggest native butterfly and the big hitter. They aren't that common though and require a special habitat to thrive. The males like to hang around the tops of oaks.and the females lay their eggs in willows. They must be special as the Knepp Rewilding Project up the road from here leads three hour long Purple Emperor safaris costing £75. The season is over by now or so we thought until one lady with us thought she saw one flying up in the branches. Again I missed it which seemed to becoming the theme of the afternoon for me. Imagine my surprise then when I saw a whopping great butterfly pass by me at head level and land on a hedge. My hopes were fulfilled as it was a female. When you factor in that these usually stay above the tree line and aren't attracted to nectar we were incredibly lucky. They will land to feed, but despite their magnificence, their eating habits are revolting....this lot like to feast on dog faeces and rotting carcases. Thankfully this one was just resting. Photo quality not the best as she didn't stay long, but what a glimmer eh💜

Arilx

Reflections

 A moment captured on a Monday morning...sunlight streaming through the open door and catching my iridescent glass lamp. For a few seconds it looked like a comet, before it disappeared.

Here's to a beautiful day. Am going to do a glimmer a day this week to kickstart a much needed personal reset💗💙💚💜💛

Arilx