Shropshire and Withersfest: 1-2 September 2007
Another busy weekend.
Friday - to Oxted with work (2 hour round trip in the car with a meeting in the middle). Back to London to work from home in the afternoon, with a view to leaving London relatively early to avoid rush hour traffic. Best laid plans etc. .. as we didn't end up leaving until about 8pm. Got to Shropshire (M25, M40, wiggling by Kidderminster) about midnight, where a warm welcome and supper awaited.
Saturday was quiet. I managed to read through "Total Church" which was thought-provoking. Selected excerpts and overall review to follow when I get the book back. Highley in Shropshire is simply beautiful. We went for a walk down to the river and also saw the effects of the flooding on the Severn Valley Railway (tracks washed away). Then from Shropshire down to Gloucestershire to the usual raucous household - all still up, whipped into a frenzy by the addition of a couple of small children visiting. Hannah informed us that Joe announced "Cheeese. Us" when he got into the paddling pool the other day, as this is also what Daddy says. Quite amusing. As Fiona said - as long as it stays "Cheeeese. Us", and doesn't alter, perhaps npt *too* bad. Clearly the link between those syllables and 'the baby Jesus' has not quite been drawn. Over to Lapley to sleep.
Sunday started quietly, then became very, very busy. Church was busy in the morning as there was a baptism. However, the addition of two rather strong voices (as we sidled in slightly late) was enough to be quite audible, and so I cut the volume down to half. Dashed from church to Arlingham to find Withersfest having been set up already. Two large tents from www.partytent.co.uk had been erected on the lawn, with a separate food and drinks tent from the seating area. Aunty Sally, Aunty Maureen and Hannah had all been happily baking (and GW as well I think). A good traditional farmhouse spread for starters (meat, quiche, cold sausages, liver wrapped in bacon etc.), many puddings (about seven) for afters. Snippets of conversation as follows:
"Who's Ken, Granny?" - "Oh, he's my boyfriend!" (most amusing)
"No Debbuh, I don't like ham. I don't like sausages, they are a bit spicy on my tongue. I like salad" (If it weren't for other obvious signs of being a member of the family, I would wonder).
After food, french cricket. A little wrestling with my brother showed that I am just too old/out-of-condition to compete. All the young men of the family became quite accustomed at leaping over the brick wall to retrieve the ball. At one point the ball disappeared into the covered gazebo. This cued a delicate rescue operation, involving Victoria (as the smallest and lightest) and Simon (as the rock climber) perching on, respectively, the gazebo, and a small gate brought round for the purpose.
After french cricket, Dad went off to go and help Rupert the haulier sort some bales out near Stonehouse (they had fallen off the trailer) and the assorted children, grandkids and assorted husbands, girlfriends and suitor went up to the field (on a straw bale on the back of a trailer towed by a tractor) to practice some clay-pigeon shooting. It was all a bit too loud for me, and I didn't want to risk damaging my shoulder, so I sat out (there will always be another time). Fi was in her element when she eventually got a go - 7 clays fell to her steely gaze, and she is now exhorting Tom to teach her to shoot rabbits. Simon was particularly good as well. Joe spent most of the time dashing in and out of the tractor pretending to drive it to the caravan park and on the motorway. Charlotte took a small party up to the next field to see the conservation area (4 ponds, with 3 Canada geese and a flock of ducks happily ensconced).
After clay-pigeon shooting, back for cake and scones and cheese and biscuits. Then Fi and Adrian left for Manchester (having relieved me of the bamboo chair I had carried in the back of the car from Catford), Simon and Charlie for Guildford and Duncan and Kat to Cardiff. On the way back to Lapley we came across 8 Aberdeen Angus steers who had managed to bypass the 'ladder slung across gap as gate' and had got out into the road. Rather than call the police (as one motorist suggested, having tried the farm and found no-one in), I called Dad, who called various suspects. Five minutes later 3 cars converged on the area to herd the cattle. They were last seen trampling over the farmhouse lawn (which we took as a cue to depart). Finally, a little peace and quiet over the weekend.
Left bright and early (8am) to drive to Reading, and then left Reading at 6pm after work. Home at 8pm. Exhausted, but a great weekend.
