Sussex Prairie Garden


Yesterday, we met up with my sisters for lunch and culture.  This irregular event is something we do as we live about 90 miles apart. We choose a venue around the midpoint between us, meet up for lunch, and have a good old chinwag. Sometimes, like yesterday, we manage to fit in some fresh air and exercise too.

So lunch first. Our chosen meeting point was The Wheatsheaf at Woodmancote, Henfield, where the food was very tasty, with a Brazilian twist. Needless to say, I couldn’t resist the Moqueca, a Brazilian fish and Tiger Prawn stew. It was delicious 😋

Lunch over, we headed, just a few hundred yards along the road to The Sussex Prairie Garden.

Shadow People

In their own words …

We are Britain’s largest “Prairie,” or “Naturalistic,” garden, with eight acres of stunning garden to roam around. Unlike most gardens of a comparable size, we have no castle or stately home! We designed and planted the garden ourselves, on Pauline’s family farm in West Sussex. Instead of armies of servants and gardeners, we planted all 35 000 plants with help of amazing friends and family!

Our garden encourages exploration using a network of small wood chip paths which snake through the huge borders. Come and visit, please do walk on the grass and in the borders! Sussex Prairies-an extraordinary garden created by ordinary people!

On entry, the winding path leads you past “Audrey II” the banana tree, standing guard.

“Audrey II” …. Little Shop of Horrors

Past a glass encampment. All that was missing was some lighting.

A Faerie High Rise !!

And on to a pair of very friendly pigs. We soon discovered they like their backs scratched

Me Providing The Requisite Back Massage

But we were conscious of the many signs informing us that “Pigs Bite”

This Little Piggy ….
……. Not Yet Gone To Market.

Moving on we entered the gardens proper where we were presented with this view.

Tea Shop – Where We Ended Our Day

The tea shop was ignored at this time as we set off to explore. Here are a “few” snaps that I took to give you a taste for what this garden offers.

Glass House
Yours For A Shade Over £19,000

Although there are formal paths and open lawn areas, you are encouraged to go “off-piste” and wander amongst the plants to better enjoy the scents and textures.

What’s Got These Birds All Of A Flutter
Is That An Intruder ?
Aha, There’s The Cause Of The Commotion
Bottle Birds – All Made From Milk Cartons !!!
Bison Approaching – Majestic and “Rust”ic
And There They Go
Marching Across The Prairie

Throughout the garden, there are many sculptures. Many featuring stained or painted glass.

Shell or Fossil ?

The changeable weather, sunny then cloudy, meant that they were constantly changing with the light

The beauty of these gardens is the huge variety of colours and scents. Also, the textures of the grasses. Chris, my sister, spent a great deal of time fondling the grasses, commenting on the softness or coarseness.

The gardens are laid out in such a way that, typically, you can’t see everything from a single vantage point.

Rather, you catch glimpses from one area to the next. The paths gently curving, leading from one area to the next.

An Artists Painting & Easel !!

I don’t know if the kids being at school has any real bearing on things, but it was really peaceful here.

Flutterbies – Butterflies

There were times when I was truly on my own. No others in view or earshot.

She Looks Cold

Just the occasional face peering out between the plants

Wheelie ?
Golden
Dahlia
My Favourite
Our Family Namesake Dahlia
Both Friendly & Sinister ?
Dahlia
Dahlia

To be honest, before starting out from home, I was fully prepared to be disappointed. Any doubts I had were soon dispelled. This place is lovely. We actually spent around two and a half hours here, but the time flew by.

So, at almost five o’clock, we slipped into the tea shop to grab cups of tea, ice creams and flapjacks.

Then, sadly, it was time to wend our way home. A lovely day, good food, good company, and an agreement to return to the Sussex Prairie Garden later in the season.

Already Doing It


If you were forced to wear one outfit over and over again, what would it be?

Simple answer, I’m already doing it.

Either, jeans or dark shorts and a polo shirt.

These are the clothes I feel most comfortable in. It has been many years since I felt the need to wear anything more formal.

When I first started work, it was in a small (8 people) engineering works and then, later with the MOD as a Fitter/Turner apprentice. During my apprenticeship and later, on my tools, I typically wore jeans and a t-shirt under my overalls. A few years later, still in the MOD, I became a Ratefixer / Planner. Here, the expectation was that you dressed like a “professional.” If not wearing a suit, certainly smart trousers, jacket, collar and tie.

I left the MOD to join IBM where I stayed for 38 years. In the beginning the dress code was quite formal. But over the years, in line with the real world, the requirements were relaxed. As long as you weren’t customer facing. And I definitely wasn’t. So, over the years, I ditched the jackets, tossed the ties and reverted to my natural slob.

And so here I am, back where I started, wearing the same outfit, day after day ….. my retirees uniform.

Jeans / shorts and polo shirt / t-shirt

Boiled Eggs


Which food, when you eat it, instantly transports you to childhood?

Believe it or not, the humble boiled egg, is the one food that truly transports me back.

When we were kids, there were chickens and geese in our backyard. My dad used to feed them on commercially available feeds, but Mum used to give them all the veggie scraps from the kitchen. Stuff like potato and carrot peelings, trimmings from home grown leeks and the leaves from cabbages and cauliflower.

It’s hard to describe the flavour. The yolk always had a rich taste. Something that your typical supermarket factory produced eggs fails to match. As soon as you crack the shell, lift the lid. You can tell the egg is not going to meet expectations. The colour of the yolk is a dead give away. My childhood eggs all had a rich golden yolk. Today’s supermarket offering tends to be a pale yellow.

Obviously, the birds diet has a lot to do with how the eggs look and taste.

When was the last time that childhood memory was triggered ?

We were on our way down to Central France and had stopped at a B&B. They had chooks roaming around their orchard. The eggs served for breakfast, supplied by those hens, were simply delicious.

Time Spent, Not Wasted


How do you waste the most time every day?

My wife and I have a daily routine. Every morning, we “Wordle” while having our first cuppa of the day, accompanied by toasted tea cakes or toasted muffins.

We are a little competitive, each of us gloating over who has the longest winning streak.

Once we have finished wordling, my wife will move on to reading her latest Kindle based book. I, in contrast, will complete my daily Soduku, Codeword, and Crossword puzzles. Just recently, I have also added Quordle to my daily routine.

Only once I have completed my word puzzles do I join my wife and immerse myself in my latest fiction choice.

Of course, this all gets booted into touch by the demands of family and friends.

Somewhere in there, we manage to find time to garden, travel and socialise.

But here’s the conundrum, being retired means that we have plenty of spare time. At the same time, due to our advanced age, we have less and less time left.

So, we get to choose how we spend our time. None of it is wasted, just spent. Wisely, or otherwise.

Automotive Pests


Since 2020 / 2021 we, my wife and I, have become increasingly aware of the thoughtless, brain-dead, morons tear-arsing on our roads.

We live near a motorway interchange, with nice new tarmac on the feed roads. This is a magnet for these low-lives who see the feeder roads as their own personal race track.

Since the tarmac was laid, the wannabe racing drivers can be heard screeching their way around the curves. Sitting in our home, we find ourselves tensing up, waiting for the inevitable crash. Not only that, but I personally find, much to my shame, I am willing it to happen. Not that I want any harm to come to the drivers. But I want it to reach them a lesson. And, I want it to deprive them of their wheels.

Then, mixed in with the drifters are the worst of them all. The ones with the modified fuel and exhaust systems.

These jerks are just out to make noise, deliberately changing down through the gears to hit the higher revs. We have to put up with everything from a rapid crackle, rather like machine gun fire, thru staccato pops and bangs, to angry hornets. On some occasions, it has sounded like the vehicle is actually in the room with me.

I guess I should point out that this problem is not just applicable to cars, but motorcycles too.

I would guess that every day, we have at least a dozen instances of this antisocial behaviour. At all times of day or night. One particular arsehole regularly delights in driving past at around 02:00 in the morning. His exhaust echoing through the quiet of the night can be heard for quite some time as he disappears into the distance.

I’m pretty sure these folks have a “circuit” they have for some kind of speed trial. We will hear a single bike come past and then return to head up the motorway. A minute or two later, there will be another bike, following the same pattern. When they hit the motorway, they are obviously going flat out, and they can be heard for miles. We just need the police to catch them in the act.

This afternoon, there seem to be fewer hoons in our area. It may have something to do with the police helicopter, which has made several passes in the last hour or so. I hope the police are actively chasing down these idiots.

But, I am a realist. The police can only devote so much time and resources to this problem.

The vehicles are clearly not legal and the style of driving by some individuals is patently outright dangerous.

On social media, supporters of these idiots say, “Leave them alone, they are only enjoying themselves”, “Weren’t you young once ?”, “Why doesn’t the government provide places for them to do what they do ?

When I have suggested that they try the track days at various racing circuits in this country, they cite the costs. But I believe its also that the circuits are regulated, have stringent safety standards and also have to limit noise levels.

I wouldn’t want anyone to think I am an old fuddy daddy killjoy. I am a motorsport fan. A regular visitor to Goodwood for the FoS, Revival, Members Meetings, and the Sunday Breakfast Clubs. I’ve also driven Formula Ford cars around Brands Hatch and been to F1 at Silverstone. I also, regularly, attend classic and custom car shows.

So I understand and appreciate the time and effort that goes into creating and maintaining these machines.

However, as much as I love the sights, smells, and sounds of a perfectly tuned race car, I don’t want it in my home.

If I choose to crank up my HiFi or my TV to listen to some classic rock or watch F1 on a Sunday ….. That’s my choice.

These antisocial cretins are not giving me a choice

Hellborne Begins


Welborne Garden Village. That is the name of the new 6000 home development just north of Fareham. The name sounds lovely doesn’t it? Unfortunately, the locals have a different name for it.

Hellborne

Welborne will be located to the north of Fareham and adjacent to the A32 and around the existing M27 Junction 10. And therein lies the issue. After suffering months of disruption on the M27 while the road was upgraded to a smart motorway motorists can now look forward to many more months of disruption as Junction 10 is “improved”

The first steps of this improvement include the construction of a new motorway underpass and three new slip roads. To facilitate these improvements there will be a series of overnight closures of the A32, north of the M27. Starting from 27th February, 2023 thru to 3rd March, 2023.

Later, in March, the M27 itself will be closed to enable execution of topographical, drainage and geotechnical surveys. In order to undertake the surveys the following closures are planned.

6th, 7th and 8th March, 2023 between 9pm – 6am, the M27 will be closed in a west-bound direction between Junctions 11 to 9. Then 9th and 10th March, 2023 the M27 will be closed in an east-bound direction between junctions 9 and 11.

So the works are beginning.

You only have to travel a couple of miles west to Junction 9, the Whitely/Segensworth junction, to see a prime example of a motorway junction overwhelmed by the traffic trying to access the residential, commercial and industrial developments on the north side of the M27. At peak traffic times the motorway becomes a car park, and a pretty scary one at that.

Do we trust that the planners have a solution to this for Junction 10 !!! I have my fingers crossed.

Welborne and the associated works are forecast to go on for some twenty years. It will not be a fun time.

Petersfield Heath Lake


Earlier this week I spent a joyous afternoon with my granddaughter, Bella. At six years of age, she really is a pleasure to spend time with. Although, I am surprised that my ears weren’t bleeding by the end of the day. She just talks and talks and talks.

Primarily, Bella just wants to go somewhere with a play park. Slides, swings and roundabouts. With all those things she is happy.

A favourite haunt is Petersfield Lake. There is a sizeable play park, a cafe and lovely walks around the lake. So, most items were checked on her must have list.

Arriving shortly after one o’clock I was surprised at how misty it was. I couldn’t see the bank at the far side of the lake. Although the sun was just starting to break through.

A Misty Petersfield Lake

When in the direct sunlight it was nice and warm but as soon as you moved into the shadows of the trees you could really feel the underlying chill.

Illuminated Boardwalk – Petersfield Lake
Petersfield Lake

After an hour, or so. And the obligatory ice-cream, and coffee for me, we set out to walk around the perimeter of the lake. By now the mist was gone, presenting us with a lovely sunny afternoon.

The lake plays host to many aquatic birds. Swans, geese, ducks, moorhens, coots and gulls. Lots and lots of gulls. Of course Grandad got his coots and moorhens mixed up. Thank god for smartphones and Google. I was able to sort things out. Don’t want to be misleading the kids.

Nesting Coot – Petersfield Lake

As we traversed the boardwalk we were able to see many of the birds making their homes around the lake.

Also we were able to view the results of the hard work being carried out to create submerged islands, planted with shrubby plants. Hopefully these will mature into safe habitats for the birds to nest in.

Brent Goose (Pale Bellied) – Petersfield Lake

I was surprised at how few of these there were. South of Petersfield, there are several playing fields, in and around Portsmouth, that are taken over every year by huge flocks of Brent Geese.

Egyptian Goose – Petersfield Lake

Not sure why an Egyptian Goose would be overwintering here in the UK. You’d think they would stay where it was warm.

Mallard Ducks – Petersfield Lake

Just a couple of snaps across the lake. What a fabulous view the owners of those houses have from their windows.

Petersfield Lake
Petersfield Lake

During our stroll we spotted many other birds, including robins and various tits and finches. They were making good use of the coconut shells, filled with suet and seeds, variously hung around the bushes and trees.

Another nice touch was this fairy garden, set in a tree stump. Bella really enjoyed investigating the various pieces here.

Fairy Garden – Petersfield Lake

And so the circumnavigation was completed. One more go on the slides, well several really, and it was time to head out for a bite to eat.

Basic error on my part was that I asked Bella what she would like to eat. In my mind I was certain we were headed for McDonalds. Surprise, surprise, Bella wasn’t interested in Macca’s, or KFC, or pizza. After perusing several menus outside of pubs and cafes we ended up in a Cafe Nero. Where Bella settled for a toasted cheese and ham roll, a Belgian chocolate chough pastry donut all washed down with a fruit smoothie.

A fitting end to a lovely day.