Cedar

 

Cedar

Returning from the optician on Saturday morning, I stopped by the church and took a photograph of the venerable Cedar sheltering the gravestones beneath its spreading branches.

It is probably Cedrus libani, usually known as the Cedar of Lebanon, a tree often planted in Victorian and Edwardian times in churchyards. It symbolises strength and spirituality.

The foundation stone for the Crowthorne church of St John the Baptist was laid in 1872, and the church was consecrated in 1873.

The churchyard houses Commonwealth War Graves from both World Wars. Three brothers from the Boyde family are commemorated there, although all were buried abroad. Private Arthur Boyde, Royal Sussex Regiment, was twenty when he died in 1916 at the Somme. His brother, Corporal George Boyde, of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, died in 1917. Private Walter Boyde, from the same regiment, died in 1919, after the cessation of war, possibly from war injuries. One can only imagine what grief must have been visited upon the Boyde family.

In addition, a cross in the churchyard honours those who died and were buried without memorials.

The churchyard is a peaceful, well-kept ground, with headstones for tiny children, and others for those who lived a long and fruitful life. Fresh posies appear on graves from time to time, and not always for the most recently deceased.

The first Friday

 

The first Friday

                     The window of one of the local estate agents

Every year, on the first Friday in December, Crowthorne high street is closed to all traffic from 4:00 until 8:00 p.m. for the annual ‘late night’ Christmas shopping event. Stalls are set up along both sides of the road, selling all sorts of goodies. Many of the shops offer free mince pies, mulled wine and coffee.

 Susannah, James and I went that night. It was amazing to see how transformed the street was and it was thronged with people and a surprisingly large number of friendly and well-behaved dogs. 

                         Carol singers outside the Baptist church

Carol singers representing all ages of the community, from little angels from a local school to bigger people in Father Christmas hats, sang for the passing crowds. Live music was everywhere, inside the shops and outside the library and other locations.

                                               A fuzzy angel

It was good to see so many people out and about and the weather played nicely, too. It had been a very cold day but it was dry and seemed warmer in the evening. Maybe that was warmth given off by the crowds!

A great deal of effort went into this event from the organisers and there was a general feeling of goodwill. It’s a pleasant place to live.

                                Outside one of the hair salons. We have an abundance of hair salons, barbers and estate agents . . .

My photographs are rather fuzzy, I’m afraid!

 

Why so noisy?

 

Why so noisy?

Someone on the local Facebook group asked why the local nudists were so noisy. This caused a good deal of mirth and prompted many questions and much speculation. Some people had no idea there was a gathering place for Crowthorne naturists and wanted to know where it was and how likely they were to stumble upon a group of nudists enjoying life.

I discovered on its promotional website that ‘The Heritage Family Naturist Club’ has been active for eighty years and that some families have been enjoying its facilities for four generations. It is situated on four acres in local woods, and is enclosed by a high wall. All that can be seen from outside are the roofs and chimneys of chalets, and a multitude of ornamental trees. From within the walls come the sounds of people enjoying themselves, in a quiet, restrained way – no loud music or voices.

We were walking past with the dogs one day when Barry spotted an RAF flag flying from the flagstaff. He was intrigued by this and asked some friends of his, very senior RAF officers, if they knew anything about it. They didn’t, or at least didn’t admit to knowledge of it, but seemed rather pleased at the thought.

The Heritage has been a source of amusement and challenge for generations of local teenage boys trying and failing to climb high enough to catch a glimpse over the wall. Naturism is a harmless pastime. It must cost its participants a fortune in sunscreen creams, though.

You can learn more about it here. What amused me was the sight of naked people wearing hats and footwear and there being a changing room for the sauna. How do you change your skin?

 

Crowthorne-on-Sea

 

*Crowthorne-on-Sea

The latest post box topper depicts the beauties of the briny. From purple-haired sirens of the sea, to daring deep-sea divers, all ocean life is there. Sinuous seaweed, scuttling crabs, perfect prawns and more, much more, to tantalise the senses and fire the imagination.

The (school) summer holidays are nearly upon us (for some they have already commenced) and this cheerful little tableau sets the scene for rest, relaxation and rehabilitation.

*For the avoidance of doubt, Crowthorne is nowhere near the sea. 

Post box topper update

 

Post box topper update

The post box, which suffered the unwelcome attention of person or persons unknown when its pillar box topper was stolen, stands in front of a large, ivy-covered tree.

A few days ago this notice appeared.

 With bated breath, we now await developments.

Although our postal address is Crowthorne, we actually belong to Wokingham Without (we don’t specify what we are lacking!)

Wokingham is a market town in Berkshire, England, with a population of about 48,000.  It is often referred to as Woky by its residents (though not by us J)

During George III’s reign (1760 – 1820) there was a flourishing silk industry in Wokingham. Silk stockings were knitted by hand until knitting machines began to be used. A hand-knitter could make six pairs of stockings a week. By the end of the 16^th century England required 10 million pairs of stockings. England also exported hand-knitted silk stockings, particularly to France.

The first mechanical knitting machine was invented by William Lee of Calverton in 1589, though it may have taken some time before such a machine came into general use.

When Queen Victoria came to the throne, one of Wokingham’s most important industries was brick production.

In association with a local Hookers group and a Children’s Charity,  Wokingham Town Council initiated a Coronation Post Box Topper Trail to celebrate the Coronation.

This, from MyWokingham, explains more:

Wokingham Town Council has teamed up with the Barkham Hookers Charity Group and First Days Children’s Charity to create a fabulous post box topper trail for the coronation!

The ‘hookers’ successfully entertained the public all throughout lockdown with their crochet creations and their magnificent post box toppers for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, so they thought they would create a new Royal themed trail for you all to enjoy for the upcoming coronation.

All of the toppers should be in place by Monday 1st May.

Gaynor White from the Barkham Hookers said: “We’ve really enjoyed making the post box toppers over the last few years and love to get involved in community projects with the town council. Being able to use our skills to raise a smile and bring people together is a wonderful thing”.

 You can find a handy map of all the locations at https://www.wokingham-tc.gov.uk/the-coronation-post-box…/ and hope that it inspires you to take a new direction on your daily or weekly walks or provides a fun activity for those with children to go ‘topper spotting’.

Make sure you take photos as you go around and tag the council on social media #wokinghamcoronation or on facebook Wokingham Town Council

                     Everywhere you look there's red, white and blue. It all looks very cheerful and sufficient to gladden the heart of even the most morose citizen. Enthusiasts are already setting up camp to get the best possible view of proceedings - in the streets, that is. There's no chance of getting anywhere near Westminster Abbey.

Royalist or Republican, there's no way of ignoring the wall-to-wall coverage that will be all-encompassing on 6th May. The compensation, should you require it, is that the following Monday is a bank holiday. 

The Banksy of Crowthorne

 

The Crowthorne Banksy

Photo credits Julie Arnold

The mystery creator of pillar box delights has produced yet another charming masterpiece to amuse passers-by and has been dubbed the Crowthorne Banksy.

This time the Coronation has provided the inspiration for the latest pillar box topper.

Look closely and you will see that the participants are actually pigs. I don’t think any disrespect is meant.

It is a source of pleasure to everyone travelling along this particular road, particularly the children who walk along here to reach Acorns pre-school and Oaklands Infant and Junior schools.

Surely it can only be a matter of time before the mystery artist is revealed. Someone must know! 

Post script: Someone has taken the topper! So sad. 

Crows

 

Crows

We live in Crowthorne, in Berkshire, UK. It is home to two well-known institutions, Wellington College and Broadmoor Hospital. The former is a fee-paying co-educational school for pupils from 13 to 18, which opened in 1859 as a national monument to honour the Duke of Wellington. The latter is a maximum-security psychiatric hospital, one of three in England, and has housed some of the most dangerous criminals in England. It opened in 1863. Is there a sinister link between the two? (insert wink emoji)

The Crowthorne badge, top left of the sign, shows a crow on a branch or thorn. The village is named after a local landmark, the Crow Thorn

There are many crows in the area, as might be deduced from the name. These clever birds are noisy, bold and entertaining. They quickly recognise food sources and follow dog walkers who carry treats.

Several years ago, we used to feed two crows we called Bill and Beatrice, and subsequently their two offspring. They were opportunistic feeders and would switch their allegiance readily from us to others. The ground where we walked in Crowthorne Forest, more properly Swinley Forest, was open and the family could easily see the biscuits.

There are many small ponds in the woods, very attractive to dogs and ducks, and we used to throw biscuits in for the crows. It was amazing to watch them dive down, almost submerge and then flap up and away with the prize in their bill.

Simon’s Wood, where we walk at present, has thick layers of leaves, rotting beautifully into a rich, aromatic mulch. 

There is a fairly large pool which hosts a variety of water birds – Canada geese, little grebes, coot and mallard among others. The crows do not dive for biscuits here.

It is apparent that the crows have territories in which they are comfortable, for when we reach the boundaries, invisible to us, they no longer follow us. At present, we have another family of four to feed. They seem to recognise us, or perhaps it’s the dogs, or the treat bags we carry. Maybe they just watch to find out if they’re going to be lucky.

Crow 1:‘Oh, there’s a human. Let’s follow him for a while and see if he’ll feed us.’

Crow 2: ‘Watch out for the dogs. They’ll steal our grub.’

Crow 1: ‘Children alert. They often drop food.’

Crow 2: ‘Look, more dogs. I wonder if they’ll have treats?’

One of the current family has a degree of leucism, only clearly visible when she flies. Unoriginally, we call her White Wings. She can easily be mistaken for a magpie from a distance.

We also have crows in the garden. A few years ago, when Jenna, our little black Labrador, was very young, one of the crows used to sit atop one of the arches and bow to her. I think he must have been an immature male to have mistaken a four-legged dog for a two-legged crow and start courting her. At least, I think that was what he was doing. I’m not an expert and am willing to be corrected.

Crows can be extremely vocal, particularly if they feel threatened. A crow will chase away a red kite, even though a kite is substantially larger than a crow.

Aesop was a Greek slave and story-teller who lived around 620 BCE. He recognised the intelligence of the crow and illustrated it in his fable of the Crow and the Pitcher.

Is this crow engaged in trickery or is he about to burst into song?

'Me and my shadow . . . ' 

Face of the Week #11 Carrion Crow

Sistertex of 'Spacial Peepol' organises and hosts this weekly meme. To see more Faces and perhaps participate, please click here.

We see many crows in our neighbourhood  (not surprising, as we live in a place called Crowthorne.) They are intelligent, entertaining birds and opportunistic feeders. When not eating at the bird feeders they may be stealing fish food or frogs from the pond or taking eggs or baby birds from local nests. Failing that they will eat less savoury titbits.

March Full Moon 2010

Moonlight

The stars around the fair moon fade
Against the night,
When gazing full she fills the glade
And spreads the seas with silvery light.

Sappho (c.610 – 570 BC)

Translated by H. De Vere Stacpoole

 There was a full moon last night or so I believe. We couldn't actually see it as it was overcast and raining so these photographs are from March 2006. I love the golden glow and it is apt that one of the names for this month's moon is the Lantern Moon.
Another of the names for the March Full Moon is the Sap Moon which seems appropriate for a month in which dormant plants are waking up and sending out leaves and tendrils and getting on with life. Even on a blustery, dull day such as today, the fresh green leaves and the daffodils which have finally put in an appearance brighten the view and gladden my heart. The birds are busier than ever, flying in in pairs, trios and gangs. Yesterday I saw goldfinches flirting in and out of the holly tree and the woodpeckers are drumming vigorously, pointing out decaying trees. The starlings, as ever, squabble and screech and long-tailed tits skitter in like tiny, prettily painted shuttlecocks.
This full moon is also called the Crow Moon.

There are always crows to be seen in and around the garden – after all I live in Crowthorne! – and though they are the rapscallions of the bird world, I very much enjoy their antics. They are remarkably big birds but somehow manage to balance on the bird feeder to peck energetically at the fat cake.

They will also perch on the arches and bow solemnly to Jenna-the-Labrador and call to her. Although she's the same colour as them I don't really think they regard her as a four-legged crow but it is amusing to watch. She just gazes back at them. I think Gus will answer them – he's rather more vocal than his sister and, of course, still only a pup. This morning a pair of magpies, also corvids, courted gravely on the bird table. Occasionally, jays and jackdaws visit but they are shyer relations and rarely stay long.
The final name I have for the moon is the Lenten Moon which really needs no further explanation.
As we approach Easter I wish you all a peaceful weekend, whatever your beliefs or lack of them.

'Shalom'

ABC Wednesday I is for Institution

There are two institutions in the village, both well-known though for very different reasons. The first is Wellington College, an independent (fee-paying) educational establishment which was founded in 1859 by Queen Victoria and the Earl of Derby. It was established as a national monument to honour the Duke of Wellington, one of our most distinguished British military leaders.

Wellington College South Front

Photo courtesy of RTPeat and Wikimedia Commons

Initially it was intended as a charitable educational institution mainly for the orphaned sons of army officers. It is now fully co-educational and only a minority of students are sons and daughters of military officers.The College stands in 400 acres of beautiful wooded land within which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, home to many unusual ants and spiders. The building and grounds have been used as film locations. ('Lords of Discipline' (1983), 'Thunderbirds' (2004))

Former students include the impressionist Rory Bremner, author Sebastian Faulks, actor Christopher Lee, writer George Orwell, singer Will Young and the rugby union players James Haskell and brothers Max and Thom Evans.
The governors of the College were responsible for the building of the local railway station. They put pressure on the directors of South Eastern Railway and contributed £500 towards the cost of building the station which was originally named 'Wellington College for Crowthorne.' It became simply 'Crowthorne' in 1928.

Photo courtesy of BBC

Four years later, at the other end of the village, Broadmoor Hospital was founded in 53 acres of land. It used to be known as the 'Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum', then a 'hospital for the criminally insane' and now, more correctly, as a high-security psychiatric hospital. It ceased to serve women in 2007 and now caters solely for men. Most of the patients, known in local common parlance as 'inmates' have severe mental illnesses and many also have personality disorders. In addition, most of the population of the hospital have been convicted, or found unfit to plead, in trials of serious crimes. Patients usually remain in the hospital for an average of six years but some have lived there for more than thirty years.In 1952 one of the 'patients' escaped and killed a local child; thereafter an alarm system was set up. This is tested every Monday morning at 10:00 am for two minutes and is based on WWII air-raid sirens. If someone escapes the alarm continues to sound. If not, the 'all-clear' sounds. All local schools within 15 miles can hear the hooters.
Many local people set their watches and clocks by the Broadmoor siren. One inmate timed his escape to coincide with the regular testing.
There have only been two occasions when the sirens have continued their wailing during the more than thirty years we have lived here. In the first instance I drove home from work with my very young children in the car (Barry was working abroad, of course!) negotiated the police checkpoints and reached my house, left the children in the car and approached cautiously. A neighbour came to reassure me and we duly went indoors and locked every door and window.
On the second occasion the escapee travelled swiftly to Europe and the sirens were eventually silenced! Reputedly it takes an hour to search the grounds before the alarm is sounded by which time the inmate might be anywhere in the locality. Once one man escaped and hid in a local house. Another gave himself up – the pace of life 'outside' was too fast and he preferred the security of the hospital.
Broadmoor is home to the mad, bad and dangerous to know. Come to Crowthorne - all human life is here!
Thanks must go to the ABC Wednesday team who organise and host this meme. If you are interested in more Is please click here.