Heading west

The first leg of the journey west was livened up by being behind a lorry and trailer belonging to big 666 racing, presumably the people to be found at reference 1. Complete with the registration mark 'BIG 6661'. As we turned off the M25 onto the M3 a second lorry and trailer pulled in behind the first, having already been on the M3. An impressive bit of coordination! Maybe they whizzed away before I could check the second the second registration mark, hopefully 'BIG 6662'. Although perhaps not, as the number '1' might actually have been the letter 'I' and I don't suppose 'II' would have met the European rules and regulations in such matters.

Snap 1 - Poles

Continuing progress with the new shed at Fleet Services, first noticed at reference 4, with the supporting steel work now thinned out. Given that there is probably a steel pole up the inside of the timber-look columns, why did they need it at all?

The large, temporary shed behind continues to deliver good service with our getting a perfectly satisfactory tea tray from the world famous seller of fish and chips, Harry Ramsden. Far better than the Starbucks offering, weak in the tea department.

Stopped for our picnic at Danebury Hill Fort, where the field next to the car park was covered in little hummocks, snapped not very successfully below.

Snap 2 - Hummocks

Hummocks which reminded us of the rather large hummocks to be found in parts of Bushy Park, said to be heritage ants' nests. These, however, I suspected of being mole hills, there being some fresh evidence of same nearby.

A substantial picnic involving both chopped egg sandwiches and the Alberta date cake of reference 3. This last survived the journey in its plastic box in quite good shape, if not quite as it had been fresh out of the tin and still slightly warm.

Snap 3 - Tree tag

We did not actually do Danebury Ring, reserving it for some future occasion. But I did get credit for making it to the upper car park, from where it was clearly that the Ring was a very important monument, the subject of very active management, with all the trees numbered off into their database. I am pleased to be able to report that this did not seem to have resulted in chain saw action, as is so often the case these days.

Back on the road to fall in behind a Morgan two seater, dressed up to look like something from between the wars, although I believe they actually date from some fifty years later. Furthermore, they had what purported to be a large heritage suitcase strapped on the back but which, on closer inspection, turned out to be a plastic shell. Had there been a photo opportunity it could have been scored as one of my fakes.

Quite by chance we came across, but did not actually do on this occasion either, another bit of prize heritage, Athelhampton House, reserved, like many of the smaller stately homes, on Fridays and Saturdays, for weddings. See reference 5. But it did look old and interesting with some handsome topiary visible through the gate and some very handsome trees around the car park. There was also a rather tatty camper van parked up in the car park. Perhaps it belonged to the foreman of the marquee erection team. Perhaps a team modeled on David Storey's well known play, 'The Contractor'.

Snap 4 - Garden wall and camper van

Snap 5 - And again

Snap 6 - Glimpse of topiary with eucalyptus behind

Peeked over the wall at the fine topiary, probably yew, with what appeared to be a large eucalyptus tree behind. Not very Jacobean at all.

Shortly after that we arrived in the main square at Poundbury, the one graced with a statue of the Queen, our destination for the day, to find that HRH had gone to the bother of laying on that fine country smell of newly scattered slurry. Perhaps he had put clauses into the leases of the farmers not yet overtaken by the new housing estates about using traditional techniques.

PS: regular search for the first edition of Snap 1 failed, with all search keys that I tried not hitting the mark. But eventually I remembered when it was taken and found it by scanning through the period in question. Very crude.

Reference 1: http://www.teambig666racing.co.uk/.

Reference 2: https://www.hants.gov.uk/thingstodo/countryside/finder/danebury.

Reference 3: http://psmv3.blogspot.co.uk/2018/05/tray-bake.html.

Reference 4: http://psmv3.blogspot.co.uk/2018/01/fake-22.html.

Reference 5: https://www.athelhampton.com/. Proud to be private! Proud to be free of the straightjacket of the National Trust!

Reference 6: https://www.samuelfrench.com/p/6718/the-contractor.