THE LANGUAGE OF HERBS

It must have been about four weeks ago when I set to and gave the herb garden a big haircut.

Marjoram, sage, rosemary, mint, lemon balm, and variegated sage -  all our bushes were given a thorough trim!  However I could not bring myself to throw all the trimmings on the compost heap and stuck several large clippings in a jar. Changing the water regularly this collection of cuttings has been and still continues to provide a lovely display and aroma.

Across the ages, herbs and flowers have had special meanings. In earlier centuries it became very popular to send bouquets or posies of herbs with hidden messages of love and friendship, for example a posy of thyme, mint and sorrel would convey affection.

ASIA, WC1B 3DG

The other day I was seeking to provide an activity for 10 colleagues by taking them into the British Museum. Having sent them off to explore at will, I headed the China Asia and Southeast Asia collections in room 33. The wonderful thing about the BM is that if one hankers after being back in Asia then you can enter this exciting part of the world through the doors the British Museum!

A completely new discovery for me was Korea (Room 67) this contained some absolute delights from 5000 BC to A.D. 1900.

One forgets, with so much written about modern Korea, North and South, that that there is a vast heritage of delightful and beautiful design and craft from this part of the world. The whole set up in room 67 is so quiet and so peaceful being light at the back of the museum that you are quite undisturbed and completely in Korea. 

EGYPTIAN JEWEL BOX

Tucked away on the campus of University College London is a dual box of Egyptian treasures.

I've visited, briefly, the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology it is a museum, then the classic sense of the word: rows and rows of narrow glass fronted cases containing around 80,000 objects. Here is one of the greatest collections of Egypt in Egyptian and Sudanese archaeology in the world.

The high spot for me were two 3000-year-old frocks that had been beautifully displayed on mannequins and displayed so that one could get up really close to these delightful confections.

The whole place is absolutely enchanting. The museum is open Tuesday through to Saturday from 1 o'clock through till 6 o’clock, it’s a lovely place to visit and I shall return. 

THE BELL RINGERS

Five minutes walk from my father’s house,

The Church of St Mary’s Kelvedon,

We walked out in sunshine following the sound,

And caught the bell ringers at it,

Ringing a change?

In sixty minutes the wedding party would arrive; Ushers anxious already.

I try to get the ringers down on paper,

Arms and shoulders

And their grasping for the ‘Sally’

Sally, the velvet grab handle on a bell rope.

Must find out more about bell-ringing.

SAILING ROUND THE SOLENT 2 - QUIET AND PEACEFUL

FRIDAY EVENING

Now the estuary is quiet and peaceful; Curlews, Oystercatchers skim the water and occasionally pipe up against the constant chatter of the gulls.

A swarm of mullet rose to the surface, perhaps for our tortilla chips, before absolute low water.  Then Ragdoll like several others moored close by tipped over 30 degrees and we spent a couple of hours on one side of the cockpit, legs braced against the other side to maintain some sense of balance.  Large Gin & Tonics really was the only recourse as we prepared for being level and the chance to prepare and consume supper and with in finished, wine was the consolation.

Cooking was almost brought to an end when we ran out of matches and called across the water to a boatful of sea scouts; answering our hail they then rowed over to a neighbouring boat begged a lighter off them: Be Prepared.

Mill pond calm dawn with orange tawny light: Saturday at 0630 we awoke to find ourselves at 20% a-tilt, however we were soon horizontal again and after breakfast we sailed gingerly out, towards deeper water and the journey back, eastwards, home to Emsworth. Wind and tide were with us for four hours; sails un-reefed and full.

The fine weather and it being Saturday brought hundreds of craft into the Solent. Most of these were following the race of J-Class boats in a round the island race. Four J-Class juggernauts, with their crews of twenty or more, were hard at it, impossibly large sails and masts 180 feet high. J-Class, the kings of yachting, vying for supremacy and casting every other vessel was a bit-party in the sun-blessed pageant.

Later in the afternoon and we were back on the mooring; cleaning up and clearing out; kit bags off and covers on, all tied down and at rest; soon we were back in the dingy to the clubhouse after a splendid voyage aboard Rag Doll.

SAILING ROUND THE SOLENT - SETTING OFF

Chris was just back from Tokyo and I just back from Delhi, bleary eyed we rose early and met up with Skipper Tom for a couple of days aboard his boat, the good ship Ragdoll; a 47 year old, 28-foot masterpiece of yacht building is widely acknowledged to be the prettiest boat on the Solent.

Noon on Thursday we were just about off the mooring out of Emsworth (Chichester Harbour). Even with two reefs in the sails we seemed to skim across the Solent towards Isle of Wight. A couple of rain showers and a good wind and we put Bembridge by late afternoon and enjoyed a later lunch.

Bembridge and St Helens on the northeast tip of the island are very pretty.  Skipper Tom route-marched us up and cross the to far tip of Bembridge to the Crab and Lobster for a pint and some delicious crab. A local cab with chatty driver ensured a quicker journey back to the boat and supper.

A pale blue purple sunrise with broadened out into deepest heat-promising blue. Skipper Tom, in another parade of local knowledge proposed a walk along the beach at St Helens, as we could not leave until 10’ish due to tide.  We enjoyed excellent coffee at the Baywatch on the Beach Café.

Out of Bembridge and moving west with the tide, past posh Cowes with its permanent spectacle of massively expensive boats. We turned on the smelly and motored most of the way to Newtown Creek. The weather then set fair which within a few days was to become the heat wave.

Newtown used to be the most important place in the Isle of White. In 1584, Queen Elizabeth gave parliamentary representation to the borough, perhaps in an attempt to revitalise it. In this she did not succeed, but nevertheless Newtown continued to elect two members of parliament during the next 250 years.

To be continued.

INDIA: THE LAST POST

One week since our return; why should the memories of the days in India not be still so potent:


Monday evening July 16 and late into Delhi on the train. Nothing could have prepared us for the people on the platform. Six trains, from across India each carrying about 1000 people arrive at the same time! The ‘press’! Our driver was right outside our carriage and led us through the throng! Up the stairs and we were pushed and shoved and we reciprocated, to just get to the top of the stairs. Relief, we were back, 30 minutes later, at the Taj Mahal Hotel in Delhi!

Tuesday, the last day, and chilling by the pool. I caught up with Taran in a coffee shop in Khan Market just down the road!

India? Oh India.

The grand Mughal monuments of Delhi and green streets and impossibly large crowds on each railway platform.

The romance of Jaipur, its fort high on hilltops, music and dancing and dress – THE land of Princes.

Green coastal Goa, with tall palm trees, Portuguese heritage and seas crashing on the beach.

And before Delhi there was Agra: this earlier seat of Mughal power; with its most precious flower -  the Taj Mahal.

Taj Hotels

We will leave this world-class hotel group, just for now. The evening before we depart, it sit in the lobby, make one final drawing in the lobby -  dedicated to Lakshay Nirula, Manager of the Concierge team.

Farewell - विदाई  vidaai