Curly's Capers

" North, South, East and West: Think of whichever you love the best. Forest and vale and high blue hill; You may have whichever you will, And quaff one cup to the love o' your soul Before we drink to the lovely whole. " From ' A Song of Gloucestershire ' F W Harvey. The third line of this verse, became the starting point for '  The Gloucestershire Way, '  a long distance walk of 100 miles; the project of which was completed in 1996. The 'forest' is the Forest of Dean; the 'vale '; the vale of Gloucester;  the high blue hills; the Wolds,  The route runs from Chepstow to Gloucester, thence to Stow On The Wold and then returns to its end-point  at Tewkesbury Abbey. D. and I have therefore a long-term plan to walk this Way. We are starting in ' the high blue hills,' in particular, the stretch from Salperton to Stow on The Wold. Our guide-book is " The Gloucestershire Way " by Gerry Stewart.  GW i...

Addendum to Major Wyford Clarke's Journal; dated 12th November 2011.   " Got into a spot of bother with the Memsahib, for not mentioning the ' moving pictures' she took about that estuary place. Apparently she can add it to the online journal on the twitterweb.  Beyond my ken, all that stuff, if it doesn't pour, burns or has words to read, no use to me. I expect the 'pictures'  covered by the goggle-box licence.  So there you have it. Apologies to all you screen- twitchers and mice people; but no doubt the Memsahib will attend to your requirements.  My super chappie Baxter has laid a roaring log fire in the study, where I am enjoying a large libation; whilst enjoying John's memoirs; having reached Chapter X " Vindaloo - The Currie Years;" spicy stuff indeed. I suppose, I'd better wish you all, festive greetings and the hope that all your singles become doubles. As the Army Chaplain once remarked " you can always decant at ...

  Extract from the journal of Major Wyford Clarke dated 12th November 2011 AD: Vol. 111 "The Somnolent Years 1997 ......." " Where was I? Oh yes; had to get some fresh  fountain pen ink supplies in.  If you ask me quality gone to pot. I don't think they tread those black grapes properly: all the fault of those euro Fritz chaps, Absolutely useless; can't even draw a bally pound sign correctly. Bad as those Banker chappies; far too much  totty and bong weed, leading them to casino banking; which is fine, except they are playing with my money! Wrote to the boy David; suggested they relieve the Bank of England of currency duties and give the job to Ladbrokes. Well they couldn't do worse could they? At least they like a gamble. Anyway don't get me started. The Memsahib, told me the other day that we were due to visit her late father's son and his wife in Essex. But when I checked my almanac, I found to my dismay that we were due that very weeke...

The rain abated. So parking the car in Newnham on Severn, D. and I stepped outside and took this video of the Severn at low-tide. It is now a rather  small town, with the main street, used as a busy thoroughfare for traffic to the Forest Of Dean and Chepstow, and thus a gateway into Wales. The Romans had a settlement nearby and almost certainly used Newnham as both a crossing point and port. In 1171 Henry II used the town as a start point for an invasion of Ireland. Read more at : Newnham  Here is a further picture of this stretch of river. D. and I walked down the street, visiting the shops and in one I bought this print of Newnham in 1870. A quieter spot then methinks.                                 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$  I have quite a modest collection of records; ( well maybe not too modest !)  with over six and a half thou...