Uses of moulded clay. Pictorial inserts in a tree seat.
(This kind of incidental street art is very common in Basingstoke) Ionic
capitals and entablature in Fairfields School, a board school dated 1887 using
typical local materials in a somewhat Dutch manner.
The school is still in active use, and a privelege to have on my walking
routes, which also feature Georgian houses and many retaining walls that lean
alarmingly. Very picturesque but sooner or later they will have to be rebuilt,
hopefully in a sensitive manner.
It has to be said that although the call to prayer was
intriguing when I first moved to Dubai and I have great respect for my many
devout Muslim friends (and some not so devout perhaps) this is the sound of my
home country, England and feels very comforting on my Sunday afternoon walk.
Culture is deeply embedded in our history. I to cannot be frozen, nor can it be
changed in an arbitrary manner. Continuity is important. Although I travelled
the world for 45 years and England has changed quite alarmingly while I was
away, it is still my home.
The highlight of my weekend, and second year in a row to
visit this event with my son, who moved to Basingstoke from Austria ten years
ago.
It's great to be permanently settled in the same town together for the first
time since he left for university, 25 years ago. My family is smeared across
the globe. Not sure why that happened, but we remain close in spirit,
thankfully.
My dad bought a grey Austin A35 van when I was still a in short pants. There
was a time period before he could fit rear windows and seats (tax reasons?) We
took it camping around the coast of England Scotland and Wales, upgrading to a
J4 van which allowed us to do without a tent for a while.
Maybe those holidays planted the seeds of adventure. Wonderful memories, that's
for sure.
The circus has come to town. Seems to be a regular cycle of
events. I guess I will start to measure my year, not just by the changing
weather and length of day (things we didn't really have in Dubai) but also the
sequence of spectacles coming to War Memorial Park.
I only just noticed the WMP logo built into the park gates, which must date
from after the time when Goldings Park Country Estate was taken into public
ownership. But after 1918 because the memorial was originally to WW1.
Turning around the other way you see the dark clouds gathering. Not God's
message to the PM, just the weather we are having. A little bit of light sleet
later after I got home.
