 |
| Haxey St Nicholas Church - seen across The Hood Field |
As it happens, The Isle of Axholme is where my lovely wife grew up. It isn't really an island but prior to the seventeenth century it was a very watery world bounded by rivers with a few villages situated on higher ground. Villages like Epworth, Belton, Crowle, High Burnham and Haxey. By the way if there are any Methodists reading this, The Isle of Axholme was the cradle of your religion. John and Charles Wesley were born and raised in Epworth.
With boots on, we left the car park attached to St Nicholas's Church in Haxey and set off along an old railway bed to Epworth. We ate sandwiches in the delightful grounds of the main methodist church and considered the course of Britain's response to the pandemic. We agreed that our current prime minister has done nothing to dispel the conclusion that he is an egotistical buffoon. Someone who wanted the spotlight but is weak on detail and judgement. During these critical times, we needed a better-informed, wiser political leader. Plenty of glaring and indeed fatal mistakes have been made since the British lockdown began.
 |
| The best picture I took yesterday - road to Epworth Turbary |
Anyway, after lunch we wandered west from Epworth to discover a new word - "turbary". It is contained in the names Epworth Turbary and Haxey Turbary. These locations were just two miles apart. One dictionary says this "turbary - the ground where turf or peat may be dug especially for fuel". The word relates to ancient land rights that were largely ignored when The Isle of Axholme was tamed by Dutch drainage experts.three hundred and fifty years ago.
Rising ground brought us through a field of maize seedlings to Westwoodside. You could see for miles. Then we passed the field where the famous "Haxey Hood" is played out each January - with teams of men from different pubs battling to bring the "hood" home. To learn more go here.
It was good to meet up with Tony. He walks at the same pace as me - in more ways than one. Weather permitting we plan to reconvene for another walk next week. However, as I sit here typing out this account, my right foot is giving me so much gyp that I had to limp downstairs this morning. Funny that. When the walk finished I felt no discomfort whatsoever. Hope it's back to normal by next week. After all, Clint loves to spend quality downtime with Tony's female car - Elsie!
 |
| Skyers Farm near Haxey |
Your poorly foot reminded me of something my dad said on the day I turned forty. "Look forward to a new pain every day."! That was a long time ago but as each year passes it becomes more and more true. One evening last summer I went to bed with two perfectly normal knees and woke up with one that hurt like mad and wouldn't work at all.
ReplyDeleteI hope your ankle gets better soon.
Johnson is poorly equipped to deal with anything more taxing than an after dinner speech. We have paid a high price for electing someone who desperately wanted to be the Prime Minister to "get Brexit done". Still remembering that at least half of the population didn't want it to be done at all and he's managed with his ineptitude in the pandemic to kill off a good proportion of those that did.
Speaking from an entirely unbiased position, I would say that your estimation of Johnson is most accurate Jean.
DeleteI was searching for loan to sort out my bills& debts, then i saw comments about Blank ATM Credit Card that can be hacked to withdraw money from any ATM machines around you . I doubted thus but decided to give it a try by contacting { cyberhackingcompany@gmail.com} they responded with their guidelines on how the card works. I was assured that the card can withdraw $5,000 instant per day & was credited with$50,000,000.00 so i requested for one & paid the delivery fee to obtain the card, after 24 hours later, i was shock to see the UPS agent in my resident with a parcel{card} i signed and went back inside and confirmed the card work's after the agent left. This is no doubts because i have the card & has made used of the card. This hackers are USA based hackers set out to help people with financial freedom!! Contact these email if you wants to get rich with this Via: cyberhackingcompany@gmail.com ..
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteGreat photo of the couple and dog.
ReplyDeleteIt could be the cover of an album: "Sentimental Love Songs" by The Northsiders. Thanks Dave.
DeleteIncluding the sheep song: " I remember Ewe".
ReplyDelete"Can Ewe Feel the Love Tonight?" by Elton John.
Delete"The green, green grass of home".
DeleteNot marijuana I hope!
DeleteDon't you have your own personal friendly nurse to help you with your injured foot?
ReplyDeleteThat personal nurse is at work making babies cry with needles!
DeleteI love that photo of the couple walking, the whole photo has great composition.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you had a good walk with your friend and I empathize with you about your foot. I had a good long walk which set off the arthritis in my big toe. Sigh.
Rest, ice and anti-inflammatories work wonders.
For me, I think it was largely to do with having my foot on the accelerator pedal as I drove home. I need to walk down to the post office soon.
DeleteWhat a tidy farm! Goodness!
ReplyDeleteYes, sometimes feet or knees or hips just seem to flare up with no advance warning and then hopefully, go the same way. I hope your foot feel better today.
I am sure it was driving home that did it after a long walk. Foot on the accelerator pedal. It is gradually feeling better. I am going to hobble off to the post office real soon.
DeleteSkyers Farm ... what a beautiful place and sooooo many bricks! Wow!
ReplyDeleteA very neat farm. As you can see, it doesn't look very old. Very few homes are built with wooden shingles in Britain. Brick is very common.
DeleteWhat an idyllic scene - love the photo of the couple walking their dog along the lane. A very neat farm indeed, and it looks very new. I wonder if they do B&B or self catering? There are a lot of very smart looking additions, which look too tidy to be homes for the cattle or pigs - unless they are very fussy!
ReplyDeleteIt is funny that a mile and a half to the north there is another place called Skyers Farm. It is mostly rich, arable land around there. Very few animals these days. Shirley's late father had a small farm on The Isle of Axholme.
DeleteIt shows you have to be kind to Clint otherwise he'll get you with his accelerator pedal. I like the Isle of Axholme and the idea that before the area was drained it was indeed an isle in the middle of marshland. Got distant ancestors from there.
ReplyDeleteUntil yesterday, I didn't realise that when the Dutch drainage engineers arrived in the seventeenth century, they were not welcomed by local people and there were both riots and attacks on drainage workers. They saw their traditional way of life changing and they hadn't asked for it. The story is even more complicated than that.
DeleteFamily names still around in the Goole-Thorne area: Vagg, Brunyee, Scutt (there are others).
DeleteYou mean they are the descendants of the Dutch drainage workers?
DeleteYes. Like French names in the west of Russia - Napoleon's army.
Delete"Turbary" is a new word to me too. And as bad as Boris is, he's far better than Trump. Far, far better.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Trump didn't know that Britain is a nuclear power but I believe that Johnson is aware of that. Of course, I could be wrong. Johnson only got a 2:1 at Oxford.
DeleteI've just googled the Isle of Axholme and see it's not that far from here. I might have to add it to our cycling route, looks like an interesting place to explore.
ReplyDeleteMany lovely quiet lanes there - just right for tootling along on your bikes.
DeletePhoto 3
ReplyDeleteV v impressive
Thanks John. You have good taste!
DeleteYou've taken lovely pictures especially the one with the couple. I love how the trees hang over the road. It's nice that you had your friend Tony to walk with for a change. So, Clint does have a special friend - Elsie!
ReplyDeleteWhat happened in the car park at Haxey stays in the car park at Haxey!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete