Here I am again, after a busy and productive trip south. As usual, I stopped in Edinburgh and Northamptonshire, but this time added a visit to a friend in Southport.
I collected a rental car on the Monday. I hadn’t heard about my own car, and even if I had, I was reluctant to drive it whilst it reeked of petrol. The rental company gave me a free upgrade too – to a non-plugin hybrid. After a quick cup of coffee with the neighbours to tell them of my plans, I loaded the car and set off for Edinburgh, where I’d stop for a night.
Bloomin’ Grasses
Modern cars are amazing. They have improved vastly since our car was made 13 years ago. Adaptive cruise control – where the car will slow itself to match the speed of the car in front of it – was an eyeopener. Lane assist was another useful feature; I could almost drive without steering. Little lights flashed on the wing mirrors if a car was passing. When reversing, if it calculated you were going to collide with something, it slammed on the brakes – quite a surprise the first time! And back-up cameras! How did we reverse without?
Proto plums
On the next day, Tuesday, the drive started with a slow trip through the Borders of Scotland and an uneventful drive along England’s motorways. The house hadn’t fallen down yet when I arrived, although there was an occasional ‘beep beep’ somewhere. I initially thought it was the car, and went out several times to check, but finally tracked the beeping to a smoke alarm with a dying battery.
The Back
The following day was for grocery shopping and cooking, and getting in touch with Brackley Morris. “Why?”, I hear you ask. Well, on Mayday, the 1st of May, the Brackley Morris dances in the summer at Brackley market square, at dawn. I can’t remember the last time I’d done this. And I’d come prepared – I’d located my ‘kit’ – a smock – and my pipe & tabor, and brought them with me. Eventually I was able to get in touch with someone who could give me a lift, and they’d pick me up at around 4:45 AM.
MayDay
Thankfully, the weather was glorious. As I was playing most of the time, I didn’t get a chance to photograph the Brackley Morris, so here you see Queen’s Oak. There was a good crowd out to see in the May. After the dancing, those that would retired to the nearby pub (just behind the morris man on the left). The pub opens specially on Mayday morning, both to serve alcohol and to provide a proper English cooked breakfast. They were even veggie sausages. Then a few hours were whiled way, with anyone who wished joining in a music session. And then, two bookings at two nursing homes, when it was definitely hot.
Gorse at Helmsdale
What with one thing and another, there hasn’t been much progress on the gansey. The back is now complete, and about 1.5” has been knit on the front. I’ve worked around the too-low gusset snafu by knitting across the gusset on each row and knitting the last stitch together with the edge stitch of the back. It’s like knitting a giant shoulder strap. The gusset will be distinctly almond-shaped instead of diamond-shaped, which isn’t ideal, but is preferable to reknitting the entire back.
I have never heard of the Brackley Morris dancers dancing on May 1st at dawn. My late father was born in Evenley which is a few miles away from Brackley and worked at the school in Brackley before moving to Cambridgeshire where he met and married my mum. We used to visit my grandparents in the 60’s and 70’s and walked to Brackley across the fields. I can remember the town hall in your photo. We called in at Evenley to visit my grandparents grave recently as we were passing on our way home from a holiday and drove through Brackley on our way. I recognised the town Hall but not much else. What I remember as the little country road to Evenley now has a big dual carriageway through it.😪
Brackley Morris is a ‘revival’ side, started up in the late ’50s at Brackley School by Frank Hamer, one of the teachers. They’ve been dancing out on Mayday as long as I can remember, at least since the 70s. I barely recognised Brackley – the approach from the north is now chockablock with new housing estates.
What a beautiful blue, the pattern is gorgeous. I love a modern convenient of heated steering wheels in cars, and find the back up camera to be a must.
I’m in great awe of your ability to problem solve and creativity when knitting.
Look forward to more photos of nature.
The picture of Brackley town hall brought back many happy memories of walking there as a child across the fields from Evenley a lovely village where my grandparents lived. I have never heard of the May Day dancing mentioned by anyone in the family. My dad worked at the boys school in Brackley for a short while before he moved to Cambridgeshire and met and married my mum. We paid a visit to Evenley a few months ago to visit my grandparents grave as we were passing on our way back from a holiday and drove through Brackley – I recognised the town hall but little else and there is now a dual carriage way that bisects the little country road that went to Evenley. It was the first time I had been there without my Dad who passed away 6 years ago at the grand age of 91
Oh, cool, Morris Dancing!
I had to get a new-to-me car after my parked car was hit, so I now have the backup camera, which is nice to have. I don’t have most of the other features, but as a card-carrying dinosaur I’m just as happy.
Oh, your travels, what fun. I’m still learning to drive our new computer, after turning in our 12 year old car. What’s this and what’s that – a trip in itself.
Your blue gansey pattern is gorgeous, inspiring me to begin knitting again. Love your photographs. Enjoy the Spring.
Thanks for your amazing blog!
I see you have stopped for the back neck and will do the same for the front. What ratio do you do for back/front if I may ask? Is the front neck lower than the back?
I’m just about to this place on mine and have been forced to consider it more closely!
Thanks
Hi Robyne
The ratio for the neck is roughly one third of the width. The front neck will be approximately three inches lower. This is definitely ‘non-trad’ for a gansey but makes it more comfortable to wear.