Bucklers Hard - Day 5: Breaking up is hard to do

Now we are used to having Brody in the bedroom, we got a reasonably good night's sleep.  Today, though, I was the one up early, and walking him round the overflow car park in the light drizzle.  What an unusual Saturday morning it turned out to be. We breakfasted in our private room again and enjoyed a very big breakfast.  Both of us opting for even more than usual.  By the time the breakfast rooms were open I had already packed half the car, so after breakfast there was not much left to pack.  We had soon checked out of the lovely hotel and were on our way in the wrong direction, towards Burley to visit a fudge shop. 

Burley is a tiny village and has lots of strange shops, some selling witchcraft paraphernalia.  We found the fudge shop eventually, and outside was a lady offering free samples.  It turned out she was originally from Laindon.

Driving around the new forest this Saturday was more challenging than usual as there was at least one, probably more, cycling events.  I am a walker, a cyclist and a driver and believe we can all share the road, but each has their responsibilities, for cyclists today the responsibilities that were lacking are:

1. Stick to your own side of the carriageway: driving down a narrow lane and being faced with four cyclists coming towards you (two on each side of the road) is a bit frightening, where was I supposed to go?  They missed me, I'd stopped.
2. If you have a child with you, do not cycle off into the distance and leave him to cope.  It is grossly unfair and if he makes a mistake you are not there to help.
3. Riding two or three abreast is now, I believe, recommended, but it is not a good idea to start overtaking each other while cars are trying to pass you.  The 'shape-shifting' serpent that this presents to the driver is very difficult to assess and react to, and I can't possibly give adequate space when you pull out a fraction of a second after I start my manoeuvre.
4. Learn how to look behind you without wobbling the bike and changing direction.

There were lots of cyclists, most of them rode respectfully and sensibly, just the ones above made driving unnecessarily fraught, and will have left some other drivers cursing them and demanding they be licensed.

Then we moved on a little and pulled off the road to take a walk in the New Forest.

We had walked for about 20 minutes when Brody found a bog and jumped in.  He sank in the mud, as he lifted one paw, the rest of him was sucked down a little.  He finally found a footing and hauled himself out, our chocolate Labrador now blacker than a black Labrador from his feet up to halfway up his rib cage.  Oh, the smell - we kept away from him as he shook and shook himself, but the mud stayed stuck. We allowed him back in the car - what could we do?  - and started our journey home.  At fleet services, we asked Google for a pub nearby for lunch.  In the list was the Fox and Hounds.  Any pub is likely to be better than a Motorway services, and this one turned out to be well worth the slight diversion.  Plus, we had a fly by from the Red Arrows as we were sitting by the canal waiting for our food.  A superb meal, in great surroundings.  I did wonder about getting Brody to swim in the canal - to wash the mud off, but he was almost dry now, and I didn't want the smell to come back.
Then it was back on the Motorway and following Google Maps advice we went north rather than south around the M25.  A slow journey for a lot of the time.
Eventually, we arrived home, and bathed Brody ready for his operation on Monday.
A lovely holiday, the New Forest is great and Bucklers Hard is very special.

Bucklers Hard - Day 3: Rock and a Hard Stone

We woke, after a couple of disturbances from Brody, to a dry morning. Breakfast was in a shared room as other dogs have joined us in the hotel, when we got there that table was laid for three, so another was laid for us. I ordered the kipper, when it arrived it had been skinned - don't think I've
ever seen that before, also the backbone had been removed - a very good kipper.
After breakfast we walked Brody through the woods on the path to Beaulieu, round and back along the gravel path. He doesn't like walking on gravel, but he still follows me even when there is grass to walk on.
A little over an hour later we were queueing with a load of school children for the river boat cruise.  Fortunately, they all sat outside, so we could sit inside. First we saw the docks where they built Nelson's favourite ship - the Agamemnon.  When ships were built at Bucklers Hard they were first moved a little down stream to an area known as Fiddlers Reach.  The ships were left here for plimming - allowing the wood to swell and close up the joints between the timbers.  At the end of this time a party was held to celebrate a new ship.  The music was provided by fiddlers - hence the name.
During war time the forerunner of the spitfire, and a missile, on which the cruise missile is modeled were both built in the yards on the banks of the Beaulieu River.  Now it is very peaceful and quite, and mostly a nature reserve.
For lunch we visited Beaulieu village, and found "Steff's Kitchen".  Very nice sandwiches, but a few uninvited guests that have to be tolerated.

One, as you can see, is helping himself from another customers plate!
The cafe is attached to a garden centre so we got a few ideas for the garden, and then took a short walk through some barley fields.
We then moved on to Exbury Gardens, arriving too late for the train, but it was still good to wander around. The azaleas and rhododendrons would be amazing in may, but there are still a few left.

There are also some amazing hydrangers, lots of little formal gardens, and some stunning views of the river.
We can't leave Beaulieu without mentioning cars, so here's my next car:

... well maybe for a day - one day!  I'll have to be careful because there are still cows on the road

So to Lyndhurst for tea, and some award winning fish and chips from Bertties, now back at the hotel watching supervet.

Bucklers Hard - Day 4: Hard Sell

Friday started with an abrupt wake-up call from Brody. He got up, turned around and sounded like he fell over. There were voices outside apparently, which must have disturbed him, but I didn't hear them.  Later we were back in the private dining room for breakfast, where we spoke to our Aussie- waiter-on-a-gap-year for so long he was called back to work by his boss! 
After a brief walk - the woodland walk is mis-advertised, it is barely long enough for more than a few strides, so after that we headed for Hatchet pond which we were told was 'just down the road'.  After a while I checked Google Maps, it is 2.7 miles away. It seems that when the shipbuilding stopped, so did the local's ability to measure.
Back at the hotel, we split up. Jo went to the garden to cross-stitch and dog sit, and I went to the Maritime Museum.  I was there for a little over 1 hour 30 minutes and had only followed the history to just after the end of WWII.  Defence spending in the 1700s was brutal.  The navy commissioned ships and put them out to tender.  There were bonuses for building quicker than agreed, and penalties for building later.  All the timber had to be cut and seasoned for two years, so don't even bid if you don't have the wood.  That, of course, has to be bought before it is cut down.  The story of Bucklers Hard is a story of multiple bankruptcies.  Except for Henry Adams, so he is the local hero.  I learned the origin of the phrase 'money for old rope'.  Old rope is untwisted and re-twisted into a soft string, like coarse wool.  It is then pushed in-between the timbers of the ship's hull and covered in pitch.  The hull is therefore waterproofed.  Clever sailors collected (for free) rope that was being replaced on other ships, then SOLD it to the ship builders.  Hence, 'money for old rope' = money for nothing.
We went to the Captain's Cabin, the Bucklers Hard restaurant for lunch and had the 'traditional' (almost) for us - soup and jacket potato.  Slightly expensive, but quite good.
Very full, we headed for Lymington.  There we walked along the high street and down to the quay.  Now is my chance to get a picture of a black headed gull.  BTW, their head is a dark grey/brown colour, but looks black in flight. Mostly, by the time I get the camera zoomed and focussed the bird has flown, this one was watching something else.

We also had ice cream, which transformed Brody's attitude from bored and scanning the pavement for food, to actively watching one or other of us.  So much so that he was walking into things on the street, and generally entertaining the public.  He did eventually get the last of the cone from each of us.  Then it was back to bored.
St Thomas' is an unusual church, both in its shape and because they have all the major building developments and their sponsors listed on plaques around the base of the balcony.
We moved on to Milford-on-sea.  This is an exaggeration, the sea is half a mile from the village.  Presumably they have been expecting coastal erosion for centuries.  We walked round the triangular village centre, and Jo went into the Co-op. Next door is a charity shop, I was browsing when a lady came out.  The conversation went something (just a little) like this:
"Can we help you?"
"No, thanks, just browsing.  My wife is in the Co-op, I can't take the dog in there"
"You can take the dog in here, come and have a look around"
"No, thanks Auntie Wainwright, I just wait here"
After a walk out along Hursts Spit (we didn't get far, it's too stoney) we returned to the village for dinner at the Smugglers Inn.  If you've arrived here via Facebook, here's a Friday Food picture for you.

Hunter Chicken was on the specials board, it tasted much better than it looked.  Nicely filled, we returned to the hotel, where Brody was more than ready for the marrow bone a kind cleaning lady had given him this morning.

Bucklers Hard - Day 2: A hard night's day

The room was very warm when we went to bed. We are not used to sleeping in the same room as Brody, so a combination of the heat and a dog moving around meant that sleep was difficult. It is at least properly dark. Sleep did not last long, soon Brody was asking to go out. Jo took him, and we went back to sleep. Soon Brody was asking to go out. Jo took him. It's worse than having a baby. So, when the alarm went off, waking was also difficult.
The room is not large, but it is a good room, the shower is good too. The cups, however, are small - meant for the coffee machine, not for cups of tea. Shortly after that it was of to our private, dog friendly, dining room for breakfast. The breakfast bar in the restaurant is amazing, it took a while to work out what was what. Milk, for example, is in the same bottles as the fruit juices, and is kept in a large ice bucket. The large jug of white liquid is yoghurt! The breakfast itself is very good and nicely presented.
After breakfast, I read the Guardian (paper edition) and Jo was cross-stitching. Then we went to the bar for a pot of tea. It was still raining. Eventually the rain stopped, so I took Brody for a walk. The rain started, but stayed light, so he had a reasonable walk.
Lunch, not really needed, was late, and less than impressive. We both had a Ham and tomatoe sandwich. The bread was thin, and the tomatoe only just exceeded the lettuce.
It was still raining.
We took a drive to Brockenhurst. On leaving the hotel drive there were 5 cows wandering along the road, we had to wait for them to get out of the way. We saw other cows wandering or sitting by the road, some in dangerous places. Brockenhurst is a nice little village, where I got some cash. At one end of the village a stream crosses the road. It's not quite Buttsbury wash, but the cars still race through and spray water over anyone close by.
It is still raining, we went to the Turfcutters Arms for tea. There was a roaring fire in the grate, so I had to check that it is still June, and we hadn't time travelled to December. Our meals were very nice, and very good value. Finally, back in the hotel, we walked Brody round the village, hoping for a better night and a drier day.

Bucklers Hard - Day 1: Hard Rain

After waiting for Jo to finish at Christ Church, we had a quick sandwich, loaded the car and set out. At this point it was dry, but the forecast is for rain, specially where we are headed. Sure enough, just over the bridge the rain started. We stopped at Fleet Services, which is being re-built. It is very open, light and airy, and quite pleasant, although we could not stop as we have Brody with us. We arrived about 5pm, at The Master Builders House hotel, we are in the extention, a modern hotel room, but an old fashioned key - no card entry to be hacked. We were soon unpacked and in the room, Brody settled in quickly, and was soon asleep beneath the TV.
We are unlikely to go out tonight because of the rain, and diner is booked in the restaurant at 8:30. When reserving a table I was asked "Will you be dining with your dog?". That has got be question of the week!
The meal was excellent, although the portions are small, it is that type of cuisine, but we enjoyed it very much, and being in a private dining room did not affect the service.