With Howard and Jenni At World's End

We met Howard and Jenni on our southern African campaign in 2017, one of nine couples on that wonderful tour, and have kept up, via Facebook and a lunch last August at Greenwich. Simply put, they are two of the most interesting and talented people we know. We stayed with them outside Newbury May 15, and were treated to a tour of the environs, a display of their many crafts and creations, a grand Jenni dinner, and much interesting and enlightening conversation. 

St. Nicholas Church, Beedon, which they care for; very old, 
some Saxon bits, local flint throughout

Master bell-ringer Howard showing Vicki how 
it works

In the oldest part of the church, an arch the old bells' ropes had worn 
into

Some of the newer sculpture

One side of the arch that separates the old and new
parts of the church features a snake's head

And the other, the snake's tail

Farnborough parish church, some miles down the
road, also very old

Environs

The church is notable for these windows, celebrating

Sir John Betjeman, Poet Laureate, 1972-84, a

"sometime resident" of the local rectory; a noted

defender of the Victorian...saved St. Pancras Station

from demolition years ago; so I have read

The Old Rectory, Farnborough

It was great fun driving around the countryside, an expert at the
wheel (Howard), Vicki effectively blinkered in the back seat; 
Jenni was back at the house preparing a remarkable meal, so
good, in fact, I forgot to take any pix

They really do live at World's End

Among Jenni's undertakings, making these 

unbelievable lace fans

A current project...

When not sailing, renovating antique clocks, 
editing and publishing, or caring for the parish
church, Howard also does beautiful woodwork,
the above a recreation of an ancient candle-holder
used for needle work; the light directed and
refracted by the glass globe; from Horse Chestnut,
aka Buckeye

Gorgeous wisteria in their backyard garden

Jenni and Howard; many, many thanks

Newbury RV Show, 2022

In addition to gardens, churches, museums, and so forth, we also do RV shows, and British RV shows are our favorite: there are all the usual caravans (trailers), motor homes, vans, and such, many tents of RV accessories, peripheral accessories, camping and caravan and motor-home clubs, and such; and, of special interest to us, there are all the bespoke (custom-made) camper manufacturers, usually vans, where the latest ideas and developments are introduced. Seriously. And there is food; well, British food. And there are Brits, good-natured ones: the shows are usually held in "show-grounds" (think: state or county fairgrounds), with room for a thousand or so rigs of every size, type, and age. People come and camp the two or three days the show is on. Just walking among them can be an RV education. And great fun.

This was our fourth British RV show, and our second in Newbury...

https://roadeveron.blogspot.com/2013/06/exeter-rv-show.html
https://roadeveron.blogspot.com/2016/05/southern-motorhome-show-chievely.html
https://roadeveron.blogspot.com/2019/08/norwich-motorhome-and-camper-van-show.html

and, despite no longer having a European RV, hopefully not our last. We were looking for a hardware part for our European-outfitted Sportsmobile/Röbel camper, Le Sport, but, alas, never did find it. Maybe in Germany next fall.

A smidgeon of the campground area

One of the several avenues

This year, mostly vans

So nice not to see the "Let's go, Brandon!" flags

We learned to braai on our southern African campaign in 2017;
at first a couple times a week, toward the end, every night; a great
kind of experience in that great kind of group...

You wouldn't want your black tank to smell like
poo, would you? Not when you can have Old Spice, 
Fruit Citrus, Dark Cherry, Summer Rose, or Berry
Vanilla! They said they were working hard to respond
to the demand for Juniper Gin...

Lunch: she had an unpictured burger, I, the above "hot dog"

Best in Show, according to Vicki: this short Ford
Transit...with...

A bathroom, to which, she assured me, she could easily add a shower

About $60,000 US; probably $125,000 in the States,
with a year's wait for delivery, and then a price "upgrade,"
etc.

Alas, already sold

Meanwhile, I had a nice conversation with the Costco lady,
extolling the free liquor samples at British Costcos ("and one for
my wife over on the other aisle"); she was especially curious how
British Costcos compared with the American ones; virtually
the same, I assured her (truthfully) except for the Marmite, steak and
kidney pie, and the much greater variety of ales and flavored gins....

Show Stopper: the Mink, a futuristic tear-drop two-person
sleeping trailer; by way of explanation, we had one of these in the
later 90s, a prototype from Seattle; some called it "the sleeping pod";
interestingly, no photos of it have survived; it had gull-wing 
doors but was not likely to be mistaken for a Mercedes 300SL

No detail unattended: coffee/tea cup holders in the wheel cover 

Storage, cooking area

Awning and privacy tent included

Food court; anther great show!

Romsey Abbey Sculpture

In this part of the world, of this vintage, it's mostly the sculpture you look at, since there are few paintings or frescoes that have survived. Romsey has some interesting instances of Norman sculpture, including dozens of funny faces, mostly animals, on the corbals higher up. And other things too. And the interpretive signage is excellent.

A bit of Celtic surviving here

The ribbon proceeds all around the interior of the church, just below
the gallery

Now outside; click to enlarge the funny faces

Some bits appear restored

A sheel-na-gig?