Sunday, February 22, 2009

'Seasoned hay, tasty pastures, good beer, comfortable beds'.

Slightly off message. I’m just back after a walking weekend in the village of Stockbridge, Hampshire. The weather was excellent and on Saturday, Mrs Grayee and I walked alongside the glorious River Test and across country to the Hill Fort at Danebury (also very impressive) and then back to the village.

As we walked back to the hotel in Stockbridge we come across an old Drovers inn (see photo - now a private house with a traditional thatched roof). I was astonished to see in bold large letters right across the front of the building words in Welsh “GWAIR TYMHERUS - PORVA-FLASUSCWRW - CWRW DAA - GWAL CYSURUS”. These words were an early form of advertising dating back to when the inn catered for Welsh Drovers - the words translated as 'Seasoned hay, tasty pastures, good beer, comfortable beds'.

Stockbridge is a really pretty traditional English village where it seems like everyone you meet is polite, wears a Barber jacket and out walking with a friendly wet Labrador.

I was feeling just a little smug after our 8 mile odd tramp through the countryside. Yet for centuries some of my forefathers had walked from Wales to Hampshire (then onto Southampton or Surrey and back home again – 600 miles?) every year to bring Welsh black cattle to English markets. The cattle would have been fattened up on the local pastures and meadows after their long journey. Before the railways the Welsh had been cattle and sheep drovers to England (the first cowboys?) since at least the 13th Century.

Since the "Drover House" is no longer open I would nowadays recommend the “Grosvenor” Hotel (another Welsh connection?) for “comfortable beds” and the “Three Cups Inn” for tasty produce (if not pastures) and for sure - “good beer”. I am afraid that I cannot comment on the local “Seasonal Hay” but I am certain it is also very good.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

thats incredible to see the welsh drovers sign

Anonymous said...

Glad you liked it John... strange though because its a Britain that reflects everything you abhor? Look at its classification on upmystreet.com ?.. "This type of postcode comprises wealthy people living in rural villages, predominantly in the shire counties of England. Given the rural nature of these areas, there is some agricultural employment but most residents are affluent, well educated professional people employed in senior managerial positions. There is also more working from home in this type.

Residents tend to be older, aged 45+, with fewer children and more retired people. Housing is spacious, with four or more bedrooms, mostly detached and at the upper end of the property price ladder. Reflecting the older age profile, more properties are owned outright than being bought on a mortgage.

Car ownership is high with more people commuting by car than by rail. Two or more cars per household is common, with high value cars being the norm.

These are financially astute householders, with high levels of ownership of stocks and shares, unit trusts and guaranteed income bonds. The Internet is used to research and purchase financial products as well as cars, holidays and other products.

Leisure interests include walking, bird watching, the fine arts, antiques, classical music and the opera. Membership of the National Trust is also popular.

Favoured newspapers tend to be the Telegraph, The Times and Financial Times. ..... is this why you like it John? Nice to get away to such a solid Tory well run area!

Anonymous said...

Hi John, Mr anon I'm a trade union rep and a union member since 1984 a long time, But worth every penny, And I'd like to say i live in a little village in Essex where they go on fox hunting now with no Fox's, With one pub and one local shop same nice car's and nice house's, I moved here because i liked it, Not because it was full of Tory's, It ain't. It's a mix of people some from the eastend of London who like me strife for a better life and that don't make me a Tory, that make me progressive working class. TALLY HO, SNOW WHITE

Anonymous said...

why do you presume rural areas are tories

long tradition of radicalism in rural areas

John Gray said...

Hi Anon 01.12
Yes – incredible (I think you needed to be in bed!)

Hi Anon 15.38
Sorry I don’t get your point? I like visiting the Country side since it is a nice contrast but if I wanted to live there I would move. I don’t - and have lived in Newham very happily for over 20 years. Tomorrow morning (if I get up early enough) I will go out of my front door, cross the road and go for a run in Epping Forest/Wanstead Park and there is no where even in Stockbridge (or Wales in its own way) quite so beautiful and lovely.

Parts of Hampshire are very rich but other parts are not. My cousin lives in Newbury which as some of the most deprived wards in the south east while I also enjoy visiting Portsmouth which also has pockets of severe deprivation.

Well said Paul!

Well said Anon 22.52 – I must do a post on the First World War Beer and Cider strikes

Anonymous said...

If I lived in Essex I would keep quiet about it comrade.

Anonymous said...

Why do I presume they are Tory?
I don't ... I just look at the rural constituencies and see how many of them are Labour and the answer is virtually none of them. This is a "Fact".
How does living in the countryside make you make you progressive working class?

Anonymous said...

Hi All, I'm proud i live in Essex comrade, and I'm proud of my name unlike you Mr anon..tally ho snow white..

Anonymous said...

Hi John,Mr anon You probably Don't know what it is like for working class people and what we strife for,typical of the anons of this world, is it you who wrote about classification on upmystreet of do you just write shit..

Anonymous said...

loads of rural labour seats in wales, dorset,north east

Anonymous said...

i understand very dodgy welsh

Anonymous said...

Hi John, it appears that you are being attacked by a toothless anon trot! Take no notice mate glad you enjoyed the break! Humourless trots cannot spoil your fun!

From anon North-West :)

Anonymous said...

Not sure how 'good' the good beer is these days. Last time I went to Stockbridge (1982ish) the local pub sold Gale's Ales, really good beers from Horndean (HSB and the session bitter universally known as 'Ordinary' were my favourites). Fuller have now taken over George Gale and continue to sell beer under that name even though they have closed the brewery; brewers have never been allies of the workers and drinkers.

John Gray said...

Thanks to Paul and the anon’s support!

Hi Jon – the best bitter (whose name I forget) was very good! See you tomorrow for the Charles Clarke meeting.