Friday 16th March
Bounced back after a bug, I took
the train to Chichester for a walk and a think. Walked to / from The Trundle;
in the spring sunshine; before rail engineering work and another, very belated
coldwave with snow comes in for the weekend (daytime temperatures back down to
or a couple of degrees below freezing; after 11oC and upwards this
week. The weather pattern for the weekend is much as at the beginning of the
month, with high pressure over Scandinavia bringing the northeasterlies; fronts
bringing in snow from the NE, troughs and convergences. Only the high’s not as
intense in the centre; peaking at 1040 millibars and the cold / snow
sub-freezing temperatures lasting only to Monday morning. For my own weather,
felt much better than I did on Sunday. Only the Lavant streaming this time,
though still coughing. One sign of spring, even if it doesn’t feel like it in
any other respect: these last couple of
days was over dressing in winter raincoat, light fleece and finding I was
having to take them off 10 minutes into the walk; or perhaps that’s just the
menopause. Recall whinging about snow on about 23rd March
threatening to disrupt taking pictures to Farnham during that very cold March
in 2013. This March more confusing for warming up this week, only for more cold
come in just as we all thought it was over. It won’t feel like spring in my
mind until, not only a lasting convincing end to snow, ice and bitter
northeasterlies. Also an end to the blocked pattern of trivial but off-putting
complicating hassle: persistent bugs; engineering work and / or weather
disruptions and disincentives for getting out at weekends; being able to plan
something involving a journey (local and further afield) without the real
prospect of having to cancel it, or just having it cancelled for me. For
Saturday, though, exaggerating my bug status somewhat through not being in the
mood; but could argue I’m being extra-cautious. Given the forecast, including
an amber warning for snow and ice in the Farnham Saturday night and through
Sunday, don’t even know whether the Cradley folk will even be coming at all
now. Trouble is, presumably having booked the Premier Inn again, they’re
committed / or will loose a lot of money if they have to cancel at this stage.
Took the shorter route out of
Chichester, to East Lavant. More annoying traffic in city centre and roads
through East Lavant than on a weekend. Some event on at Goodwood soon. Sign up
road past Lavant church for show traffic, probably keeping them away from
Chalkpit Lane, but lots of vans, lorries etc turning right of the road near the
church. Meant it was quieter further along nearer Chalkpit Lane. Still a fair
bit of tiresome mud about on some stretches of path including around gate near
the Trundle car park which I didn’t spot until I’d walked down the hill through
the field.
Daffodils out all along the
Lavant in Sheepwash Lane. Doesn’t feel right we should have to have another
coldwave, over what will be the last weekend before the vernal equinox,
astronomical spring in the northern hemisphere.
On the Trundle did some loose,
semi-abstract sketches looking north towards Singleton and Levin Down, filling
up the softback A4 sketchbook I’d started at Eastbourne in August (Sussex
sketchbook). Also brought some loose sheets of brown paper. As lighting / views
so good, wished I’d brought more paper / another sketchbook with me. Hadn’t as,
with the bugs cold and general hassle / discomfort and inconducive weather, the
unstoppable sketcher had lost her motivation and oomph. Brought a tarpaulin bag
to sit on today which helped, but got it
back. Worked very loosely and now aiming for semi-abstract drawings of places I
know well; especially the Downs. Tore up some of the brown paper for the Levin
Down sketch, to stick down at home; though had pieces blowing away at one
point. Caught them before they blew away down the hill. Used coloured pencils,
graphite and oil pastel.
Though not bright all the time,
an interesting, changing cloudscape and light when looking from The Trundle,
particularly coming down, when bright sky beneath a finger of cloud against the
sun, extending towards Chichester Cathedral; sun on fields in middle distance.
Another quick sketch on path while coming down.
Then near the gate at the top of
the Hayes Down field, an abstracted view of the view down to the Lavant. Drawn
to the sun on the ploughed field above the valley and road. While here, an
interesting chat with a guy carrying a camera on a tripod. He said he filmed
local wildlife and farm life. Lately I haven’t really felt chatting much when
out and about; really for feeling tired with my bug and lack of voice. Typical
then to meet people who wanted to chat for several minutes at a time, beyond Hello, can I have a look? That’s very good;
see you later . Usually older people (about 60 and up, though that’s very
rough). Often these people, usually older (the youngsters seldom say much) want
to talk to people; maybe lonely, it generally brightens my day. The woman in
the ladies at Southampton art gallery last Saturdayprobably 70+. I had to be
careful here because my bug was beginning to bite and I felt very tired. She
also said she had COPD, apparently just out of hospital so I really didn’t want
her catching anything. I wasn’t at all interested in Mother’s Day (last Sunday,
or not the retail / advertisers’ nags to buy more unnecessary stuff to fill in
the gaps between Christmas and Easter) and when she assumed I was one, hard not
to snap “I feel better for not bothering with all that [having kids]”. Instead
I turned it round to say I’d be thinking of my mother and mother-in-law;
appropriate. One upside to being 50 and not 20 is I’m better able to stop
myself being short with people and my slower flow enables more to reply more
sympathetically and with more consideration. When I got talking today, though,
I enjoyed it as we shared a common interest in the local countryside; not
wanting to see it messed up (he bemoaned dog mess and careless owners, as I did
on Sunday). He asked me about the River Lavant – does it flow only every other
year? He says he films purely for his own pleasure (not sharing / uploading /
exhibiting anywhere); to enhance his memories of being out in the countryside
if / when the days comes when he can’t get out. He said he’d been looking for
lambs to film but didn’t find any. Maybe they’re late this year, confused by
the coldwaves in February and March. For the first time, though, I noticed the
sheep grazing in the field on the west side of the Lavant.
Before joining the Centurion Way,
I went down to the footbridge over the Lavant, on the path up to the main road.
Pleasing lighting on the fields where
they caught the sun; and good to see a good, speedy flow in the stream.
Walked back via the Centurion
Way, stopping at a picnic table by the railwaymen to make some notes. During
the course of my walk (mainly the more tedious stretches between Chichester
city centre and East Lavant) thoughts flowing on from yesterday’s art group
meeting. Boring stuff about this GDPR thing, but some Smiles for the spring newsletter. Home about 6pm after stopping at
Chichester Costa for a cuppa.
