Tuesday 11 September 2012

Winging It!



We didn’t have a car when our oldest two children were small. My beloved had a motorbike and I had a bike with a little seat on the back. We got by.

Our lives changed with the arrival of the car. We used to pile in the kids and often Nanna too and occasionally our dog Sweep and just go. No sat nav, no maps, just a sense of adventure and a picnic.

Often we didn’t know where we were going, just where the fancy took us.

In an attempt to recapture some of this spirit of adventure, we took off with only a vague idea of our destination. Just the two of us.

We’d given our road atlas away a couple of weeks before to a lost driver and I said “Let’s wing it. No sat nav.”

When I got out to the car, there it was on the windscreen. What happened to winging it?

We set Brian Blessed to take us to Woodbridge, land of my fathers – well some of my several times great grandfathers anyway – and off we went on our merry way.

I told Beloved to ignore Brian and follow my directions instead. He did and my directions (not Brian’s) took us to a car park.

Okay, I admit I cheated and looked it up on Google the day before. Maybe I wasn’t as committed to this winging it business as I thought.

There are a lot of book shops in Woodbridge. And coffee shops. And charity shops. It’s very nice. The pace there is slow – slower than here anyway. I liked it very much and felt a sense of belonging.



We walked along the riverside and pondered selling up and living on a boat. 



We watched old men sailing their model boats round and round a small boating lake. It was oddly relaxing.

I also wanted to visit Bawdsey – also land of my fathers – well one of my several times grandfathers anyway and he didn’t live there very long.

Anyway…

The sat nav threw a wobbly (or perhaps it knew something we didn’t) and kept telling us to go back to Woodbridge. We passed Sutton Hoo, Rendlesham Forest and saw the turning for Hollesley Bay where former guests at the prison include ex cabinet ministers.

Next time, oh yes there will be a next time, I want to visit the Suffolk Punch Trust which I have only just found out is there.

On we went. We should turn back said Beloved, except there was nowhere to turn. Then there it was, a sign for a car park and picnic area. We drove in. It was empty. We parked, walked through a cloud of dragonflies and found ourselves on Bawdsey Quay where it seemed all the other visitors had chosen to park on the verge along the front.

I waited for the feeling of belonging that you sometimes get when you visit a place once inhabited by forebears. It didn’t come. We walked past families on the little beach and children crabbing.

Nothing. Not a dicky bird. Well the ancestor hadn’t lived here long – perhaps he didn’t feel at home here either. It's a pleasant enough place.

There is a lot of shingle at Bawdsey. 



Not far up the coast is Shingle Street which is another place on my want-to-visit list.

As the crow flies we were about 6 or 7 miles from home, but by road, home was over 50 miles away.

We looked across the river Deben to the hamlet of Felixstowe Ferry. I have been there before, but only in a dream. It looks very familiar to me.



“I wish we’d driven there instead,” I said. Beloved said nothing.


36 comments:

  1. Thank you for this lovely post, Teresa. It has kept me really entertained during my coffee-break. Just what I needed.
    I've been fascinated by the link to Shingle Street. I'd love to visit there and imagine the dance taking place while the Germans were trying to land. Many thanks!

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    1. There have always been a lot of stories about Shingle Street, Joanna. It's a place that has fascinated me since I was a teenager and somewhere I've always wanted to visit. I think I really will have to go there! x

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  2. There's always next time for Felixstowe Ferry - what a great place name.

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    1. I had a dream a few weeks ago, Patsy and when I was looking at places on Google Street view, I looked at Felixstowe Ferry and it was exactly the place from my dream right down to the puddles in the car park. Feels almost as if I'm destined to visit there x

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  3. Sounds like a lovely day out. You could try unplugging Brian Blessed and taking a grandchild instead. We've done this. Their instructions were to shout left or right whenever we got to a turn. We've finished up in some lovely, and unexpected unlovely, places. Another game is to follow the seventh car. I like that one.

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    1. We used to do that, Lynne - the left, right thing! It's fun isn't it and we found ruined castles and forest trails and all sorts that way :-) Never tried following the seventh car though - that sounds good :-) x

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  4. What lovely boat pictures. The idea of living on a boat is quite appealing, although I wonder what the reality is like in the middle of winter.

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    1. I love the idea, Joanne, but I'd probably be a nervous wreck worrying about springing a leak :-) x

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  5. How wonderful to live so near the coast. I like the idea of winging it, having never done it. It once took us about 9 hours to travel from Pembrokeshire to Chesterfield in an old Ford Popular - no heating, no seatbelts and 2 small children on board. We survived!

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    1. 9 hours - blimey! I preferred it when they didn't have to wear seatbelts. At least when they went to sleep they could lie down! x

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  6. What an interesting day out, Teresa! Y'know I'd never heard of Shingle Street, so looked it up on google.
    You might know this Thomas Dolby song, "Cloudburst at Shingle Street" but in case you don't:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLy_WYJCMBQ
    xxPat

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    1. I'd never heard that song, Pat - thanks for the link! One of those Coastguard cottages in the picture on You Tube is a holiday cottage. I think it would be nice to stay there :-) x

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  7. I've been to Shingle Street though not in a long time. I use to like to go there because there wasn't much to see but the sky, the sea, and the landscape. It was quiet and peaceful as though only a few special people knew about it. If you do go there let me know if it is still a magical place or whether it has turned into Southend with shops, icecream vans and hotels :-(

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    1. From what I can gather it hasn't changed, Paula and the way you describe it is as I imagine it to be. It may well be even quieter than it was a few years ago. But I'll have to go to find out for sure won't I :-) x

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  8. I, too, was fascinated by your post, Teresa. I lived in Ipswich for a while but never had a chance to visit these places, though I did go to Felixstowe once or twice. I resonated with what you said about wondering if you would get a feeling of recognition in the place where your forebears lived. My grandmother's family hailed from Stockholm and an even more distant ancestor, a Baron von Ihre, lived at Gripsholm Castle. Like you, I had high hopes of feeling at least a tingle, or a sense of belonging, but got nothing at all. I didn't visit the castle, though. Perhaps I should!

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    1. I used to go to Felixstowe a lot on the ferry when I was younger - mainly to the amusements, but I never ventured as far as Felixstowe Ferry which is a couple of miles north of Felixstowe.
      That is absolutely fascinating about your Swedish ancestors - and your royal blood! Oh yes, you should have visited the castle x

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  9. Great post - makes me want to follow in your footsteps.

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  10. You've made me realise something important Teresa - I need to get out more! x

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    1. Made me realise that I need to do that too, Diane :-) x

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  11. The dream you had about Felixstowe Ferry reminded me of a train journey I once took. I was on my way to Colindale, to the British Newspaper Library. It was all new to me until we passed through Golders Green. For several minutes I recognised the unfolding scenery, almost building by building. As far as I know, I have no connection to that part of the world, but the familiarity was so strong, it was disturbing. A friend said it sounded like a 'deep DNA' episode, the theory that we might inherit memories or experiences from our ancestors.

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    1. I'd never heard it called a deep DNA episode, Martin, but I've always felt sure we inherit memories. It would be very interesting to find out if you actually did have a far-back connection to that area. If we do inherit memories, wouldn't it be great to find out how to unlock them - at least I think it would! x

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  12. Lovely post! We once had two sat navs at the same time ( long story) each giving different directions. I don't recommend it.

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    1. Two sat navs? I am intrigued. I must admit ours has got us out of some tight corners, but it has also got us into some. It once took us down a narrowing lane which finally petered out in the middle of nowhere somewhere in Buckinghamshire :-) x

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  13. You do get to some interesting places, Teresa. And you write about your travels so well, I almost feel as if I am there with you! Great post!

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  14. Those places look lovely, but I think it's much more romantic without a sat nav. Then when you get lost, it proves how much you love each other if nobody gets out and walks off.

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    1. Oh that did make me laugh - "It proves how much you love each other if nobody gets out and walks off" - what a great line and very true x

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  15. This brought back all sorts of memories, Teresa. My family come from Suffolk, a little village not far from Woodbridge, so I know all the places you mention. The Suffolk horses are gorgeous, aren't they? We almost booked a holiday cottage at Shingle Street one year but, being chilly mortals, decided we weren't quite hardy enough. Thanks for a lovely post.

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    1. That's nice, Gail :-) There are some lovely villages round there aren't there and it always seems so peaceful. I definitely want to visit the Suffolk Punch place sometime. I really fancy a cottage at Shingle Street - just for a holiday though :-) x

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  16. Glad you could recapture some of the past. It was easier years ago when there wasn't so much traffic. We had a motorbike and sidecar. I'd go on pillion behind my dad with my mum and brother in the sidecar. 100 miles to Norfolk with no crash helmets. Crazy.

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    1. Great memories, Keith! I haven't seen a sidecar for years! x

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  17. I don't actually have satnav, but I do like the thought of Brian Blessed telling me what way to go :0)

    This is a lovely post, Teresa. And thank you for sharing your lovely photos.

    xx

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    1. Thanks Suz :-) If I go anywhere on my own, I always have John Cleese - I always feel safe with him x

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  18. My friend with the car uses "Jane" for his satnav! Now I shall ask for Brian instead! LOL!

    What a wonderful drive!! I do hope Brian and Google get you over across the Deben soon! :-) Take care
    x

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    1. Brian gets very excited when you join a motorway, Kitty :-) We've tried all sorts of voices - some are just awful, but Brian is one of my favourites :-) x

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