Wednesday 21 January 2009

Hurricanes Hardly Happen


Hello, Blog Around The World visitors!

My tour is going to fall way short of the fantastic trips I’ve taken with many of you since I joined the
group. I could happily whizz with you around Africa and the other places we’ve lived, but I hardly qualify as a tour guide to Hamsphire! Although my husband’s family have lived in the area for generations, and we’ve visited often during the years, I don’t know Hampshire like a native. However, here is a little taster and I hope you enjoy the ride!

It was Professor Higgins who melodiously informed Elisa that, “In Hertford, Hereford and Hamsphire, hurricanes hardly happen.” He was right.

In fact, nothing outlandish or dramatic happens in Hampshire. Bucolic and peaceful, it is a pretty county in the South of England where diminutive thatched-roofed cottages bump shoulders with grandiose stately homes and where crystal clear chalk streams wind their mild-mannered way through quaint villages.


Dove Cottage



Highclere




The River Test near Stockbridge


Hampshire is where the post-mistress calls you ‘Dearie’ and the milk is still delivered to your doorstep, no matter how far down a narrow country lane you may live.



Our lane

The seasons come and go without fuss or great calamity. In spring, daffodils nod on cue and bluebells carpet the woodland floor in hazy glory.




Woods near Romsey

The roses bloom bountifully in the summer and bees buzz gently in swathes of sweet-smelling lavender.



Rose in our herb garden.


Autumn brings its misty vistas and the burnished beeches whisper in a cooler breeze.


View from South Down




Badger’s Wood near Buckholt


In winter patchwork pastures are iced in white, the north wind blows and darkness creeps in early.




Our weathervane reveals the cold to come



Sunset at South Down

That's when it’s time to light the fire, curl up in the den with a steaming mug of tea and a good book and hibernate for a while.>

80 comments:

Sarah Laurence said...

Tessa, you must blog more about Hampshire. These photos are just gorgeous! I especially love the South Down and your lane. I miss bluebell season.

The W.O.W. factor! said...

WOW! What a tour guide you are!!
I love traveling "with you"! It is always such beautiful journey!
Thank you Tessa~
Barb

Walker said...

Beautiful, poetic, simply lovely. Thank you.

Debbie said...

TESSA!!!! You were so wrong to worry about your post!! This was absolutely fabulous...the pictures are gorgeous and the narrative is so poetic! I know that people are going to love it...well done my new friend from across the pond ;)

Katie said...

OMG I'm packin' my bags and moving over immediately! Love the collection of photos, a beautiful journey and completely justifies my love of all thing British!

Sheryl said...

Wow. Beautiful. Fabulous. What a great tour that was. Your words and your pictures - loved it!!

Thank you.

Deborah said...

Beautiful post. The pictures make me want to come for a visit, despite the fact that you and I don't know each other.

Darcy @ m3b said...

Wow, that's was both beautiful and poignant; you're poetic.

You live in a beautiful place. Cottages and castles, forests and flowers.

Beautiful.

Darcy from BATW

Anonymous said...

Amazing shots! What a beautiful place.

Jodi said...

Beautiful post. You live in a wonderful place!

Joyfulsister said...

Aloha!!!
I really enjoyed your tour and your photos are so breathe taking. You make the most wonderful tour guide I'd be on more of your tours if you should share more!!!
Blessings Lorie

Jessica said...

Your photographs are absolutely lovely. You make me want to grab a good book, buy a cottage, and hibernate in Hampshire!

Val said...

I dub you blog ambassador supreme for Hampshire! loved your virtual tour - those photographs brought back so many memories. thank you!

Lucy Mills said...

what gorgeous photos! I am a Hampshire girl myself - well, for the last 4 years anyway!! :)

Anonymous said...

It sounds enchanting! You did a fabulous job.

Sue said...

That was absolutely wonderful. I felt like Mr. Darcy would step out at any moment! Thanks for the tour of beautiful Hampshire.

Rajani said...

what a beautiful place to live in! your shots are as lovey the words you weave to put it together!

Valerie said...

Love your tour!! Makes me want to pack up and move to what sounds like such an enchanted place.

Brenda said...

What a beautiful place you get to live in! And I live the simply, elegant look of your blog.

Wish I could visit. . .

Found you at BATW.

said...

I am in love with your part of the world. What an exquisite post.

(stopping by from BATW)

Lauren W said...

oh goodness... I'm swooning...
What a lovely tour! Thank you so much for inviting us along :)

Vanessa Rogers said...

I wish we still had milk men! What a great idea. Too bad, here in Korea, they don't even drink milk :(

Melissa B. said...

Dearie...what a lovely post. Enjoy Eliza's Hampshire...and host a pint for me!

angie {the arthur clan} said...

What a fantastic tour you have given us...makes me want to visit you!

Your photos are absolutely amazing ~ almost dreamy and ethereal. Loved them!

~Angie
co-founder of I ♥ Faces
(visiting from BATW)

Aunt Julie said...

Beautiful! You are a wonderful BATW host...thanks for taking us around your quaint and pretty neck of the woods...

Kelly said...

Just plain beautiful!

Anonymous said...

This is just beautiful! The pictures are absolutely breathtaking! Thanks for sharing! :)

A Cuban In London said...

The photos are breath-taking. I am familiar with Hertford and Hereford (both pronounced HART-ford, don't ask me why). never ventured to Hampshire. Your post just flows like a little stream in which I want to put my feet. Many thanks.

Greetings from London.

Anonymous said...

Excellent pictures! It looks so beautiful!

CaraBee said...

That was beautiful! Thank you for the tour, you did GREAT!!

Elizabeth said...

You almost make me weep for a lost England here in hard-edged New York.
You write so beautifully about the undramatic and touching.
What a contrast to Africa.How we hover in our minds above places we have once seen.
More please

Skeller said...

Oooooh, one of my most favorite-est tours yet!! You soooo have a delightful way with words and photos.
Thank you!!

Kimberly Pitman said...

The beautiful pictures are like something I image out of a "Miss Read" book (Chronicles of Fairacres, Thrush Green, and similar books she wrote long ago) or a James Herriot tome.

Thanks for the tour!

Anonymous said...

Just beautiful! Thanks so much for sharing these photos!

You are a great ambassador for Hampshire....it makes me want to come and visit :-)

Louise | Italy said...

Tessa, you have just made me desperately homesick. Your post is pure poetry. Did you take all those stunning photos yourself?

Anonymous said...

omgosh, those photos are stunning ... I want to move there.

Sandi McBride said...

This brought such a lump to my throat...it took me back to walks with my Digby thru Burnham Wood...makes me so homesick for a place I only lived four years...but it felt like home
Sandi

Akela Joy said...

From one African to another - warm South African greetings!  Fabulous blog and just love the picture of 'the lane' ... reminds me of the Bathust, Port Alfred, Kenton on Sea area.

Vicki said...

Beautiful pictures and beautiful prose. I've enjoyed my visits to Britain, as short as they were, and can't wait to go back.

Star Forbis said...

Beautiful! Life there must be lovely. Thank you so much for the tour. Enjoy your day.

Lynda said...

What an incredibly beautiful place. I want to live in Dove Cottage.

Betty said...

Wow!! Is all I can say! Wow!

Dessa said...

I am in love with Hampshire. You are very, very lucky to live in such a beautiful place. Thanks for the tour.

Rebecca said...

Greeting from Alabama, USA. From your post, I am ready to pack my bags and travel there right now! THANKS FOR THE GORGEOUS TOUR!

Lady Dorothy said...

Absolutely dreamy. What a romantic place to live. Wonderful tour!

Coming to visit from the Central Coast of California. Enjoy your BATW day!

Roblynn said...

Your tour was a true delight for the eyes! I love green and flowers. Thank you for the tour.

Tamie said...

okey-dokey i think that i am coming to visit YOU! yes Y-O-U!
that was stunninging and how do you live in "Pride & Prejudice" all the time? (spoken like a true American, i'm sure!)
stunning my dear....your pictures are fabulous(those were yours, right?)
i wouldn't get any housework done with a view like that all the time. out my window, from my car, while sleeping---count your blessings darling, you've got some serious inspiration all around you!

Ladybird World Mother said...

These are Fabulous! (dont tell anyone but always get a tiny bit bored with photos... but not these... they are utterly beautiful)
Isnt this country just wonderful. Thanks for the reminder!

Tara Bennett said...

Oh my goodness. I'm so glad you were featured today. I needed that mental escape into that delightful cottage. Is it available? I know a family of 3 who would LOVE to move in! ;o)

The Muse said...

We spend a great bit of time in Europe in the Spring...you are making me long for the seasons to change!

Jackie said...

What you have just done is make me want to move from my idealic little farm in Sugar Grove, and no one has been able to do that in a long time, bravo! You, an amateur? I don't think so!

Jared Kraft said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

I know it's sinful to be jealous, so instead I'll say ... someday I'd love to visit Hampshire! Your lane is amazing!

Thank you for the beautiful tour. Wow, what a beautiful land. It makes me want to praise our Creator for his magnificent work.

I enjoyed this tour immensely.
thanks.
Lynnette

Ashley said...

This was such a beautiful post. Congrats on your BATW feature.

illahee said...

beautiful! excellent tour!

Michelle said...

Oh how beautiful. I could feel my blood pressure lowering as each sentence and picture flowed by. Lovely!

Gombojav Tribe said...

Why'd ya have to do that?! Now that we've seen where you live we will be dissatisfied with wherever we live forever!!!

GEORGEOUS! Absolutely lovely, "Dearie". :-)

I Love Purple More Than You said...

I've visited every single "tour" since BATW started and I must say your tour was one of my very favorites. I actually wished I could walk into several of those pictures you posted, and wish I could live in that thatched roof cottage. How delightful and charming! (visiting from Los Angeles, CA)

Edward said...

Looks like Midsomer Murders without the, er, murders. Gorgeous.

Tessa said...

Gosh! I'm absolutely overwhelmed by all your wonderful comments - thank you SO much for stopping by my blog and taking the time to leave a note. I'm just thrilled to bits and pieces that you enjoyed the hop through Hampshire. Thank you!

Anonymous said...

Oh I love those photos! I'm a Brit who used to live near the South Downs in Sussex but who now lives in Sweden.

Your post made me very homesick. Loved it...

Anonymous said...

Tessa! What a great post! I'm here from BATW, and I'm in the UK too - only Northern Ireland, not England! I love all your pictures, they are beautiful.

Sharlene said...

I don't think you could have sold Hampshire any better. It is amazingly gorgeous Almost like a storybook. I want to see a thatched roof cottage. I want to frolic in the woods through the wild flowers. I want to have milk delivered to my home on a narrow country lane. Absolutely beautiful!

Joy said...

I missed yesterday, but came by today. Boy am I glad I did. I could get lost in your photos. What a beautiful place to call home.


Joy

Aubrey said...

Wow.
Now I know where I would love to retire. Looks so peaceful, serene. Just lovely!
Thanks for the tour!

Amy @ Living Locurto said...

Wow! Gorgeous photos. Thanks for the lovely tour!

adrienne trafford said...

i'm speechless by these photos...Tessa, may i please have your life?

Clementina said...

After reading your post, I can understand why Jane Austen, a native of Hampshire, was so inspired the way she did. As she herself wrote, "What a spur to one's genius!" I believe that Hampshire was one of the main, though silent, characters of her novel.
Saludos!

Anonymous said...

I have to say you certainly didn't give yourself enough credit. 'Twas a beautiful post about a beautiful place. Just lovely. I was in England (Norwich and London) in October and I want to go back again and I simply must see Hampshire! Thank you for sharing.

C. JoyBell C. said...

Would it be okay if I move in with you? I could sleep on your couch...pleeaaaassse?

:)

xoxo,
C

Upper Appalachia said...

Beautiful photographs!

soulbrush said...

whew, you certainly have a way with a camera too. hugs.

Anonymous said...

How beautifully you have captured the essence of that lovely county.

Hilary said...

Your photos are absolutely gorgeous. That hazy lane took my breath away. And the one below it is just lovely. Congrats on David's mention for Post of the Day.

Jinksy said...

Your Hampshire is so much more peaceful than mine...perhaps because I'm in this bit?! Absolutely loved your photos.

Merisi said...

Congratulations on winning David's "Post of the Day" award!

I am glad David made it possible for me to discover your beautiful blog. This post is like a poem to a fairy land, such exquisite images, they make me want to pack up and move to NH right now! Thank you for sharing this beautiful State with us.

Sandi McBride said...

Congrats on Post of the Day mention!
Sandi

Some kind of courage. said...

wow, these are beautiful.
Your blog makes me want to soar somewhere off far.
B e a-utiful
looks like the very opposite of my journey..

<3

Anonymous said...

Hello from New Zealand and Hampshire born lass! How delighted I was to discover your blog through BATW.

I was born in Fleet (North Hampshire) and spent my youth walking in the gentle countryside of Hampshire. Your photographs stirred so many memories for me - everyone bringing up nostalgic memories (and making me a little home-sick!). My parents still live in Hampshire and I love to visit.

I went to University in Southampton, worked in Winchester, and absolutely adore the gentle countryside, seasonal changes and rich history. Thank you so much for sharing and please blog more about Hampshire so that I can come back and take more trips down memory lane!

Anonymous said...

Ohhh my gosh. May I come visit you? ;-)