The Problem............

........with not going far or doing much of interest is there's nothing to write about! 

This grey, wet weather has a lot to answer for.

Thank you to everyone for comments yesterday. I've never read Moonfleet so will borrow a copy. I wanted to try and read more children's books this year anyway.

Back soonish - probably Saturday. 

A Smugglers Inn

When I found this book at the jumble sale in Eye last month I knew it would feature many of the pubs near where we lived on the coast. The one on the front cover is in Aldringham, just a couple of miles from the smallholding.

Although a lot of information in the book is about the pubs in the past, there is also plenty about how they are now and I'm thinking the book was perhaps sponsored by Southwold Brewers Adnams.

This large hotel/pub used by the smugglers back in the day is in Leiston. It's 5 minutes walk from where YD lives and sometimes we go there for Sunday lunch when I visit.

In the 1800's the licensees of popular inns would have been an important person in the community. Between 1732 and 1834 members of the  Gildersleeves family ran The White Horse. They were known to be valuable ally to the Sizewell Gap smugglers, bringing in contraband just a mile away on the coast. 

This is a bad photo due to reflection but its an ancient 18th Century flintlock pistol in a case on the wall in the pub.

And a facsimile of  a poster from that period.

 It's said that smuggled goods were stored under the platform of the Quaker Meeting House just across the road - unbeknown to the Quakers who met there of course.

The smuggled goods that passed through Leiston in the 1780's would have been mainly tea and there is an account of 80 horses being used to move the load inland.. During 1788 soldiers were billeted at The White Horse to help the Customs men but two soldiers were found to be too drunk to help - probably due to being given a lot of free liquor by Ann Gildersleeves - the licensee at that time.

On the 27th June that year in the Ipswich journal  there was  a report of an inquest held by the coroner, probably at the White Horse, where local coroners courts were often held at the time.

'there was an inquest at Leiston on Robert Debney and William Cooper who entered a cave used as a repository for smuggled goods, they were suffocated by the stench rising from it, a young man who went to their assistance was very near sharing the same fate, the cave was let down and covered over with horse manure in order to exclude excise officers'

 I don't think the White Horse has much smuggling going on in the C21 but the food they dish up for Sunday Lunch is always good!

Snowdrops ....or to give them their Latin name..... Galanthus.

Unfortunately the snowdrops in this picture aren't in my garden. It's four years since blog reader Jan brought me a bag of snowdrops 'in the green' . I planted them in various places in the back and front gardens but  like everything else planted here (except trees) they mostly vanished. A few re-appeared in 2023 but since then only one small clump .  The back garden gets no sun in winter and can be a frost pocket when the weather is bad and the soil is poor anyway. No point planting more.

These snowdrops that I photographed last week are across the road on the bank of the churchyard, right by the road. They have spread really well recently coming up despite being among grass, with water splash from traffic. The bank faces south-west so is in the sun for hours which must make all the difference.

 

The word Galanthus comes from from the Greek words gala (milk) and anthos (flower). Originally a native of alpine areas of Europe and Asia, it was considered to be a holy plant, a symbol of purity, chastity and hope and was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. According to my little book of plant folklore Snowdrops should only be brought into the house with a 'white purification' ceremony  and it was considered unlucky to bring them into the house at all before Candlemas. They were often called Candlemas bells.

Many poets have written poetry about these small flowers

Brother, Joy to you

I've brought some snowdrops; only just a few,

But quite enough to prove the world awake,

Cheerful and hopeful in the frosty dew

And for the pale sun's sake.

Christina Rosetti

SNOWDROPS

I like to think 

That, long ago

There fell to earth

Some flakes of snow

Which loved this cold,

Grey world of ours

So much, they stayed 

As snowdrop flower

 Mary Vivian

Many, many welcomes,

February fair-maid,

Ever as old time,

Solitarty firstling,

Coming in the cold time,

Prophet of the gay time,

Prophet of the May time

Prophet of the roses,

Many, many welcomes,

February fair-maid.

Alfred Lord Tennyson

*******************

My plans for no shopping this week went haywire as Son said he'd bring a chicken over on Sunday and cook a roast dinner for us all.  I provided some of the other bits so I've used up all the carrots that were in the fridge and used most of the eggs to make Yorkshire puddings.. I had half a packet of stuffing mix left from the nut roast made before Christmas which was handy and an ice cream dessert in the freezer also from Christmas - so that's been used too.

 I don't like a fridge with no eggs and no carrots - one of my basic veg to have on hand so will have to shop after all.

Main meals this week will be............

Portion of nut roast from freezer with roast potatoes left from Sunday and veg and gravy.

Leek fritters with bacon

Baked fish in batter with sweet potato chips and peas

Portion Quorn Bolognese sauce from freezer over spaghetti 

and other things that I've not thought of yet......I'm not much good at meal planning now it's just me!