Tuesday 19 April 2011

An excursion to distant lands

Ragged Rambling has possibly never been further from Norfolk!

So it was, with trepidation, excitement, nervousness, oh, and a bag full of hot cross buns, that an Antiquarian left the Norfolk homelands to travel south to the mystical Isle of Wight. Passport (to leave Norfolk) and suitcase in hand, the rambler stepped forth.

A fantastical mode of transport, known as 'Car Ferry' (any chance a distant relation to Pulls or Brian? - annotations and discussion please) was to be used to cross the waters safely.

'Car Ferry'
Upon arrival at the island, it was clear that the natives were very concerned for the safety of new travellers to their community, but the language was both strange and disconcerting. 



Message




What was the true meaning of the messages? 









Strange Creatures
And what was to be made of the brightly coloured  stationary creatures contained within their zoos?

The wisdom of information regarding the wooden companionway was indeed a revelation. Never before had it crossed an Antiquarian's grey matter that such a situation could befall the unwary visitor.






Miniature vehicle and passenger
New experiences and sights amazed the traveller. It was not expected that the island was to be of such small proportions and that fully grown natives were to be forced to travel the streets in miniature vehicles.

It was also a surprise that the island was to be a haven for churches and historical buildings of such beauty and variety. Could this land surpass the county of Norfolk for the most churches per square inch? Around every bend, through leafy lanes, avenues and alleyways (Christie, 1972), a building would reveal itself to the passers-by.

St Blasius - Shanklin - Info here
Holy Trinity - Ventnor - Info here
Holy Trinity - Bembridge - Info here
A large building of historical note, was the seaside home of Queen Victoria - Osborne House. Many rooms showed opulence and staggered the imagination as to how visitors to the estate were wined and dined.

Osborne House - The Seaside villa and
place of death of Queen Victoria - Info here
A final trip around one of the island's most famous landmarks brought peace and humility in the presence of scale, beauty and the passage of time - The Needles


An extremely worthwhile adventure which has whetted the apetite to revisit and explore further, to delve into the historical places and to fathom out the native messages.

--oo-- Thadeus Basil-Snapper (the third) --oo--






6 comments:

  1. Wonderful Thadeus, simply wonderful! A placemark denoting this on the Google map would be a welcome addition too. Splendid!

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  2. Sir Graham of Ferry19 April 2011 at 12:07

    Our family does stretch far and wide, Mr Snapper. Indeed, it was Lord Arthur of Ferry who was the 1938 Groyne Jumper champion who unfortunately hospitalised himself after a tragic accident in 1939 jumping one too many groynes - one can only imagine the right royal pain in the groyne he suffered. Egads man or in his case nogads man.

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  3. Hello Ragged Ramblers. I too have been to the Isle of Wight. I was at working at Yarmouth Fort- a Henrician fortification which is a fantastic sight to visit. I recommend you Ramble there again...

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  4. Child in yellow car... Gulliver in Lilliput... a Sequoia amongst Ragged Ramblers... scale of things out of kilter... imagine! Isn't it...

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  5. It has been a good while since I have read the work of the esteemed poet Jurgen Gavin and his work has inspired me to put pen to paper...

    Jumping groynes is banned
    so stick to using your hand

    +Many Coats+ R.S.A.R

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  6. I've pulled many a lusty youth by the heels from the tail of a filthy baggage.

    Israel Gedge - Puritan and Proud

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