Tag Archive | Suffolk

Savoring the Country Pleasures of Suffolk

Oct30

Friday, October 28, 2016

Iken, Suffolk

Morning Surprise:

Having gone to bed last night assuring Loulou that although I wake up usually at 5. 30am, I would find ways to amuse myself until breakfast at 8.00 am, I was stunned when I opened my eyes and discovered that it was already 8.00am  This was the longest sleep I have ever had since my arrival in the UK this time–and it has to be the extreme silence of my surroundings that accounted for my undisturbed slumber. There was no time for a longer lie-in. I had to wash and dress and go downstairs to meet her for I could already hear her pottering around in the kitchen.

But before I went anywhere, I headed for my window for I could not wait to take in the view that she had promised was the finest in the house. And there it was in all its splendor for me to feast my eyes upon–wheat fields stretching down to the River Alde at the far end and closer to home, three metal sculptures by Lawrence Edwards in the style of Anthony Gormley. And just as I reached for my camera to immortalize this scene, a flock of black-faced white English sheep moved obligingly into my frame! I was completely enchanted.

For the rest of the day, I surrendered myself to the delights of the Suffolk countryside. I could not have had an abler guide for Loulou has lived in these parts and has owned this vast estate of 700 acres for over thirty years. Her Stanny House Farm is a working farm on which sheep are reared for meat and grain is grown–corn and rye–and crops like onions and potatoes. In addition to being passionate farmers, Loulou is a keen gardener and, over the years, she and her husband Paul have created tour-worthy gardens. Sadly, Paul was on a business trip in Australia–so I lacked the pleasure of his company. But I shall see him, hopefully, before I return to the US.

Loulou had breakfast already laid out for us–it was to be her regular dish of oatmeal made from scratch with milk, yogurt and fresh blueberries sweetened with honey made by bees in hives on her estate.  It was delicious and we ate companionably as we sipped really good coffee. Not too long after, her cleaning woman Linda arrived. I had met her many years ago when I had last visited Stanny House Farm and, surprisingly, Linda remembered me, albeit vaguely.

While Loulou attended to urgent email and sorted out her day, I returned upstairs to my room to take a shower and get ready for a long morning’s sightseeing. For Loulou had in mind a few places she wanted me to see. Also, since she knew about my scholarship on Anglo-Indians, she had thoughtfully arranged for us to meet with Diana Quick, the British TV actress, best-known for her role as Lady Julia Flythe in the BBC TV version of Brideshead Revisited–which is one of my favorite TV series and indeed one of my favorite novels of all time. Diana has written a memoir called A Tug on the Thread about her attempts at finding the Indian side of her family in modern-day Pakistan. I was aware of this book and was thrilled that Loulou had arranged for Diana to meet us for lunch in Aldeburgh where she lives.

Sightseeing in Suffolk–Blythburg and Wenhaston:

Loulou’s expert driving along rural country lanes took us to hamlets that Time seems to have forgotten. We passed by Snape Maltings where the famed Summer Music Festival in held in memory of British composer Benjamin Britten who lived in these parts his whole life. Lovely red brick cottages flew past as did the occasional village pub. It was all delightfully bucolic. Finally, we arrived at the cute village of Blythburg which has a very interesting Gothic church dating from the 1300s. It is a fine piece of architecture and Loulou thought it would be particularly interesting to me.  We arrived there to find the car park full–it happened to be the day for the monthly mini-mart which gets retired villagers together over a cup of coffee and cake to sell some of their hand crafted wares.

Loulou and I did our sightseeing first. We walked up to the altar, past the Rood Screen, to take a closer look at the very interesting crucifix which is fashioned out of metal by Lawrence Edwards–the same sculptor who is responsible for the male figures in her garden. Modern and ancient are juxtaposed against each other in this lovely old church for the collection box called Peter’s Pence dates from the 1200s. We saw a Chantry Chapel with a lovely tomb–closely and beautifully carved. And as in Ely Cathedral, the timbered ceiling was held up by angels with a wide wing span and arms outstretched. Also noteworthy were the figures of the saints carved under the choir stalls and on the pew ends–each representing the seven deadly sins or the seasons.

After I said a prayer, Loulou thought it would be nice for us to patronize their coffee morning–so she bought us coffee and hazelnut cake as we sat down and had a natter. I noticed that one of the ladies was selling her home made pies–I decided to buy us one perhaps for dinner which we could eat at home instead of going out to a restaurant which is what we had said we’d do. We left with a Chicken, Ham and Leek Pie. But before we left the car park, we took a little walk through the village to admire some of the thatched roof, half-timbered houses and the pargetting (stucco designs) on the walls–a common feature in Suffolk villages.

Since we still had time on our hands, Loulou then drove me to another village where a much smaller and far more humble church contains a very significant Medieval painting. The village is Wenhaston and the work is called a Doom Painting. Of course, we do not know who painted it–it might well have been a joint effort of a number of villagers in the Middle Ages. It is a very primitive painting on wood that was intended to teach illiterate people about the rewards of Heaven and the tortures of Hell–hence, there is St. Peter welcoming souls at the Gates of Heaven and on the other side, many devils and demons assembling the wicked and throwing them into the flames. It is a very powerful painting indeed and, thankfully, is still in situ. There is nothing special about the rest of the church…but what always strikes me when I visit these churches and cathedrals in Britain is that every single one of them seems to have one unusual feature that separates it from the rest and makes it worthy of a visit.

Off to Aldeburgh for Lunch:

We arrived at Aldeburgh with time to spare and Loulou suggested that we park the car in the church parking lot and stroll through the village. I loved the idea. We arrived at the beach front where, because it is half-term holiday, the sands were filled with children and their parents. Further down the beach is the famous shell sculpture by the Suffolk artist Maggi Hambling but we could not see it from this vantage point. We did, however, see the old Medieval Town Hall right on the beach with its red brick façade.

It was not long before we were throwing open the door of The Lighthouse, a lovely village eatery that was far more sophisticated inside than I expected. On the beach, we had seen fishermen take hold of their catch–much of which was lobster. Loulou also informed me that Aldeburgh is famous for its seafood–and so that was what I had for lunch (which was Loulou’s very generous treat). I had a starter of grilled scallops with bacon in a light vinaigrette with a few greens and a main of crab salad which was served in its shell with boiled new potatoes. Indeed, it was a very delicious meal but the best part of all was the conversation I had with Diana. She was friendly and articulate and deeply willing to share stories about her personal quest for her ancestors in India–not with much success.  Much of her evidence is based on anecdotal accounts of people with whom she has managed to connect. Our interaction was very stimulating indeed as we have a mutual interest in the research we are carrying out. At the end of the luncheon, I took pictures with Diana and Loulou and then we were calling it a day and saying goodbye.

Loulou had to get back home as the painters had already arrived. We paused briefly so that I could get some chocolate ice-cream and then we were off along the peaceful country lanes to Stanny House Farm where Loulou took care of the painters and I was left with another crisis concerning my credit card. Calls to Llew and his calls to my bank in the States resolved the issue.

A Long Walk Around Stanny House Farm:

With these items attended to, Loulou went on to the computer to try to find out the timings of the train that I could take back to London tomorrow. She discovered that there was going to be major track work on the railway line and my commute would be convoluted and probably stressful. I made the decision then to return to London later in the evening on the 7.09 train.

With about two hours left on our hands, Loulou suggested a walk on the estate.  Sunset would be about half an hour ahead of us and we caught that lovely late evening light when the birds are making their way homewards and the waning sun streaks the western sky with salmon pink and gold. We walked very slowly through the fields past many stiles and blackberry bushes with some late fruit still on them. Loulou suggested that we stroll all the way to the river–which we did. The tide was out, however, so that the water line was far away. We did hear bird song and pheasants getting ready for nightfall. She spied a few stray sheep that Loulou thought were part of her flock–but when she tried to bring them towards the rest of her flock, she realized that they belonged to her neighbor.

Back home after our walk and with nightfall well and truly upon us, Loulou cut me a slice of the pie to take home for my dinner as I was much too full to eat anything at that hour. She then drive me to Wickham Market station from where I jumped into a train that took me to Ipswich from where I connected into another train to Liverpool Street Station. I arrived there at 9. 25 and took the Tube and the Overground train to Ealing Broadway to arrive home at about 10. 15 pm. I was hungry by that time–so I did enjoy my pie for dinner with a salad and some ice-cream for dessert.

I’d had an incredibly good time in Suffolk. It is always a pleasure to spend time with Loulou but to do so on her own turf while living close to the land is not an experience I have on a regular basis. So it was with many happy memories that I returned home to watch some TV, finished up my dinner and go straight to bed.

Until tomorrow, cheerio…

Working at Home and NYU-London, Re-visiting the Wallace Collection, Coffee with a Friend and Departure for Suffolk

Oct29

Thursday, October 27, 2016

London and Suffolk

Waking up at 5.30 is now part of my routine–I probably am sleep-deprived but I do not feel it. Before sunrise, I have accomplished a great deal each morning: I catch up with email, write a daily blog post, review my To-Do List, making transport and hotel bookings for forthcoming travel…the list goes on.

But by 8.00 am, I was hungry and since I did not have too much by way of breakfast at home (I am once again in the process of cleaning out my fridge), I decided to go out for a walk in Ealing to find out if I could get a full English breakfast anywhere. After an hour of wandering, I found one place that did a Full English ‘halal’ breakfast (turkey sausages and no bacon!) Well, I wasn’t having any of it–so I went back home, toasted a croissant and a scone and ate it with spreads and coffee while feeling impatient with myself for having wasted an hour I could ill-afford.

Still, I quickly caught up on my list of work-related items for the day as I finalized the Author Questionnaire that had been sent to me by my publishers. It took much longer than I thought as I had a bit of research to do to fill in the answers. By 12 noon, I stopped to make myself a sandwich lunch, had a shower and got dressed. I also packed an overnight bag for myself as I would be meeting my friend Loulou in the evening for a ride into the country with her. As you can see, I had so much to do.

Detour at the Wallace Collection:

With time flying, my extensive proposed travel through the months of November and December in Europe and India, I am already looking at the end of my stint in London. Hence, I have a compelling need to finish seeing favorite works in the many museums that I have haunted through the years and which I have not yet seen.

Having finished a lot of my work at home and knowing that I needed to spend no more than an hour in my office, I took a detour and got off at Oxford Circus from where I walked along James Street to get to the Wallace Collection–for that was my goal today. I intended to take a look at my favorite works in what is a most unusual museum in the city. Just as Paris has its private homes or hotel particuliers that belonged to the aristocracy and were receptacles of their compulsive collecting of art works, so too the Wallace Collection represents the collecting zeal of four of the Marquesses of Hertford and Sir Richard Wallace, son of the fourth Marquess. It was gifted to the nation by Lady Wallace and represents one of the finest collections of 18th and 19th century decorative arts, Old Master paintings, sculpture and furniture as well as a first-rate Armory collection. What’s more, since it is housed in their own home, you get a peep into the world of the astronomically wealthy with its own brand of interior decoration that we do not usually see–for seriously, this is a palace.

I am always amazed by how grand it is–as I keep forgetting between visits what stupendous wealth the aristocracy amassed. The entrance stuns, the staircase that winds upwards is arresting. There is opulence and grandeur everywhere. Nothing was understated–remember this is the 18th century…that Baroque period when everything was Over The Top.  I climbed the stairs and feasted my eyes on the fabulous collection of paintings by Francois Boucher with their chubby cherubs and their skeins of fruit and flowers and their idealized women with buxom figures and generous hips. In the next room, there is a massive collection of paintings of French women by Greuze–loads of them. But a lovely one also in this gallery is a portrait of Miss Bowles by Joshua Reynolds which Marina Vaizey numbers among her One Hundred Masterpieces of World Art. In the next room is another one of Vaizey’s picks–The Swing by Fragonard. It is surprisingly small but filled with exquisite detail. My other favorites in this collection are The Laughing Cavalier by Franz Hals whose sardonic glance stops you in your tracks and Dance to the Music of Time by Nicholas Poussin.  There are rooms simply stuffed with Canalettos and Gaudi’s depictions of Venice and since most visitors focus solely on the paintings, you tend to miss the abundance of sculpture and the extravagant furniture in the style of Boule–ornate and heavily gilded. There is a lovely self-portrait by Rembrandt and right opposite it is one of his son Titus. There are paintings by Reubens and quite a few by one of my favorite Flemish painters, Pieter de Hooch.

You can see this collection hurriedly, but it really deserves an entire morning devoted to it. I did not have as much time as I would have liked but I was mesmerized by the painted Sevres porcelain, the amount of jewelry on display and the Italian ceramics. Each time I visit this place, I keep saying that I will return again and spend more time here–but somehow, it never happens. So I was more than happy that I had found the time to fit this visit in–towards the end of my stay here.

Off to NYU to Work:

At NYU, I printed out a great deal of material to review. I read it carefully and also printed out my air ticket to India as well as material for the lecture I will give at the University of Leeds in the north of England where I will be headed in a couple of days. I needed to review and prepare for that lecture too and I intended to do so in Suffolk.

Meeting Rahul for Coffee:

At about 4. 30 pm, I emailed Chriselle’s friend Rahul to find out if he was still going to keep our coffee meeting at 6 pm at Liverpool Street Station–two evenings of cancelled appointments might have been followed by a hat trick. I was taking no chances.  He was. I continued working till 5. 15pm, then took the Tube to our appointed spot (Wasabi right outside the station on Bishopsgate) and had a lovely reunion with him.

It was while we were sipping our lattes and catching up that I got a call from my friend Loulou. Since it was half-term holiday, all trains were running at off-peak rates–we did not need to wait till 7.00 pm to catch our train. She wondered if I could meet her earlier. When I told her that I was having coffee with Rahul, she joined us at Café Nero. Rahul had finished telling me about his global work clients in financial management and his coming trip to Bombay for Christmas–where we hope to meet again. He is a childhood friend of Chriselle and it was at his place that she had stayed in London before I joined her from Oxford. Rahul has proven to a thorough gentleman on more than one occasion and had given me a hand with my move from Holborn to Farringdon about eight years ago! We have stayed closely in touch through the years and it is always a pleasure to meet him when I am in London.

When Loulou joined us, we had a lovely natter, the three of us together, before I bid Rahul goodbye and we raced off for our train.

Off to Suffolk with Loulou:

The train crept and crawled all the way to Ipswich–there is always trouble of some sort or the other on the tracks, it seems. Still, we did not mind as we had so much catching up to do. The lights of the skyscrapers of Liverpool Street Station gave way to the skyscrapers of Canary Wharf and the well-lit buildings of Stratford and the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park–the Acelor Mittal is spectacular in its rosy red glow just meters from the train tracks. Once we left the city behind, however, there was pitch darkness outside as we headed into Suffolk.

Loulou had her car parked at Ipswich station from where we drove to her place, about 45 minutes away, through quiet villages and miles of vast and empty fields. Having lived here for thirty years, Loulou knows this region like the back of her hand–she was not daunted, therefore, by fallow deer that darted about in front of us or by narrow country lanes.

Entering her property at Stanny House Farm, we were greeted by a whole flock of black-faced baa-ing sheep as we made our way to her front porch! What a welcome! Soon my memories of this lovely place came rushing back to me as we entered the large country family-room-cum-kitchen whose brown wooden cabinets and spacious counter space reminded me so much of my home in Southport and made me feel a trifle homesick.

Loulou was starving and did not lose time in pulling out a most delicious Boeuf Bourginon that was made with amazing home made stock. It was wonderfully redolent of bacon and mushrooms and it made a very satisfying dinner indeed on a fairly cold night. As she caught up with her email, I caught up with mine (once I acquired wifi passwords) and soon I was making my way to bed for it was already 10.30 pm.

My room was a charming and sweetly-decorated space with a view, she promised, that was the best in the house–but I would have to wait to find out when sunlight returned to Suffolk. For the moment, I washed and undressed in my little bathroom right outside my room and went off to sleep.

It had been a day of much accomplishment and joyous reunions and I was all set to enjoy my time in the countryside as I fell asleep.

Until tomorrow, cheerio…