Nigel Bryant and his wife Jackie (or Jack) have birthdays in July, one day apart. They have been married for roughly 30 years and have two beautiful and accomplished daughters Rachael and Hannah, both in their 20's. They are an interesting couple. Nigel is in constant motion, full of energy, mischief, bombast and knowledge. You can't help but learn a thing or two when you are with Nigel. Jack is also a knowledgeable person but on a more serene scale. She has a talent for making people feel comfortable. They are great folks. They actually live near Eastleigh, but about a year ago, bought a vacation condo in Poole right on the water. I don't remember if they are on Poole Harbour proper or on Holes Bay, but wherever they are is an estuary and quiet area protected by the National Trust. We spent lots of time just enjoying the view of the tides and the birds from their French doors. We went sightseeing by car on Saturday and spent a day on the quay on Sunday. I have written about them bass-ackwards, I realize as I edit this mess. Well, that's me. Temporally disadvantaged. Sigh.
We visited the Poole Museum which was too cool. This logboat that was excavated from the Poole Harbor is over 2,000 years old. All sorts of incredible exhibits and works of art. I spent a pleasant half-hour in the natural history interactive, learning about the local waterbirds.
This 2,000 year old logboat was cut from a single tree. It was amazing watching the
interactives on its excavation.
If the two days with the Bryants have sort of intermingled in my mind, it's probaby because we almost didn't make the trip; I was as sick as a dog with the cold from hell: but neither Dave nor I wanted to miss seeing our friends. I don't think I was as engaging as I can been when I am well, but I was engaged. I just hope the Bryants didn't catch my cold. Dave sure did.
Here I am with Nigel and Jack on the Quay in Poole. [Aside: in England, the word q-u-a-y is pronounced "key". Don't ask- they don't pronounce "quake" as "cake" or "quaint" as "caint" or "quail' as "kale", but "quay" is "key"...).
Nigel recently lost 50 pounds. Guess who found them. Hint: it wasn't Jack.
This snap does not do justice to Jackie, as Dave faced us into the sun, in a high wind.
A few views of the Quay, which is alive with vacationers in the summer months. We are here in December and the crowds are thinner... and not as scantily clad.
Side by side pubs, the Jolly Sailor and the Admiral Nelson. Nothing is better than a good English pub, unless it is two English pubs.
Me and the old man strike a pose. Take a closer look at this marker. Even when the history is history, the Brits commemorate it.
The "unfortunate duke" was the acknowledged bastard son of King Charles II. (King Charles II had 14 illegitimate children, of which James Scott, Duke of Monmouth was the eldest.) Monmouth (a Protestant) was executed for treason for leading the Monmouth Rebellion against James II (a Catholic) in 1685. Family feuds. They're a bitch. Or bastard, as the case may be.
The Bryants took us on a tour of the area in Nigel's Mercedes. We took the ferry to the Sandbank Peninsula, which was and may still be the most expensive plot of real estate in Europe. It's where God would live if He could afford it. We saw Swansea and Bournemouth, but I must admit, my favorite locale was Corfe Castle, a keep from the 11C. in the county of Dorset, near Swansea.
These are not my photographs. I found them online. The fog was too thick to get a decent shot of the wonderful relic, and, in any case, I am not a photographer. I take snapshots. The following are from Wikipedia. (Please contribute to Wikipedia with your knowledge and your financial support.)
Can you imagine being a kid and having something like Corfe Castle as a part of your daily landscape?
It's a big hike and bigger climb to approach the castle, and in my health, I didn't attempt it. But you really feel as if King Arthur and his knights could materialize out of the mists at any time. What a country for the imagination this is! The more I see of England, the more I fall in love with it.
Back to the 21st Century. Sunday on the Quay, we had a traditional English Sunday roast dinner, with both boiled and roasted potatoes, like you do, at a lovely old pub, and then Dave and I headed back to London. We had such a good time, and the Bryants are such gracious hosts.
I hope that Nigel and Jack will let Dave and I return the favor sometime soon. It's just that, since Nigel retired from Cubic, they have been cruising. No, not in the American sense; they've been going on world cruises! They are just back from a cruise that lasted over 100 days! Nigel packed three tuxedoes! Who owns THREE TUXEDOES??!! Nigel Bryant, that's who.
Good friends. We're blessed to know them.
Next blog: I join the Baker Street Irregulars. Ta ta for now!
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