Other Works- An Introduction
"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams
has only a brief entry for the Planet Earth, in fact only two words followed by
a rather final full stop- "Mostly harmless."
In search of more clues, I picked up my "Lonely Planet" guide to
Apparently Upton House and Farnborough Hall, both National Trust properties slightly north of Banbury, are also worth a visit for Old Masters and works of Art, and formal gardens with temples respectively- not to mention my own more DIY temple in Culworth with its finery!
South Bar in Banbury itself, near the cross, has B&B’s further up the hill, a fine fish and chip shop, The Forum Chinese Restaurant, and also Fast Eddie’s Pool and Snooker Hall. Recently this has become a regular haunt of mine, and for £5 an hour approximately there are eight pool tables and four snooker tables available to play on. To become a member ID with a photograph and date of birth is required, but you can borrow cues and chalk for free.
There are also a selection of night spots open till late in the centre of town...! Taxis home are fairly readily available- Castle Cars from the Railway Station for instance can be contacted on 01295 270 011.
CULWORTH POET
CANONS ASHBY HOUSE
CULWORTH'S MILLENNIUM TAPESTRY
INTO THE PAST AT SULGRAVE MANOR
THE TALE OF THE CULWORTH GANG
A PURSTON MORNING
A ST PETER'S COLLEGE GAUDY
A WEEKEND OF LIBERTY AND
LIVELIHOOD FOR OUR FOUR SHIRES
TAKING IT TO TUNISIA...
The following article was run by the Four Shires Magazine in the October 2000 issue
Culworth poet draws inspiration
from the countryside
Eccentric poet Jonathan Wain has recorded a year in his own pastoral
paradise - Culworth. 'Seasons of a Soul Survivor' is Jonathan's third book of
poetry which focuses on 12 months in the small Northamptonshire village.
Amongst the topics Jonathan studies are seasonal changes, love and loss and the
rural activities which surround him.
Three of Jonathan's poems (An ode to my Grey, A Foxtrotter's Ball and A new Horse) were printed along with photographs they can be seen in the Seasons of a Soul Survivor section of this web site.
CANONS ASHBY HOUSE
Jonathan Wain wanders around a local National Trust property before it opens for the summer season.
All National Trust properties are closed until further notice because of the Foot and Mouth crisis but I was allowed to visit Canons Ashby House while still closed at the end of March this year. In the normal scheme of things the house would be due to open on the 31st March. There are still dustsheets everywhere and a great deal of refurbishment and general maintenance is carried out over winter. Indeed I was told that the staff can be more busy at that time than when the house is actually open to the public. All the wooden floors need treating for instance.
The house requires three full-time and one part-time members of staff together with six seasonal workers. one hundred and twenty volunteers help to organise the property together with six gardeners and as many as twenty garden stewards. There is a plant sale scheduled for the 13th May which is always a very pleasant event. For the time being the property includes the house, the gardens and the church, which is slightly further along the road. Canons Ashby is easily accessible via Moreton Pinkney on the old Northampton road coming from Banbury and there is plenty of secure parking.
There are Bronze Age remains that were found in a mound in the park but the history of Canons Ashby really starts its life as an Augustinian priory in the 12th century. Originally the church stretched four times as far beyond the altar as it does today and much of the stone from the church was used to build the house. The monk's cloisters have also gone.
For much of its history Canons Ashby was owned by the Dryden family who had a baronetcy, five farms at one stage, and kept sheep. There are still thirty-six relations scattered around the world but the principal Dryden currently lives as a financier in Harare, Zimbabwe, and only returns to the private flat that remains in the house for about one month in the summer each year. Other relatives occasionally stay for weekends. There is also a Landmark Trust flat on the premises. At one stage the house had as many as ten bedrooms with space for twelve servants.
As the Landmark Trust property is closed at the moment I was very fortunate to be allowed on to the tower roof. Quite magnificent views are afforded from there across the park which is laid out in a formal style, possibly created by London and Wise in the 1830's, which predates the landscaping of Capability Brown.The garden has very largely been kept in this manner and the topiary is pruned each September in order to keep to similar ideas found in photographs of the time. Fortunately the tower has a reasonably large parapet around it as the view does slightly arouse feelings of vertigo!
The main body of the house is arranged on two floors around a central inner courtyard with a formal wooden staircase.The National Trust and various other bodies spent around £1.5 million restoring the property which was almost completely derelict before. People can still remember playing in the ruins of the house as children fifty years ago. Gervase Jackson-Stops was largely responsible for the restoration work that started in earnest in 1984.
There are stained-glass windows in the stairway that show family
crests and paintings of ancestors in the dining room. The hall has paintings by
Elizabeth Creed dating from about 1715. The library includes the work of the
poet
From about 1700 the Dryden family became grocers in
Only two bedrooms are available for the public to visit. The Dryden private flat takes up much of the second floor. There are four-poster beds and tapestries on the walls. Some time ago a bad tenant sold off the kitchen range but it has now been restored to the original concept.
In the garden there are fruit trees dating back to the 16th century, and apples, pears, plums, gooseberries, blackcurrants and redcurrants can all be found. The garden is also responsible for growing around one hundred and seventy varieties of culinary and medicinal herbs, including Monk's Pepper, which was thought to help reduce the libido of the monks and also has uses for female hormonal problems.There are three and a half acres of formal garden and the property still manages around seventy-five acres. At the moment some beds are empty as walls are being repointed. Work starts on the planting at this time of year and among other thing alpine strawberries and fennel can be found.
The Green Court actually served as the main entrance to the property until 1830 but has since been grassed over. Much remains the same except that the statue of the shepherd boy found there has been brought in from the park, where it used to reside, for security reasons. There is also a gamekeeper's lodge in the park outside the formal gardens. In the Green Court pears and morello cherries grow against the walls.
There is also a tea-room and shop within the premises. A visit to Canons Ashby could last approximately two hours and the church is still used occasionally. It falls under the jurisdiction of the vicar of Culworth, the Reverend Brian Eaves. The property is open until the 4th November daily except Thursday and Friday. Times for the house are 1-5.30 and for the garden, park, and church 12-5.30. From October this is set back an hour and it closes an hour earlier also.
Admission is £5 for an adult, £2.50 for a child, or a family for
£12.50. The garden alone is only £1. There is some accomodation for wheelchairs
and braille and tape guides are available. Other nearby National Trust
properties include Upton House, Farnborough Hall and Stowe Gardens. Sulgrave
Manor is also near.
The telephone number for Canons Ashby is 01327 860044.
CULWORTH'S MILLENNIUM
TAPESTRY
The village of Culworth has prepared a lasting memento of life there in the year 2000: a tapestry! The forty-five individual squares have all been cross-stitched by villagers and represent all facets of village life. People have made designs from their houses or their work or even of their dogs.
Culworth Forge has been mentioned as well as the village pub, the Red Lion, the Village Hall and St Mary's Church. In fact Ruth and Colin will welcome you to view the tapestry which is currently hanging inside the Red Lion pub.
Over thirty people have been involved in the tapestry, which was started in June 1998 and has taken thirty months to complete. It shows bottles from Mr Jones the wine merchant and a computer network by Ian Simonsen, a computer engineer. Tom and Lucy Koster, the first set of twins to be born in the village for 150 years, also get a mention.
Dave Cook has drawn a map of the footpaths around Culworth and there is also a map taken from an 1883 original showing how little has changed. Stan Bailey who is practically the village's historian, and a very well known face, gets his own square. By far the most popular subject for a square was the family home and there are at least fifteen examples of this in the tapestry. Also mentioned is the old railway station which was closed in the sixties.
The tapestries were designed individually and eventually each design was stitched together, first into four quarters and then into the entire work. Karin Cook, who works at the local Post Office in Culworth, masterminded the project, and Sue Razavi, also from the Post Office, had it framed and mounted.
Karin Cook has written a short pamphlet that explains the designs in further detail and this is also available in the pub for those who are interested. It also gives all the authors' names. When it was eventually stitched, framed and mounted, the tapestry arrived at theRed Lion in February this year.
In its frame the work measures about four feet across by about three feet high. It is thought that the tapestry might eventually find rest in the Parish Church. It provides a fascinating insight into what people value about our charming Northamptonshire village.
Karin Cook has been responsible for most of the tapestry having stitched eight sections herself, but many people have been involved in more than one design. The project was funded by Culworth Parish Council.
Although cross-stitch is a traditional art, various squares have been designed on a computer with a specialised cross-stitch program. Some quite high-tech designs have been acheived with the help of a scanner used to feed in original photographs.
Come and see!
February 2001
Into the past at Sulgrave Manor
When I arrived at Sulgrave Manor at 10.30 on Monday 7th May, I was
greeted by Morris Dancers, a Green Man, and was given a talk about the joys of
Spring by a puritan! The house is famous for having been the home of George
Washington's ancestors and many of the events are centred around these themes.
George Washington was destined to become the first President of the United
States of America. He never visited the property but nevertheless his life is
celebrated there with an exhibition that includes audio-visual displays.
Admission is £5 for adults and £2.50 for children on special event days, and
there is ample parking. Sulgrave Manor is well signposted and is approached
from Banbury via the Middleton Cheney roundabout on the old Northampton road.
As you enter the property there is a shop and ticket office that sells a large
selection of interesting material. In the courtyard beyond there is a Buttery
that offers snacks and light lunches and also a hall that is available for
private hire. Directly in front of you is the George Washington exhibition,
which runs on the two floors of the Brewhouse.
By walking through the gardens to the right you will approach the front door of
the Manor House. There is a formal rosegarden with a sundial dating from 1579
that is well known for its lavender, and there are attractive stone balls on
the walls that are covered in moss and lichen.
The Manor was bought in 1539 by Lawrence Washington from Henry VIII and his
descendants continued to live there for the next hundred and twenty years. Thus
today we see a house and gardens from the time of Shakespeare.
It was
As you enter the house itself, it is in the great hall to the right that talks
are given. There is stained glass in the windows relating to the arms and
marriages of the builder and his offspring.
Leaving the hall on the way to the kitchens is the Oak Parlour, with a period
harpsichord. This part of the house was built in the 18th Century after the
Upstairs there are three main bedrooms available for the public to see, decked
out in Queen Anne and Elizabethan furniture and bedding. Beyond are two small
rooms containing artifacts from George Washington's life, including his
saddlebags for instance.
George Washington was born in 1732 and died childless in 1799. The brewhouse
holds the exhibition dedicated to his life and tells the story of a farmer, a
soldier, and a leader. He became the first president of
As well as entertaining children on Tudor and Stuart theme days, the Manor
offers a variety of events. As the opening times vary during the course of the
year it would be best to ring 01295 760 205 for details. There is a website
available at www.stratford.co.uk/sulgrave.
There are special event days stretching from 3rd March right through until 30th
December this year. There are twelve such events being staged at the Manor that
take place at various times from July onwards. Tudor history is covered, the
Civil War, and needlework. There is a Georgian Murder Mystery weekend, there
are Chamber Concerts, the famous Apple Day, and finishing off with a
traditional Tudor Christmas available from 1st December.
It is recommended that a visit to Sulgrave Manor could last half a day. Andy at
the Star Inn just up the road serves a very good pint of Hooky for enthusiasts!
May 2001
The Tale of the Culworth Gang
For two decades in the Eighteenth Century, people as far and wide as
Oxford and Northampton were terrorised by the Culworth Gang. The gang was a
notorious brotherhood of about fifteen men who set about as highwaymen, and
also robbed the houses of local inhabitants. Apparently they dressed in masks
and black smocks for disguise during their robberies.
Even William Abbott, the parish clerk from the neighbouring village Sulgrave
was involved, and legend has it that he hid some loot in his church. It is said
that the gang's members were known to local residents, but on-one came forward
for fear of reprisals.
Culworth was an ideal hideaway for the men as it was remote but had easy access
to main drover's roads. I read that William Abbott even wore his pistols under
his robes when at his business in church. Eventually he turned King's Counsel
when caught but died before he was due to be deported.
In fact most of the gang lived within the parish of Culworth and were mostly
labourers. Their leader was called William Bowers and other members were named
as
After a long reign of terror, eventually seven men were arrested, but one got
away. A great deal of treasure was discovered in their various houses and in
Sulgrave church. The gang had escaped capture for twenty years until two men,
William Pettifer, alias Peckover, and Richard Law, arrived to stay the night at
an inn in Towcester. They claimed that they had been cockfighting and that
their bags contained fighting birds. However the landlord became suspicious and
checked the bags after the men had gone to bed. He discovered the notorious
masks and smocks instead and summoned a police constable.
Nothing was done initially, but after a robbery in nearby Blakesley not much
later, the two men were served with search warrants at their houses and stolen
property was discovered. In fact another member of the gang had committed the
Blakesley crime. Regardless they were promptly arrested and surrendered the
names of other members of the gang whilst admitting to forty-seven similar
offences.
Four men were subsequently hung at Northampton Racecourse at
Because they were frequently away from home and not at work it is surprising
that nobody became suspicious earlier. Initially they had started out as
poachers, but soon turned to more lucrative crimes. The
Two articles about the gang hang in the Red Lion pub in Culworth. I am not sure
however that stolen property could be exchanged for beer behind the bar! To
this day the pensioners of the parish, when they meet for whist drives and the
like, are also referred to as the Culworth Gang!
A Purston Morning
Jonathan Wain goes out on exercise in Bicester Country
For the last year and a half, my morning has started at
I drive over to Liz Goffe's yard at Purston four days a week. The beauty of her
farm is that we can ride out for two hours without even crossing a road when we
go across country. Liz has about fifteen horses, ranging from a couple of huge
mares to gelding hunters and right down to tiny Shetland ponies. Children from
as young as three years old can have fun with horses here.
Because of Foot and Mouth the Season has been altered for the time being, but
Cubbing would normally start in September, followed by Hunting proper in late
October. Writing now in late July the horses are still happily living out in
the fields. Liz owns seventy-five acres and rents another hundred. At the
bottom of the hill there is a rather beautiful pond that is home to all kinds
of wildlife, including
When I arrive in the morning I put my hat and gloves on and quickly finish my
last cigarette! Usually I am early and help Liz to bring in the required horses
and ponies. We tie them up when we get back to the yard, pick their feet out,
and tack up. When everybody arrives we can set off.
From the farm we can go in a variety of directions- perhaps into the Purston
Manor Estate itself, or through Thenford to Middleton Cheney, or possibly
around Marston StLawrence. For more experienced riders we can go across the
fields from Thenford to Farthinghoe and around again. This always requires me
to get off my horse to undo the gates but fortunately he will stand still until
I get back on!
Liz's yard can be found just down on the right at the Purston Only turn on the
Banbury to Brackley road (A 422). She can be contacted on 01295 711 366. A
morning's exercise would start from about 9.15, and after one horse I usually
get away at about 11.30. Obviously sometimes it can be much later.
I was most fortunate last year to be invited into Liz's kitchen for breakfast
after we had been out Cubbing at dawn with Gilly her son. We had an enormous
fry-up and sat like complete heroes around the table! Gilly runs the animal
feed store there at Blackwell Farm, and her other son William is First Whip for
the Warwickshire Hunt. Alan her husband keeps cattle, and my photographs should
show an entire array of animals. Gilly keeps pigs too and I would highly
recommend his sausages!
Horses can need re-shoeing about once a month and with luck I have managed some
quite good photographs of Arlo the farrier and his accomplice. The smoke that
comes off the hoof when the shoes are first placed on is a sight to behold! I
was nervous about using a flash but actually the horses did not seem to worry
at all- you are not allowed to use flashes at Royal Ascot for instance.
After my father died I became involved with Sir Michael Connell's yard just up
the road from Liz at
There are always experienced riders on hand to take out less practised people.
I myself rarely ride alone. There are plenty of people that arrive with little
knowledge of horses, but with some imagination we can usually get them going!
Jo Aston further up the road at Purston Manor itself has given me riding
lessons for £20 an hour and she didn't shout at me! In fact she has even got me
around to a little bit of Showjumping and I have hacked home quite impressed
with myself!
The going rate for Liz's yard is usually £12.50 for an Adult or £10 for a
Child. It is always more fun when there are more people. This is
I would recommend a good pair of boots for riding, and the reason that I wear
chaps is too prevent my legs from rubbing against the stirrup leathers- I've
got the scars to prove it ! Naturally I always wear a hat and I find that my
gloves give me a much better grip on the reins. Although we carry crops for
hunting they tend to be more for show, and to be honest I hardly ever seem to
see a reason for having a whip.
Liz's horses are all very organised and kept in immaculate condition. There is
seldom any need to call in the vet. As far as I am aware the chestnut hunter
that I usually ride, Sam, has not been lame once since I have been there.
Obviously they lose shoes occasionally but that is not a complete disaster.
There is a great deal of camararderie in the Horse World and I have come across
a lot of people prepared to help me get on with my hobby- right down to
polishing boots! Last October the Four Shires published three of my horse
poems, including the Ode to My Grey, about my wonderful grey gelding Woody. Since
his most unfortunate heart attack at only eight years old, I have been involved
in five other horses.
Naturally we all have problems occasionally, and when I boke my collar bone
last year it really did quite hurt! Mind you I was keen to get back on again
quite soon, and I haven't fallen off again since- touch wood!
When I am safely at home in the bath again I know that everything is
worthwhile! I have been known to get out of bed at 4.30 in the morning in order
to make it to an Autumn Hunt Meet- now that really is razor blades at dawn! If
I manage to get back in time for last orders at my village pub, I am always
greeted with a cheer if I have managed to stay on all day, or normally laughter
if I fell off! Presumably a cowpat stain on the back of my jacket is not
appreciated!
A St.Peter's College Gaudy
Jonathan Wain goes to an
"Gaudy" is described in my dictionary as "tastelessly
showy", but the reunion that I went to in
After I had checked into college I took a brief nostalgic tour- from St.Peter's
in
After a brief browse in the Games Workshop I repaired to the College bar for
the start of the Gaudy celebrations, only to discover the same barman still in
charge fourteen years later! For some reason he recognised me and said to
himself "Oh God" as I walked in the door! (In fact as I resat my
final year only six years ago he stood a better chance than most of remembering
me.)
Six different matriculation (entry) years had been invited to the Gaudy proper,
but the afternoon's activities were open to all previous college members. There
was a bouncy castle and face painting for the children and later a cream tea in
the Chapel. I busied myself chatting to fellow students and previous tutors,
which all managed to evoke fond memories of my university days.
Into Black Tie for Evensong at
The meal consisted of a sumptuous five course extravaganza all washed down with
delicious white wines, red wines, and port. One tutor said that he was quite
surprised not to have seen me completely naked yet in any of my books!
Fortunately the Master was not quite as terrifying a prospect as I had
imagined. I regaled him with stories about horses and set about plugging Four
Shires subscriptions- I hopefully got around to about five likely takers.
Speeches were said as we sipped our coffee, and we heard of the latest
developments in College life. The Master has always been keen to get his hands
on Oxford Gaol, which is behind the college, as a hall of residence for
St.Peter's inmates! He discussed advances in the "Intellectual
Property" area, and advised us of a new Chair for research into Water. We
had waded through smoked chicken, salmon and beef by then, followed by puddings
and cheese. We still had time to get back to the bar before Last Orders. There
was more heady nostalgia naturally, and we all found out what everybody had
ended up doing.
Because I studied Philosophy and Theology at
At
My first real introduction to
My MA Certificate hangs in my office to this day, and probably one of the best
days that I have ever had consisted of a morning's Cubbing near my father's
house in Sulgrave followed by a Graduation Ceremony that saw me in three gowns
down the catwalk in the Sheldonian Theatre. I was presented before the Dons
first in a Commoner's gown, then in a Batchelor's gown, and finally in a Master
of Arts gown. They spoke to me in Latin and banged a book on my head! I had
finally passed my degree and was duly eligible to buy a Master's Degree for the
princely sum of £10- so naturally I did!
A Weekend of Liberty
and Livelihood for our Four Shires
Jonathan Wain joins the March for
Saturday 21st September saw me at a briefing for the beginning of
the Grafton Hunt Team Chase event near the Windmill above Sulgrave. Before
lunch I was to marshal a fence for the Pairs, Novice and Intermediate
competitions, with the Open to follow in the afternoon. As the day progressed,
the teams would go over increasingly longer courses, with the Pairs and Novices
jumping twenty-three fences, the Intermediates twenty-four, and the Open teams
twenty-eight much bigger fences.
With the Pairs starting first at 9 O’Clock in the morning, the job of a marshal
was to ensure that people walking the course were not in the way as teams went
round, and also that the teams had successfully completed each section in order
to receive their rosettes and prize money. In fact only one rider fell at my
part all morning although there were plenty of initial refusals. I was
marshalling a “Coffin”, which has a deep ditch to jump across, follwed by a
raised bank in order to get up and out of the other side.
Riders would come screaming down the hill in front of me and into a sharp right
hand turn with some rails, then need to slow down suddenly for the sharp left
hand turn to where I was. It is quite complicated, and as I remember when I
rode the course myself, I overshot and had to turn my horse in a circle before
I could jump it! Anyway, as the second last fence in all disciplines, the
horses were very nearly home by then.
A very good time for the course would be about five and a half minutes.
Broadcast over the Tannoy system we heard that fence five was causing frequent
problems. Surprisingly the water jump approximately half way round was
generally being negotiated successfully. I was grateful for dry conditions and
sunshine, but the ground was fairly firm.
As I had sponsored a fence, ( referred to jokingly as “Wain’s Whopper”!), I
duly received two tickets for a lunch in the Sponsors’ Tent of delicious cold
meats and salads with wine and beer. About a hundred people gathered for the
spread, which was served by Jenny Houlston and a host of other Grafton Ladies,
and much appreciated.
By lunchtime, 16 Pairs had been round the course, followed by 19 Novice teams
of four, and 27 Intermediate teams, also of four riders. For a team to qualify,
at least three members had to have a clear round, as three refusals at any
fence meant disqualification. Only 6 teams were to compete in the most
difficult Open competition after lunch.
Dennis Owen and Roger Giles were responsible for building the course, with
Philip Houlston acting as Clerk of the Course, and Jennifer Metcalfe and
Phillippa White, the Grafton’s Honorary Secretary, doing the scoring, amongst
many others.
Both the Pairs and the Novices were judged by a bogey (standard) time, whereas
the Intermediates and the Open were run against the clock. Sam Harper and Meg
Crossland came first in the Pairs to win £35 with a time of 7 minutes 12
seconds and successfully jumped a dressing fence together. “The Royal Oak
Regulars”, (Barbara Warren, Lesley Smith, Hermione Harper, and Fiona Berber),
went round the Novice in 6 minutes 44 seconds to scoop £100. A team referred to
only as “The Gophers” took £100 to win over the Intermediate course in 5
minutes 28 seconds, and the Open course gave its £400 first prize to “The Forge
Flyers” (Debbie Topping, Graham Smith, Yvonne Goff, and Rob Statt), who
completed in a hair-raising 5 minutes 8 seconds, beating second place by 45
seconds!
Many thanks go to all those who organised the event, not least the helicopter
overhead or the Doctors, Vets, and
The following morning saw another side of the country as coaches gathered all
over the land for the Countryside Alliance “
We set off at 8.15, but due to heavy traffic did not start walking across
Having been involved with the Countryside Alliance myself for over five years,
it was good to see such a great turnout. Again there was a helicopter circling
overhead, but police and marshals ensured that all was in good humour. Although
the
With all the banners and screams and whistles we got off to a very slow pace,
but things began to quicken up as we approached the Start proper. From
As a mark of respect we were asked to walk past the Cenotaph in silence towards
the finish just before
I eventually returned home to Culworth village for about nine that evening, and
found myself riding again in the delightful Northhamptonshire countryside on
the following Tuesday. I noticed very little opposition to the Marchers during
the day, and any that there was was completely overwhelmed. However I was told
that one banner read; “While you are here my mate is robbing your house”, which
really says it all...I was surrounded by the classiest anarchists
Taking it to Tunisia...
I take a Winter Sun Break until the Spring...
I mentioned the Countryside Alliance March in the November Issue,
was back in London again with my family for Christmas, then hit the dancefloor
at the Red Lion in Culworth for New Year’s Eve, in my “Instant Vicar” outfit
that Jeremy Wilton had bought for my birthday, but the following weekend found
me on a plane to Tunisia for five weeks’ holiday. What follows is my “Lonely
Planet” Guide to another part of the World...
Previously I have spent five months in India and Nepal, two months in Eastern
and Southern Africa, ten weeks in Thailand and Indonesia, with extensive trips
around the Mediterranean including Israel, but this is now the second time that
I have returned to Tunisia to escape the English winter.
My holiday took me to the Four Star Hotel Sol Azur in Hammamet, with a view of
the sea from my balcony. Previous winters have found me skiing for Oxford
University against Cambridge or more recently with hunters in a variety of
liveries exploring “unsung Northamptonshire” on horseback!
Banbury may have a Coffee Tower, but Hammamet has bars and nightclubs in
abundance that stay open until four in the morning! As you might expect I soon
found myself doing what amounts to “permanent nights”! Breakfast, at a
questionable time therefore, usually consisted of strong black coffee and
coca-cola brought to me by Room Service as I sat in warm sunshine watching the
waves.
Although I tended to wear a jumper or blazer in the evening, even at this time
of year it is still only T-shirt weather in Tunisia. By about three o’clock it
does often begin to cloud over, and as my cleaning lady would be itching to do
the room, I would find myself migrating to the main bar of the hotel, in plain
view of the magnificient central atrium.
Although the local “Celtia” lager is a similar price to English beers, and Red
Marlboro cigarettes are a third of the cost, there is a quite serious premium
on spirits- in fact for the purposes of barter trade in the markets a bottle of
scotch can be worth anything up to £50!
What little sightseeing I have ever done here is mostly out of a taxicab window
by night, but last year I gallopped a horse along the beach from the Sultan
Hotel, which was really quite exciting and even quite glamourous! The yard
there offers trips out of up to four hours’ riding when they go up into the
mountains nearby.
I can get by in English here, but as French is their second language I have
found that quite useful. I have now learnt some vital Arabic phrases too, such
as “I must look for my wife”, and also “I cannot find my wife”! The bar staff
have also taught me some unrepeatable swearwords, but never mind- quite useful
if you get hassled!
A brief siesta might lead me to supper from 7-9 in the Hotel’s restaurant,
which is buffet style. There are soups and salads to start with, followed by a
variety of main courses. They do also cook pork and seafood here, which might
come as a slight surprise in an Arab country, but I would recommend the lamb or
beef. So soon after Christmas, turkey every night seems less atractive! There
are a variety of quite fancy puddings too that I never tried, but the local
wine is very palatable.
You can change money very easily inside most hotels, but you are not allowed to
take Tunisian Dinars out of the country- they can be cashed in at the airport.
The Hotel Sol Azur also has a casino in the evening that will sell chips for
foreign currency providing you show your passport. A modest dabble at the Blackjack
table perhaps, or at Roulette, Poker, or on the Slot Machines!
By 9.30 the entertainment team put on tonight’s show. I have been stripped to
the waist by belly dancers, played bingo, watched jugglers and strong men, and
a variety of other things! We would always finish by dancing “the Camel Song”!
As I was here last year, I already knew some other repeat visitors who had come
back again, so although I came out ostensibly on my own I had some mates to
knock about with. There are a lot of older tourists usually at this time of
year, but I ended up going out with some of the hotel staff as well as my
friends.
Apart from the resident nightclub and the casino, the hotel tends to shut down
at midnight. It is time to grab a taxi, usually waiting for us on the doorstep,
for a ride into town. All the taxis are metered, so there is no need to haggle,
and they usually had change.
There are also several restaurants locally within walking distance where you
can get late night beers, free crudites and perhaps live music. Typically with
drinks they serve up nuts, popcorn, chick peas, french fries, raw vegetables,
and perhaps even freshly cooked artichokes.
In town itself there are a selection of places to start the night, as some are
better even later. For instance the British Bar and the Strand Cafe, which are
both next door to each other, have pool tables, dancefloors and TV screens. All
the bars play a broad selection of Western and Arabic music- I’ve preferred the
Arabic stuff because it helps to convince you that you are actually abroad!
The proper nightclubs, that you might have to pay to get into, especially at
weekends, tend to get going by one o’clock at the earliest. Near to the Strand
Cafe you will find Manhattan, or for a more “Latin” feel you could try Havana.
The Eurobar is only slightly further, but there are always plenty of taxis
waiting on hand. These three clubs often stay open until past four in the
morning, but you can rely upon being safely whisked back to your hotel to start
another day...
After a three hour flight I came back to England to unwrap a parcel that
contained my freehold documents for ten acres of land on the Moon- bought for
£100- perhaps a subsequent adventure! Curiously two other pub regulars in
Culworth already have land there, but I do not know what the other neighbours
will be like! If anyone is interested, my plot is in the north-west of the
lighted lunar surface, more precisely “Area F4, Quadrant Charlie, 20N 33W”. And
now the daffodils are beginning to show...
