Postcard from Farley Mount – 4Q challenge
Lyn
My ‘Postcard from Farley Mount’ depicts the folly that’s a monument to a horse. The little landscape is made by wet-felting pre-felts onto two layers of white merino wool tops then lines of needle felting were added afterwards – it’s approx 15 x 13cm / 6”x5”.
I took inspiration for my landscape from the painting ‘Windmill’ by Eric Ravilious – I liked the very simple depiction of the landscape with its one dominating subject.
Farley Mount is a large Country Park of downland and woodland, with a folly stood on one of the highest hills in Hampshire, and was a favourite picnic spot for our family and friends in the 60’s.
The folly is a monument to a horse named ‘Beware Chalk Pit’ and the story is told on a plaque (photo from Wikimedia Commons) – see below the photo for the wording on the plaque.
“Underneath lies buried a horse, the property of Paulet St. John Esq., that in the month of September 1733 leaped into a chalk pit twenty-five feet deep a foxhunting with his master on his back and in October 1734 he won the Hunters Plate on Worthy Downs and was rode by his owner and was entered in the name of “Beware Chalk Pit”.
Picnics were always a time for my mum and auntie to sit and knit and chat while we children just mucked about having fun.
Cars were small in those days – everything you took with you had to be small to fit in the boot (trunk), so our chairs were very low, metal framed, fold-up canvas chairs.
One time my dad and my uncle came back from a short walk and unfolded a couple of canvas chairs to sit on.
Now, these chairs had seen many picnics and the canvas was getting worn so when my very portly uncle flopped his bulk down there was a loud ripping sound. He had gone through the seat of the chair and through the seam on the seat of his trousers!
There was no sewing kit to hand so a thin metal hairgrip, like this,
was fashioned into a needle, using pliers from dad’s car toolbox, then threaded with knitting yarn so that the seat of uncle’s trousers could be sewn together with great big woollen cross-stitches!
I did try very hard not to laugh 🙂
12 thoughts on “Postcard from Farley Mount – 4Q challenge”
Oh Lynn you’ve had me chuckling with memories, but before they surface again – just to say love your Ravilious inspired postcard….totally you. Brilliantly done in current circumstances.
At least with your mum’s and aunt’s skills and incredible ingenuity your uncle went home respectable.
I too have ‘fallen’ foul of the beach chair. Used to provide additional seating whilst ‘entertaining’ I, as a late teenager of average build, was relegated to this seat and sat down. No, I did not flop down as per your uncle. Nonetheless, the ripping sound accompanied me too.
So, I also ‘broke’ the ice that evening by providing the entertainment….I slowly went through the frame and legs went up – think high board diving practice in reverse 🤪🫢🤣
Xx
Old canvas is not to be trusted Antje! But it does provide humorous memories and I can just picture your beach chair incident 🙂
The fabric on uncle’s trousers was ruined by the hairpin/wool stitches that ran from the back waistband to right underneath, but at least he could walk around our picnic area with his dignity intact.
What a lovely postcard and such an entertaining story to go with. It’s great to think back on childhood memories and have a giggle 🙂
Thank you Ruth.
As a youngster I was fascintated by the folly and the story of its origin, but my most vivid memory is of Uncle Don’s trouser repair.
What a smashing post card Lyn, beautifully done.
Your uncle’s predicament reminded me of something similar at a dress rehearsal (luckily) of one of our plays. The actor playing the police inspector bent over very quickly (I can’t remember why) and split his suit trousers in exactly the same way. It was some considerable time before everyone could stop giggling, several of us had tears rolling down our faces. We were just thanking heaven that he’d done it at a rehearsal, not during a performance – it was supposed to be a family production, not a “Full Monty”!
Ann
Thank you Ann!
I would have joined in with the laughter at the dress rehearsal too 🙂
The card is great and what a cool story about the horse. Never trust old beach chairs. The story of the trousers and chair mush have been giggled about for years.
Thank you Ann. The story about the horse and the reason for building the folly fascinated me as much as the beautiful park land and the chair fiasco remains a very funny memory 🙂
I could hear the rip as I read your story Lyn. Your uncle no doubt had a good chuckle when he was sorted by the Heroines who came to his rescue, I can see creativity is in the genes in your family.
“Beware Chalk Pit” was most definitely a fearless animal and well deserving of his own monument. My first thought when I saw your beautiful depiction was of Clarice Cliff. It is stunning.
Helene x
Thank you Helene. Now you mention it, the postcard does have Clarice aura about it! The creativity did come from my mum and my husband’s aunt – between them I learnt knitting, crochet and dressmaking. Those were the days!
I love your artwork and your fantastically funny story, Lyn: they are both very good memories of a whole place of the heart, and nothing can beat that!
Thank you. I agree and it’s great to be able to make a textile piece that reminds you of happy times.