The O-Folk in the South of England

Day Seven

Holy cow! Lots and lots of pictures! How'd that happen? I guess I found most of the film from this part of the trip.

After we left the Isle of Wight, we headed north through the New Forest, a garden spot that Barb really wanted to see. The tourist draw for the New Forest is the wild ponies, which are allowed to wander freely -- that means absolutely anywhere. They stand in the roads, stroll through the towns, try to nose their way into the shops, whatever they can get away with. They have no fear at all. The locals are tolerant, but from what I can tell they're also just a little bit annoyed. A bunch of ponies wandered into Beaulieu while we were there and begged or stole from every shop along the High Street. A girl in the tea shop said they'd eat everything left on the tables, including the cups, if she didn't clean up immediately after the customers finished. As you can see, the town is also infested with giant thumbs which obnoxiously step in front of photographers who are trying to take holiday snaps.

After the New Forest we went to Winchester, which is well-known for its cathedral and the Round Table of King Arthur. You can see it's not used as a table any longer; it's been hanging on the wall in the Great Hall of Winchester castle for many years. And here I go again with pictures of the cathedral. I know it's sort of like trying trying to appreciate the size and grandeur of the Grand Canyon from a 4x5 holiday snapshot. Maybe you'll still enjoy it just a little bit anyway.

Our last stop of the day was in a town called Dorking. I have to admit that I wanted to stop there for reasons that were entirely childish. If I hadn't, though, I'd never forgive myself for not getting the shot of me under the sign. The memorial to 'Dorking Men' was really a bonus I hadn't counted on, and as enticing as a Dorking Musem sounds, I knew it would only be a disappointment after the initial tickle I got from seeing the sign.