Back to P. Lacey

About a week ago, back to Polesden Lacey. Our second visit in as many weeks after an absence of a year. For some reason, as noted at reference 1, we deemed Wisley to be a safer bet last year, making several visits.

For the first time ever, we went seriously off-piste, possibly into what Ordnance Survey call Preserve Copse, tempted in by the sight of a very tall conifer which turned out not to be a Wellingtonia. But big and tall enough that I could not get a clear shot.

If I am bored later today, the snap above should serve for identification.

Another large conifer, not a Wellingtonia, but with the red trunk of a redwood, unlike the first tree.

All a bit fuzzy, but the dead leaves look to be of the same format at the first tree.

And in a glade, a cluster of pyramid orchids, said to be common enough, but last seen by me on the Longmead industrial estate a couple of years ago. At least I think it is the same thing, despite being a good deal paler. Perhaps sun-bleached. See reference 2.

Coppiced or cut down in its youth. Will we be able to find it again? 

We then came across Ember Camping, never before heard of, but a trusty told us they had been around for a while. Perhaps accounted for all the hearty types wandering around nearer the house, not the usual sort of stately home visitor at all. There was also a small supply of Ember wheelbarrows at the car park, presumably in the case that you preferred to leave your car there. Or that that was where you and your tents had been dropped off.

Quite a lot of large copper beeches dotted about. So Mrs Greville - the owner of the place in its glory years - must have been into trees, even if she was not into Wellingtonias.

Peonies over, roses rather battered, but the delphiniums doing quite well. Delphiniums which I remembered from the week before as having been far from flowering. Maybe memory playing tricks again.

Quite a lot of families with young children and some elaborate picnics. One involving a purpose built, four wheeled picnic carriage for carrying all the equipment about. Including lightweight gazebo, picnic table and picnic chairs. No doubt some picnic too. A carriage intended to be pulled like a trailer, rather than pushed like a pram.

A visit to the second hand book shop yielded the book above, nearly new for £2. A seemingly once well known collection of illustrated legal anecdotes. All quite short, snacks rather than meals. A little dated and probably more fun for a lawyer with a grip on all the legal jargon, but not bad for all that. A suitable Christmas present for a legal friend. While the dedication at the front tells me that it was first a memento of a luncheon which followed a board meeting of Lawyers Management Services Ltd. Possibly the precursor of the people at reference 3.

In which, yesterday, I was stumped by the word 'stumer'. My Webster's then told me that this is a bit of British slang meaning a forged or otherwise bad cheque. And on the opposite page I came across the studding-sail halyard bend, which looks a bit like a round turn with two half hitches. Webster's running to a modest number of illustrations, rather in the way of Larousse.

Then, checking with OED, much the same story, but the word was also, it seems, used of fake coins and bank notes, sometimes generalised to faking more generally. A word of unknown origin, current around the end of the nineteenth century. So our esteemed Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition is nearly named for a dud cheque. I wonder if he knows?

PS: Monday midday: the snap of my attempt at a studding-sail halyard bend has now made it to OneDrive central. The knot seems secure enough, it does the job of a round turn and two half hitches, it resists pulling from the top, but I found it a good deal more fiddly to tie. Perhaps there was some advantage, not apparent to a land-lubber such as myself. Perhaps sailing ships were rife with all kinds of obscure customs & practises which did no harm, but were fairly pointless just the same. Readers are encourage to tie one for themselves, using this snap rather than the much more helpful diagram in Webster's. Or indeed the similar one turned up by Bing when you need to be reminded what a studding-sail is.

Reference 1: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2021/06/p-lacey.html.

Reference 2: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2019/06/mystery-flower.html.

Reference 3: https://corporate.lms.com/.