Tyneham lost village

I have long been fascinated by lost and abandoned communities, stemming, I think, from my childhood when the valley near to the hamlet where we had a house was flooded to provide drinking water for the city of Leeds. The family of my friend Hilary, the farmer's daughter, were buried in the churchyard and we attended the final service before the church was deconsecrated. I think that some tombs were moved but the majority remained to be lost to the rising water. I don't know how long it took for the valley to fill but I remember some time later picking gooseberries from an abandoned garden. Since then I've walked around a number of abandonded villages. All of them seem to have been built in beautiful places and have the same quality of stillness and loss about them. One we have returned to many times is in Corfu. On our first visit, many years ago in springtime, we had to push our way through wildflowers and clouds of butterflies. With each return visit more and more houses were being reoccupied and the last time we were there a small café had opened and was doing good business, but somewhat spoiling the atmosphere that had once captured my heart! Last week we went to explore the village of Tyneham, its history quite different from that of the Corfiots, who left their homes of their own volition. Tyneham village was requisitioned by the army during the Second World War. The villagers were promised that they could return to their homes after the war but this never happened and the whole area remains with the military and is open to the public only on certain days. The former village life has been well documented.

The church remains in service.

John Gould's letter tells us how the villagers felt about the loss of their homes and community. It must be heartbreaking to see your former home reduced to a shell.

Museum and gallery visits

I went to London and had a couple of days with our elder daughter before Mothering Sunday and the photos that I took have been sitting in my phone ever since. I'm posting them here and shall clear my phone space ready for other things. London is lovely in the spring, the weather was dry although bitingly cold. The first exhibition that we saw was the Chanel at the V&A. It was soon to close and we attached ourselves to a very long queue. It was clear that a great many women had had exactly the same idea as us. Was it worth the wait? Yes, it certainly was. Coco Chanel has been the greatest influence on the way women dress. There were many timeless pieces in the show, styles that I remember both my mother and I wearing, other items that I would still wear today. My going away outfit was a navy Chanel-type collarless suit with a white trim - very Jackie O, all that I needed was a pill box hat! It was interesting to be able to study the fabrics and detailing close up, they looked easy and comfortable to wear and were very desirable!

The exhibition ended with an interpretation of the famous Chanel staircase.

It was a delight!

The following day it was off to the Tate to see yet more white dresses, this time the work of Singer Sargent. There were old favourites to see and new surprises. In the middle of the exhibition my phone rang and I was asked if I had just spent £700 and if not to press '1' immediately. Needless to say I did NOT press 1! I had only used my card that morning on the underground. I know that travel is expensive, but, blimey! Nevertheless it gave me quite a wobble.

This striking painting was new to me, and I'm most envious of the dress that she is wearing!

I think that this painting is unusually ugly for a piece of work by Sargent but I am interested in it because it was painted while the Scottish novelist R. L. Stevenson was living in Bournemouth, which is where I now live. His house no longer exists, having been bombed during the Second World War.

Back in Bournemouth my Scottish cousin came to stay for a few days. (See the link!) Good Friday brought blue sky and sunshine and we walked along a crowded seafront the the town art gallery and museum.

I've posted the museum before so shall only add one or two images of a ceiling and it's history. If you google the artist, Anna Zinkeisen, you will discover a very elegant woman. She and her sister are an interesting pair.

Not all the museum is in good repair!