The long hot summer played havoc with our lawns, which for some months looked like a desert, but within two weeks of rainfall they returned to their normal lush green colour. Sadly, our big willow tree couldn’t stand the heat and unfortunately we had to take it down this Autumn.
One couple, both Formula One enthusiasts, are returning to us for a second visit in order to visit the Brooklands Museum; on their first visit earlier this year they were so busy seeing other Surrey attractions that they had no time to see Brooklands, which has a number of wonderful exhibits motor racing, aeroplane, motorcycle and bicycle exhibits.
Close proximity to London and frequent trains from our local station Brookwood, 1 mile away, allow us to be in London’s Waterloo Station in just 35 minutes.
On the weekend of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s funeral on September 17, we took the train to London and walked across the Thames Footbridge from Embankment to visit many of the sites involved in the procession. We had the good fortune to have King Charles pass us, after we had walked across Horse Guards Parade on our way to Saint James’s Park, Buckingham Palace, Green Park and Piccadilly. The visit gave us a taste of the most memorable week in London this year; so much so we were tempted to drive to Windsor Castle which is only 25 minutes away to watch more of the funeral procession, but instead we sat glued to the TV and were joined afterwards by our Royal Navy officer guest and his wife, to toast our late Queen and our new King.
On the Friday before the funeral, we actually had the Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate, passing our house accompanied by a motorcycle escort. They were visiting the Commonwealth Servicemen temporarily stationed in Pirbright, who were rehearsing for the funeral. It was frustrating that we didn’t know they were arriving until too late; we could’ve been the only spectators on our gateway as they passed.
How times have changed! We were looking at Brayley’s History of Surrey (1862) at the early references to the beautiful local village of Pirbright with its lovely cricket green, church and military memorials. It says: –
“In the northern part of the parish of Pirbright there is a small manor called Cowshete which extends into the adjoining parish of Bisley. It is held in the manor of Pirbright by the yearly payment of one peppercorn. Thomas Cowshete, senior, resided here in the reign of Richard the Second.
Pirbright, though somewhat enlivened of late years by the south-western railroad passing through it, is still a secluded village and but seldom visited, except by persons on business; indeed there is very little inducement for travellers to inspect this part of the country, the scenery being chiefly confined to barren heath and moorlands.”
It goes on to say, “Only a few years ago a stranger was a rarity here and it was a custom of the inhabitants to greet him by joining hands and dancing round him, whose singular mode of salutation had the boorish title attached to it of ‘Dancing the Hog’.”
These days, we can promise that you’ll find plenty of interesting walks on Sheets Heath, across the road from the entrance to Cowshot Manor, along the Basingstoke Canal and in the hills above Pirbright and you’ll be given a warm welcome, not only at Cowshot Manor Barn but also at the 2 gastro pubs overlooking our picture-postcard village green, The Cricketers and The White Hart, less than a mile away from Cowshot Manor.
