The Old Haunts

Friday, 13th September, 2019.

It was a stunningly beautiful day, and Ilona and Alexis took me out to see some local sights, as well as to my old stamping ground of Harrow-on-the-Hill.  Here they are at home, in South Harrow.

The Manor Farm House, Ruislip, built c1508.  Manorial courts were held here until 1925.

The Great Barn, Ruislip, is the oldest timber-framed barn in Greater London.  It was built c1500 during the reign of Edward 1 to store the crops and other produce of Ruislip Manor.  Today it is used for markets and other community activities.

Ruislip bowling green and library.

St Martin's Church, Ruislip, dates back to the 13th century.

Ilona was baptised in this font in St Martin's Church.

I've seen lots of English things already, such as holly (with berries!), oak trees and acorns, chestnut trees and conkers, and squirrels.

The Ruislip Lido Reservoir was dug in 1811 to feed the Grand Junction Canal and to provide drinking water to the Paddington area of London.  In the 1930s, the canal company turned the lake into the Lido with boating, swimming and fishing, and a family-friendly beach was added.
Today, there is blue green algae in the water, so there is no more boating, swimming of fishing, but there are very pleasant walks around the Lido. Lots of people were sunbathing on the sand, which English people seem to rush out to do on those occasions when the sun actually comes out.

We had lunch at the very floral Old Orchard Pub at Harefield.

Lunch outside, enjoying the flowers and the view.

Some of the view and some of the flowers.  The view was over the lake and canal with house boats.

Some more of the flowers.

The flat in Harrow where I used to live.  We had the upstairs, and downstairs was an Indian curry bulk supply shop, so the flat always smelt of curry.  One day, I went out without my key, and my flatmate had gone away for the weekend.  My friend Kathy knew someone who had a ladder and we borrowed it and carried it here from a few blocks away.   I climbed up to the window at the top left and scrambled through it onto the floor and was surprised to find my flatmate calmly sitting there reading a book.  She hadn't gone away after all.
Pat proposed to me in this flat on a visit from Australia, before he and Ian sailed their boat from Spain to Tahiti.  I said yes.