Sephine

I have always had had happy memories of the hill at Lardon Chase 

Joe and eye used to visit this wonderful place during the warmer months 

And quite occasionally on snowy winter days and risk our lives tobogganing 

In the summer we would often picnic (I was often topless) and generally enjoy our innocence 

Joe would paint (a seldom pastime) and read poetry to me (some of it his own) 

My favourite poem (not one of his) was written by Joseph Ashby-Sterry in the nineteenth century

In my belief it sums the place up

Do visit when the sun is high 

There are plenty of butterflies there to interest ewe including the rare Adonis Blue

I have also spotted the Chalkhill Blue and Marbled White 

Chat Soon 

Josie x

POEM

And when you’re here, I’m told that you

Should mount the hill and see the view;
And gaze and wonder, if you’d do
Its merits most completely;

The air is clear, the day is fine,
The prospect is, I know, divine –
But most distinctly I decline
To climb the hill at Streatley

But from the Hill, I understand
You gaze across rich pasture-land;
And fancy you see Oxford and
P’r’aps Wallingford and Wheatley:

Upon the winding Thames you gaze,
And, though the view’s beyond all praise,
I’d rather much sit here and laze

Than scale the Hill at Streatley!