Alice skipped along the road that led from the red windmill to the tall poplar trees that stood majestically next to the quiet river<\/p>\n
The busy road was not very romantic but had to agree with Alice that the dreaming hot fields were quite timeless<\/p>\n
Do you know what H E Bates said of Kent in his Pop and Ma Larkin books?<\/i><\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t know the exact passage but I knew that Alice would tell me<\/p>\n
I expect it was something nice <\/i><\/p>\n
Do keep still and tell me <\/i><\/p>\n
Let us cross this road and walk through the shallow fields <\/i><\/p>\n
I would not cross here otherwise we might be killed by a lorry <\/i><\/p>\n
A lorry taking strawberries away from the farms <\/i><\/p>\n
How poetic <\/i><\/p>\n
How painful <\/i><\/p>\n
You cannot die in the county of Kent <\/i><\/p>\n
Everybody lives long lives here <\/i><\/p>\n
I grabbed Alice\u2019s bare shoulder<\/p>\n
Keep still and when we have crossed this busy road safely then you can tell me what H E Bates said of the Garden of England <\/i><\/p>\n
Soon a break in traffic allowed us to cross the road<\/p>\n
We opened a low gate and began walking in the general direction of the river<\/p>\n
The field was fallow and small dust devils were being created by the shallow breeze<\/p>\n
Tell me about the H E Bates book you have <\/i><\/p>\n
Alice pulled a pale green book from her canvas bag<\/p>\n
Here it is <\/i><\/p>\n
What is it called? <\/i><\/p>\n
Look at the spine <\/i><\/p>\n
When the Green Woods Laugh <\/i><\/p>\n
It is one of the Pop and Ma Larkin novels that H E Bates created <\/i><\/p>\n
I believe this was the final book of the trilogy <\/i><\/p>\n
Yes he started off with The Darling Buds of May and followed it with A Breath of French Air this was the final book<\/i><\/p>\n
Have you read the others?<\/i><\/p>\n
Yes I have them both they are in the bookcase at Mummy\u2019s <\/i><\/p>\n
Have you read these books?
\n<\/i><\/p>\n
No <\/i><\/p>\n
I suggest that you take time out and read all three books <\/i><\/p>\n
You were saying that H E Bates considered everybody to be immortal <\/i><\/p>\n
Not immortal but long lived <\/i><\/p>\n
Please read the passage to me<\/i><\/p>\n
It is on page thirty-one and there are two passages that you might find interesting <\/i><\/p>\n
Got to remember that this county is almost an island
\nTwo thirds of its boundaries are water
\nIt\u2019s an island on an island <\/i><\/p>\n
Cornwall is the same and I would imagine that there are others\u00a0 <\/i><\/p>\n
I agree here is the second passage <\/i><\/p>\n
Nobody dies here
\nPeople live for ever
\nSame as tortoises
\nEverything grows hell for leather
\nCherries strawberries hops pears corn sheep
\nIt is not called the Garden of England for nothing <\/i><\/p>\n
I looked around everything seemed to be in bloom and so alive<\/p>\n
Perhaps Alice was correct<\/p>\n
You did feel immortal on a day such as this<\/i><\/p>\n
I looked in the general direction of the pet cemetery which was partially hidden by the trees near the small road that led towards the railway line and the River Stour<\/p>\n
Do you remember last year when we visited the pet cemetery over there?<\/i><\/p>\n
Yes<\/i><\/p>\n
And you cried when you found that rabbit dead in the road outside and insisted that we bury it in the cemetery away from the graves of the dogs and cats and other domestics <\/i><\/p>\n
You asked me a question which I did not answer at the time<\/i><\/p>\n
I remember <\/i><\/p>\n
I asked you whether animals had souls <\/i><\/p>\n
I thought about it for quite a while <\/i><\/p>\n
A year <\/i><\/p>\n
I thought about it for a year <\/i><\/p>\n
And what as your conclusion? <\/i><\/p>\n
Well up to about ten minutes ago I had not concluded my thoughts <\/i><\/p>\n
You forgot about my question <\/i><\/p>\n
I forgot about your question until the pet cemetery prompted my memory <\/i><\/p>\n
And now you have the answer <\/i><\/p>\n
Maybe <\/i><\/p>\n
I am all ears <\/i><\/p>\n
Look at the cloud that appears to be above the windmill <\/i><\/p>\n
Yes the one that is shaped like a peach <\/i><\/p>\n
What do you think will happen to that cloud? <\/i><\/p>\n
It will float out to sea and pass over either Margate or Reculver <\/i><\/p>\n
In a few hours that cloud will not be there and we will not know what has happened to it <\/i><\/p>\n
It may fade over the sea or mix with a larger cloud as the air cools <\/i><\/p>\n
I suppose it we followed it we would discover the answer but is like a soul of an animal it fades as our souls do and then journeys to a place unseen <\/i><\/p>\n
Even though the Bible and other religious books give us an indication of our journey no one really knows <\/i><\/p>\n
It is a great mystery <\/i><\/p>\n
Your point being <\/i><\/p>\n
That animals do have souls\u00a0 <\/i><\/p>\n
And it has taken a year for you to work that out <\/i><\/p>\n
It is the fundamental question <\/i><\/p>\n
And it did not take me a year just ten minutes <\/i><\/p>\n
Although the day was humid a small afternoon breeze had developed which was blowing the dry dust of the field in every direction<\/p>\n
I tell you what Alice let\u2019s take the road as far as the river and then we can stroll along its banks<\/i><\/p>\n
Why can we not continue in this direction?<\/i><\/p>\n
Because the railway will cut us off <\/i><\/p>\n
I do not fancy crossing its electric lines <\/i><\/p>\n
If we are not hit by a train then I think we will be fried by the power lines <\/i><\/p>\n
We are not as immortal as we like to think <\/i><\/p>\n
Nothing will die on a day as glorious as this one<\/i><\/p>\n
Things have died possibly creatures but for some of them this will be their last day <\/i><\/p>\n
Alice and I walked towards the wide metal gate and were soon climbing over it in the shade of a massive oak tree<\/p>\n
Look the silly farmer has locked this gate whereas it is so easy to climb over <\/i><\/p>\n
I think that he has his reasons to do so
\n<\/i><\/p>\n
Everything has a reason <\/i><\/p>\n
Bad people <\/i><\/p>\n
Possibly <\/i><\/p>\n
Even in the Garden of England bad people exist and they cause upset and misery for the gentlefolk of the fields <\/i><\/p>\n
About twenty minutes later we found the road bridge that crossed the railway line to Canterbury<\/p>\n
The line was quiet but I noticed a fine dust hanging in the air<\/p>\n
Look at the dust <\/i><\/p>\n
Did the train do that? <\/i><\/p>\n
Yes it upset the equilibrium of the day <\/i><\/p>\n
But you have said that trains are part of the countryside <\/i><\/p>\n
They are but their passing does cause a disturbance <\/i><\/p>\n
Let\u2019s wait for the next one <\/i><\/p>\n
It may be hours <\/i><\/p>\n
No I think we will see one within twenty minutes <\/i><\/p>\n
I could hear them as we crossed the fallow field <\/i><\/p>\n
Alice was correct and soon a white and yellow train passed at speed as it travelled towards Canterbury<\/p>\n
A spider whose web was attached to a nearby branch appeared to look at the train and then retreated knowing no damage had been done to its web<\/p>\n
I wonder how many trains this bridge has witnessed?<\/i><\/p>\n
That can be worked out <\/i><\/p>\n
I will tell you the formula later <\/i><\/p>\n
You have always said that you were the mathematician <\/i><\/p>\n
And I do not want to wait a year for an answer<\/i><\/p>\n
After the railway bridge the road widened out a little and Alice began walking in front of me with her bag carelessly slung over her shoulder<\/p>\n
She was wearing a floral dress with large red roses printed on the white fabric<\/p>\n
For some reason I did not think the dress was really suitable for the dusty fields of Kent as it seemed rather urban<\/p>\n
Still it was a cool dress and as normal Alice was very practical in her choice<\/p>\n
The River Stour was not far from the railway and we took a break at a public house which adjoined a mobile home site<\/p>\n
For a day as hot as it was there were surprisingly few people around and we drank almost alone<\/p>\n
When we were finished we made our way back to the river and started to walk in the general direction of Canterbury<\/p>\n
The river was home to few boats but these soon faded as we walked further away from the bridge<\/p>\n
In all this time we had passed no one<\/p>\n
Listen to the silence of the summer <\/i><\/p>\n
It almost shouts at us <\/i><\/p>\n
The windmill was now slightly behind us and in the distance we knew that Canterbury Cathedral was hiding herself<\/p>\n
She was there but was playing games as it often did on hot days<\/p>\n
We walked for another mile but still could not see the cathedral<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s rest <\/i><\/p>\n
Here? <\/i><\/p>\n
No I was thinking of those meadows across the river <\/i><\/p>\n
There is not a boat for us to cross the river
\n<\/i><\/p>\n
We will not need a boat to cross the river <\/i><\/p>\n
Why do we not need a boat?<\/i><\/p>\n
The river is narrow we can swim across and rest and dry in the meadow <\/i><\/p>\n
I do not think this is a good idea Alice <\/i><\/p>\n
Let us swim quite naked across the river and rest over there<\/i><\/p>\n
And pray where will we leave our clothes and your H E Bates book <\/i><\/p>\n
They will come with us <\/i><\/p>\n
Or rather we will meet them on the opposite bank <\/i><\/p>\n
I do not like the sound of this <\/i><\/p>\n
Its easy just leave your clothes in my canvas bag and then we will zip it up and throw it on to the opposite bank <\/i><\/p>\n
And then we will swim across <\/i><\/p>\n
And if somebody comes along<\/i><\/p>\n
How many people have we seen today? <\/i><\/p>\n
And our soft shoes they will not fit into the bag <\/i><\/p>\n
Alice removed her plimsolls and threw each in turn on to the opposite bank<\/p>\n
See I have started our journey <\/i><\/p>\n
I will swim across first it will take seconds and then once you have placed your clothes in the bag then you will throw it to me <\/i><\/p>\n
Like Adam and Eve <\/i><\/p>\n
I do not like the sound of this Alice <\/i><\/p>\n
Very soon Alice stood naked in front of me and began to climb down the narrow bank into the river<\/p>\n
Gosh it\u2019s cold <\/i><\/p>\n
Rivers are always cold no matter the weather <\/i><\/p>\n
Save me if I begin to drown <\/i><\/p>\n
Soon Alice was on the opposite bank<\/p>\n
Come on get undressed and throw the bag to me and do not forget to zip it up <\/i><\/p>\n
After looking both ways along the tow path I undressed and placed my clothes into Alice\u2019s canvas bag<\/p>\n
Now throw it <\/i><\/p>\n
It’s your funeral Alice I do not think that the H E Bates book is going to appreciate this madness<\/i><\/p>\n
I wrapped it securely in my frock <\/i><\/p>\n
I cannot see that Pop and Ma Larkin would have done this <\/i><\/p>\n
They would have borrowed a boat<\/em><\/p>\n Stop moaning and throw the bag across and do not forget your shoes afterwards <\/i><\/p>\n I threw the bag with a my power and it landed some yards behind Alice<\/p>\n She laughed and ran into the meadow to retrieve it<\/p>\n I then threw my shoes which landed erratically in the same area<\/p>\n When I said throw them across the river I did not mean throw them on to the sands of Margate <\/i><\/p>\n For some reason I thought that if I jumped as far as I could into the river that I would not be immersed in the cold water for that long and would be able to emerge on the other side less chilled<\/p>\n That was a mistake for I was soon in the murky depths of the river and although I found myself near to the bank I felt that I had been swimming in Artic waters<\/p>\n See what I have made <\/i><\/p>\n Alice had flattened a patch of grass near the reeds which afforded us a little privacy from the tow path on the opposite side of the river<\/p>\n It was not perfect but it would do<\/p>\n Let us lie here while the sun dries our bodies <\/i><\/p>\n And that is what we did<\/p>\n Nobody disturbed us and we slept lightly for a short while<\/p>\n I opened my eyes and saw the day moon almost hidden in the deep blue summer sky<\/p>\n What are you looking at?<\/i><\/p>\n The day moon <\/i><\/p>\n Where is it? <\/i><\/p>\n Over there at about two o\u2019clock <\/i><\/p>\n It looks so rested <\/i><\/p>\n Like us <\/i><\/p>\n Do you remember last night?<\/i><\/p>\n In that room that we rented from Mr Polly Dolly <\/i><\/p>\n Do you remember the room?<\/i><\/p>\n With its high windows Yes <\/i><\/p>\n And the moon<\/i><\/p>\n Last night was a hot sticky night so typical of this summer <\/i><\/p>\n We pulled the sheet down to our waists <\/i><\/p>\n Nothing stirred in that room save for the slight chill hidden in the light night breeze <\/i><\/p>\n It alerted our skin to the hidden beauties of the moon <\/i><\/p>\n The summer breeze still lightly chills our bodies even though we are no longer wet from the river <\/i><\/p>\n We did not sleep and watched the moon as it crossed the sky <\/i><\/p>\n Our room was flooded with light <\/i><\/p>\n Do you remember that Venus seemed trapped in the high branches of the trees? <\/i><\/p>\n Indeed she was setting a course for the moon <\/i><\/p>\n Alice turned over and rubbed her back<\/p>\n Grass grass everywhere <\/i> You chose the spot <\/i><\/p>\n Why is it that when grass looks so stable that you seem to become covered in it?<\/i><\/p>\n This part of the meadow has never seen a mower yet I am covered in grass <\/i><\/p>\n Do brush me down <\/i><\/p>\n Alice stood up and I brushed down what little grass there was from her body<\/p>\n I think the day moon is looking at me <\/i><\/p>\n I hope she likes what she sees <\/i><\/p>\n Last night when we were lying in our bed <\/i><\/p>\n I felt that I was a pilgrim in a Samuel Palmer painting <\/i><\/p>\n Do you think that he watched the same moon all those years ago in Shoreham?<\/i><\/p>\n He would have seen the same moon as we did as he lay next to his beloved <\/i><\/p>\n And like us he would have drifted into a gentle sleep in the moonlight <\/i><\/p>\n Sometimes things are so beautiful that one should experience them and not consider them further <\/i><\/p>\n I agree <\/i><\/p>\n She is up there waiting <\/i><\/p>\n Until the evening draws in and the night covers the sky <\/i><\/p>\n And then she will begin her nocturnal journey once more <\/i><\/p>\n Her night journey seems so distant in this the raw heat of the day<\/i><\/p>\n What always surprises me is how long the night is even during these dog days of summer <\/i><\/p>\n And how quickly she disappears when the dawn makes her entrance <\/i><\/p>\n We watch the moon quite often and then she vanishes like the assistant of a conjurer <\/i><\/p>\n In the distance we heard music and excited voices<\/p>\n I think the scouts might be getting nearer <\/i><\/p>\n I think that we should get dressed <\/i><\/p>\n Better they be educated later in life <\/i><\/p>\n With a little difficulty I started to dress but Alice walked towards the river<\/p>\n She was still naked<\/p>\n In the distance I could see the first of the scouts rounding the bend in the river<\/p>\n I threw Alice\u2019s dress towards her and to my surprise she caught it<\/p>\n Now get dressed and quickly <\/i><\/p>\n By the time the scouts passed by we were sitting quietly and reading<\/p>\n They ignored us<\/p>\n What time is it?<\/i><\/p>\n About four<\/i><\/p>\n Do you want to walk to Canterbury?<\/i><\/p>\n Yes and no I would love to walk to Canterbury but I feel a little tired <\/i><\/p>\n The heat has taken its toll <\/i><\/p>\n Then we will return to the bridge as there is a bus stop there and when it arrives we will travel to Canterbury <\/i><\/p>\n And that was the way the our day ended we made our way back to the road and after about forty minutes the bus to Canterbury arrived and within the hour we were back in our hotel room<\/p>\n Shall we watch the moon tonight?<\/i><\/p>\n She will be well hidden and we will only catch glances of her through the rooftops <\/i><\/p>\n We do not have the advantages of Mr Polly Dolly\u2019s house <\/i><\/p>\n Then we will sleep well as the room is air-conditioned <\/i><\/p>\n What shall we do tomorrow?<\/i><\/p>\n It is not for us to decide that now <\/i><\/p>\n The new day will suggest its meaning to us\u00a0 <\/i><\/p>\n Alice picked up the Gideon\u2019s Bible from the bedside table<\/p>\n She opened it and pulled out a small piece of paper<\/p>\n What does it say?<\/i><\/p>\n One Moon \u2013 Discussion at an Inn <\/i><\/p>\n What an odd thing to write <\/i><\/p>\n Does it mean much to you?<\/i><\/p>\n No not really <\/i><\/p>\n It might mean that a group retired to a pub to discuss the moon as we discussed the moon earlier in the day <\/i><\/p>\n It might be about H E Bates thoughts on immortality in this the Garden of England <\/i><\/p>\n Pardon<\/i><\/p>\n I thought that would get your attention <\/i><\/p>\n We did not really discuss the immortality mentioned in his book\u00a0 <\/i><\/p>\n We can discuss it anytime <\/i><\/p>\n Whilst I understand what H E Bates meant I do not necessary agree with his meaning <\/i><\/p>\n Would he have written the same thing during the dark depths of winter?<\/i><\/p>\n We have both seen this county covered in snow <\/i><\/p>\n It is a difficult question\u00a0 <\/i><\/p>\n Do you want to know something?<\/i><\/p>\n I think I guess what you are going to say <\/i><\/p>\n That being? <\/i><\/p>\n That you wrote the mysterious note and placed it in to the Gideon\u2019s Bible when I was in the shower<\/i><\/p>\n I was thinking that we were Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden today<\/i><\/p>\n But I thought you would be too tired to discuss the subject so I did something both rational and irrational and wrote the note <\/i><\/p>\n It was the first thing that entered my head and was quite random Have a shower Alice and I will wait for you in this lovely bed <\/i><\/p>\n We will keep the drapes open and if we are lucky we will see the progress of the moon before we retire to our dreams <\/i><\/p>\n I lay back and was only vaguely aware of Alice climbing in beside me even though her skin was cool after her shower<\/p>\n The moon travelled over the county of Kent that night<\/p>\n Some witnessed its progress<\/p>\n But Alice and I were not amongst these lucky souls<\/p>\n Although in our dreams we were in those immortal fields watching the progress of the day moon in the summer sky during its slow but idyllic journey<\/p>\n Towards the Holy City<\/p>\n Alice skipped along the road that led from the red windmill to the tall poplar trees that stood majestically next to the quiet river The busy road was not very romantic but had to agree with Alice that the dreaming hot fields were quite timeless Do you know what H E Bates said of Kent […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stuartmillerosborne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3247"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stuartmillerosborne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stuartmillerosborne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stuartmillerosborne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stuartmillerosborne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3247"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/stuartmillerosborne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3247\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stuartmillerosborne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3247"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stuartmillerosborne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3247"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stuartmillerosborne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3247"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n<\/i><\/p>\n
\nup my bum and in my hair <\/i><\/p>\n
\n<\/i><\/p>\n
\n<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"