Village Squire, 1975-10, Page 20Travel
In Britain, picnics
don't stop with summer
Webster defines a picnic as a short trip for
an outdoor meal. But to the English, it is
much more, an institution, a venerable part of
the English way of life.
In London, a city of parks, gardens and
green spaces, it is possible to combine the
traditional past time of picnicking with a visit
to one of the city's many popular attractions.
For the Canadian visiting Britain, it comes
as a bit of a surprise to see Londoners
picnicking through the winter, lying on
blankets, kicking a soccer ball around the
park, or walking in the woods.
Before setting out on a picnic, the Canadian
in London should set up a checklist of
indispensable items. You can add according
to personal taste, but the following, per
person, are mandatory.
one other person
-- one half blanket
-- one pipkin of beer (a pipkin is a large tin
can which holds about 1/2 gallon.)
-- one-half frisbee
-- two bottles of wine, which should be
politically acceptable, especially if you plan to
sojourn in the vicin;ty of Speaker's Corner in
Hyde Park (more about that later)
-- one umbrella. It probably won't rain, but
you'll look and feel less like a tourist.
-- two bottles of cider (in case you lose or
break the wine after drinking the beer.)
Optional extras include food, playing cards,
reading matter, musical instruments, a
portable radio and/ or record player, and gin.
Here's where to go:
Hyde Park was originally a hunting forest
belonging to Henry VIII when he wasn't
eating chicken or beheading wives. You can
go bathing, riding and rowing, or listen to the
soap -box orators letting off steam at
Speaker's Corner.
St. James's Park, near Buckingham Palace,
where a small lake is home to many unusual
species of waterfowl including pelicans.
Watch where you spread your blanket and
don't walk around too much in your bare feet.
Greenwich Park, only a very pleasant
half-hour boat ride down the Thames
removed from Westminster Bridge. Sir
Francis Chichester's Gipsy Moth IV is
berthed here in dry dock, as is the famous
Cutty Sark. Her curious name, which means
"short chemise" was taken from the poem
"Tam O'Shanter" by Robbie Burns wherein
the witch Nannie appearet.. in a cutty sark.
Also found here are the Royal Naval
College, National Maritime Museum and the
old Royal Observatory where the median of
zero longitude, adopted in 1884 by
international agreement, is marked with a
brass strip.
On weekends a folkdancing troupe
18, VILLAGE SQUIRE/OCTOBER 1975
performs near the observatory accompanied
by a beribboned First World War veteran
alternating on a snare drum and the fyfe.
Based on a one-time observation, the group is
much better in the afternoon than in the
morning. According to one of the troupe
members, lunch is imbibed at an excellent
nearby pub.
Syon Park is in Wet London and adjoins
the British Rail Museum where, on occasion,
they hold great rummage sales to dispose of
extraneous items such as the light fixtures
from some of the underground stations now in
the process of renovation. Get there by
sunrise or the lineup of nostalgia buffs
stretches for miles.
The park itself abounds with rainbows of
formal and informal gardens and is dotted
with contemporary sculpture, including a
Henry Moore. The best place to picnic is
under a group of giant beeches in the center
of the grounds. Lie on your back and take in
the 100 -foot high moving canopy on a breezy,
sunny day and you'll forget the ceiling of the
Sistine Chapt
London Zi said to contain the most
comprehensive collection of animals in the
world. It's best to go in the morning, before
the picnic, to develop a taste for the potables
to follow, because there are miles of walking
to be done. Furthermore, any individual bold
enough to venture into the primate area of the
park after partaking of the picnic goodies is
liable to suffer paroxyms of paranoia when
confronted by a half-dozen solemnly aligned
chimps. Who is on which side of the fence
anyway?
For the actual picnic, head for Primrose
Hill just north of the zoo. It's fairly small by
London standards, but there's always a quiet
corner away from things and good open space
in the middle for throwing the frisbee.
The Kent countryside is strictly for purists.
No organized diversions, just the lush, rolling
green English panorama. You'll need wheels,
but it's worth it. Drive to Shoreham, or any of
scores of other little villages and just follow
the public pathway through the woods, along
the stream, over the arched bridge, past the
nettle patch, across the stile and through the
farmer's field, being careful all the while to
check out the undercarriages of the grazing
Holsteins. Lady -type cattle are usually
friendly while their male counterparts have
been known to become obstreperous. Again
watch where you step, with or without shoes.
Stop wherever fancy dictates and pretend
that you're miles from nowhere, despite the
fact that London is only about 20 minutes
away by road. Listen to the bumblebees.
Admire the Queen Anne's lace. Forget the
frisbee, the book, the portable radio. Just
soak it in. This is picnicking.
Shore
GIFTS &
JEWELLERY
We believe that we have
the best and largest
selection for your
requirements
56 THE SQUARE
GODERICH, ONTARIO
N7A 1M5
fcarircirlc�
[?()C )k `-i
and Tearoom
•near the river
•near the bridge
•near Third Stage
We are advertised by our
loving friends
Henry VI, Part 3
30 Waterloo S., Stratford
Phone 273-1010
f ca u Jca rl c2
Uc)C)k`i