SPRINGTIME IN AUCHONVILLERS

Avril Williams Guest House - Tea Rooms - (soon) Military Museum

April Newsletter

90^th Anniversary – March/August Somme Battle – End of World War One

92^nd Anniversary – 1916 Battle Of The Somme

Yes, like a lot of other places, Auchonvillers has experienced a ‘winter wonderland’ in Easter week. For two consecutive days, what gave a thrill to many when falling during the evening, produced a white panorama the following morning, only to melt away so rapidly that by lunchtime it seemed as if it might never have happened.

On Monday, the day had remained cloudy and bitingly cold, but on Tuesday, as can be seen in the above photograph, the sky, at least for a while, was of the clear blue variety. The weather has been a bit frustrating this week, but then, it is still March; although it’s going to have to get move on if it’s going to ‘go out like a lamb’ as the age-old saying goes. The underfoot conditions could very well be described as ‘squishy’. That has not stopped those eager to get out and about – but being wrapped up well, and owning a decent pair of boots has been an absolute necessity.

A more traditional sight for this time of year is the first batch of chicks. One hen is already escorting four little ones, and here is a photo showing the happy brood.

The incubator has proved its worth in the last couple of days, with the arrival of two more chicks, which have been placed under the respective mother. By Avril’s standards, there was a fairly large poultry cull during the winter, but she still has two cockerels, 25 hens and 6 chicks. What this total is going to rise to, I don’t know – remember last year? The incubator births were still occurring in early June!

The resident cat population has risen by one. The newest addition is what Avril describes as a ‘wild’ female kitten. The older feline residents seem happy enough to allow her a place on one of the sofas or chairs, but she is pretty nervous, and habitually disappears at top speed. Oh, but she is darned cute! I would say she is mostly white, with differently coloured splodges.

However, not all is well with the Auchonvillers felines. The cat formerly known as ‘Frankie’, but now generally referred to as ‘Hannibal’ is in the wars. (He has earned the name of Hannibal, for his murderous attitude to the local wildlife and a liking for a drop of Chianti). Hannibal has a problem to his near-hind leg, due to an altercation with a moving vehicle. Avril says that this has to be left to heal on its own, but in the meantime, Hannibal is looking a little sorry for himself. This is not withstanding the fact that he has a cold, which a couple of days ago was making him seem particularly miserable, although I’m pleased to say that he does look perkier today. Kitty is also appears to be suffering with a cold as well, so anyone with a sympathetic ‘Aahhh!’ welling up within them, should direct it at the photo below, where the two victims can be seen sitting on the sofa.

Two more chicks are just about to find out about life outside their shells. Avril has just made one of her periodical incubator check-overs, and hearing and seeing signs of life, has opened up the chicks’ escape routes to make things a little easier for them.

Bonnie is growing into a super dog. She has certainly grown, and her coat is beautifully black and glossy. She is let loose in the front garden during part of the day, and although Avril likes to keep an eye on her whereabouts, the alarm bells do not ring anything like as often as they would have last year. Bonnie, much to her credit, has now calmed down a notch or two, and it makes her a really nice dog to know.

One day on, and both those chicks hatched out in the incubator yesterday, along with another compatriot who made a stunning late show to join them. Last night, Avril put them under their mother. As yet I haven’t received a report as to their wellbeing.

The sheep seem to be doing alright. They still have their thick winter fleeces, and in fairness, it’s just as well, considering how cold the weather is at the moment. Looking out the back, the landscape is dotted with giant woolly hillocks, huddled as close to the ground as possible. Each sheep seems twice as big as it would be in the summer. Of course, somewhere among them is Larry – last year’s super-lamb, now this year’s super-ram. There is a concerned view that despite his wonderful triumph over his many adversities last year, he is a little bit undersized for the stud duties that Avril promised him. No doubt we shall get reports on his prowess.

The target of Avril’s main effort at this time is the preparation for her new museum. Consequently, a lot of work is being done on the barn that will house the collection. The main talking point this week has been about Mark completing the four windows with transparent bricks. Before he could start, a new mobile scaffold had to be acquired, as the windows are only just below ceiling height. With such necessary equipment obtained, Mark has once again shown his adaptability at learning new jobs. Here he is laying the first line of the window bricks.

Everything is being geared to the Grand Opening on 1^st July. Already, Avril has entertainments lined up to augment the enjoyment of what should be a really memorable and exciting day, and she can confirm that Martin Middlebrook and Phil Harding will be among the guests. At the bottom of this newsletter is a personal invitation to everyone that would like to attend the events of that afternoon.

As per usual, Avril has had plenty of guests stay with her – two sets of Canadians, an Australian, and of course several from the UK, notably this week, Yorkshire. Naturally many visitors come to these parts to follow the steps of a member of their family; however, nowadays it is fairly unusual for someone to be on the trail of someone as close to them as their father. Unusual maybe, but that was the case this week. A Canadian couple stayed for three nights, and the husband, who admitted to being in his mid-sixties, was looking to visit the area where his father had been wounded in the Great War. His father was part of Strathcona’s Horse, a Canadian Cavalry unit who were in engaged in an action in the area of Moreuil, south of Villers-Brettoneux on 30 March 1918. Fortunately for these pilgrims, Avril has fairly recently made the acquaintance of a man who lives in that area, who is one of those invaluable local experts. Not only was he only too happy to give the couple a tour of the area, they ended up sipping champagne at the house of the local Marquis! They have moved down to stay in that area for the weekend as they have been invited to the 90^th Anniversary commemorations that are taking place on Saturday and Sunday for the actions that took place at the time that the Canadian visitor’s father was wounded. Avril admits that connections don’t always work that well, but when it does, the visitor ends up with an experience that they’ll never forget.

I’d like to say that the weather has improved, but sadly it is not the case. The rain has been absolutely pouring this afternoon, on the back of high winds. Consequently, even the famous South Staffordshire Pals quartet (walkers, not singers) have had to take cover. Like everyone, they hope for a better day tomorrow.

To finish with, a sign of spring in the Sunken Lane, Beaumont-Hamel.

Invitation

To the Opening of

THE WALL OF REMEMBRANCE

By MARTIN MIDDLEBROOK