Thursday November 22nd 1990
Went to Chalfont St Giles and Aylesbury Library to research Whan Cross, near Jordans, with its old Quaker burial ground. Whan Cross had been a Conference and Retreat House where I had stayed with my family as a young boy, aged 4 or so. It had been organised by my uncle who was a clergyman in London. I sang ‘There’s a worm at the bottom of the garden and his name is Wiggly-Woo,’ at a concert party, after which I was known around the family as Wiggly-Woo.
At Whan Cross, the cook, an Austrian woman I think, put lots of salt in the porridge. She took me with her to communion and explained what people had to do.
We went on a nature walk in small groups to find interesting ‘treasures’. I was with my eldest brother Andrew and my cousin Clare and found the whole experience spellbinding.
We walked to Milton’s cottage. ‘Milton came to this “pretty box” in 1665 seeking refuge from the plague. His pupil and friend Thomas Ellwood (a Quaker) found it for him.’ A at another cottage an old lady made us huge meringues.
Monday November 22nd 2021
Just started reading Drive Your Plow Over The Bones Of The Dead by Olga Tokarczuk.
