Ashdown Forest

Today turned out to be a very good last day in Engerland. I went to Ashdown Forest, where A. A. Milne used the local area as a setting for this two books about Winnie the Pooh and Christopher Robin (who was modeled after his own son). Many of the places mentioned in the Pooh books can be found in real life. I also had the great fortune of seeing a deer up close, and even got in a photo of the poor thing as it fled the scene.

I also went in to the little village of Hartfield, just to the north of Ashdown National Forest and had the best pizza I've had in England at a small bar there.

All Ashdown Forest pics here.

I've mentioned this before I think - the tradition of naming benches after people is very English in style and just about the most rational thing one can do to remember someone. Much better than some memorial or tombstone. This guy sure got a good spot for his bench. RIP, Tony.


The memorial plaque for Milne and artist E. H. Shepard, who used actual scenes from the forest for his drawings. One thing about the landscape though - there are more trees now than there were in Milne's days.


View over East Sussex from the memorial plaque at Gill's Lap (Galleon Lap). Sigh. England, I heart thee!


Kanga & Roo's sandy pit. Wheeeee!


To be a child and PLAY among roots like these. Sigh.


The bottom of this valley is "Eeyores sad and gloomy place", while the Hundred Acre Forest is to the top left. In reality it's called FIVE hundred acre forest. Fo' real.


I declared this random stump the "North Pole". Because I can. So there.


The bridge where Pooh found the North Pole. Honestly, just read the books will you?


"...both that morning equally lay..." - the fuck they did. The one on the right led to a true hell of brushwood and stubby terrain through which I had to play Rambo IV to eventually get to the one on the left, which led to the bridge mentioned above. It was hard work, ah tells ya.


Two seconds after I'd taken the pic above, I heard something coming through the brushwood from the road just above me. I turned to behold the expected Briton with his/her dog and was stunned to see a couple of antlers moving through the vegetation towards me. I stood staring at a deer, eye to eye, but sadly I didn't get my camera up until the old boy was already in full flight down the field. It's little moments like this that make all the lousy meals and horrible hotel rooms worth it. Thank's England. We'll meet again, you know.