General Chat

Britons are not generally known for their expertise in foreign languages, which is sad in itself. But the demise of any 'local' language should be avoided at all costs.

I listened, enthralled, to some French & German politicians on a radio show not so long ago, as they debated in flawless English. Can you imagine any of our vaunted representatives being invited on to a French or German chat show, and trying to converse in anything other than a laughable version of 'Pidgin English'?

(Sorry for diverting the subject away from pigs.)

Probably True - Cornish as a language was 'dying out' until recently. There has been a resurgence since the County was granted some sort of special status a few years ago.
Because the language hasn't evolved, CCC are having problems translating some of the more recent road names :-D
.......

Possibly the source for the comment
http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/500-say-Cornish-language/story-18031180-detail/story.html (Feb 2013)

Some 557 people have claimed Cornish is their main language in the 2011 Census.

In Cornwall alone, 464 people stated Cornish is their mother tongue, according to the Office for National Statistics, or 0.1% of the local population.
The Cornish Language Board believes only 300 people are "fluent" in the language.

Polish appears to be Cornwall's second language, with 1,984 people (0.4%) saying it is their main language

Cornwall being mentioned jogged my memory of a comment early today on Radio 4 that there are now more Polish speaking residents in that lovely county than indigenous Cornish speakers. True or false? :-S

Just for the record, I am aware of how pannage works - as is my driver.
Or perhaps his being brought up in the Forest passed him by???
Also our mutual friend who lives at East Boldre - has commoners rights - but no livestock. That's his wish, as, with emphysema he hasn't got the 'puff' to be checking them.
Oh, forgot to mention, I lived in the New Forest for 6 years. Perhaps, when I lived there, I was totally unaware of anything Forest related that went on around me, like I seemed to have invented the hills I walk up and down in Winchester.

As a by-line, my dad's stepdad (a Cornishman) lived there a few years - he was the agent for Crosthwaite-Eyre snr, who, I believe no-one can deny, should have known quite a bit about the Forest.
Further back, my g grandmother was of Forest stock - Boldre and Fawley to be precise just look up the name Burt and New Forest, and it is evident just how far back THAT family goes
We are far from 'Grockles'.

As for the pigs being released in areas away from grockles - not necessarily so. It depends on the owner. Some may put them away from the few tourists still about, not everyone does. There are also 'traditional' areas where people want their pigs to roam.
As is evident from my earlier posting, there are many oak and beech trees on the wooded road to Emery Down. Far better for the pigs to be eating them, than the ponies. It's not a case of 'hide the pig', it's more a case of 'get our pigs fattened up ASAP' and, as a sideline, 'get rid of the acorns and Beech mast before the ponies need the help of a vet'!!

http://www.newforest-life.com/New-Forest-pigs.html

One of my dec. uncle's rellies is a copyholder and he is certainly exercising his right of mast this year. In case you were not aware during the pannage the pigs are not let out to roam all over as the ponies do but are released into chosen areas and brought in at night. Chosen areas tend not to be those that grockles can most easily access. The pigs ( just like wild boars ) like to lie down and snooze when not eating and you can pass by within a yard of them and not be aware.

New Forest pork from free range pigs is very fine eating. They have applied for an EU fine food status. I hope they get it.

Well, Sharron, yesterday, the 'driver' and I walked through Ober (near Brockenhurst). We walked over the heath (used to grow vegetables during the war), and took the long route through the woods. We sat down for a tea on the edge of a cycle route we came across (boggy ground around us), watched some late dragonflies and heard a grunting sound. Initially, we thought it was pigs.

Following the sound through dying bracken, we came across a deer enclosure.
There was a herd of female red deer - and two stags!!
We were downwind of them, so they were unaware we were there.
The stags were having a shouting match, and were getting ready for a 'set to', when, to our right came the sound of people shouting. The deer heard this, and both backed off.
The noise emanated from yet another group of bl**dy D of E candidates :-|
This would have discouraged any pigs in the area as well, so we walked back to the car, intending to go to woods near Emery Down.

On the drive to Emery Down, it became obvious pigs weren't in the area, due to the high number of bloated ponies on the edge of the road - eating acorns!
So we went to the pub :-D

Over the past few weeks, we've visited areas where, traditionally, pigs were put out. We can only conclude, that, since becoming a National Park, 'Men in Suits' are having a say :-(

The lowly pig was once a totem of prehistoric Jews.

We saw about 50 spooked ponies gallop onto Whitemoor, which was a bit strange, but then we saw a stallion.
We also saw a group of D of E lads harassed by a pony, which was rather funny.
They'd been sat down. When they stood up, and put their rucksacks on, they had left what looked like a blue blanket on the floor.
A pony walked over, picked it up and flicked it in their faces :-D

We did see a herd (?)of eight donkeys near Fritham.

That was a bit good.

I've been 3 times in the past 3 weeks, and haven't seen one either (or I would have told you).
My chauffers been lots of times (on average, every other day ) and not seen any!
I did spot a sand lizard, though :-D

I think a tiger might be a little worse.

The last thing I would want to bump into on a country walk

is a blooming pig ;-) ;-)

Just like the pigs in the forest, he would know if I was coming to see him and decide it would be a good day to spend in his sty or wherever he goes.

There are wallabies boinging about in the woods near Arundel.

I think ours is a so called micro pig
that wasn't quite micro when it grew up

so has been let go in the wild hills of Eston :-D :-D

Don't want to see that pig either!

There's a black pig runs wild
At Captain Cooks monument on the hills :-D

We have been to the New Forest today,driven about all over the place, Rufus Stone, Fritham, Bealieu, Bucklers Hard, East Boldre.

Not seen a curly tail nor heard a grunt.

I don't even think the pannage really happens and I certainly didn't want to see a pig. Why break with tradition?