Tuesday February 11, 1986

 Chillandham Cross, Itchen Abbas SO21 1AS

Shrove Tuesday

Pancake Day on Sea. We left early and went to Bournemouth, but had a drive through chunks of the New Forest and ended up in Lymington where we had an awful lunch in a pub near the harbour. Thick, jellified packet soup at 90p a squirt. Samuel sat at the table and was very good despite the harrowing sight of the scruffy, tattooed chef clumping around the joint. Most disappointing, though Lymington is very picturesque. All the buildings leaning in that 1685 fashion. Back at Ch.Cross Bessie just back from 'Inner Wheel' proceeded to make 48m phone calls between 5:45 and 10:30. Ally went to bed in a collapsed state and so did Samuel. I sat, feet up, with a large Scotch watching TV. Michael Caine in 'Get Carter'.

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Monday February 10, 1986

 Chillandham Cross, Itchen Abbas SO21 1AS

We went to Winchester and whilst Ally and Samuel went to the shops I escaped to the reference library to look at Sarah Ferguson's pedigree. Bliss. A 1985 Debrett's. Well, here goes. Sarah Ferguson was born October 15, 1959, the second daughter of Major Ronald Ivor Ferguson (born Oct 10, 1931), and of Susan Mary his wife (born 1937), daughter of Fitzherbert Wright, Esq, and the Hon Julia Doreen Wingfield (born 1904). We'll look at the paternal side first. Ronald Ferguson is the son of Colonel Andrew Henry Ferguson (1899-1966), and Marian Louisa, his wife (born June, 1908), the eldest daughter of Lord Herbert Andrew Montagu Douglas Scott, fifth son of the 6th Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry. Thus, Marian M D S is a first cousin of Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester. A generation back we have Algernon Francis Holford Ferguson (1867-1943), who married the Hon Margaret Brand (died 1948), daughter of the 2nd Viscount Hampden (1841-1906), who married Susan Henrietta Cavendish, granddaughter of the Duke of Devonshire. Further back up the tree we have Thomas Ferguson (1795-1859), who married Emma Benyon, of New Grange Hall, Leeds. Sarah's maternal branch is just as illustrious. Her mother is a granddaughter maternally of the 8th Viscount Powerscourt, KP, MVO (1880-1947), by his wife Sybil Pleydell-Bouverie (See Radnor E). The 7th Viscount Powerscourt married Lady Julia Coke, daughter of the 2nd Earl of Leicester. The 6th Viscount P married Lady Elizabeth Jocelyn, daughter of the Earl of Roden. Fitzherbert Wright is descended from the Earls of Romney and the Fitzherbert baronets. Sorry about all this, but it makes me feel much better now I've studied Sarah's pedigree. She and Prince Andrew are probably closely related through the Dukes of Devonshire (the Queen Mum is of Cavendish ancestry). Watch this space.

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Sunday February 9, 1986

 Chillandham Cross, Itchen Abbas S021 1AS

Quinquagesima

New Moon

Very cold. We went after breakfast to Coleford in Frank's disappointing new vehicle. The Merc has been replaced by one of those clones. Very sad. We couldn't understand Frank's driving. He went all over Gloucestershire and Wales to get to Graham's. Poor Ally was green in the back of the car. She's a rotten passenger. Needless to say, Samuel and I slumbered. At Graham's it was the usual Fred Karno's Circus. All the children in a heap on top of the dog. We had soup and sandwiches and went out with a sledge. Yes, all dressed like Scott's Expedition 1912. Or was it 1911? The Titanic was 1912. We left at 5. Graham was grumpy because he wanted to go to the pub. We got back for 7pm. Watched "Spitting Images". Bed after a vast Edwardian-style supper.

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Saturday February 8, 1986

 Chillandham Cross, Itchen Abbas SO21 1AS

The Old Vine.

We went out to Winchester leaving Samuel with granny. We sat in a pub for a few hours (the Vine?), just watching people. Ally in her raincoat and 'Queen Mum' felt hat. Very county. She ate a giant baked potato covered in chilli whilst I looked on with a pint of Stella Artois. We looked at the shops and browsed. 

The Daily Telegraph has me even more agog re Sarah Ferguson. Major Hugh Lindsay, personal equerry to HM, has been despatched to Switzerland to protect poor Miss Ferguson from the Press. It really must be on. I would really like to spend an hour with my Burke's Peerage. I do miss my 'bible'. In future my reference books will have to accompany me on tours. I cannot accept that Major Ron Ferguson is a FIRST cousin of Princess Alice, but we shall see. 

Tonight we went out. To Chandler's Ford and to a new pub, all Laura Ashley and pine. It won't last. Then to the Otter at Otterbourne, and the funny old Percy Hobbs. Home late. Ally wants to go to Graham's tomorrow.

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Friday February 7, 1986

 Chillandham Cross, Itchen Abbas S021 1AS

The good old Daily Telegraph has put me out of my misery and has reported on Sarah Ferguson's lineage. She descends from Charles II through the Dukes of Buccleuch. Major Ferguson is a cousin of Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, who is a daughter of the 7th Duke of Buccleuch, and so Sarah is a second cousin of the Duke of Gloucester. Impeccable. I am very happy now. The fact that the DT is speculating is a good sign that something is in the air. Miss Ferguson shares a flat in Clapham Junction with one of the Princess of Wales's ladies in waiting. All this could be a red herring. Sarah might just be a friend of the princess and isn't interested in Andrew at all. The DT says the romance has been going on for 8 months, and Sarah spends days on end at Kensington Palace. Major Ferguson recently remarried and has a baby daughter who was christened last week with the Waleses in attendance. Sarah's mother is Mrs Hector Barrantes. I really didn't like not knowing.

We took to our beds this evening with our books at a luxurious hour and lay in a heap of idleness. In the morning we had ventured into a frosty Alresford with Bessie, where I bought 'George VI' by John Wheeler-Bennett for £3. It was published in 1958 and is in good nick.

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Thursday February 6, 1986

 Chillandham Cross, Itchen Abbas SO21 1AS

Chillandham Cross.

Samuel had a bad night. Well, a broken night, and I was up with him every hour or so. Downstairs at 3am for orange juice. Ally got up with Samuel at 7am and she brought me my breakfast in bed at 9. Porridge and bacon sandwiches. I could hardly swallow it down worrying about I would have to pay for this lapse into old style luxury later. But to be honest I d not like eating in bed. The crumbs get everywhere. Snow had fallen in the night. Bitterly cold. The three of us walked down Chilland Lane and over the river to Easton and then back here over the fields. Samuel walked all the way toddling through the snow covered fields. After lunch we went into Winchester and to the library where I looked at Debrett's Handbook 1984 for a reference to Major Ron Ferguson. In what way is he descended from the Stuart Kings? No sign of him in the good book. Sod it. Later, on the BBC news, we saw Miss Ferguson with the Prince and Princess of Wales at Klosters further firing speculation that a royal engagement is imminent. Prince Andrew, de facto Duke of York, goes on NATO exercises this week and so he wasn't in the skiing party. A night around the fire. Read "I, Claudius" which I've wanted to read for years. Robert Graves snuffed it recently. "Blackadder" on the TV.

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