Hambledon

Hambledon

Hambledon [1][2] is an Hampshire village, of cricket fame (the game was almost invented there). For those less fond of this game, the village is surrounded by typical views of the countryside in the south of England.

We visited the area on 30, January (2010). Ill-equipped with an approximative map, we did not find the historic Bat & Ball Inn, a public house run by the local champions in those times where achievements didn't cut you away from the world, nor even a monument celebrating, again, cricket. We had to retreat in our own, improvised Monarch's way, cutting through fields and forest.

2010

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  St Peter and St Paul of Hambledon.
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  An unaccountably attractive door.
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  Studying the map.
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  In the middle of Hampshire.
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  A British vineyard (but fruitless).
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  Locals who can't give direction.
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  Pipe style on stile.
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  Is that the way?
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  Computer desktop looking background.
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  Beautiful fields. All looking alike.
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  Hunters in formation.
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  An escapee.

2020

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  This time we found the cricket field.
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  A tribute to the game.
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  The bat and ball pub.
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  The prettiest remain the fields.
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  It looks like nothing but when you are there, you are nowhere else...
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  and wouldn't like to be. You become the fields!
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  Making wine in England is like besieging an ennemy's position.
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  The walls are made from beach stones.
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  Enjoying a pub one last time, with cricket memorabilia in the background.
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  Julia and Elena on both sides of an important frontier.
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  The unaccountably attractive door, ten years later.
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  The church.

One rule reads as "Caught" 22. If the ball, from a stroke of the bat... be held..although..hugged to the body of the catcher:- The STRIKER is out.