A walk home along High Street, Wing, Buckinghamshire

Stand at the south end of High Street. To the right, the dust is kicking up from the carts travelling the road to Ascott and Leighton Buzzard. To the left, the Dove Inn¹.

The Dove Inn looks pretty quiet this afternoon. There's the Pollard boys, hard at work in the blacksmith's shop next door. William's been looking a mite peaky lately, he's stopped to take a rest². Hold on, there's Ernest across the road waving at me. Better go see what he wants...

Well I never! He's got some more of those post-cards in, photographs of our little village with his name on the back and all - "Cleaver, Wing, Bucks". He thinks the hoity toity set that come to Ascott for the hunting will be keen to buy 'em. That lot are only interested in horses if you ask me, the posh kind, not the good honest carthorses on some of the postcards.

One of the pictures was taken right about where I'm standing now, outside his post office looking up the road. Mrs Cleaver was in the doorway of the post office, and the other neighbours had quite the set-out by the Queen's Head. Have to admit, I came rushing over too when I heard that photographer chap from Leighton was here - but you won't catch me in the photographs! All very interesting it was though. Particularly when Mrs Lovell³ gave him what-for for blocking the road!

Speaking of the Queen's Head, perhaps I'll stop in for a quick pint with Henry.

That's odd, he's not there. Up the road at the Cock Inn⁴ maybe?

Right, had a quick chat and a wee bit to wet my whistle. I don't think Henry's missus will be pleased though, he's had more than a wee bit!

At the Cross⁵, so nearly home now. Ernest had another new post-card in, some of the little 'uns dandling about in the road with Wantage House behind. James Adams did well enough, him a carpenter and now managing the estate for Lady Wantage and living in the big House to prove it. You can't quite see our cottage on the postcard though - just as well, or my Mary⁶ would be wanting one. And who's she going to send it to anyway, I ask you!

This blog post is an entry in A Festival of Postcards blog carnival for "Main Street" June 2009

¹ - did I mention it's 1901? It's another century or so before the Dove stopped serving.
² - William Pollard died in March 1902 at age 24, six months after his only surviving child was born - luckily for me...
³ - Mrs Julia Lovell was one of the village carriers.
⁴ - yes, that makes three pubs along the 400m total length of High Street.
⁵ - the intersection of High Street and Vicarage Lane
⁶ - play along at home with the 1901 census and guess which Wing resident might be walking home!