Friday 21 June 2013

Pewsey, two King Alfreds and a short lesson in Proto-Brythonic language.

Pewsey Wharf, our present whereabouts. It has a splendid bar up stairs and a bistro at ground level.
Store cupboard was getting rather low so we walked down to the Co-op in the town.


The town has a "Country town" charm, the centre is dominated by a statue of King Alfred.

It was actually set up to celebrate the coronation of King George V and today is it's one hundredth birthday!

Close by the infant Avon flows under and between the houses. It isn't the Bristol Avon which the K&A joins at Bath but the Hampshire Avon which flows south through Salisbury and on to the sea at Christchurch Harbour. For anglers it is the most famous and desirable fishing river in England, it is claimed to contain more species of fish than any other river in these islands.
It is actually incorrect to call any of the Avons, there are at least three in England and one in Scotland, the River Avon as "Avon" is a Proto-Brythonic word meaning river, so River Avon simply means River River. The same applies to the various Rivers Ouse, ouse simply meaning water.
End of today's lesson, I can be a real smart-arse at times.

Outside the Co-op this chap, with crown and shield clearly cut from discarded cardboard, was part of the official celebration of the anniversary. It takes all sorts.......

A sign of the times, The Greyhound is now for sale as an "Exciting residential mews development opportunity." Personally I would prefer it remained a pub.
I forgot to mention that there is an excellent butchers opposite the Co-op.

Watch this space..........

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