The weather did not look at all promising yesterday (19th) so it was great to find that 8 members had boarded the X7 bus to Salisbury.  It’s a lovely ride and the bus wriggles its way through several attractive villages on route- Landford, Whiteparish and Alderbury to name but three.    Those of us who chose to travel on the top deck get a whole different aspect looking down on pretty gardens and enjoying wider vistas than is possible by car. 

Arriving in Salisbury we had twenty minutes spare before the Bournemouth bus pulled in beside us and we were off again, this time via Downton and Fordingbridge and on to Ringwood where we alighted at 11.30am in bright sunshine.  Being immediately outside the Old Meeting House we chose to have our refreshment there and were served in the old family box pews which still remained inside.   

The Meeting House was built in 1727 by a local group of Presbyterian dissenters known as non-conformists because they wished to worship God in their own puritanical way and not follow the C of E’s Articles of Religion as laid down in the book of Common Prayer.  The building has had little alteration since then and it’s architectural style reflects early Georgian taste in general and has plain walls and windows and galleries on three sides of the hall.

By the early 19th century the ministry seems to have changed to Unitarian but it closed as a Unitarian Chapel in about 1976.    With the help of grants and generous benefactors total restoration was enabled by 2011 and the building reopened to the public as a meeting place, museum and for many other functions - including weddings. 

Having had a good look around we decided to split and make our own perambulations around this quaint old (in parts) town for the next two hours and meet again for the journey back.  It was obvious that many had perused the local charity shops and several “bargains” were admired.   

And so it was back to Salisbury (passing Blashford Lakes) where many moons ago our bird-watching group would often meet.    The bus appeared to be dashing along the roads at quite a pace at times but that may have been illusional due to the hedgerows being so close to the road.    Back in Salisbury there was enough time for a quick visit to a store and then back on the X7 for the hour’s run to Totton through some heavy rain at one time.    I think that most of us reached home in the dry and all thanked Christine for an enjoyable day.    We’ll probably wait until early next year for another trip somewhere, but who knows, someone may come up with a bright idea before then and we’ll be all ears.

Ken.

Ps: Should anyone be interested, the old Debenhams store on the square in Salisbury is reopening early in November as a Bradbeers store.