Day 61: Sunday 18 May - Jonners and Studland

It was another bright sunny day and after breakfast Jane and I took a twenty minute walk to Godlingston cemetery situated off the lane leading to Sue and Richards camping ground.

Thatched Cottage, Ulwell

In the cemetry we hoped to find Brian Johnstons’s grave. Inter-alia, Brian was one of the UK’s best cricket commentators leading the BBC radio’s Test Match Special (TMS) team for many years. He was noted for his schoolboy humour and ability to keep the commentary going even when there was nothing happening on the field of play, e.g. he would describe the London buses he could see passing the Oval from the commentary box. He once complained on air that he had missed his cake at tea during one match and was subsequently inundated with cakes from listeners. The TMS team has continued to receive cakes from listeners ever since.

Probably Jonners’ most famous piece of commentary was “the bowlers Holding the batsman’s Willey (referring to the West Indian Michael Holding bowling to England’s Peter Willey in a test match in 1976). He also said “there’s Neil Harvey standing at leg slip with his legs wide apart, waiting for a tickle (referring to Neil Harvey, the Australian, in a test match against England.

There was also the memorable occasion when his co-commentator Johnathan Agnew described Ian Botham’s hit wicket dismissal in a test when Botham lost his balance and then failed in his attempt to hurdle the stumps. Agnew commented “Botham didn’t quite get his leg over”. Jonners took up the commentary at that point and after about 30 seconds dissolved into a fit of giggles that lasted for ages. It can still be heard at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsVTpX7LdZQ

Jonners also changed the names of his fellow commentators by adding ‘ers’ to their names, e.g. Agnew became Aggers and Henry Blofeld was known as Blowers. I have many happy memories of listening to Jonners and the team, often while watching the TV coverage with the sound turned down. I simply couldn’t be that close to his resting place without paying a visit.

The walk took us along narrow country lanes, good enough for Smarty, but far too tight for Mabel. All we knew from Sue was that the grave was to the right of the cemetry’s main driveway. We spent a good half hour examining headstones without any luck. I heard a woman tending a nearby grave talking on her mobile phone, she was obviously talking to someone recently bereaved. When she finished the conversation, I asked if she knew the cemetery well, it turned out she was an ex-undertaker who was still fielding calls relating to her former profession. It turned out I was literally metres from Jonners’ grave. The ex-undertaker explained that the headstone had been removed as Jonners’ mother was buried there late last year and the grave needs to settle for 6 months before the headstone can be replaced. Sure enough the grave had two small markers – Brian Alexander Johnston 1912 to 1994 and Nanciebel Pauline Apples Johnston, Aged 90 years 26 September 2013. If that was his mother then she was born 10 years after him and that would have made for an interesting piece of commentary during a lull in play! Subsequent research showed Brian married Pauline Tozer and it must be his wife buried alongside him.

Narrow Lane On way To Cemetry (and to Sue and Richard's caravan)

Godlingston Cemetry

Jonners' Grave

Jonners' Grave Marker

After walking back to Mabel we drove to Studland in Smarty arriving in time for a picnic lunch in the beach hut of the left overs from last night’s barbeque. Sue suggested she and I walk to the church nearby, it was a fine building dating back to the 12th Century with a squat rectangular tower. Among the graves in the churchyard was that of an Admiral who died aged 84 after more than 70 years in the navy.

Studland Church

After that Jane and I lazed on the beach for a while but needing something to do I started clearing the shingle off the upturned dinghy blocking the steps to Sue and Richard’s beach hut. I was soon joined by Sue, Richard and Jane and a couple that had been sitting on the beach nearby. It took very little time to shift sufficient shingle for the six of us to manhandle the boat out of the way.

Boat Shifted

Late in the afternoon it began to cool down as the sun dropped behind the cliff at the back of the beach huts and we decided it was time to make a move. We drove back to Sue and Richard’s caravan and had another very enjoyable barbeque cooked by Richard.

Babeque Dinner