EXPERIENCES IN ENGLAND: GREETINGS FROM ABROAD

Greetings from abroad.

I arrived just a few days ago at Stansted Airport, where my husband was anxiously waiting and eager to begin showing me the beautiful countryside and our home in England. After a leisurely drive through the peaceful countryside with gentle, sloping hills and freshly plowed farm fields, we arrived at Shimpling Hall cottage, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, a charming two-bedroom cottage house that would be home for at least the next year.

The grounds that surround the manor house and our cottage are all fenced with brick and stone walls or hedge roses. Everywhere you look are beautiful flower and vegetable gardens. Roses are extremely popular here and are found in most every yard and garden.

The owners, the David Hume family, are very much like those who live in this area, having a vegetable garden all fenced to keep out the deer and rabbits. Everything is organically grown, and everything is neat and in its place right down to the last garden tool. They have a large greenhouse and three sheds for dozens of pieces of gardening equipment and tools. I was told by their gardener that it is essential that they have everything they need since they live miles from the nearest store and must lock everything up after using it.

At the front entrance of the grounds is a large, white gate that is closed each evening to keep out deer and any other intruders. It is so peaceful hear that I cannot imagine someone coming onto the property to steal, but apparently this is done when they are gone.

The cottage house comes complete with a rain barrel so that you water your flowers properly and do not waste even a drop of water. The English are very ecology-minded, with nearly everyone having composts and frugal use of water and electricity.

It is very beautiful and quiet here with the lush, green lawns, farmland fields and lovely temperature of 55 to 65 at night and 70 to 78 degrees by midday. It has rained only once so far, but I expect that will not last much longer, since England is famous for its frequent weather changes that usually include rain. I have had extremely good luck so far with crystal-clear skies at night and blue skies with soft clouds during the day. The early mornings are nippy, and you definitely need a jacket for warmth. When the wind get up, it is very chilling even during the day.

Hunting is a big sport here with grouse season running from mid-August to mid-December. Partridge season is September to January, and pheasant season is October to January. I spotted the most gorgeous pheasant as I was taking a walk down the narrow-laned road where I live. Also, duck season is September to late February. I learned that game shooting is forbidden on Sundays and on Christmas in England and Wales. I have heard hunters shooting in the surrounding area at least twice already.

I feel I have escaped to the peace of the British countryside and am soaking up a more complete sense of the way life was and yet is today. I must not forget to tell you that milk is delivered twice weekly in glass bottles just like our mothers use to get. There are no tourist crowds here like you might find in London and other big towns. I find the distinctive character, flavor and love of nature by the British natives very refreshing. Already I have experienced the fun of shopping for fresh vegetables, fruits and cheese in an open-air market in Sudbury just seven miles from the cottage. The market is open Thursdays and Saturdays.

On the same day that I did the marketing, I drove to Lavenham, since it is only a few miles farther. Lavenham boasts of being the "finest medieval town in England" with historic houses and gardens. Lavenham is famous for its crooked houses, most of which are connected to one another and are extremely fascinating, looking as if they belonged in a Dickens storybook. It was in Lavenham that I had my first truly English pub food. The most economical dining out here is in the pubs, and I found the food very fresh and delicious having fish, potatoes and salad with bottled water to drink.

I have saved my most unique experience for last. I was exploring, and I headed out for a short bike ride. As I rode along, I found according to the sign on the road that I was only one mile from a vineyards where they do short tours of the grounds that are stocked with animals and birds: sheep, horses, peacocks and chickens. Inside is a tea room, a video showing all about growing grapes and wine tasting after. The farm is a famous bed-and-breakfast stop and is called Gifford's Hall.

Everywhere I have gone I have found the people friendly and helpful whether for marketing or asking directions. So while stopping briefly at Gifford's Hall, I was told that I was just one-half mile from the little village of Hartest, where the famous Terry Waite lives in a house they pointed out is right next to the butcher shop. Terry Waite, as you will recall, was in captivity for six years and has been an inspiration to millions around the world for his strength of character and iron will.

Well, I could not resist, so I biked to Hartest and found Waite's little house sandwiched between the butcher shop and another house. There I saw a terrific yellow convertible roadster parked out front. As luck would have it, Terry Waite was coming out of his house, and I spoke. I told him I was an American living down the road a bit and was just out enjoying the beauty of the area. Waite is a very tall man with a full beard and a bit of a crippled walk, perhaps caused by the pain he suffered in prison.

Waite, I found out from the people in the village, is a modest man, extremely friendly and loved by the people in the area. He gives freely of his time for charitable causes and is truly one of the people. Even though he has been given a very expensive home in London, he chooses to spend a good bit of his time in the country. After being here only a short time, I can truly understand why.

After that exhilarating experience, I found my way to the local Church of England cathedral, where some older women were arranging flowers and fruits for a harvest service for Sunday evening at 6 p.m. There would be no morning service, because they share a vicar with another village. After a bit, the ladies, being curious, asked me questions, and I told them that I taught music and golf in America, both of which seemed to interest them.

They asked if I would like to play the organ. I quickly said yes, even though I'm not an organist. I played a few hymns from their hymnal, and then one came and sat on the organ bench with me and shared that she did not attend that church and could I play "Amazing Grace." I suppose this hymn is the most universal hymn in the world. She and I both enjoyed hearing this great old hymn as I played it on a baroque organ in a church built in the early 1500s.

As I left for home, I felt a sense of history and warmth as I thought just how amazing life is and how new experiences awaken our senses to everything around us, including nature, people and, yes, even God.

More later.

Judith Williams Johnson and husband Dr. George Johnson of Cape Girardeau recently began an extended stay in England near Cambridge. This is the first in a series of reports about their experiences.