Our Flustice

Here, at Thordale, there is a moral concept called “Flustice”.

The dictionary definition of “Flustice”, if there was such a word, would be “fairness at all times by Flossie”.

Which in simple English means everyone gets their piece of carrot.

No one is missed out.

And Floss will even go the extra mile too. Yesterday, Vitamin was quite away from the main herd.

So Floss legged it over the hill to find her.

I honestly think Floss wouldn’t be able to sleep at night if she knew Vitamin, or any other pony, hadn’t had their carrot.

(I love Vitamin’s face!)

And I also love how Tiddles wants another carrot and was prepared to lie through his teeth that he had been given nothing earlier. Sadly for him there is photographic evidence!.

Floss gave him a kiss instead!

So that is what flustice is. The fair and equitable distribution of things carrotty to small Shetland ponies (plus any other equine or ovine who happens to be in the area and on the scrounge!)

A Few Shetland Pony Snaps

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A few snappity-snaps from today. We could not find the little s*ds. I eventually saw them in the far distance – they had finally walked up to the top of the hill of their ginormous field and were enjoying a lovely view plus more grass.

Fivla and Vitamin doing their Abba impression – Knowing me, knowing you!

Silver and Newt trying out their’s.

Little Albert Potato smiling for the camera! Such a sweet smile too.

The enigmatic Newt (another gastro-pub somewhere within the M25).

Storm. Nuff said.

Silver being nice to Storm.

Silver’s true intentions coming out.

Silver trying – as in very trying (which is strange, as it is usually Storm!)

My pretty little Albie again

Tiddles! Darling Tiddles. Never shoot a pony because he has blue eye. You wouldn’t have Tiddles then.

Newt – “Remember my Book of Revenge? I am on Volume XII now!”

And lastly Fivla looking so utterly perfect.

Waffle was not included due to the fact he was trying to Star Trek transport himself into the car!

Interesting Fact: Today is Silver, Storm and Waffle’s coming-to-me birthday. They arrived exactly today in 2014 (I count it as the day after the Lerwick Up Helly Aa as it is a National Holiday here) – so 6 years ago, by my calculations. Time flies when you are having fun! I am glad they are doing so well now.

Silver, Waffle and Storm. The fourth pony (far left) never came to me. He died.

In the Rain

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I sort of guessed it might rain today. The clouds could not be more ominous if they tried.

But animals still need feeding. We are not good-weather owners.

Kappi and Dreki (I had to think twice about this photo as I wasn’t sure if it wasn’t Kappi and Taktur….)

…. until Dreki turned to look at me.)

This is Taktur – rather soggy. He is thinking. He has his Thinking Ears on.

But still very majestic.

Efstur was mooching about on his own while the others were resting after hay and hard feed. They were full.

Efstur is doing very well this winter. Note how their coats run to points so the rain just falls off, leaving a dry under-coat. A brilliant design by Mother Nature.

Despite being full, the boys were hoping we would come with more hard feed and possibly some more hay and they were not budging until we did.

They had this field to go to, if they wanted.

I suggested that they might like to move on, get a job or even have an independent thought but no, they stayed there trying to catch my attention and say how thin and underfed they all were and how they had nothing, not even a field. Silly boys. They did eventually shift – a few hours later. Their choice, their decision.

BeAnne was little Miss Bouncy-Bean today, which was lovely to see. Those TurmerEase slices are doing her the world of good. We highly recommend.

A Sad Family Story

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I have always known about Kate’s brother, Edward. The family story was that he went to Hungary to tutor a young girl and fell in love with her. When her father found out, he said “no” and Edward was told to leave. He then fell out of a train (either accident or suicide attempt from love) and was never the same again. Kate used to visit him once a year (possibly in Northampton, my mother remembers) and Alys (his little sister, my great grandmother) never saw him again. And that was all we ever knew.

Until I started to transcribe Kate’s diaries…..

They do not make for happy reading – you have been warned.

Edward Boyd was the eldest child and only brother of Katherine (Kate) and Alys. His father, Phillip Boyd, died of tuberculosis when Edward was only 11 leaving him to be the head of the house, the “man of the family”.

The Boyd family – all wearing mourning clothes in 1846. L-R Kate, Edward, Alys, Lucy (mother)

Edward was educated at Clifton College, Bristol and then Sidney College, Cambridge University (1895 – 1898) where he attained Exhibitioner Natural Science Tripos 1st Class.

The family were thrilled with his achievements and, from the diaries, it was clear to see that Edward was a much-loved and admired member of the family.

Entries from Kate’s diaries

“Friday, 17^th June 1898
De B’s encore in bed to breakfast. Aunt Ada and I to Westbourne. Had croquet out. Edward got 4 telegrams to congratulate him on his getting a “first class” in his Tripos!!! Oh Joy!!! A drive at 2.30. We played tennis a lot. Speeches at dinner.”

Having taken his Degree, Edward left a few days later to work for the family of Countess Pejacsevich-Mikó,
Nógrád-Ludány
Hungary

Kate’s Diary entry…

Thursday, June 23rd 1898
Mother, Alys, Ed and I drove to town; had photographs taken and shopped. Cut sandwiches in afternoon; and had tea-party, as see mem. Wade came and helped to serve. Played tennis and croquet. Uncle P “migraine”.

The official Family Photograph taken before Edward leaves for Hungary L-R Alys, Mother (Lucy), Edward and Kate

Friday, June 24^th June 1898
Rained all day hard. We packed and saw to Edward’s things. He and Uncle Pierre to town. Wadie came and did sewing. Had songs in evening. Dear old Edward sang “Sleep”. Uncle P sang.

Saturday, June 25^th June 1898
Packed and did heaps of things. All morning. Rainy, showery. At 1.30 we all to station to see Edward off to Hungary via see “mem”. Mother and Alys home. The De B’s, Aunt Ada and I to Winter Gardens. Walked home, songs, etc, in evening.

Mem: Edward to Harwich, Rotterdam, Cologne, Frankfurt, Munich, Danube, etc.

Letters went backwards and forwards, even a lovely birthday present (scarf and ring) for Kate, when suddenly 3 months later a telegram arrived.

“Monday, 19^th September 1898
Wrote to Aunt Alice, Tades, Mrs Geddes, Sarah, Minnie. Ella and Alys to tea at Menies. I rested and read Lamb’s Essays 45. Telegram from Uncle H. Ed sunstroke. Mrs Carnie and Hannah and Norah in.”

Lucy (Edward, Kate and Alys’ mother) and Uncle Harold (Lucy’s brother) went straight to Troppau where Edward was in hospital and with that their whole world collapsed.

The diagnosis of sunstroke changed to “malarial fever” and Edward was subsequently declared insane.

Suffering from delusions and auditory hallucinations, Edward had thrown himself out of a train to kill himself. There was no unrequited love story.

With the help of Edward’s Austrian psychiatrist and possibly a man-servant/hospital orderly, Mother and Kate (aged 19) took him home to England where he was swiftly transferred to Holloway Sanatorium Virginia Water in Surrey – a private mental institution known for the care and treatment of the insane. Edward was only 22.

Only photograph of Edward in his medical notes

Just over one year later, Edward was discharged from Holloway Sanatorium and moved to Bethlem (Bedlam) Hospital – a psychiatric hospital in London.

He stayed there for 4 years and was then transferred, I think, to Bryn-y-neuadd Mental Hospital, Llanfairfechan, Caernarvonshire (though there may be more hospitals in between – I can find no record.)

Edward died in 1946 aged 69 at St Andrew’s Hospital, Northampton.

If you are interested his mental health records from his stay in Holloway and Bethlem are here. (WARNING: It is fairly brutal reading.)

It must’ve been a very sad state of affairs for the whole family. I may find out more as I transcribe more diaries. The 1899 one is missing, and I don’t know why. Maybe it was all too much in that year and Kate destroyed it. We will probably never know.