“2nd July? We’re bound to have some nice weather!” we naively thought, back when we were planning our summer social, a walk and picnic from Manningtree train station to Flatford Mill. And it was nice weather – for the ducks, at least. For the humans, it was probably slightly more on the damp side than ideal, but still we set out, undeterred!
The walk from Manningtree train station to Flatford Mill takes you through some of the most beautiful countryside in the East Anglia region, if not the whole of the UK – not for nothing is the area called “Constable Country”. And indeed, Flatford Mill is closely associated with the work of John Constable, whose father inherited the mill in 1764. It is now owned by the National Trust, and on more summery summer days, is a very popular spot. Along with the mill itself, there’s all the amenities you expect from a National Trust property, including a café and second-hand bookshop, along with a few more unusual features, like the historic cottage and boats for hire so you can paddle up and down the River Stour a little.
Unfortunately, hiring a boat would probably have been pushing it a little given the weather – intrepid we may be, but not foolhardy. It probably would have been a bit of a squeeze to get all seven of us in the boat anyway. Instead, we sat under some very dense trees and ate our picnic, with hot tea from the café. We talked about all the things translators and interpreters talk about when we get together – the state of the industry, technological developments, the challenges of starting out in the current climate. We also discussed other important issues, like which shape of crisp provided the best combination of flavour and texture, and we also all tried some limelon provided by one of the attendees. It’s too complicated an issue to get into the details of here, but let us say, opinions are divided.
All in all, it was a lovely and refreshing day out, in spite of the weather. And it could have been worse, as Constable’s Rainstorm over the Sea (ca. 1824-1828) reminds us…
Write-up by our member David Stockings MITI MCIL MA (he/him) Translator, German and French to English
