Emsworth Slipper SC

Nice detail the weather vane on top of the club house.

Apparently the club was first names Emsworth Mud Slippers Sailing Club when it was officially formed in 1921, not sure those heels would have been all that good for walking out on the mud flats.

Royal Victoria Military Hopsital Netley

Having recently visited and written about the military cemetery which adjoins the now country park which was formerly the Royal Victoria military hospital, I thought it was time to have a better look around and explore the history of the main hospital.

In it's day the main building (sadly demolished in 1966) was the longest in the world. I hadn't realised until my latest visit that in it's hey day the hospital had it's own branch line and railway station.

A recently erected display  shows the station which stood at the rear of the main building , alas all long gone, but a few traces of the tracks can still be seen.

These photographs give some sense of the scale of the hospital, judging from the uniforms were probably taken during WW1.

Built after the Crimean war on the orders of Queen Victoria, it's purpose was to train army nurses and doctors and to treat military patients to ensure their swift return to duty.

Netley was chosen as the site because it was near to Southampton so that hospital ships from around the British Empire could safely dock and disembark patients.

Signs of Autumn

 Fungi growing on an old oak, no idea if it's edible, probably someone will say it's a rare delicacy, but I don't have the experience and am not taking any chances.

 

Further down the path, fallen acorns crunching under foot as we walk past the donkey fields.

The summer flourish is over. Everything changing and starting to wind down to winter

 

 

Out onto the river path where a seasonal breeze was blowing up the river kicking up a few short waves.

The Dales

Sadly for a "sailor away from the sea" there are too few mountains in England, but the  northern Dales and Pennines have some spectacular and rather lovely country especially along the shallow and fast flowing rivers.

Above the River Wear above Stanhope in Weardale, slow and lazy in the dry summer.

The falls at Richmond on the River Swale.

The Wear again at wolsingham.

High Force falls on the River Tees near Middleton in Teesdale, clearly Niagra they are not, but a 70 feet or so high they are powerful even in summer.

Exploring upriver

 We took kayaks upriver and under the low road bridge at Botley Mill to explore the furthest navigable parts of the Hamble.

It was clearly a daring trip with ever present dangers.

An almost French feel to the river as it skirts the old Botley Mill and a bridge that I had no idea existed, note to self must get up and explore on foot.

The very top of the channel the river disappears into a tiny stream, presumably that's the point where fresh water is running down into the tidal river.

And finally our destination the famous Botley falls, not exactly Niagra.

Hadrian's Wall

Work began in in AD 122 during the reign of the emperor Hadrian.

The stone wall ran from the banks of the River Tyne near the North Sea to the Solway Firth on the Irish Sea, it was the northern limit of the Roman Empire.

The wall built which was built to take advantage of the high ridges which separate Roman Britain from the north of which were the lands of the northern Ancient Britons.

The scale of the wall is awe inspiring as it bisects the rugged countryside. We're so fortunate that so much survives to this day.

Nice 12 footer

Spotted this very pretty and superbly finished 12' dinghy at the boat ramp.

The owner had inherited it from a family member who had built it and confirmed it as a Selway Fisher design. From the distinctive bow I think it's a Highlander 12.

Paul Fisher has lots of nice boats featured in his online catalogue.

Day boats

My lonely reader will probably remember that I have a thing about day boats, so here are a couple more I spotted on my recent travels.

Nice open gaffer, looks to have some handy stowage space under the fore deck. The spray hood is a little angular, something more rounded would enhance the looks, but it provides a welcome shelter.

Above on the hard at Itchenor I should know what this is, at first glance I thought it was a Soling, but that keel mounted rudder suggests not.

That sky is remarkable.