Tag: Ghosts

Mostly boats and a ghost

On 19 January 2022, I had been writing about boats and boatyards, so I had boats on my mind. I’d also been thinking about the maritime history of my city. In the days when I travelled the world, whenever I mentioned my home town, people would smile and talk about cruise ships and containers. In Malta, I was told, ‘Everything we have here comes on a ship from Southampton.’ Although I’ve never been a sailor or taken a cruise, I have lived with the sound of seagulls and foghorns all my life, and I can’t imagine not having the sea on my doorstep.

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A short walk on a big hill

Portsdown Hill

On 18 April, Commando decided he wanted to visit Portsdown Hill for some strange reason. In his youth, he said, he used to ride out there on his motorbike all the time. He was surprised to discover I’d never been there because he used to go with all his mates from the pub where we first met. He talked about a pub they used to go to and how there was a car park with a burger van where they’d sit and look at the lights of Portsmouth. It sounded quite nice, and I was a little miffed that I’d never been invited along.

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A fresh start

There’s something to be said for starting the day off with a nice walk. When that day also happens to be the first day of a new year, doubly so. It helped that the first day of 2022 dawned crisp and cold, a truly golden start to the year. After all the madness of the last two years, I hoped this was a good omen for the year ahead. I’m fairly sure I wasn’t alone in being tired of all the panic, rumour, conspiracy theories and restrictions at this stage. Commando and I strolled across the Common, admiring the layers of gold, grey and blue through the bare branches of the trees. The wonderful Gareth had already been round putting out his signs and the set up crew were on the flats putting out the poles and chains of the parkrun finish funnel. The sky was the real star of the show though. It looked like being a beautiful morning, which was just as well, because drizzle would have put a dampener on my plans.

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Post marathon wanderings

8 May 2017

Full of luscious Malaysian food and rested from sitting in the cool of the restaurant we decided we could all stand a bit more wandering along the seawall and Stanley Park. Apart from anything, Jen had a few things she wanted to show us. It was mid afternoon by the time we got back to the Devonian Harbour Park but a few of the slower marathon runners were still coming past in dribs and drabs.  Continue reading Post marathon wanderings

Perpetual dawn

20 December 2016

Walking away from the sea with its threatening looking clouds, we headed towards the rosy light of the breaking dawn. We’d seen a tower of some kind between the houses and curiosity made this our next aim. With no real idea where we were or what we were heading towards we followed a trail of interesting graffiti upwards. The tower disappeared and reappeared as we wove and turned until, finally, it revealed itself as a church. Continue reading Perpetual dawn

Zebras, ghosts and small animals

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13 September 2016

With the big cats behind us we were on the last leg of our Marwell adventure, heading down the hill towards the place we’d started out two hours earlier. Across a field filled with Scimitar horned oryx, zebras and the odd muddy rhino, we got another glimpse of Marwell House. What a view they must have from their windows! Continue reading Zebras, ghosts and small animals

Spooked in Telegraph Woods and a third opinion

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9 August 2016

At the end of June Commando injured his ankle. Our GP, when I finally managed to persuade him to go, told him he was too old to be running and should give up at once because he probably had osteoarthritis. Obviously, we ignored this diagnosis. Three weeks later, with things not really improving, Commando visited a sports physio for a second opinion. The diagnosis this time was a possible stress fracture. He suggested a full assessment at the Perform Sports Medicine Centre at the Aegis Bowl and an X-ray. Continue reading Spooked in Telegraph Woods and a third opinion

A one handed clock, cygnets and a few trains

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21 July 2016

Monks Brook Meadows is connected to Monks Brook Playing Fields via a tunnel under Stoneham Way. It was an oasis of shade on our hot walk. We were slightly reluctant to leave it. The playing field is bordered by more trees and meadow but we walked through without stopping this time. There are only so many pictures of flowers even I am willing to take. The next part of our journey was not one I was looking forward to.  Continue reading A one handed clock, cygnets and a few trains

Southampton old town Zebras

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19 July 2016

In hindsight the hottest, most humid day of the year wasn’t the best of choices for our first zebra hunt. CJ and I were too excited to wait any longer though and this was the first chance we’d had since the zebras went on display on Saturday. With one hundred and ninety eight zebras on the trail, including all the babies hidden in shops, we knew from the start we weren’t going to find them all in one go. Half way over Northam Bridge, with sweat dripping into my eyes and legs that felt like lead, I wondered if we’d even make it to town to find the first one. It may only have been three miles but, in such weather, it might as well have been a marathon. Continue reading Southampton old town Zebras

Ancient stones, builders and getting distracted

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5 April 2016

The building work was almost finished. There was a shed base at the end of the garden, the wall was built and the boring repointing was all done. We were still waiting for a skip to be delivered and the potting shed hadn’t even been ordered never mind built but still, patience is a virtue, right? Anyhow, all that is another post altogether. With no builder and no skip due today I could get out for a walk. It was sorely needed. Unfortunately, as I had an appointment in town, it wasn’t going to be a very exciting one but you can’t have everything eh? Anyway, it was probably time I checked out what was happening with the repairs to the Bargate. Continue reading Ancient stones, builders and getting distracted