Coincidence?

It may just be a coincidence, but back in the early 1990's I owned a dinghy exactly like this, including the glassed over gunnels and rubbing strips and I admit to leaving it chained up on the foreshore for a couple of years when we sailed off to the Caribbean.

 Having got back to UK what with one thing an another it got forgotten and as far as I know, stayed chained up on the foreshore, until a few years later when it turned up in the Hamble having been bought for almost next to nothing by one of the old live aboard characters for commuting between his yacht and the RAFYC bar. 

He did quite a good job of fixing it up, including a fresh coat of battleship grey paint and it was in use until his death probably 15 or more years ago.

Maybe this isn't the same boat, it's certainly had some more nice modifications and in better shape than when I possibly owned it, but it could well be and it makes a good story.

Frome

We stopped at Frome recently, somewhere we hadn't visited for many years and had forgotten how charming the old rural town is.

Steep cobbled streets and buildings of Bath stone, maybe not Sharfesbury but you can imagine the baker's boy wheeling his bicycle up here (if you're old enough to remember the advert)

There's clearly some local civic pride to have gone to the time and trouble with the decorations of lamp posts like this fine example

And more than a sense of humour with some of the local shops, not the sort of name you're likely to see in a chain store in a big shopping mall and all the better for that.

Frome as a town grew and prospered with the wool trade and is still very aware of it's history.

 "Sheppards Barton" alleyway and steps on the Frome heritage trail, before the days of traffic. Would be interesting to know who or what Sheppards Barton was or why it was so named, I should have taken a better photo of the information wall plate.

 And don't think Frome is all 118th an d19th century history, there is clearly a modern social scene in the town. Would be interesting to understand what exactly a Buff disco is? And maybe with disco and Kiki Dee modern-ish would be a better description.

Really great secondhand bookshop, worth climbing the hill for.

The 19th century wealth of the town is perhaps displayed best in St John the Baptist church near the centre, the carved reliefs on the walled steps leading to the church are magnificent.

As is the interior, see here the side chapel and stained glass.

York's Motor Works and prior to that the Yeovil Tractor Company occupied grand premises on the main street.

 Slightly off the tourist beaten track, and as consequence maybe passed over with some of the less beneficial trends, with quite a few interesting places to eat, it's worth a visit together with the nearby Cley Hill
 

Aunty 's for Sale

Featured recently Tia Patricia is up for sale over in Emsworth, great boat for pottering around the harbour, fishing, picnics.

 

Forceful

Very aggressive looking motorboat, looks like high performance design perhaps for military or security use?

 Thanks to Steve for pointing out in comments that this is in fact an autonomous, unmanned Mine Counter-Measures craft, in short a robotic minesweeper. 

I've mentioned before that my Dad served on an Algerine Class minesweeper in WW2 including creating a safe pathway for the allied invasion of Italy, I'm sure he would have been interested, encouraged and enthusiastic to see that technology has come so far since those days

This weekend

The Totland Inter club Sandcastle Competition will be held this coming weekend with teams representing Hurst Castle SC, Kehaven YC, Lymington Town SC and Yarmouth SC.

 

Teams from the "north island" will sail over to the Wight for a competition start at around 2.30 with 60 minutes building time to complete the sand castle or sculpture within a 3 meter x 3 meter plot.

 Prizes will be given for best traditional sand castle, most original sand sculpture and the famous Golden Bucket for best overall.

Langushing

 Sadly look way too far gone, judging by the planking on the bows it was probably a fine boat in the day

 

Travelling

 I took some time off during a business trip to Hong Kong to climb Victoria peak again, although much warmer than the UK the weather was overcast with low clouds.

Rising up from the bustling center HK, the buildings drop away into lush wooded slopes, this picture taken only about 2.5 Km from my hotel at the conference center on the waterfront.

These roots are amazing, they can be seen all over the peak where the jungle is reclaiming it's grip on the concrete infrastructure to form what is a very beautiful co-existence.

The walk to the peak was 4.2miles  but the elevation with 1800 feet elevation, phew.

Happy Valley must be the only horse racing course inside a city.

2024 is Year of the Dragon, the Dragon holds a significant place as an auspicious and extraordinary creature, unparalleled in talent and excellence. It symbolizes power, nobility, honor, luck, and success.

A 20 minute taxi ride from down town is Deep Water Bay, apparently very busy at the weekend, but nicely empty on an early morning weekday.