Singular Statues: #6 Captain Robert Falcon Scott

This statue of Captain Robert Falcon Scott commemorating his ill-fated second expedition to the South Pole, stands at the western end of The Porter’s Garden of Portsmouth Dockyard, just inside the main entrance. Sculpted by his widow, Lady Kathleen in 1915, the Grade II listed bronze statue of Captain Scott with one of his faithful…

Pawprint Series: Portsmouth to Arundel Canal

Having a dog is a great way to investigate a city you thought you knew well. Looking for new and interesting walks for The Hound has certainly lead me to discover parts of Portsmouth which I didn’t know existed. Having driven past it on the Eastern Road when travelling into Portsmouth, I decided to park…

Singular Statues: #4 HMS Trafalgar Figurehead

I discovered this magnificent carved and decorated figurehead featuring Admiral Lord Nelson lying quite close to HMS Victory, his famous ship, in Portsmouth Dockyard one fine day.  As you can see, the right eye remains unpainted as he famously lost his sight in this eye in the siege of Calvi in 1794. Research relates that…

Pawprint Series: Staunton Country Park

Staunton Country Park came as a very pleasant surprise to me as I had no clue it even existed – well, technically, I guess, it actually didn’t until 1987.   It is a listed landscaped parkland and forest, encompassing approximately 1,000 acres of land near Portsmouth, Hampshire. The land it covers was actually a grand…

Pic of the Month: Doctor Who’s Tardis

I took this picture a couple of years back but truthfully, only really looked at it closely this week.  I was visiting Portsmouth Dockyard and had sat down for a quick cup of coffee between ship-spotting. Imagine my surprise when I spied a Tardis in my orbit!  As a Doctor Who fan, it certainly drew my…

A Beach Hut is a peculiar thing …

Have you ever wondered why The Beach Hut exists and people spend thousands trying to obtain prime huts in key locations?  Apparently, reports say there are 23,000 of them up and down our coastline.  I keep looking at them, and for me, I just don’t really get it – I don’t understand their allure.  My…

South Parade Pier: A shadow of her former self

I’ve lived in Southsea, Portsmouth for a good part of my early life and find the sad demeanour of South Parade Pier a little hard to take. I worked as a student in the gift shop at the Pier’s entrance when the Pier was at the centre of a thriving tourism industry. My brother can…

Country Pub Series: The Bat and Ball, Hambledon

On 31st December 1999, we celebrated New Year’s Eve in style at The Bat and Ball, Hambledon, Hampshire, watching at midnight the first cricket match of the new Millennium as played by members of Hampshire County Cricket Club.  Sitting outside with the Hound one Sunday last summer, a cricket match being played opposite, it certainly…

Country Pub Series: The Bird in Hand, Lovedean

After a good walk, climbing the steep slopes of Catherington Down with The Hound, where better to enjoy a quick bite or a glass of wine then at The Bird in Hand, Lovedean … literally a two minute drive away. The staff are very friendly, the service is brisk and considered – but best of…

Four Seasons Series: St Hubert’s Church, Idsworth – 1

St Hubert’s Church, Idsworth, Hampshire – Winter Over the past year, I have been taking photographs of my favourite landscapes or sites at various Hampshire and West Sussex locations – curious to see how they would differ each season. St Hubert’s Church, Idsworth, Hampshire – Autumn I chose this amazing little church for my first set….