Day 52 (10th August 2022)

 It feels like I'm a world away from where I was this morning, and in a funny kind of way I am. This will make sense later on, so stick with me. I was up super early as I really did have some miles to do. My first stop involved a ferry ride, and unlike all the others, I hadn't booked this in March, so I was pretty lucky to get on at a reasonable hour. The ferry left from Poole and took me to stop #112

BROWNSEA ISLAND 

Probably most famous for the very first Scout camp by Robert Baden-Powell in 1907 (little known fact, I achieved the Chief Scouts Award in 1977), it is now run by the National Trust and has a castle owned by John Lewis offering their staff the opportunity to holiday there. My brother-in-law Nick works for them, I can only hope he has his name on a waiting list!

There is an interesting little church on the island I had a look at.

I didn't stay long, although my quick getaway was thrawted by my good manners / lack of assertiveness... there was a group of people standing in front of the return gate and I stood patiently behind them only to watch the return ferry leave without anyone getting on. When I asked the NT volunteer why it had left without us, she realised her mistake in thinking I was with this bunch who had congregated in front of the gate having just arrived. Trying to hide my frustration, I told her not to worry, and went and got a cold drink as I was sweating buckets.

I popped into the reception area to buy a guide book, and told the staff why I was here. They were delighted with my Germinal CCXXIV quest and took my photo! One of them told me that the volunteer (Shirley, I think her name was) was mortified with what had happened, so I went and had a chat with her and we had a laugh about it.

I had the return ferry all to myself, but the delay had cost me one of my planned stops. I might try to get there in a couple of days time.

Instead, I travelled into the New Forest, which is looking decidedly tinderbox dry. Love that there are ponies and cows wandering around without a care in the world. Ended up in the Beaulieu Estate where the poperties get achingly expensive and gorgeous to get to stop #113

BUCKLER'S HARD

Hard to imagine this place as a major ship building centre, but that is what it was once upon a time. Some of the ships that took part in the Battle of Trafalgar were constructed here, including the Agamennon which Horatio Nelson served on. Apparently it was known as the "Eggs and Bacon" by many of her crew.

All this ship building probably accounts for why so much of the New Forest is full of wide open, treeless spaces. I didn't really hang around long enough to get a feel for the place as (a) I had another ferry to catch and (b) if you only stay for 15 minutes, parking is free, before leaping up to an extortionate amount of money thereafter. Quite why anyone would only visit for 15 minutes is beyond me, but today, I was one of those people. 

Got my allotted ferry from Lymington to Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight.

I haven't been here since 1987. In 1985 & 86, Melvyn and I had a weeks holiday in a B'n'B in Ventnor. In 1987, he met me on his motorbike after a half day during a hot summer spell when I was an Operating Department Assistant at Eastbourne District General Hospital and said he fancied crab sandwiches for supper. Didn't say where though, so I hopped on the back while he drove us at ridiculously illegal speeds to Portsmouth, boarded the ferry and rode to Shanklin where we had a crab sandwich supper before riding the same journey  back again that very evening. We used to do shit like that when we were young!

I'm here for two nights. I was going to surprise Andy Barding at AAA Records, but he got married today (congratulations!!) so something tells me he isn't going to be at work tomorrow!

Allons-y 

Douglas Germinal CCXXIV Brain over and out