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Calshot Castle - The guardian of Southampton Water
 

Sailing boats at rest near Calshot Sailing Club. The painting on the hangar affording the backdrop is a reminder of the seaplanes that were once based here.

 

"There is nothing- absolutely nothing- half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats." Although the river that Ratty from Wind in the Willows messed about on was less turbulent than the Solent on a breezy day.

 

More fun and games...

 

 

 

HMS Albion one of two of the Royal Navy's Albion Class landing platform dock ships making its way out to sea. HMS Albion and Bulwark form part of the Amphibious Assault Force, their primary function is to embark, transport, deploy and recover by sea and air troops and their equipment.

 

 

 

 

 

A more relaxing pastime – this fisherman has time for a cuppa while he waits for a bite on his line.

 

A scene that will no longer be seen on the Solent. These are wind turbine blades making their way up Southampton Water from the Vestas factory on the Isle of Wight. Unfortunately this factory closed in August this year with a loss of over 400 jobs.

 

The Red Funnel Ferry making one of its' hourly crossings from Southampton to the Isle of Wight. Each year the ferry service carries in excess of three million passengers and covers more than 450,000 miles. The Red Funnel Ferry service was formed in 1861 as The Southampton Isle of Wight and South of England Royal Mail Steam Packet Company Limited. The story began in the 1820's, when scheduled year-round Packet Services started operating between Southampton, Cowes, Ryde, Southsea and Portsmouth Harbour. Excursion Services were also a mainstay activity during Victorian and Edwardian summers with daily trips along the South Coast and across the channel to France. After World War II the recession and changing holiday habits led to the decline of the excursion business particularly in the light of a growing car ownership.

 

A military landing craft moored among the yachts.

 

Fawley Power Station on the western edge of Southampton Water was built in the 1960's. Powered by heavy fuel oil it has the ability to generate 1,000MW of electricity for the National Grid. This is enough power to meet the needs of around one million people - equivalent to the working population of Hampshire.


Continued on Page Three -  Please click here  

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All Photographs copyright David Packman © 2002 - 2009 (All Rights Reserved)