Howards' Way Remembered

I felt it entirely appropriate that I should indulge in a little nostalgia for my 400th Blipfoto landmark and where better than at a village pub immortalised by the 1980s television series Howards’ Way.
 
For those old enough to recall, the Sunday night BBC series put the maritime village of Bursledon on the upper reaches of the Hamble River, and already a mecca for sailing enthusiasts, firmly in the nation’s sitting rooms.
 
It tagged the dramas of marine business and the sailing community on the south coast with a fictional story which some believed focussed on a ‘gin and Jag’ set on the waterfront.
 
All this came flooding back during my two hour visit to this hostelry today for a meeting of officers of the Yachting Journalists’ Association.
 
The Jolly Sailor pub was one of the most memorable of the local places requisitioned by the BBC as a filming location. It is situated right on the water, overlooking the Hamble with its flotillas of yachts, and accessible by boat directly from the river and these days is home to the Hamble River Rowing Club, sponsors a local regatta and an annual charity event on the river, the Hamble River Raid.
 
It’s 30 years since the days of Howards’ Way, but still remembered with affection by those of us old enough who tuned in without fail on a Sunday evening.
 
 
And entirely appropriate, perhaps that the Yachting Journalists should choose the pub for today’s meeting — the former chairman was technical advisor to the programme makers.