The Ferry to Hurst Castle...

Thursday 21st August

I'll try and keep this (a lot) shorter than the Blip yesterday to delightful Weymouth...

Des and I had gone to Hurst Castle - official website many many years ago, long before I went digital. We made an attempt to return in June last year but frankly, it was bleeding freezing, despite coats and hot food at the pub in Keyhaven. Shows that summer's are often up and down in temperature. So that was aborted. I did get this for a Blip instead though.

Hurst Castle is right down the end of a mile plus long spit of land that reaches right out into the Solent, to where one almost feels you can touch the other side - the Isle of Wight. You can read about and see images of the impressive and very mighty Castle that was built to thwart any French invasion, in the link above.

Des and I had pre-planned this day - he had driven down from the other side of London and I had taken the train to Lymington. A meet up there, a quick look round their most attractive Quay and then lunch, again, at that same pub in Keyhaven.

We got single tickets on the Ferry. It's quite grandly called a Ferry; a fibre-glassed small fishing vessel with a sculpted 'bench' either side, more like! We were to walk back along the Spit after visiting the Castle.

Despite being £3 for 20 minutes, frankly, you wouldn't want to walk both ways, at least not with the weight of MY rucksack! Here you can see Des enjoying the ride. A group of about eight of us, the rest all being from the U.S - one on crutches - interesting carrying him on and off! - and we were able to sit right at the back of the boat.

This allowed me to aim low and upwards with the Nikkor 10-24mm and polariser. The flag fluttered wildly in the strong breeze and as the boats in the natural harbour slowly unfolded and glided by, I snapped and snapped away. Then the flag caught up in itself, so Des reached out further than I would have dared to unfurl it! What a hero!

Despite all the shots, only three had the flag in the right place and with a reasonable background. I'd stopped the lens down to get enough depth of field as the flag is only two feet away and this allowed some movement in its fluttering material. Quite a lot of editing gone into this, admittedly.

Hurst Castle itself is another £5.50 and after a good mooch around, realised we only had an hour to get back before the car's parking ticket ran out. Against the wind, on the so exposed Spit, it was a hard walk back, on loose gravel. But superb views over toward the Needles and back towards Keyhaven and Milford on Sea. The skies might look angry here but it didn't rain. You sure do get some wonderful skies over the Solent!

We then drove on, looking for a pub for coffee and cola. Passed back through Lymington, then Beaulieu but settled for a pub in Hythe with a view over and towards Southampton. We recounted the day. Des then dropped me off at Totton train station and drove on home himself.

I WILL return to Hurst Castle on my own another time. There are so many photographic possibilities there.

I'm posting this now as I've been in all day (bank holiday Monday) as it has been raining up to now. Got to get bread and a Blip! Will see you lovely lot later!!