Portsmouth weekend (#2)

Good value hotel

Nice to take a couple of days out of London particularly when it's by train and to as pleasant a city as Portsmouth is.

Getting in the Xmas  spirit 

We were curious, after a summer visit to find out how the shopping and general activity was during the lead up to Christmas - well restaurants were doing well  with Office and works 'does' and retail didn't seems to be struggling too much (but with discounts of up to 50% I guess it shouldn't).






The 'Quays' had certainly pushed the boat  out  (please forgive the metaphor) with their decorations and as before the Holiday Inn Express   offered good value - helped by the deals in nearby eateries like Café Rouge (French themed, we sued to have one in Ealing sadly no longer)  and Azzurro (Italian themed - with just 4 locations - so far).

what was good about both our evening meals out was that although they were busy they made sure that customers were happy and we were pre-warned at Azzurro that as a result of large party booking there could be delays (happily there weren't any real delays).

[I liked the breakfast there too - and some of the talk from nearby tables was worthy of Alan Bennett]

I like the straightforwardness about the place - it doesn't (to my mind) have pretensions - lots of history but it keeps its feet on the ground.

Nice Christmas feel to the area around the station too with singers like the Pompey Pluckers and talking reindeer.

Great Pluckers

Another nice illumination

Our Nautical Past

IoW time travel and Red 63

Another time traveller in evidence

It could be about 50 years since I've been to the Isle of Wight - the trip over yesterday felt like 'Time Travel' anyway.

Ferry crossing was very straightforward and we were in Ryde around 30 minutes after leaving Portsmouth.

My memories are as you might expect more than a little hazy but I have some recollections of happy times reading comics and Enid Blyton stories.



I also (think) that I recall the old underground trains used on the island.

Like being on the central line

Red 63

Well they could have thrown it away in a bin.

Work, Rest, Play etc.

[see the latest rough cut of the ongoing project here]

Dickens Birthplace Museum and Red 65

yesterday after a better than expected breakfast we took a walk away from the coast to the heart of Portsmouth.


The Plaque to Dickens

One of the good things about the city is the profusion of helpful maps on the streets this helped us to find the Charles Dickens Birthplace museum.

The builder first built the house on the left for himself and then built a further four to sell/let -Dickens' father was a tenant when he worked as 'paymaster' at the dockyards.

The builder completed the house on the left first

 

Red 65

It's in the bag! 300 done now and from a more innocent time when carrier bags were free

We've still got some left under the stairs 

[see the latest rough cut of the ongoing project here]

Portsmouth Arrival and Labelling the literature Red 66

Arrived in Portsmouth after a very good journey and pleased to
find no distance to our hotel.

Amazing weather and felt like being abroad.

Part of the Spinnaker

Preparations for BEAT

The Dymo 320 has been busy

So plenty of publicity to go and post with my own details added for the Orchard Café venue.

A go at printing on the back

Red 66

Amberon - well actually more Redon

red light for Amberon at the 'Temporary' road works in Argyle Road W13