A Weekend Diary

…words and images from England's green and pleasant land…

Archive for the tag “Canoe Lake”

Stranded in Southsea

Excuse me, Dear Reader, there’s something I need to get off my chest, some detritus left there by gale force winds and torrential rain…

Ah, that feels better; that was some audio therapy from a Welsh band called Budgie, from their 1972 album, ‘Squawk’, the track being ‘Stranded’, and an epitome for the frustration of being marooned on Portsea Island over Christmas, when I should have been celebrating the festival with family in faraway Kent…

But never mind, let’s take some positives from it all; it at least provided me with an opportunity to watch a few films I otherwise wouldn’t have watched, including ‘The Bishop’s Wife’, ‘The Red Shoes’ and ‘Love Actually’, while today I wandered down to Canoe Lake in Southsea, and enjoyed a ramble along the seafront under beautiful blue skies, to Southsea Castle and the nearby D-Day Museum…

Southsea seafront near Canoe Lake...

Southsea seafront near Canoe Lake…

Canoe Lake has plentiful swans, and here's one of them...

Canoe Lake has plentiful swans, and here’s one of them…

And in homage to ‘The Red Shoes’, with Moira Shearer in all her Technicolor beauty, here are a couple of swans enacting pas de deux in ‘Le Lac des cygnes’… 😉

PasDeDeux

PasDeDeuxEncore

And here is one final photo of a swan on this photoblog, which now has less than a week to run…

RegalSwan

Wandering westwards along the seafront, the wonderful South Parade Pier soon comes into view…

SouthParadePier

Promenading (and jogging) along the seafront is a popular activity among both locals and visitors…

WheelchairSilhouette

There's very obviously some lens flare here to the right of the pier, but I thought I'd post it nonetheless...

There’s very obviously some lens flare here to the right of the pier, but I thought I’d post it nonetheless…

Wasn't doing any business today, but it's a lot more popular in the summer months

Wasn’t doing any business today, but it’s a lot more popular in the summer months

Nearing Southsea Castle, with its lighthouse, and visible in the distance are both the Naval War Memorial and at the extreme right, the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth Harbour...

Nearing Southsea Castle, with its lighthouse, and visible in the distance are both the Naval War Memorial and at the extreme right, the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth Harbour…

The Castle Lighthouse, done in sepia...

The Castle Lighthouse, done in sepia…

In front of the D-Day Museum, near Southsea Castle, are a couple of restored Second World War tanks…

A British Churchill Crocodile tank ...

A British Churchill Crocodile tank …

A Canadian Sherman Grizzly tank...

A Canadian Sherman Grizzly tank…

From the D-Day Museum, I wandered up to Palmerston Road, for a pint in The Lord Palmerston (Wetherspoon’s) pub, before heading on to Debenhams, to have a look at the Boxing Day Sale items. I didn’t buy anything, but this rather appealed…

'Nancy' one of the 'Pretty Ladies' figurines in the Royal Doulton series...

‘Nancy’ one of the ‘Pretty Ladies’ figurines in the Royal Doulton series…

As did this Christmas gift from my boss at work, which I drank this evening…Cheers!…and just two more posts to go :)…

A Lakeland Pale Ale, 'Cocker Hoop' from Jennings Brewery

A Lakeland Pale Ale, ‘Cocker Hoop’ from Jennings Brewery

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A sunny Sunday in Southsea…and in Portsmouth Dockyard

Pink Rose, Festing Road

Pink Rose, Festing Road


Canoe Lake, Southsea

Canoe Lake, Southsea


Angel statue, Canoe Lake

Angel statue, Canoe Lake


War memorial, near Canoe Lake

War memorial, near Canoe Lake


Relaxing on Southsea beach, and with Ryde, Isle of Wight, on the distant shoreline

Relaxing on Southsea beach, and with Ryde, Isle of Wight, on the distant shoreline


South Parade Pier, Southsea

South Parade Pier, Southsea


Sea watching, Southsea seafront

Sea watching, Southsea seafront


Seafront near Southsea Castle

Seafront near Southsea Castle


Southsea Castle, built in 1544 by Henry VIII

Southsea Castle, built in 1544 by Henry VIII


Southsea Castle and the Lighthouse

Southsea Castle and the Lighthouse


The Lighthouse and an Isle of Wight ferry

The Lighthouse and an Isle of Wight ferry


Portsmouth Garden of Hope message

Portsmouth Garden of Hope message


The Bandstand on Southsea Common

The Bandstand on Southsea Common


The Naval War Memorial on Southsea Common, with the Spinnaker Tower at Portsmouth Harbour in the distance

The Naval War Memorial on Southsea Common, with the Spinnaker Tower at Portsmouth Harbour in the distance


Among the names on the Naval Memorial is that of my maternal grandfather, who died aboard HMS Lawford on the 8th June, 1944

Among the names on the Naval Memorial is that of my maternal grandfather, who died aboard HMS Lawford on the 8th June, 1944


Further along Southsea seafront

Further along Southsea seafront


Clarence Pier funfair...

Clarence Pier funfair…


Swing Tower at the funfair

Swing Tower at the funfair


Swing Tower (detail)...

Swing Tower (detail)…


More funfair amusements...

More funfair amusements…


Donuts and 99s...

Donuts and 99s…


Southsea Fudge Factory

Southsea Fudge Factory


Beyond Clarence Pier, from the seafront heading to Portsmouth

Beyond Clarence Pier, from the seafront heading to Portsmouth


A jetty further along the seafront

A jetty further along the seafront


Sunbathers...

Sunbathers…


Portsmouth Cathedral, from Oyster Street

Portsmouth Cathedral, from Oyster Street


The Spinnaker Tower, at Portsmouth Harbour

The Spinnaker Tower, at Portsmouth Harbour


Action Stations, in Portsmouth Dockyard

Action Stations, in Portsmouth Dockyard


HMS Victory, Portsmouth Dockyard

HMS Victory, Portsmouth Dockyard


HMS Victory, aft...

HMS Victory, aft…


HMS Victory, fore...

HMS Victory, fore…


The Mary Rose Museum, Portsmouth Dockyard

The Mary Rose Museum, Portsmouth Dockyard

Some Titchfield flora…and a day in the life…

dandelion
FloweringCherry
daisy
BedOfPetals
PinkPetals

All the above were taken in the past week in Titchfield in Hampshire, during lunchtime walks to get some fresh air…whereas all of the following were taken today in Portsmouth/Southsea and London. The first is of Guildhall Square in Portsmouth at midday, with the Guildhall being watched over by Queen Victoria…

Portsmouth Guildhall, looking resplendent in the welcome sunshine...

Portsmouth Guildhall, looking resplendent in the late spring sunshine…

The next is of a book I bought in the Adelphi second-hand bookshop in Albert Road in Southsea early this afternoon. It cost me two pounds fifty, and is a 1938 reprint of a book originally published in 1937. It is the narrative, with paintings and poetry, of a Chinese artist living in London in the 1930s, recording an expedition to the English Lake District, taken in part to escape the London fogs, and also to reconnect with landscapes reminiscent of his home in China…

The Silent Traveller: A Chinese Artist in Lakeland, by Chiang Yee.

The Silent Traveller: A Chinese Artist in Lakeland, by Chiang Yee.

From Albert Road, I wandered down to Canoe Lake on Southsea seafront, aware that a procession of naked cyclists would be making its way from the naturist beach at nearby Eastney, along Southsea seafront and beyond. It was one of a series of World Naked Bike Rides taking place at various venues this summer, and it seemed like an event worth recording for posterity here (That said, I’m being very discreet in tagging these photos, restricting the tags to one only, ‘naturism’ ;)). Anyway, here they are, and if nothing else, it was at least a lovely day for such an event…

So here they come, along the seafront road from Eastney...

So here they come, along the seafront road from Eastney…

Unsurprisingly maybe, there were a minority of women cyclists participating, but there were some brave enough to take part...:)

Unsurprisingly maybe, there were a minority of women cyclists participating, but there were some brave enough to take part…:)

Methinks the character in red here looks distinctly over-dressed ;)...

Methinks the character in red here looks distinctly over-dressed ;)…

At nearby Canoe Lake in Southsea, among the attractions is 'water walking', a bit of a misnomer, but that's what it's called...

At nearby Canoe Lake in Southsea, among the attractions is ‘water walking’, a bit of a misnomer, but that’s what it’s called…

And this is what it means...

And this is what it means…

Further attractions in Southsea this summer...

Further attractions in Southsea this summer…

German fans in Trafalgar Square,  prior to this evening's Champions League Final at Wembley...and a great match it was too :)...

German fans in Trafalgar Square, prior to this evening’s Champions League Final at Wembley…and a great match it was too :)…

A living statue, north of Trafalgar Square...

A living statue, north of Trafalgar Square…

Union Flags in Leicester Square...

Union Flags in Leicester Square…

Finally, close to home, a couple of pictures taken in Whetstone, London N20…

Swan Lane Open Space, early evening...

Swan Lane Open Space, early evening…

And another of Swan Lane Open Space...

And another of Swan Lane Open Space…

Southsea on a sunny Sunday afternoon…

Approaching Canoe Lake, near Southsea seafront...

Approaching Canoe Lake, near Southsea seafront…

[ISO 160, 5mm, f3.4, 1/500, AWB]

Canoe Lake, Southsea, from beneath the shade of a tree

Canoe Lake, Southsea, from beneath the shade of a tree

[ISO 160, 16mm, f4.5, 1/1000, AWB]

A swan, one of many on Canoe Lake...

A swan, one of many on Canoe Lake…

[ISO 160, 21mm, f4.5, 1/1000, AWB]

The Swan

This laboring of ours with all that remains undone,
as if still bound to it,
is like the lumbering gait of the swan.

And then our dying—releasing ourselves
from the very ground on which we stood—
is like the way he hesitantly lowers himself

into the water. It gently receives him,
and, gladly yielding, flows back beneath him,
as wave follows wave,
while he, now wholly serene and sure,
with regal composure,
allows himself to glide.

(translation by Joanna Macy and Anita Barrows)

Rainer Maria Rilke

Strolling along the seafront...

Strolling along the seafront…

[ISO 160, 51mm, f8, 1/1250, AWB]

Rocks and waves...

Rocks and waves…

[ISO 160, 20mm, f4.5, 1/400, AWB]

Young man sea watching...

Young man sea watching…

[ISO 160, 24mm, f5.6, 1/1250, AWB]

Looking eastwards towards South Parade Pier...

Looking eastwards towards South Parade Pier…

[ISO 80, 14mm, f4.5, 1/800, AWB]

Looking westwards along the seafront...

Looking westwards along the seafront…

[ISO 100, 12mm, f8, 1/2000, AWB]

Looking weswards towards Portsmouth Harbour...

Looking weswards towards Portsmouth Harbour…

[ISO 125, 12mm, f4, 1/500, AWB]

A small boat in the distance...

A small boat in the distance…

[ISO 80, 51mm, f5.6, 1/640, AWB]

A flower and some feathers...

A flower and some feathers…

[ISO 160, 5mm, f3.4, 1/640, AWB]

A pathway through trees...

A pathway through trees…

[ISO 160, 6mm, f3.5, 1/640, AWB]

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