By 9AM it was absolutely chucking it down. A check of the forecast indicated 100% rain in Gosport between 9 & 1. There were a couple of times when the rain eased off almost to the point of stopping, I even had my shoes on at one point – the rain started again. I decided give up going out before 1PM.
The rain stopped and the sky cleared a little earlier than that. I decided to go at about 1230. I got as far as the Yellow Edge gallery, where I stopped to look at the pictures. The gallery is not big, it used to be a shop. There’s space for about a hundred pictures, very nicely presented. Featuring local artists. Some nice pictures. none that I’d want to buy.
When i came out of the gallery, it was more sunny than I expected. I didn’t want to carry on the walk without a hat and my sunglasses and a hat – I was probably about half a mile from home, so I decided I’d go back for them.
I haven’t done the iron bridge for a while, so I decided to go that way. Having got there, I thought I would carry on down and once I reached the Haslar turn it seemed a bit churlish to not go and spend ten minutes at the Sea Wall. There were quite a few people there, including several fishermen – they weren’t having much success, but seemed as happy as a pig in pooh. I sat at the ledge for 10 minutes, just soaking in the scene. It was really nice.
The road alongside Haslar hospital is one of the most soulless I have ever walked down. Bordered on both sides by brick walls either 10 or 15 feet tall for most of its length. This time of year it’s a heat trap. Add in a stiff wind blowing in the right direction and it becomes a wind tunnel.
There wasn’t much going on in the harbour, and the promenade had some people but wasn’t that busy. As I was walking past the low block of flats at the southern end of the promenade, I was thinking that they had a lovely view across the Marina, but like today, when there was a bit of breeze (actually, it was quite gusty) the wind was making the cables on the yachts clink & clank – a lot. I’m pretty sure it would drive me up the wall. The flats might visually be in a nice place, but audibly a nightmare – would you get used to it? I’ll probably never find out.
The high street wasn’t busy either. Strava is telling me that I walked just over 6 miles – Happy with that. Also, it was a very nice walk.
