In my post on Saturday (see To Portsmouth), I stated that this hotel is unusual in not providing a kettle in the room for residents’ use. Yesterday evening, curiosity prompted me to look in a cupboard. Guess what I found.

Hidden in a cupboard

They do provide these things but, for some reason, hide them away. Perhaps it’s an intelligence test.

As the title says, this is the day after; the day after my birthday, that is. Have you noticed how both the very young and the very old are apt to boast about their age while those in between are much more circumspect about the matter? In which category am I? Well, I will just say that I am nn years and 1 day old! 🙂

We caught a bus to the Hard and had breakfast at our “usual cafe” (see yesterday’s post). Then we set off on today’s expedition.

Passageway to ??

We started by walking down this passageway beside the station and buying a ticket at one of the machines. Where does it lead?

A clue

Yes, this is a clue and an obvious one: we are heading to the quay for the Gosport Ferry. We are going to cross the water to Tigger’s native land!

The ferry arriving

The ferry provides a regular service with crossings every few minutes. It docks with a slight bump and we start to board while arriving passengers leave by a different exit.

Setting off

Photo by Tigger – no comment!

Arriving at Gosport

The Spinnaker from across the water

For once we are seeing the Spinnaker from across the harbour with a good stretch of water between us. Even so, it still tends to loom and to appear in views of Gosport.

Cormorant

It is quite far away but you might be able to make out the cormorant perched on the furthest buoy. We saw several, some actively fishing.

A forest of masts – Gosport Marina

We went for a walk along the esplanade and on a jetty, passing the marina on the way.

Mary Mouse 2

We spied what appears to be a small lightship going by the fairytale name of Mary Mouse 2, though what its usual duties are, I do not know.

Holy Trinity Church

This is Holy Trinity Church, dating from 1696 and Grade II* listed.

Free-standing steeple

A curiosity of this church is its free-standing steeple. This includes a handsome clock which, unfortunately, is not working.

Narrow lane

We followed this narrow lane to the High Street.

High Street

The High Street is pedestrian only and quite busy. Banning traffic seems to be one way of revitalising high streets which have suffered a severe decline in recent years, partly owing to the spread of “shopping centres” (aka “malls”).

Poppins

We stopped here for coffee. Our drinks cost £5 but when I came to pay, the miserable so-and-so declined to accept card payment “for small amounts”. £5 is not a “small amount” and, in any case, his attitude is at variance with current norms where card payment is encouraged for all transactions to help avoid infection. Guess where we won’t be calling again.

Bus station

We next went to the bus station and there took a bus to Fareham. It is quite a long ride but there is scenery to watch streaming past the window.

The name of the town derives from its Anglo-Saxon original : ferne, meaning “fern(s)”, and ham, “village”.

West Street, Fareham

We went for a walk along West Street, which is also pedestrian only, and looked for somewhere to have lunch.

Slug & Lettuce

We chose the Slug & Lettuce because, having asked to see a menu, we found that they offered battered halloumi and chips (often known as “vegetarian fish & chips”), one of our favourites.

Old church
Photo by Tigger

Next to the modern building inhabited by the Slug & Lettuce is an old church. This has been incorporated into the restaurant.

Old church repurposed

Wotisit

On our way back down West Street, we passed this object. I don’t know what it is and so have called it a wotisit. Anyway, the pigeons seem to like it so therefore I approve of it!

A bus brought us back to Gosport where Tigger was hoping to see HMS Queen Elizabeth depart from the harbour. She was due to leave at 3pm on Monday but was delayed until 4pm today. However, departure has been delayed once more and so we will not be able to see it.

Coffee #1

So we retired to Coffee #1, a coffee bar we had visited on previous trips. (And, yes, they accepted card payments without turning a hair.)

Gambier Drinking Fountain

As we left and started for the ferry port, I photographed the drinking fountain that now stands at the crossroads. Dated to 1870, it was erected in honour of Admiral Robert Fitzgerald Gambier.

Goodbye to Gosport

Leaving the ferry

This is a quick snap of the ferry when we left it back in Portsmouth Harbour.

Black-headed gull

Tigger still had some pieces of pizza crust left so we sat for a while overlooking the water and shared these with whoever turned up. One if those was a black-headed gull who chased away any rivals.

Pigeon and juvenile herring gull

A pigeon and a juvenile herring gull joined the party. The herring gull was braver than the black-headed gull and came closer to pick up morsels. The pigeon was the bravest of all and seemed to have no fear of us humans, unlike the gulls.

The tide is in

Before leaving, I took this photo because the tide was in and the scene looks quite different from its aspect at low time when it is a stretch of mud.

This was our last full day in Portsmouth and tomorrow we return to London. For now, we returned to the hotel to make tea and sort our photos.