OUTINGS
2004
It has been a busy year with many trips arranged and
well supported and a heartfelt thanks to Helen Wilson who does the booking
and organising. There follows a small selection of our outings for you to
browse through.
‘Holiday
On Ice’ at Brighton
This
was a spectacular show and indeed it is hoped to repeat the same trip in
January 2005.
Theatre
Trips
As ever the Chichester Festival Theatre trips have
been popular including ‘Just So’ and ‘Cole Porter’. These shows
are always more fun to be experienced with friends.
Following a talk at a monthly meeting introducing the
new Gridshell building at the Weald and Downland Museum a most interesting
visit was enjoyed by 20 members. For more information visit the W&D
museum Website www.wealddown.co.uk
A
Solar Boat Trip in Chichester Harbour
The solar boat seats up to 50 people and is as
the name suggests, is solar powered.
The first thing to notice was the silence as we drifted away from
the pontoon. A very strange experience especially to the sailors on board
as there are no sails to work and no engine noises – quite delightful.
We learnt about the salt-water beds many birds winter
here from Siberia. The mud banks that are rich in worms, crustaceans and
molluscs encouraging the redshanks, oystercatchers and black tailed
godwits.
We learnt lots about Roman Britain in Chichester
Harbour. Our guide pointed out that the lining up ‘Roman Transit’ (a
navigation mark) with the Gallon Line finishing mark on the Cobnor shore
with a clump of oak trees planted way up on the Downs will actually show
the line of the deep water channel still today.
In the Thorney Channel we saw the sights of Thorney
Island, now almost exclusively MOD property, with its pretty church an
obvious sign of a more peaceful life style before the Second World War. On
the horizon we picked out Chichester Cathedral, Portsdown Hill and The
Spinnaker Tower at Portsmouth, fortunately to have a very clear day.
Without exception everyone learnt some thing new about
this lovely harbour that we live by.
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