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Tuesday 19 January 2016

Another Day, Another Warm Run Opportunity.

It was a beautiful sunny day all day today here on the Solent in South Hampshire.. Once the Frost melted from the windows it was perfect for a trip in The Green Goddess. 

However !

The day turned out to be our usual Dog Walking Day which is beginning, later and later and later. 
It is getting so late that I need to change my strategy and plan to take the Morgan out before the Dog Walk.

It was 12.45pm when we set off for the walk.

As is becoming the norm it was 3pm when I managed to escape for a 20 mile warm up run along the coast.

Despite my Sun Glasses I was tormented by the lowering sun on the return homeward. 


My first stop was at the Millennium Bridge at Forton in Gosport. 

As you can see, the only way to get any photos in this corner of the town one has to park on Double Yellows for a few moments.


The Bridge is By Foot or Cycles only. I must find a parking place nearby sometime and take a walk to the other side. 


This  13 minute Youtube Video is interesting in that it shows some of the Engineering during its planning and building.


 Driving back through the old St Georges Army Barracks, on the right are the Old Officers Messes, now converted into homes.

The Sun is low in the sky as I pass one of the original Gates to the Administration Area.

Some Gosport History

 The Officers Mess stretches right along this roadway.

As I approach the main road, on the right is the tower bridging the St George's Barracks Main Gates 

 Behind the Railing is the last piece of the old Rail Track which took military supplies and armaments into the Barracks and on to the Harbourside. 
Another line used to swing out to Stokes Bay where there used to be a pier, built so that Queen Victoria could travel to the Isle of Wight from there to he favorite home of Osborne House 

Queen Victoria's Railway Station

 As I wait to turn left, across the road is one end of an extremely long Army Quarters Block, also now converted to homes.

Once again The Portsmouth Spinnaker Tower can be seen above the Boat Store at the Gosport Marina. 

Passing the end of the High Street in shadow, now pedestrianised, I manage to get a snap through the side screen. 

On the right are the Twin Buoys of the Haslar Marina Car Park.

I nearly came a cropper her at the Haslar Bridge with the sun in my eyes. 
The Traffic Light Control changes very fast if there is no one on the opposite side.  Cyclists don't count. 
As I took the photo the lights changed to green. by the time I set off they changed to amber. 
I needed to zip over the single carriage way bridge as the traffic on the other side may be released before I got there.
Fortunately they were still stationary.
  
Direct Sun in my eyes through a dirty windscreen as I pass between the high walls of Haslar Hospital.
I did not realise that there was so much smearing on the screen. I had to use my washers before I could see properly again.

On the way towards home I always take a short diversion through Alverstoke, Gosports most desirable area with its Regency History.  
Sadly, The Regency Terrace in this Crescent, with is small but beautiful garden opposite was only half completed. There should be a mirrored building to my immediate right but the experiment did not attract as much interest as the developer hoped for. 

The Anglesey Hotel on the right is where I often stop for a coffee, but not today as darkness will be upon us very soon.

Alverstoke Crescent

From this angle I can just about get the rest of the Terrace in the frame  

A Short History of the Terrace

 Just around the corner is Alverstoke Village. A tiny group of one way streets with just a few shops and restaurants. 

 I may have stopped here for a short visit but it was impossible to park. I think that the driver in front was searching as well.

 Back on the Coast Road at Stokes Bay. with the Isle of Wight on the left, the sun is starting to set.

A little further along the bay sweeps out to a small headland where the Military area of Browndown begins.
Browndown Battery 

The Old Battery or Fort is now a Diving Museum
 The Diving Museum

Nearing the Village of Lee on the Solent I am approaching the Boat Park of the local Sailing Club.

 Up the slight rise in the road and to the left is where the real sea front of Lee begins.

 In the distance, the coast curves out towards Hill Head which is my destination, but I will have to travel inland first to get there. I could take the narrow coast road but during the rush hour I would be confronted with lots of oncoming vehicle of all sizes. Not worth the risk for an extra mile.

 The Beach Road at Lee is a mass of apartments, all with sea views. The building on the right was the only Hotel but even this has now been converted apartments keeping Lee on the Solent as 'residential' rather than a holiday resort.

Lee-on-the-Solent 

My last photo as I have to concentrate on negotiating the Parked Cars and oncoming traffic for the rest of the short journey.

I hope that you enjoyed this short trip.
Frank

Friday 1 January 2016

My Last Morgan Run for 2015

During 2015, our first year in our new location on the Solent, the Morgan has been sadly underused .

Being the last day of the year I just had to give her a run out. 
It was a dry day and the roads were dry, other than the beach road at Stokes Bay. 

The rough sea was crashing across the road onto the green opposite so needed to be avoided.

I managed to reach the Lifeboat Station where I took these few shots with the background here looking eastwards between Southsea and the Isle of Wight, just visible in the mist. 

The Lifeboat Station at Stokes Bay


Risking the Double Yellows.

As may be observed from my record below, I have only driven just over 1000 miles this year over 18 journeys of which 8 were warm up runs.

Note to Self ! - I must get out more in 2016

So far, for this year, we have Four 'Morgan Events' planned.

The first is a visit to the Haynes Motor Museum. The date for which is yet to be decided.  
The second is a Weekend Away with other Members of our Roadster 100 Register, to explore Leicestershire.
The Third and Largest Event will be our biannual All Morgans' Day at Blenheim Palace in July, where we hope to have upwards of 300 Morgan Cars display parked in the Great Court and Drive there, fundraising for the Combat Stress charity.   
Lastly, is the Annual Morgan Sports Car Club MOG 2016, which will be held in Buckinghamshire in August.











ROADSTER 100 JOURNEYS RECORD 2015

















Journey Miles

Journey Description
Totals to Date Up to the First 350 Journeys
Clocked Total Miles
1098



222 Transport to Hill Head by SGT
14272
10

Car Transporter Service
223 Haslar Gosport Circular
14277
5

First Hill Head Warm Up Run
224 Haslar Gosport Circular
14296
19

Second Hill Head Warm Up Run
225 Haslar Gosport Circular
14317
21

Third Hill Head Warm Up Run
226 Meon Valley Via Meonstoke
14350
33

First Meon Valley Run
227 Dorking Surrey Circular Weekend
14537
187

Surrey Hills Weekend
228 Locks Heath Shopping Centre
14548
11

Help For Heroes Fund Raising Day
229 Blenheim & Bicester Circular
14737
189

Visit to Plan All Morgans' Day 2016
230 Meon Valley Via The Shoe at Exton
14774
37

Warm Up Run to an Old Haunt
231 Stokes Bay Circular
14790
16

Fun Run
323 Meon Valley Via West Meon
14834
44

Fun Run
324 Bicester and Return
15023
189

R100 Register @ Bicester Heritage
325 Warsash Round Trip
15035
12

Sailing Day
326 Brooklands Circular from Hill Head
15159
124

R100 Register @ Brooklands Morgan Day
325 To Gerrards Cross, B/field & Taplow
15252
93

SGT Service Visit
326 Journey Home
15329
77

Return Trip Home
327 Stokes Bay Circular
15345
16

Warm Up Run
328 Gosport & Coast Circular
15360
15

Warm Up Run











I decided to continue my short journey along what is becoming my regular Warm Up Run route towards Gosport along the narrow road next to the Old Royal Naval Hospital at Haslar.

The Old Military Road at Haslar.

This road is normally quiet where I can wind up the throttle a little to get a nice exhaust note to bounce off the walls. 
However today it was not possible, being a holiday week, as the traffic coming from the Submarine Museum was quite busy and had just passed me by.


Passing the Submarine Museum Car Park, where I normally turn around, the Portsmouth Spinnaker Tower comes into view.
Frank