Travels in Southern England – Bournemouth Help For Heroes

Saturday 23rd May

I have been visiting Bournemouth for a while now. It is a brilliant town and I plan to write a bigger blog on it but not just yet. This is a small piece to recount the efforts some of the town’s people are doing for our Britain’s veteran soldiers in support of the “Help For Heroes” charity. Today was a gorgeous day for it. The sun was out and people were on the beach enjoying the sunshine.

Bournemouth Beech

Activities included – abseiling from the pier to beach and bookselling. I donated two Peatmore Press Jack Lindsey books as my contribution.

Bournemouth Abseilers

Bookselling on the pier

There were some great views from the pier including some spectacular large brown jellyfish and a masked lady being filmed riding a water-motor bike (although I am not sure that this is the right name for this skidoo-like vehicle). I later tried to identify the jellyfish by typing their description into Google and believe they are called Rhizostoma pulmo also known as barrel jellyfish.

Brown Jellyfish 1

Brown Jellyfish 2

Masked Water Bike Rider

Keith Jahans
Editor, Peatmore Press

Film Review – Interstate 60

When I started this blog, I did not set out to do film reviews. Book reviews – certainly, as Peatmore Press was started to publish books and short stories, however, it was never meant to chiefly facilitate the work of others. But a good narrative makes a good film and the story behind Interstate 60 is no exception, so I could not let my enjoyment of it pass without comment.

It is a story about choice. Life for all of us is a journey and there are many choices on the way which can alter the direction it takes.

Interstate 60 is a fantasy where the hero sets out to drive along a road, which supposedly does not exist, to deliver a package he must not open. He is given choices to make by various characters (some mystical) and the outcome is not predictable. There is clever ambiguous word play such as the diner called The Fork in The Road. In two scenarios, he meets a pretty girl who has had sex with thousands of men and never says no, and visits a town where a narcotic drug is legal and where you can live your life in a state of euphoria but never leave. These are just two of the scenarios he experiences. There are some great cameos from Michael J Fox and Kurt Russell.

The film is well acted and directed but because it is a journey rather than start a new category of film reviews I have listed it under “Travel”.

Keith Jahans
Editor, Peatmore Press

Interstate 60 is written and directed by Bob Gale
and is available on DVD from Amazon UK for £16.98

Travels in Southern England – Brighton

Tuesday 19th May 2015

I have visited Brighton several times before but have not been here for a long time so today I decided to visit one of Britain’s most famous seaside towns again.

It was a delight to wander around its most notable landmarks. I bought myself some fish and chips and ate them on the Pier. They were delicious.

 Brighton Pier

Brighton Pavilion

There were great buildings and features to re-explore as I passed by the Royal Pavilion and through the Lanes.

Brighton Lanes

I could not resist photographing the Brighton Sealife centre with its attendant “Eye” as my daughter used to work at the London version.

Brighton Sealife

Then as the sky became evermore threatening I decided to wend my way back to my hotel as it looked like there was going to be a downpour and I had not brought a coat.

Brighton Beach and threatening sky from Pier

A visit to Brighton is a great day out. No matter what the weather, as the sky, sea and structures are constantly changing.

Keith Jahans
Editor, Peatmore Press

Travels in Southern England – Bodiam Castle

Tuesday 19th May

Bodium Castle is a moated castle in East Sussex and as such looks like a proper castle. It was yet another place I had never got around to visit. Thus, I managed to rectify that omission yesterday.

The weather outlook was dismal and when I arrived torrential rain was sweeping across the castle and its surroundings so I sat in my car in the car park and ate my sandwiches wondering whether it would be best to give the effort of braving the elements a miss. But the weather outlook for the rest of the day was good and, no sooner had I finished eating, that it stopped raining and I was able to venture into this magnificent fortress.

Bodiam Castle

It dates from 1385 when it was built by soldier of fortune, Sir Richard Dallingridge. I am not going to regale you with its history. There are other sites on the web that can do a better job on that than I can do here.  However, I can categorically state that the castle’s best feature is its moat which boasts some of the largest carp I have seen.

Carp swimming in Bodium Castle moat

In the unlikely event that the Monster Raving Loony Party won the British parliamentary election on the 7th of this month then its days as part of our heritage would have be numbered for it was stated in their manifesto that they intended to reduce the current economic deficit by selling all of our castles back to the French.

Keith Jahans
Editor, Peatmore Press

 

 

 

 

 

Travels in Southern England – Fishbourne Palace

Sunday 17th May

Today I visited the Roman Palace at Fishbourne. I remember it being discovered in the 1960s when I was a school boy but I do not remember ever visiting it. It was found by construction workers who uncovered a mosaic floor when digging up land to lay drainage pipes for a new housing development. The floor, known as the Dolphin mosaic, was almost perfectly intact and astounding in its beauty. Fortunately, the land was then bought by a rich benefactor so that the housing development did not take place and further discoveries could be made.

Illustration of the Palace as it may have appeared at the end of the first century AD

The Dolphin Mosaic, Fishbourne Palace

It certainly seems that it was a grand palace and that an important local ruler lived here. In its heyday it probably housed about a hundred people, which included men, woman, children and slaves. It is now considered an important part of Britain’s heritage and is well worth a visit.

Keith Jahans
Editor, Peatmore Press

Travels in Southern England – Emsworth Festival

Saturday 16th May

It was another gorgeous day and I was heading along the South Coast when I spotted a troupe of Morris Dancers as I passed through the village of Emsworth. I immediately pulled into a nearby car park and stop to take photographs. The troupe leader told me that there was a Farmer’s Market that day and the town decided to have a festival. There would be dancing in the square if I was interested. I certainly was and decided I certainly was so decided to take a look and remained there for most of the day.

     My first sight of Morris Dancers in Emsworth

Morris Troupe 1 Dancing in the Square

Morris Troupe 2 Dancing in the Square

The youngest and (according to the troupe leader) the most expert member of Troupe 2 dancing a jig

Morris Troup 3 Dancing in the Square

Morris Dancing was once considered a male fertility rite for men dancers only but now it seems that the women out number the men. As one women dancer told me, it is a sad reflection of modern male fertility.

Emsworth Harbour

I was extremely taken with this picturesque town/village and the friendly people I met there so I donated a copy of the Peatmore Press book, Victim of Compromise, to their public library. I hope they enjoy it and that this vibrant community goes from strength to strength.

Keith Jahans
Editor, Peatmore Press

Travels in Southern England – A Lazy Day in the New Forest

Heading for the coast once more and stopped in the New Forrest, Hampshire where I sat in my camp chair under a tree and watched ponies grazing while I ate my sandwiches.

New Forrest Hampshire on a Sunny Day

 

Watching New Forest Ponies from a shady place

Sometimes it is nice to do nothing and just enjoy the moment.