A Way too far

A part of the trail that is open, at Havant

Determined not to be left in the considerable shadow of the brand new South Downs National Park, creators of the Shipwrights Way have announced that it is not quite ready to open.

Meandering from Alice Holt forest through the picturesque National Park and on towards Portsmouth's historic dockyard; walkers will one day be able to follow the route that felled oak trees  once took for use in shipbuilding and repair.

Grasping to the coat tails of the new National Park, flyers for the walk, handed out at the launch of the South Downs National Park, make much of the beauty of the countryside and of the opportunity to ramble, picnic, horse ride and see wildlife.

Bordon in the spring sunshine

Unfortunately, anyone following the trail will also need to traverse through the urban sprawl of Whitehill, Bordon and then after the tranquillity of the Park, Rowlands Castle, Havant and Leigh Park.

We asked Annie Danehow, who confirmed to Newswire that the trail is not yet ready..., what she thought about the necessity to include these less than picturesque areas.

"We are trying to transport people back in time, to let them experience the journey that the oak drays would have taken up until as late as the early 19th century.

Some ramblers in Rowlands Castle. 

“The journey would have been fraught with danger, and the closest we could get to that experience today is to take walkers and riders through some of these conurbations.

"The draymen will have had to be on their guard; and the experience for anyone making the journey these days will be much the same, perhaps with a friend riding shotgun!"

Avast Sum Raised

Blackmoor and Whitehill’s recent WI meeting, which saw the ladies dressed as sailors, pirates and admirals was hailed by them as a great success.

The ladies, whose average age was 68, had dressed in nautical theme because they were to be entertained by the Kings Pond Shanty Men, not forgetting their parrot, that we understand flew in specially from Alton.

The event raised £135.76 which was donated to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

News of the event reached the yummy-mummies of Petersfield, who decided this sounded like a splendid way to raise some cash in this time of financial hardship for Petersfield’s Posh School.

A not-so-motley crew of 10 yummy-mummies took it upon themselves to organise a catwalk in Petersfield Posh School’s Great Hall, on which they strutted their stuff and danced around a steel flagpole and some rigging that was erected for the occasion.

The mummies took on pirate names for the day to ensure their anonymity and jigged away to appropriate maritime shanties such as I’ve Got A Chest ‘f Gold, I’ll Blow The Man Down, There’s A Fire In The Hole, Old One Eye and Greasing The Hawsehole.

Tickets sold for £50, with a further £50 to come on stage and practise your knots with the pirates. The event was a complete sell out with the wannabee-pirates raising over £125,000.

'Spanker' speaking to Newswire on behalf of the yummy-mummies told us: “It was tremendous fun, we were surprised how many people splashed out on the night, so we were determined to put on a bit of a show.

“Yah, It exceeded all our expectations, and we might even do it again next year if asked. Except poor Ho Ho Flo, who had dreadful rope burns on the inside of her thighs, she may decide to give it a miss.”