Rubber Johnny on the south coast

[Si Crowe]

i trailed the ol' girl from York down to Southampton a couple of weeks back, picked up my dear old dad, bundled him into the rib with enough Kronenbourg 1664 to sink a battleship and headed out from Hamble Point Marina up to Bucklers Hard (Beaulieau) then to Lymington, Yarmouth, Cowes (up to the Folly Inn) then back up Southampton Water to the docks and River Itchen to shamrock Quay. the weather was glorious, the water calm. we couldn't have planned it better. basically i trip down memory lane (it's where I grew up).



the Master Builders bar has not changed since the 70's.







the old fart at the wheel, he's been boating on the solent since the 50's. kind of an old salt.


tins are a right give away. lol

my little tub in front of the old man's. she so tiny!!

lymington town quay, dad's having a ponder.


the George Beer garden (Yarmouth IOW) across to Lymington. perfect visability and sea state.

my dad's plank on the Yarmouth Pier from the 80's. amazed it's still there.
that'll do for now. lol

[Martin]

Awesome pics Si, lovely part of the country!
You've got me wondering now, how or why did your dad get his name on the pier?

[Si Crowe]

as i kid we were always in Yarmouth from the 70's onwards (how that place has changed!!!), in the 80's they were rebuilding the pier and to help fund the rebuild you could "buy" a plank and have your name engraved and the rest as they say is history.

Yarmouth has always been a "happy place" for my dad and me so it was like coming home. id not been there since 2007.