The Port In A Storm

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They asked me at work, "When is your next foreign trip?". "Does the Isle of Wight count?", I replied. The answer was negative, but it isn't mainland UK so I think that was a harsh assessment. The sun was beating down, as I surveyed Southampton harbour. A seriously big container ship pulled in alongside, as the Red Funnel ferry slipped from the mooring and headed towards the island. The yachts slipped effortlessly between the larger craft, although you can imagine the novice getting far too close in the busy shipping lanes. The Man in the Middle texted and said enjoy the peace and quiet. Cowes looked as prosperous as ever, but that would wait until tomorrow and we headed to our accommodation in St Helens. The Other Half was coming to visit her relations. The road was busy as we climbed out of East Cowes, passing Queen Victoria's holiday home at Osborne House. The usual holiday traffic was further congested with scooters. The island Scooter Rally was taking place and every Lambretta owner in the south had made the pilgrimage to show off their machines. St Helens is set around The Green, but peace and quiet predicted by the Man in the Middle looked in short supply. It was Carnival weekend. A travelling fair was camped out on the grass - 2pm until late. How late was late? How loud would it be? It transpired not to go on too late, which was fortunate given the temperature maintained a steady 72 degrees. The windows stayed open.



I was awake early. It was Derby Day. The Island is not known as a hotbed of football, but today would be as feisty as they get with the Sydenhams Hampshire League Premier Division clash between Cowes Sports and Newport ..... not to be confused with the place in Wales of the same name. You will note the use of the term "The Island". The locals often speak of it, as though there are no other islands and certainly none that count. Jane Austen did the same in her book Mansfield Park, referring to it as though it was the only island in the world! We had brought The Other Half's mother and so she could maintain her independence, travelled in her car. I was therefore at the mercy of Southern Vectis for my transport arrangements. I paced up and down outside the Village Hall, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the first bus out of the village on this Bank Holiday Monday at the no so early 0850 hours. The bus duly arrived and I handed over my £24 for a weekly "Freedom" ticket. It was neatly sealed in a small wallet by the driver to avoid it becoming illegible later in the validity period. I perched on the upper deck and we pulled up 10 yards after leaving the stop. The driver had clipped the temporary stop, leaving it horizontal on the pavement. Whoops! The double decker had no wifi, but was equipped with free UK Power and decent air con. The latter was most welcome, as the temperature was already climbing. After a detour around the houses, I made a connection towards Newport at Ryde Bus Station. Ryde was mainly asleep. A fair number of scooters were parked up, after the big rally yesterday. Portsmouth was visible across the Solent. The early start was necessary to make the early noon kick off. Live on Sky? Early kick on Police advice? Both unlikely, but it would allow all to enjoy an afternoon in the pub and hopefully attract a few holiday makers to bolster the numbers. I made my second successful connection at Newport Bus Station and arrived in Cowes at about 10:30. The bus conveniently passed Westwood Park, but I chose to stay on until the terminus at the ferry terminal. It had been an enlightening experience and I marvelled at the skill of the drivers, who safely negotiated some tight country lanes and some frankly ridiculous parking. The final hurrah was the entry to the Cowes Bus Station under a low arch that explained why deckers don't run on Service 1.



I set off to explore. My only previous to Cowes had been out of season, when it was cold and a bit miserable. In the height of summer on a beautiful day,it was a different place. The sun was shining. A nice cool breeze was coming in from the sea. The Helly Hanson crowd were promenading, picking up a few provisions for the yacht and checking restaurant menus for the evening before spending a the afternoon on the water. I walked West towards The Promenade and gazed out across the Solent. I noted a plaque that commemorated where Winston Churchill parents met in 1872 in front of one of the yacht clubs. Yachts are the bread and butter of Cowes. The Cowes Regatta has been going since 1812 and with 8,500 competitors is the largest sailing event in the world. The information board on the bus boasted the event drew 100,000 spectators. I suspect most would not arrive on the bus armed with a Freedom Pass. I walked to the Royal Squadron Yacht Club, which presumably is a starting point for races. The clue was the "starting cannon", which a sign suggested could be fired at any time. A series of bronze miniature Canon, lined the harbour wall. There was another sign that restricted entry to Members Only. I was underdressed anyway, having failed to shop in Musto. The accents were wide and varied. Australian, Italian. French. American. A group wandered past me, all immaculately attired in clothing branded Oman Sailing. The immediate waterfront after the passenger ferry terminal is off limits. A few public jetty squeeze through between the buildings, but the rest is a myriad of yacht clubs and boatyards. If anybody remembers watching the TV series, Howard Way, in the 1970s or 1970s, then this is the real life version. A series of craft, ranging from tiny dingy to racing yachts were displayed high out of the water ready for sale, repair or reprint. The signs stating no public access are prevalent. However, I found one route to the water right through the centre of a marina area. I wasn't totally sure whether I should be there, but nobody came to challenge me. It was time to head to Westwood Park for the match. The buses were every 10 minutes back up the hill in the direction Newport. I waited patiently in the shade with a couple of others outside the Marks and Spencer Food Hall. The sailed straight past. This was the second stop and a ferry had just arrived from Southampton. The bus was already overflowing. A schoolboy error. I made a mental note not to repeat the mistake, when I needed to leave town. I walked up the hill in the heat as my punishment to make kick off.



Cowes Sports have been around a long time. The posh sailing folk would need a few servants in the day and what better way for them to let off steam than a game of football. The club was founded in 1881 and became the inaugural champions of the Hampshire League. I paid my £5 admission. The ground was quite developed. A new clubhouse and changing rooms stretched part way down one side, before giving way to an old wooden stand. The No Smoking signs were displayed everywhere to prevent issues, along with a mock of a World War 1 recruiting poster - Your football club needs You. The usual crowd at Cowes is typically 80 to 90. Cowes expected more today and I immediately spied to youngsters parading in their West Ham shirts. An act of defiance or child cruelty after their start to the season. A guy with a York City tattoo was directly behind one goal. I commented to a guy with a Leicester City shirt that he was a fair way from his usual patch. "I only live in the next cul-de-sac", came the response. I wasn't sure what to expect of the standard. A local filled me in, not to expect too much. He bemoaned that it was only "Island' players these days, as the money wasn't there to import quality from the mainland. "They'll only come for money'. 'What these clubs need is a millionaire owner", he suggested. I had seen plenty this morning in town, but they were spending their money on nautical pursuits. Both clubs had lost heavily at the weekend, so an end to end sort of game wasn't really on the cards. However, there was a high degree of commitment commensurate with a Derby and some crunching tackles. The heat was an oppressive 25 degrees, but the pace was relentless. Half time refreshed the energy levels, as both sides looked for a way to make a breakthrough. The best option looked a set piece, although the delivery was going to need a substantial improvement. Time after time, the ball failed to clear the first defender. The 0-0 draw was looking the likely option until a smart finish to a long ball put Cowes into the lead. The Port had struggled to maintain discipline around this point and we're down to 9 men by the time Cowes hit a second. The young linesman kept his nerve despite the intimidation directed at him and assisted the ref with a confirmation of the idiotic challenge of the first Newport player. A second straight red card followed for swinging elbow, leaving the home support to celebrate a decisive victory. The bar hadn't been quite so busy for quite a while, according to an informed local source. I walked back down the hill to Northwood House. The former family residence of the Ward family was built in 1799 with the proceeds of merchant banking. It was gifted to the local Council in 1929 and now seemed to be in the wedding reception business.



I found town a lot quieter than I had left it. The rich and famous had gone sailing. I surveyed the magnificent art deco masterpiece of Osborne Court. The sun was strong. A dog walked down the jetty and had a paddle. He sat for a while afterwards and watched the lapping waves created by the wash of the passing boats. I walked towards the floating chain bridge ferry to East Cowes. The ferry waited, whilst a few stragglers rushed to board. The floating bridge has been linking East and West Cowes over the River Media since 1859. I walked the empty road back into town. The old Customs House carried a plaque to highlight the birthplace of one Thomas Arnold, headmaster of Rugby School. I was keen not to repeat my mistake of the morning and headed to the bus terminus to get back to Newport.



Appendix 1

Sydenhams Wessex League Premier Division

Cowes Sports FC 2 Newport (IOW) FC 0

Date : Monday 28 August 2017 @ 1200 Hours

Venue : Westwood Park, Cowes, Isle of Wight

Attendance : 260 plus 4 Non League Dogs

Scorers : 1-0 Furmidge (Cowes Sports), 2-0 McKie Cowes Sports)



Cowes Sports FC : Hatt, Draper, Cranwell, Bryan, Insley, Dye (Furmidge), Wykes (Turner), Malcolmson, Williams, McKie, Bricknell



Newport (IOW) FC : Payne, McDonough, Quigley, Pearce, Sainsbury (Wilson), Sampson, Taylor, Urry (Harmer), Ballentyne, Younie, Tattersall (Wetherwick)

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Photos

East Cowes
Southampton - East Cowes Car Ferry

Cowes
Northwood House

Cowes
Birthplace of Thomas Arnold

Cowes
Osborne Court

Cowes
Royal Yacht Squadron

Cowes
Osborne Court

Cowes
Vintage Lambrettta

Comments

[Rainyb]

awwwwwwwwww why so sad?

[John Miranda]

A Port In A Storm
A sad dog - it was 28 degrees, he was too hot and after his paddle was just happy to watch the waves. A good idea.