SouthseaScene

I submitted this short article to the Telegraph Travel section on  30 May 2017 and it was published in the papers on 3 June 2017. Events of that day meant that I didn't remember it again until much later. Sadly, I still cannot find a copy of the original. My first published piece in a major newspaper and I have nothing to show for it except the e-mail from the Editor letting me know that my letter was picked to win the main prize. The Adriatic Reading about the Kempinski Palace Portoroz in last week’s Travel section reminded me of our beautiful weekend in the town and nearby Piran. We stayed in humbler Maygut hotel up the hill and the shortcut took us to the main road by the Kempinski. The promenade takes you all the way to Piran. I remember the sea shimmering like a thousand little diamonds and the large orange orb that was the sun sinking in the background. Below us the town of Piran was slowly lighting up. We had climbed up to the battlement, intrigued by its ou...

Marie Curie is celebrating the launch of its Helper service in Portsmouth and is calling on people to consider volunteering a few hours of their time each week to support local people with terminal illnesses and their families. The charity is looking for people who are interested in becoming a ‘Marie Curie Helper’, a volunteer who can visit someone with a terminal illness in their own home to provide companionship and emotional support, as well as practical help. While it has previously been available in other parts of the country, this is the first time that people in Portsmouth have been able to benefit from the service. Marie Curie Helper volunteers give around three hours a week of their time to offer a friendly ear and the opportunity to talk through any worries. Volunteers also help by providing practical support, information about local services and enabling carers and family members to take a short break. Rachel Hatcher, Marie Curie Helper Service Manager for Portsmout...

‘The Making of a Royal Marines Commando’ exhibition finds new home in Action Stations at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard and is set to open this Saturday 12 August 2017. You will find a permanent new gallery describing the training of Royal Marines Commandos has been relocated from the Royal Marines Museum in Eastney to Action Stations in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. ‘The Making of a Royal Marines Commando’ takes visitors stage by stage through the 30 weeks of RM Commando training and gives them the opportunity to step into the boots of a RM Recruit. Using a broad mix of interactive exhibits, from high tech ones like an SA80 rifle simulator, to finding out how to fold your shirt ‘Globe and Laurel’ style, the exhibition requires active participation from visitors! The exhibition also includes a range of objects especially acquired for the exhibition, including equipment used by Mountain Leaders, Snipers and Aircrewmen. Perhaps the most striking aspect of the display is that most...