Club Autumn Weekend Away - Portsmouth

On the last day of October, a group of 39 departed Oswestry for the annual Rotary trip. This year the trip was to Portsmouth, calling at Stratford on the way.

Arriving at Stratford mid-morning the group were given a tour of the RSC. This included the Swan and Royal Shakespeare Theatres. There was time for lunch and a stroll by the river before the journey continued to The Langstone Hotel on Hayling Island. A very interesting pre dinner talk about the Battle of Trafalgar was delivered by Mr David Shannon, a retired seaman and historian. Following a pleasant dinner, most members of the group retired to bed early after a long but informative and enjoyable first day.

Saturday began early with a guided coach tour of Portsmouth and the surrounding areas of Portsend and Southsea. This was followed by a walk to the Dockyard and Harbour where a guide gave a brief introduction to the site and the magnificent historical exhibits within. Ancient and modern naval splendour stand side by side in a fascinating arena of Military might.

HMS Victory, HMS Warrior, The Mary Rose, The Dockyard Museum and the Harbour Tour were just a selection of exhibits to savour. The ancient Ships stand in the shadow of the Royal Navy