Gateway to Empire

Continuing the local theme, I went for a walk down by the dockside in Southampton on Tuesday. It was a brisk, sunshine-and-showers afternoon, with the kind of soft brightness that digital cameras seem to be built to love. I suspect the climate in Japan must be rather similar to ours. I put together this little photo-essay, with as few words as possible. Let the pictures do the talking.

Mayflower Park on the waterfront, looking north towards town, then looking west. Some of this rubbish may well have been dumped overboard by the Pilgrim Fathers, on embarkation for (as they believed) Virginia.

Holyrood Church on the High Street was destroyed by bombing in 1940. Left as a permanent shell, it is now dedicated as a memorial to the sailors of the Merchant Navy. Once you step inside, it's a poignantly quiet spot on a busy street. It's actually very beautifully done, with a level of of tact and restraint not usually associated with Southampton. We British are rather good at war memorials. We've had a lot of practice, of course.

Town Quay docks and ferry terminal.  They are never pretty places, working waterfronts, but always full of interest. Unless, of course, you're waiting for your daily ferry back to the Isle of Wight, in which case it's about as interesting as a bus station. And, yes, that massive white thing in the distance in the second picture is one enormous ship.

Finally, three gateways/portals, all currently closed, but offering different kinds of potential access and benefits to the enquirer. I should probably say that my choice would most likely be the middle one, a Thai Restaurant on the old Mayflower Pier.