Would the London City Council allow St Paul's Cathedral to be renovated by taking away all the Portland Stone, and replacing it with magnolia painted sectional concrete?

There is but one obvious answer.

So why...The home of Portland Stone, steeped in just about as much history as London, and perhaps every other City, Town and Village in England, do we have to endure the ugly monstrosities that has befallen the wonderful Isle?

   Comer Homes, the company behind the tragedy that is the so called "Ocean Views" Project (The worst name to use...in fact, there are NO veiws of any Ocean from any window in that complex...Just Lyme Bay, Portland Harbour and the Bay near the town with the sandy beach!)  When the Navy left Portland from 1996, there was not much left to leave as a legacy for the Islanders. Just the emptied out shells of many old buildings and the HMS Osprey site. The only legacy that we allegedly had, was the kind gift from the Ministry of Defence to the people of Portland as a thank you for well over a hundred years that we looked after the Royal Navy and many other Navy's around the world. That GIFT, was subsequently sold from under our noses and now has been built on. If the Officers Field was a gift to Portland, Then who gave the right to sell the land that belongs to each and every one of us here on the Island?

  Back to Comer Homes, who said they would "support locals" during the developments to the old HMS Osprey site. We are still waiting for that support! We are still waiting for them to finish the development! As you can see from the photograph!

  So, why are these new ghastly buildings being approved by planning authorities? Why are they not being built with the very stone that this Island is famous for? Why is the voice of the people always ignored? As my earlier blog notes....Portland Castle next to a concrete block? Wouldn't happen in London!

  I have no Idea, if the Comer Homes development will ever be completed, and if there is any truth behind the Officers Field gift. What I do expect, is that somewhere, there are people who has gained significantly by passing planning applications and brushing aside the will and integrity of the people of Portland.

   Portland Ignored...Again and again! 

Thanks for listening! Andy

The Isle of Portland flag!

The colours represent the landscape of the area: portland stone, grass and the sea. The white tower represents the castles and the naval coronet shows the long connection with the Royal Navy.

Considering the speed at which the grass is being covered by new homes, I think the blue part should be bigger than the green part, that's just me, one look at "officers field" tells you what I mean.

To be honest, the flag looks pretty boring and I don't think it sums up Portland as best as it could do.

The flag doesn't really resonate with me, sadly.

How about you?

Edit to add : The flag was designed by "Skylark" Durston, a well known mason of this island, sadly passed away now but I was fortunate to meet him during my apprenticeship.

Sailing boats from Chesil beach.

They looked so small from here with that huge backdrop of the imposing cliff face of Westcliff.

Many a boat, ships even, have sunk here in the past, hard to imagine when looking at this picture, but as with the stormy pictures seen on here, we know it does get rough.... in the summer it just looks serene.

I should ask my uncle if I can go out with him on his boat while fishing, with the chance to take some nice photos of Portland from a different angle. Would be an interesting thing to do.

It's a shame that we see fewer fishing boats nowadays, but with the value of line caught fish going up, maybe there is still a niche there, which is what keeps the few going, though I think kids tend to like fish less than we did when we were young... must admit, mum didn't like it when dad caught and plonked a massive cod in the bath after one fishing trip, tasted great though! :o)

One thing about sailing a boat to here, is that you have to sail around the Island, taking care out at Portland bill, with it's strong currents as you pass.

Those sailing on these boats you see here must have had a great time, perfect weather, just a little breeze.

Yacht a nice way to spend the day, eh. :o)

PORTLAND sailing academy!

The revamped block of flats dominate the area, there are two blocks, one finished, one not... the one still looking as it did on the left shows how drab they were, the updated one on the right, looking bright and new really does make that difference.

Looking right at the top of the picture, you can see the massive arch entrance to the Verne Prison, literally built into the islands side, just to the left, the "giants golf ball" as we called it, I presume it's some sort of radar or radio wave transmitter/receiver, something like that.

Closer to me...

The blue sails of those learner sailors making their way to the water can be seen on the left side, the start of the days fun. :o)

The water looks just right for safe sailing.

The sea looks so serene here, this beach being very shallow and the best place to take young children, being careful about the windsurfers though, in my opinion the windsurfers should be excluded from a certain distance from the shore as it was always a safe place for kids to swim, play, they should come fiirst.

I have some great memories of swimming and mucking about in our dingy, that is me and my two brothers, mum took us down here a lot in the summers, it's where we learnt to snorkel.

Happy times, and hopefully something today's little kids can learn and enjoy safely.

Lot's of people enjoying the sun and sea on the one and only Chesil beach, plenty of divers down here too.

Plenty of fishing to be seen, lot's of mackerel getting caught too, ideal on a BBQ, of course!

All in all it has been a good half term for everyone, apart from those who worked!

A good summer coming up and a good time for...

Local tourist related businesses to consider fishing, so to speak, using the advertisers best channels, the internet!

Know your Island

A good time for the general UK population to consider the Isle of Portland as an alternative holiday choice from your usual. Sad to know alot of British people know more of a foreign holiday country they use than the UK.

One of the treasured things about our 70's childhood and our parents liking for caravanning holidays and touring the UK are the memories of the great places of the British Isles, we went everywhere but Ireland.

Though it has to be said, our family holidays were rarely in a caravan, more often than not it was a motor home type, caravanette as we used to say, we even took the pets.

Happy times!

How much of the UK have you explored? That's your Island.

Portland is a great little part of it, come check it out, the best way to do that is on foot.

Isle of Portland's "gateway" (wrong place!)

Notice that big square sign, that IS the Welcome to Portland sign!

Portland's gateway column bases are not to good at the moment in regards to what they are there for, sharing the names of those to remember.

Driving towards Portland as soon as you pass the Ferry Bridge pub that sits at the far end of Beach Rd on a windy day you soon know you are within Portland's boundary, worse on two wheels, be it a motorbike or push bike, the bridge now moved and strengthened was just past this pub, it was a dangerous one too.

The official reason the "gateway" was placed here may be that it's not close to moving traffic, one each side of the road as people would think of, which would be dangerous of course, yet some locals can't help thinking it was done to claim the sailing academy, which is the other side of this gateway behind me, is then part of Weymouth....cynical, yes, true?

Who knows?

Seeing as they keep referring to it as "Weymouth and Portland" when it sit's in Portland Harbour alone, you can see why locals may think that.

We know different as to where the real gateway to Portland is and that is, and always was, the other end of the Beach Road.

If there is a bridge to cross that's the boundary really as it crosses water, water (The fleet) that does make Portland an Island, apart from Chesil beach, and we all know that water to cross goes along the inside of the beach runs for quite a way... quite a walk with no bridge!

Boundary's and gateways are not created by councils, but communities.

Welcome to the Isle of Portland!

Portland's Old Scuba shop, that blue building and car park in the foreground with the new view behind it overlooking PORTLAND's harbour, thus sailing academy too.. the 2012 sailing is here on PORTLAND... nothing to do with Weymouth...

I digress! :o)

Dad being a diver, took me and my brothers down there a few times back in day, in some way's I am surprised that building is still there, amazing some company hasn't jumped on it.

This is a prominent site on arrival to Portland, a good sized car park too, yet they removed the skate park that was sat behind this building, shame, but...as usual there is not alot to do for the younger generation...

What if it was up to us again and we could submit ideas and decide on whether to act on any, collectively choose what is possible here, after all we gotta live here and we benefit as a community.

Portland people know what Portland needs

Interestingly me and my brother were chatting about this a little while back and what we would do to improve it if it was really up to us... and an idea that he mentioned for here sparked some real good ideas between us overall and got us quite excited at the possibility's Portland has, if the locals were to make the choices, what would capture the attention of people, give the younger generation something different. ;o)

The ideas got us thinking, one idea in particular really stood out, something that could make Portland pretty unique, as if it's not unique enough already! ;o)

Portland needs something here to get people talking about it and visiting more, after all other than it's natural beauty what do people come here for?

It's needs something radical, something different, something to capture the imagination... something we don't see much in the UK.

Imagine it, one day seeing....

Portland's new 50's style American drive in cinema! 

Before you scoff, let me explain how it would be and maybe you see why we thought it an idea that's different, radical and a possible talking point.

The practicalities are not that hard to sort out, not that much needs to change to make this a possibility and the potential is huge in many ways.

The screen itself would sit on the roof of the building, facing the car park, if the screen is clear on both sides it would also be possible to have the film show on both sides, allowing the old skate park behind the building become a seating area... the building could be used to sell refreshments and tickets, inside a "diner" and with a window on the back this would be simple and straightforward to sell to those seated behind.

The fact the site is on the bottom of the Island and easy to get to for non locals make it something they would consider, wouldn't you have back in your younger days, driving around with your mates, and girlfriends, bored because that's all there is to do? ~ "Hey lets all go catch a movie, and we don't even have to get out of the car!"

But some will say, well people will just go sit on the outside of it and not pay, they will freely watch it...tickets include hired headphones, with refundable charge anyone?

Unless you are a damn good lipreader like me, you would find that a waste of time and frustrating! ;o)

Today's technology would make this sort of experience simple and effective, appealing.

Having it here would make Portland national news!

Don't you agree?