E.J.Wilkins

03 May 2008 • 820 views
 
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photoblog image Bored with waiting

Bored with waiting


Just a people picture - some of those who were waiting at Calshot for Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria to pass by on their way to the Solent.

In the background is the keep of Calshot Castle, built during the reign of Henry VIII (1540) it's in a prime position to protect the entrance to Southampton Water, and thus the port of Southampton, and the eastern approach to the Solent.

The area behind the castle has been quite important more recently.

The Naval Air Station opened in 1913 and it's from here that Winston Churchill took his first seaplane flight when he was Lord of the Admiralty.

Calshot is where Aircraftsman Shaw (T. E. Lawrence - "Lawrence of Arabia") was assigned to help organise the Schneider Trophy event in 1929 and 1931.
During WWII hangars here housed the Sunderland Flying Boat.
RAF Calshot was closed in 1961.

The ex-military and aircraft site is now run as an - Activity Centre -, there is an indoor ski slope and climbing walls as well as facilities for watersports in the protected inshore area. It bustles with activity, somewhat different from its original purpose.

Calshot is also the home of the local inshore - RNLI Lifeboat -

- Here's - what the area looks like from above.
.

Bored with waiting


Just a people picture - some of those who were waiting at Calshot for Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria to pass by on their way to the Solent.

In the background is the keep of Calshot Castle, built during the reign of Henry VIII (1540) it's in a prime position to protect the entrance to Southampton Water, and thus the port of Southampton, and the eastern approach to the Solent.

The area behind the castle has been quite important more recently.

The Naval Air Station opened in 1913 and it's from here that Winston Churchill took his first seaplane flight when he was Lord of the Admiralty.

Calshot is where Aircraftsman Shaw (T. E. Lawrence - "Lawrence of Arabia") was assigned to help organise the Schneider Trophy event in 1929 and 1931.
During WWII hangars here housed the Sunderland Flying Boat.
RAF Calshot was closed in 1961.

The ex-military and aircraft site is now run as an - Activity Centre -, there is an indoor ski slope and climbing walls as well as facilities for watersports in the protected inshore area. It bustles with activity, somewhat different from its original purpose.

Calshot is also the home of the local inshore - RNLI Lifeboat -

- Here's - what the area looks like from above.
.

comments (17)

  • ray
  • Thailand
  • 3 May 2008, 00:59
Just a very interesting people picture, Ellie.

The English seem to spend a lot of time waiting for the Queen to parade past [grin]
EJWilkins: The queues would have been even bigger of Queen Elizabeth II had been on one of the ships. wink
  • DrAW!
  • nigeria
  • 3 May 2008, 01:55
it's better than 'just' a people picture
and it's really well composed
  • John
  • Norwich , England
  • 3 May 2008, 07:22
Very good shot Ellie. The British do love waiting for things.. it's a national past time.:o)
EJWilkins: Oh we do grin
  • anniedog
  • Great Britain (UK)
  • 3 May 2008, 08:06
They almost look like they are all posing for you! A good observational picture.
Ingrid
I love the people hugging on the left.
  • Catalpa
  • Newcastle
  • 3 May 2008, 10:26
I agree with DrAW. The composition is great here, and there's so much interest in the figures. I like the turret with the gun too. It make you wonder what is abou t to happen!!
EJWilkins: The turret thing is quite a big little Keep, if that makes sense. It's even got a moat. The gun I'd think must date from WW2, but I'm not sure.
  • Astrid
  • out of my bed early, sun is out
  • 3 May 2008, 14:11
You English are so patient....this is a great shot....love it, you made 'just some people' look so great.
EJWilkins: Isn't everybody patient when they're waiting for something nice?
  • Sheila
  • Spain
  • 3 May 2008, 14:38
I've loved all your "waiting for the Queens" photos. And this is a lovely picture. Doesn't it just sum up the English - prepared to wait on a cold, pebbly beach to see the ships go by?
EJWilkins: Actually you're right. There were people who'd travelled miles specially - from Wales, from the Midlands, and we all stood around very patiently getting cold and worrying if it was going to be to dark to see anything.
Then when the ships had gone past we made a very civilized retreat, waiting in queues to get cars out from the muddle we'd made of the car parking arrangements.
I remember the flying boats, not TE Shaw though!!! wink
EJWilkins: There's a plaque on one of the buildings, used to be a barracks is now a bunkhouse for residential groups.
  • Blackdog
  • Home Sweet Home
  • 3 May 2008, 15:19
Quite a turnout to watch the boats go by - I see English Heritage flying its flag ;o)
EJWilkins: There were even more people round the corner, many of them had been there from mid-afternoon and had brought deckchairs and picnics.
I was quite pleased the flag was flying, I think it gives a bit more interest to this picture.
Nice people picture with lots of interesting info...thanks Ellie
Very nice shot and interesting history
Beautiful capture Ellie. Thanks for the information.
Nicely caught Ellie, like the building in the background and the story as well.
EJWilkins: There's the Tudor Keep and one of the old red brick barracks buildings in the background, they're the ones that are used as residential buildings for visiting school groups and so on.
Haha - that's so cool to see the turn out, but bored, now that's funny. You'd want to ask why'd they come then?
Lots of info.with a great picture of the crowd Ellie. It adds to the boats you posted during the week to see the crowd as well.
I've liked this serie very much and his one is even funny !

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camera E-400
exposure mode aperture priority
shutterspeed 1/125s
aperture f/8.0
sensitivity ISO100
focal length 14.0mm
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