<p>Back in May I had two pieces in successive copies of The People's Friend. On the old site someone suggested I post one of them for those who didn't see a copy but it has taken until now to track the originals down. A change of computers since submission caused the confusion.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>When my son read the published piece his only comment was, "Pity about the typo." I am delighted to say that on reading the original the error was not mine so thoughts of his mother becoming senile are grossly exaggerated. I'll put the solution at the end for those who read the magazine and missed it as several other people had done before my son pointed it out.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>"Ahoy There!" - The People's Friend (9-5-2009)</strong></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><strong></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal">A popular treat during our summer holidays with relatives was to spend a day on the Royal Pier at Southampton. Unlike many seaside resort piers the Royal Pier was not a scene of arcade attractions. In the fifties and sixties you could always be sure of seeing plenty of shipping movements as the great ocean liners visited the port.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The pier itself had many attractions, as there was a small shop, a cafeteria, from which a tray of tea could be taken out if required, and plenty of seating. For adults, the Mecca Ballroom housed in the Pier Pavilion, was a popular venue. A line of shelters ran down the centre of the pier forming a wind break on blustery days. The curved cast-iron seats that lined both sides of the pier made a great base from which to set off on our explorations. Whilst our mother and aunt chatted, read and maybe did their knitting we were free to roam so long as we remained in sight.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The planks of the pier had quite large cracks between allowing the movement of the water to be observed. Sometimes there was debris from the ships being floated through the stanchions but more often than not there was simply the gentle lapping of water against the uprights as the tide ebbed and flowed. We held tightly to any pocket money we had taken along as the cracks were large enough to swallow most coins.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal">From the end of the pier you may see fishermen with their rods and lines patiently awaiting a bite. I don&rsquo;t know how successful they were but do recall on one occasion, whilst we were kneeling up on the seats to get a better view over Southampton Water, that we saw a whole mass of jellyfish pass under the pier. Like a bizarre game of Pooh sticks we rushed to the other side to see them emerge. We could see their tentacles and saw how the bell filled propelling them along. We noted four small circles on the bell. The jellyfish swam just below the surface of the murky water that shone rainbow colours with the oil that had been spilled and one wonders just how healthy it was for them. However, wild life was not our objective.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The daily local paper, the Southern Evening Echo, printed lists of ships arriving or departing the next day in their diary section. We knew you could generally see a Cunard liner, either the Queen Elizabeth or Queen Mary (the originals) on a Monday or a Thursday, as these were their arrival and departure days. Other ships were less predictable. Sometimes we saw a ship called the America that had distinctive, finned funnels, and you may see a Union-Castle ship on its way either to or from South Africa. These ships docked in the New Dock area and, as they had to pass the end of the pier, you had a better look at them. I recall the Edinburgh Castle and Pendennis Castle amongst others. The hull was a pleasant shade of lilac with white superstructure.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The Cunard liners, which docked at the Ocean Terminal, did not come up as far as the pier itself. The deep water channel was marked with a string of buoys, though, and you had a good view of the tugs turning the mighty ships to enter the dock itself. For this they had to overrun the dock and then turn in. There were generally four tugs involved with two pushing and two pulling at any one time. These manoeuvres took quite a while and must have been a poignant time for passengers as the end was so close yet tantalisingly slow.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Occasionally, if we were very fortunate, we were taken on a harbour cruise that took you close up to the side of some of the liners and made you really appreciate their massive size. The tiny trip boats bobbed up and down even in the comparative calm of the docks and the splendour of those liners was somewhat overpowered by the stench of oil that surrounded them at sea level. Long streaks of rust could be seen below the many pipes that lead from the side and to some extent the ships lost their impressiveness with this display of vulnerability to the elements. I remember making one trip around dusk and the sight of the massive liners all lit up was quite magical.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Besides the great ocean liners there was plenty of other marine activity to keep us occupied. The regular Red Funnel ferries to the Isle of Wight left from alongside the pier and there were cargo vessels and oil tankers as the huge Fawley oil refinery was on the opposite bank. Early on an occasional flying boat was seen in action although most of the time these were at anchor in Southampton Water and on the pier itself a Supermarine Seaplane was displayed. This forerunner of the Spitfire had broken the World Air Speed record over Southampton Water in 1931.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The pier shop sold postcards of the most frequent visitors to Southampton and we often purchased one if we had seen a different ship. Such simple pleasures seemed to satisfy us then. We always took a picnic of sandwiches and cakes and crisps but tea was purchased from the cafeteria as and when required, which seemed quite often in the case of the adults.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal"></p> <p class="MsoNormal">On one memorable occasion the Royal Yacht Britannia came into port and the pier was quite crowded on her arrival and departure days. The demand for harbour trips was high but we managed to reach the front of the queue eventually and we were part of a flotilla of boats following at a distance as she left port. Even though we couldn&rsquo;t get as close as usual to the boats that day it was a wonderful trip.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal">At the end of the day everything had to be packed up into the bags and, after a last ice cream, we set off to catch a bus back to our grandmother&rsquo;s house.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal">(And the typo? Apparently they thought finned Tunnels rather than Funnels adorned the ship.)</p> <p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p> <p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p>

<p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning /> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas /> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables /> <w:SnapToGridInCell /> <w:WrapTextWithPunct /> <w:UseAsianBreakRules /> <w:DontGrowAutofit /> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} p {mso-margin-top-alt:auto; margin-right:0cm; mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; margin-left:0cm; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:595.3pt 841.9pt; margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt; mso-header-margin:35.4pt; mso-footer-margin:35.4pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" /> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:shapelayout v:ext="edit"> <o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" /> </o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></p> <p>Back in 2005 I sent an article and a couple of ideas to a local magazine. I learned a rapid lesson. The editor liked the article but it included areas outside of the remit for the publication. He did accept another article on a different subject but I learned to do more thorough research on titles before submitting.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The article sat in its file until early this year when the editor sent me a random sample copy. I noticed the magazine was now distributed in the area formerly off limits so I emailed him asking if he might now be interested in the piece. He requested the article by return but I heard nothing. Then two other local titles merged making them a possible target for the piece. Out of courtesy I emailed the first editor again to see if he was still interested before approaching the new title. He replied by return, again requesting the article and at this third time of asking as it were he accepted it providing I could send the photos by the following Tuesday (this was Thursday) for inclusion in the September issue. Despite preparing for a weekend away I gathered the material together and posted it off first class and crossed my fingers.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>This morning the postman brought a copy of the September magazine with the article included. The editor did manage to get my name correct on the article but the contents still has the dreaded added e on my name.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>However, two lessons. One, always check the title out thoroughly before submitting and two, persistence sometimes pays. I can even rewrite the piece at some later date for a different area using their local examples.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Yesterday our latest issue of Best of British magazine was delivered and one piece was very familiar.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Back in 2006, at the end of a story involving cycling, the editor requested other cycling stories. I had a piece written by my father describing the lengthy cycle rides involved in his courtship of my mother, travelling from where he worked to her home town each weekend. He had tried to have it published in magazines himself but had not been successful. I typed it up and sent it in, explaining it was the work of my late father. I received the standard reply that they would like to retain it for possible publication. At least this time it was not rejected outright.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Yesterday his dream came true as it made it into print and I have to admit to feeling quite emotional about it. My father had some work published in his local county magazine and lots of letters, too. In fact his success was one reason I decided to give it a go. I just know he would have been so pleased to see this particular story in print.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>