All eyes were on the buxom woman, not her hula hoops '“ Rick Jackson

My wife surprised me by getting tickets for the circus last Sunday afternoon. Would our four and two-year-olds sit through it? Would I be able to sit though it?
Wightlinks new 30m flagship Victoria of WightWightlinks new 30m flagship Victoria of Wight
Wightlinks new 30m flagship Victoria of Wight

It was a blustery day in Stokes Bay, but the Netherlands Circus provided very good entertainment.

I was particularly impressed by the woman who looked like my mother-in-law balancing on the back of a man in his 60s, clearly using Grecian 2000, spinning round and round on the smallest bicycle I've ever seen.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

There was much amusement as many men lost count of how many hula hoops the buxom performer was managing to rotate! For that bit of comedy alone, it was well worth the money.

We are most amused by Victoria of Wight

As thousands watched in wonder at all three Cunard ships in the Solent, a special ship slipped quietly into Portsmouth Harbour for the first time.

The Red Arrows saluted the three Queens '“ Mary, Elizabeth and Victoria '“ as they left our shores for more exotic destinations.

But this other ship, which arrived with no fanfare, will become part of the fabric of life in Portsmouth for many years to come.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

This ship will no doubt play an important part in my life too, like the many that have gone before her.

Don't laugh, but for me an Isle of Wight ferry has always been extra special.

Growing up, the excitement of a day trip to Portsmouth or a holiday away, always started on the ferry.

Today, boarding that ferry means I'm going back home, even if it is for one day, but that trip is so very important.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A treat would be a Saturday shopping in Commercial Road with mum.

We'd be ready for the 9.15am passenger ferry from Ryde Pier Head in the old Sealink days.

Remember the old Southsea and Brading? They were such trustworthy ferries which ran in all weathers virtually every day of the year. They became old friends.

A stewed cup of tea from a massive urn and a sweaty cheese and ham sandwich from the buffet, or the wind blowing through your hair on the funnel deck made the journey.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

So, the latest hi-tech ferry has arrived from the builders and the £30m Victoria of Wight puts the car ferries of my childhood to shame. Looking more like a cross-Channel ferry inside and out, she will set new standards in travel to the Isle of Wight.

This new hybrid ship shows off her green credentials with her new green and blue livery, but for me, it's the memories of the future she will provide that will be most important.

You see, for me a ferry is not just a hunk of steel, it's something that I associate with bringing good times and family together and that a ship is part of that journey.

So, welcome Victoria of Wight.

Watch your street cred go up in smoke in a Ford Basingstoke? 

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

I followed a Seat Leon the other day and thought how clever the Spanish car manufacturer was in naming models after towns and cities in Spain.

Ibiza, Toledo, Alhambra, the list goes on. Even the French do it. Brittany Ferries names its ships after areas near to which they serve. Mont St Michel sails out of Portsmouth every day and Cap Finistere sails past that area on her way to Spain. Those places sound romantic and cool.

Thankfully firms have not decided to name things after places in the UK as, let's be honest, nowhere in the UK sounds anywhere near as appealing. I bet you wouldn't buy a Ford Basingstoke would you? And I wouldn't be seen dead in a Vauxhall Stoke.

Â