Weymouth; Saturday, 12 July, 2003

Saturday dawned gloriously. Almost perfectly clear blue skies and the sea looking tourist brochure blue!

First location of the morning was Portland Island. The island is actually connected to the main land by a spit of land but impassible in bad weather.

We got the open top bus all the way to the very end of the island to Portland Bill where the lighthouse and the furthest part of Dorset are

From the Bill you can look across the sea deep into Devon. On a gloriously sunny day the area was peaceful, tranquil and serene. On a wet or gloomy day I gather the best you would be able to come up with is suicide inducing.

We did want to look in the lighthouse museum, but being Saturday it was closed (and that about sums up all there is to know about the state of the Island!!). After visiting the Bill we hopped back on the bus to the Portland Heights hotel.

The hotel is on one of the highest points of the island facing back to the main land and affords spectacular views over the sea, Portland and Weymouth harbours and the thin strip of land that separates them Chesil Beach. After taking in the views we walked down the side of the hill into the main town Fontswell and through to Portland Castle on the other side.

The castle, originally built for Henry VIII, is in amazingly good condition and served as one of the principle forts on the south coast. It was used right up to the end of W.W.II and many of the USA D-day landing craft left from in front of it. An interesting and informative audio tour takes you round the site.

After a spot of lunch it was back on the bus into, and out of the town centre to the country park, about a mile north of the centre up the coast. Inside the park we had a quick look round Model World that has scale models depicting various areas of Dorset.

After that we had a quick round of pitch and put (or not so quick if you take 20 shots a hole and keep loosing the balls!). Then it was onto the land train and back into the centre of town, and a well deserved pint!