ScuzzBlog: Diaries May 2017
Entry 26th May 2017: Post: 6
What is truly amazing
Paul
You can't work in Christchurch without bumping into sailing folk every
few steps. The architects office I worked in had an outbuilding without
a floor straight into the water. Avonbank Studio on the bridge. The
practice was well known for its waterside properties like Priory Quay. I
worked exclusively on Swanage Yacht Haven... well the first phase up by
Wellington Clock Tower. We never did manage to build any more as
Parliament ruled against the Haven in the end. We also did Fishermans
Quay at Lymington and Ocean Village. I did a private scheme for a guy at
Paddocks at Mudeford and the garage was two storey with a ramp into the
water. The double height was for a boat. Trouble was that Christchurch
got a touch fidgety with water levels and changed the base level you
could build stuff at water level. It nearly caught us out at Priory
Quay. There is actually a bund all the way round that site that is
supposed to stop the water getting in.
The boating came from the practices son who let me have the Mirror.
Sadly the boat got land trapped when I converted my garage into a
drawing office for two of us and sadly I had to burn the boat. I was
quite freaked cus it took me a week during nights and I noticed all the
cars in the close covered in a fine dust. Sad, but hey needs must.
When I moved to Paul Jones Architects in Fareham in the mid nineties the
guy [ Paul Jones ] would have Fridays off and do sailing trips with
clients and let some of the staff join him. They did the Little Britain
or whatever its called. Even at my last practice in Bournemouth a number
of our clients and consultants invited us out for days on the boats.
I have a game here in a nicely sealed folder called The Official
America's Cup... Sailing Simulation. Its quite beautiful to look at.
Just haven't the heart to open it. Its about 10" x 10" with a sailed
boat gliding across a silver ocean. Magical. Thinking about it the last
time I was on the water was Norfolk Broads.
scuzz
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