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Portsmouth

Portsmouth - Pompey to its locals - is famous for its naval heritage and its large Naval Dockyard.

Portsmouth, and its seaside cousin Southsea, together occupy the South West corner and Southern coastline of Portsea Island, and above them on the left side is the famous Naval Dockyard, where one can tour HMS Victory and see the spot where Nelson fell, climb aboard HMS Warrior and experience life as it was, at sea at the time when steam and sail came together, and visit the Mary Rose exhibition containing the hull and thousands of artefacts from the recently lifted Mary Rose, the tudor warship which sank on its maiden voyage.

Ferries leave for Gosport, the Isle of Wight, France and Spain and the waters are full of boats.

Gosport has naval connections too, and though it lives in the shadows of Portsmouth a lot of the time, its submarine museum attracts thousands of visitors.

Hayling Island is joined to the mainland by a single bridge over normally sheltered waters at Langstone. Just sometimes the wind is so great that walkers and cyclists have to hold onto the railings. Come and visit us in the summer, when the weather is altogether more still and warm.

Havant, a bustling town close to me, is famous for making the parchment on which the Magna Carta was signed by King John. The paper industry has gone, but visitors to the town will not only find an excellent Museum and a thriving Arts Centre, but also many pubs - something us English still do well - (one is indeed called the Parchment Makers) which do an excellent lunch for tourists. Come and try!