River Itchin, Winchester

One of the best known and most famous of the chalk streams in the UK, the River Itchin flows in many channels through and under Winchester on its way to join with the River Test and into Southampton Water. This shot of the tranquil stream was taken in Abbey Gardens at the end of a very enjoyable day in this historic city.

A beautiful day, sunny but no humid saw us join hundreds of others enjoying the charms of the city. We began at the Great Hall, itself stuffed with history with a "round table" hung on the wall telling the story of Sir Walter Raleigh was was tried in this hall and possibly held in cells beneath the hall.

It seems like Winchester was the birthplace of the English nation, with several smaller kingdoms joining together to form an alliance across the southern counties of what is now England.

Enroute to the Cathedral we stopped for a rather uninspiring lunch at Wetherspoons, we had expected better! Before the cathedral we called in at the municipal museum and had a long chat with a lady in a 1960s tobacconist shop, displaying cigarette, cigars and tobacco that I remember from my youth (not that I smoked) As a boy I collected cigarette packets and was always rummaging in bins for discarded packets much to my mother's disgust. Many brands used to include coupons to collect for gifts, Embassy and Kensitas were brands Dad used to smoke and we used to encourage him to keep going so we had enough coupons for that next gift. How times have changed.

The advertising slogans make you smile nowadays, Consulate - cool as a mountains stream! Craven A - what your throat deserves.... Wow.

The Cathedral was very interesting, containing as it does the grave of Jane Austin and the remains of St. Swithun, some marvellous floor tiles and spectacular effigies. The choir were practising and organ playing which created a special atmosphere.

Which led us finally to a relaxing half hour in the Abbey Gardens before catching the park and ride bus back to the car for the journey back to Gosport.