Today, we will leave the Romans behind, but I may come back to them…
Whilst searching for something else, I’ve found a few prints from 1998, not great when scanned, but hey…a window into the past. I had completely for about these images. Scanned from prints again, so not great, but they definitely evoke a past time…..the Hovercraft ceased running to France in 2000.
This morning, we go back to July 1998 (which may have been our last, and if not, penultimate trip on one of these vessels). I took morning and evening views of a Hovercraft. I can vaguely remember the sound as they came into port. Then I would take a quick photo and we would queue up to board, and off to Boulogne we would go. A good lunch and some sightseeing, and some food shopping, perhaps. Return in the evening, disembark and an image of the departing craft as it returned to its French port in the setting sun,
Not the most salubrious vessel, but it was a convenient way to get across to France quicker than the ferry
Linked to PastSquares at Becky’s here
WordsVisual 
A blast from the past indeed. One hovercraft trip was enough for us …
Teehee!
I travelled on it for a school daytrip once, oh the noise but certainly fast way to get there!! Done the IoW ones too, but so small compared to the channel crossing
Oh the noise is the comment!
I remember taking the car over on a hovercraft. As I was usually seasick, we decided that short crossing time would be better. The thing was very noisy and the ride bumpy, and I found the interior quite claustrophobic too. The next time, we took the longer ship crossing to Roscoff, and the sea was surprisingly calm.
Best wishes, Pete.
Noisy and bumpy it was, luckily I was always OK. It was cheaper and quicker than the main ferry, so we did use it for day trips
I’d love it have ridden it once 😀
😊😊
I went over to Calais on a hovercraft for my birthday back in 1979 – it rained so I ended up buying my daughter a lovely navy blue PVC raincoat, I also remember having mussels for lunch. Living in Kent made it so easy to pop over the Channel for a day trip.
Yes, handy!
Well, Sue, I certainly would not be complaining about a quick trip to France for a little shopping and lunch!;-) The photos are really nice, too!
Thank you, Lynn!
I had forgotten about the 1974 trip on the thing with my mother. I remember it being terribly noisy and bumpy. I was very glad to arrive in Calais.
Bumpy and noisy they were!
I couldn’t see the appeal, but my mom was very excited to do the new thing.
They did have their uses, quicker to board, quicker crossing if you were just going for a day trip. And the novelty!
Maybe not salubrious but very innovative at the time.
Very true
I wish I could just pop over to France right now. I really like your sunset shot.
Thanks, Janet! I wish I could pop over, too
what fantastic memories – I never got any snaps when I travelled on it. Seems such a long time ago
Yes, it seems in another lifetime….
me again – I wonder what the Romans would have said about the hovercraft?
Or any kind of technology
well there were more efficient than us at underfloor heating!
Well, I don’t think comfort would have been as great as all that in their massive stone buildings, open to the air and no windows!
that’s true 🙂
Exactly
Very interesting pictures!
Thanks!