An Afternoon of Nostalgia

For some strange reason, today felt like a Saturday – I think it was not going to Ambassadors’ Breakfast Club and being free from any studying.  My original plan today had been to visit Seaton with Thom and ride on the narrow gauge trams up and down the Ax Estuary but it was raining heavily this morning and Thom wasn’t feeling in the mood for a trip to Devon. He decided to stay at home and spend the day tidying his bedroom (which wasn’t done!)  Instead, I decided to go an investigate a museum which I had read about in Basingstoke – the Milestones Museum which is an indoor heritage museum dedicated to life and work in Hampshire. As it is only 40 minutes drive from where we live it is odd that I haven't been there before.  I was really amazed at what there was there.  At first it doesn’t look too big but when you discover that most of it is below ground you then appreciate its vastness.  They have created a whole town complete with factories, railway station, tram depot, streets with shops, offices, back street industries and so on.  They even have a seaside pier section with many of the amusement machines I remember playing on in places like Cleethorpes, Mablethorpe, Skegness, Hunstanton and Great Yarmouth – but, in particular, Cleethorpes. I saw in a section on collectibles a camera which my mother used to use to take photos when I was a toddler; my first calculator, a square egg press and many other items, too many to mention here, from my childhood.  A fantastic collection.  There was also a Portsmouth tram and one of Portsmouth’s open top Leyland Titan TD1s.   A really fantastic day of nostalgia.  After a cup of tea and cake in the shop I drove to Alresford to see the last train of the day arrive – a Schools Class Southern Railway locomotive – 925 – “Cheltenham”.  Unfortunately it was in the guise of Henry the green Engine.  Also on display was Southampton Corporation No. 71, a Guy Arab IV disguised as Bertie the Bus.  Oh dear!.  A wonderful day full of nostalgia.  More nostalgia tomorrow I hope when we go on board MS Queen Elizabeth.