Page 22 • The HERALD • 14th September 2023 v SAY YOU SAW IT IN THE HERALD v • Re-Skimming • Rendering • Coving • Dry Lining • Tacking • Artex Covered • Floor Screeding www.tbrownplastering.co.uk Call: 07919 183989 Friendly • Reliable • Professional • Free Estimates A&D Morrison Builders Ltd FOR ALL YOUR BUILDING NEEDS • Extensions • Renovations • Alterations • Groundworks • Roo ng • Drives & Patios 07768 599704 or 023 8194 8673 adlmorrison@sky.com Free Estimates • Fully Insured • Based in Dibden Purlieu • Cedral cladding DECORATING Interior and Exterior Established 1985 07867 528307 mark.blake.decorating@gmail.com FLAT ROOFING SPECIALISTS All Roof Repairs Tel: 023 8184 5632 Mobile: 07880 508415 Email: steve@braithwaiteroo ng.co.uk THE FLAT ROOF SPECIALIST WILLIS DECORATING & JOINERY SERVICES Est Since 1986 Interior & Exterior Painting & Decorating Wallpaper Hanging Hand-painted Kitchens & Spray Finishes Wardrobes, Bookcases, Radiator Covers Call David on 023 8084 9800 or 07946 048261 E: david.willis24@btinternet.com MAGGIE’S LONG COMMUTE Hythe resident, Maggie Blight has been commuting on the Hythe Ferry for years, thirty in fact, she passed that milestone on 9th August. To mark the occasion, on behalf of Blue Funnel Ferries, Hythe Scene skipper Patrick Malkinson presented Maggie a signed card, chocolates, balloons and a bouquet of owers when she arrived at the Town Quay on her way back from work. Ferry Operations Manager Sath Naidoo said “We continuing to be the central part of her daily journey. e acknowledgement of her loyal patronage came as a complete surprise. Maggie said “I was so thrilled to receive all the lovely gifts today and a card signed by the crew, train drivers and office staff. It’s me who should be thanking them – all those early morning starts in all kinds of weather, we can rely on them to get us to work”. Maggie has made many friends among her fellow commuters, enjoying “a bit of a gossip” whiling away the journey. Maggie particularly remembers Hotspur IV, the last of the old Hotspur ferries that was withdrawn in 2014. e commute on the boats is more than just a part of her day but it is the sta that really makes it special. Maggie can’t imagine a better team than Sath, Kathy and Tonya in the ticket o ce at Hythe Pier, Jenny, Rich and Trevor at the ticket o ce at the Town Quay, train drivers Dave, Pete, Scott and Ian and the boat crews including Pat, Rich, Malcolm and Ken. A nal word fromMaggie, “I use the ferry for everything although, mainly for work Monday to Friday. I love it”. have many commuters but Maggie has been travelling continuously with us for longer, we believe, than anyone else. We thought this loyalty should be recognised and rewarded”. Ticket o ce Admin O cer Kathy May added “It has been a pleasure to have Maggie as a loyal and happy customer”. Maggie is also passionate about her preferred mode of transport. When a previous owner suggested the service was no longer viable in 2016, she immediately went on its defence, starting a petition that attracted over 9000 signatures pre-empting an astonishing mobilisation of the local community that brought the ferry’s plight to a much wider radio and television audience. Maggie was in at the beginning of the protests which eventually led to the formation of the Hythe Pier Heritage Association that continues to raise funds for its restoration of Hythe’s Victorian Pier and its century old railway. She said at the time, “This is a true community-led venture and we are grateful for the support of the council and local residents”. e ferry was subsequently saved when Lee Rayment’s Blue Funnel Ferries took over. Maggie rst started to commute on the ferry in 1993 when she took up a position with a company called Maggie with presentation gifts from ferry skipper Patrick Malkinson and Tonya from the Hythe ticket office staff (Photo: John Greenwood) Personnel Selection before moving on to British Gas and then to Carnival UK’s Fleet HR Team. A er several years of recruiting staff for Carnival’s ships she extended her commute when securing a job at Southampton Airport; her daily routine getting to work used bus, train, ferry, bus, train and the reverse getting home. In March 2015, Maggie shortened her commute when accepting a vacancy with ABP, the ferry Hythe’s Victorian pier and its iconic century old train attracts very many visitors throughout the summer and indeed at other times of the year. Many of these visitors are curious about its history. With this in mind, Hythe Pier Heritage Association (HPHA) has been trialling having Pier Guides on hand since mid-August. Volunteers from the group have been available to answer questions and further describe the work being undertaken in HPHA’s restoration project. is summer, the Pier Guides have been present on Tuesdays and Saturdays. HPHA will evaluate the initiative with a view to extending its presence during the summer of 2024. If you’d like to assist HPHA by volunteering to become a Pier Guide, please contact the Association via its website www.hythepierha.org.uk Hythe Pier Guides Pier Guides John Gower and Bob Kelly talking with the Kavanagh family on a day trip from Southampton (Photo: Alan Titheridge)
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