Herald - Issue 409

15th July 2021 • The HERALD • Page 39 v THE HERALD - PART OF YOUR COMMUNITY v 16 Shamrock Way, Hythe Marina Village, Southampton SO45 6DY 023 8087 9792 • sales@bhboatsales.com • www.bhboatsales.com WE WANT YOUR BOAT! Sole Appointed Yacht Brokers for Hythe Marina • BROKERAGE •NEW MOTOR BOATS • RIBS • INFLATABLES • OUTBOARD ENGINES SELVA Piranha 9.9 El.B.C. £2109 inc VAT WOLF STAR ‘Caiman’ C-310 RFD 3.10M SIB £800 inc VAT SELVA Guppy 2.5 Sl.C. £579 inc VAT ONE LAST CHRISTMAS (IN JULY!) By Kay Bentley, Owner, Unique Retail Unique Retail burst onto Hythe High Street 5 years ago like a breath of fresh air, selling hand-made cra s made by local people as well as a selection of fabric and haberdashery items. In that time the shop has expanded its range, and now includes a selection of dried food in which customers are encouraged to bring in their own containers, to re ll and pay for only what they weigh. Sadly this year is our last year on the high street as we will be closing our doors on 24th July and taking everything online. Not something we had ever envisaged but we hope you can all appreciate due to the current climate. We thought we would go out e railway on Hythe Pier has been operating for 99 years, earning it a place in the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s oldest continuously operating electric pier railway. “The Heartbeat of Hythe – The Story of the Hythe Pier Railway” is a new book written by Hythe based ferry historian Alan Titheridge, which not only relates the history of this quirky little train that transported King George VI along the pier in 1944, but covers the special place it has in the hearts of community. Very many men and one woman have driven the train over the years, their contribution to the story is acknowledged in a chapter containing brief biographies with photographs. Another chapter tells how to drive the train. e train has had its ups and downs throughout its history including mechanical failures, derailments, and threats of disposal in the 1930’s and in 2003. It has carried many celebrity passengers and acted in the role of ambulance, re engine and wedding carriage. With its clickety-clack soundtrack being an intrinsic part of everyday life in the village, it truly is the “Heartbeat of Hythe”. Copies can be ordered from Alan himself using email: awt1950@sky.com or you can pick up your copy from the Herald o ce or from the Hythe Ferry o ce. New Hythe Pier Train Book to raise money for the Hythe’s Christmas Lights and would like to support this cause again even though we won’t be around at Christmas to enjoy them. So if you’re in Hythe this month come by and see what our local community have been creating, not just for Christmas, but for those special birthdays, anniversaries or just a treat for yourself! We would like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported us during the last 5 years; it has been amazing to showcase the local community’s talented artisans. We would like to say a special shout out to e Herald for putting up with our deadlines and a huge thank you to KJ’s Mobility for assisting us with making sure that our shop enabled customers in wheelchairs and scooters to move around with ease and all our ad-hoc requests. Please don’t forget to check us out online where your find our whole range of haberdashery, zero waste food and also some of our amazing stockists! www. uniqueretailshop.com in style and remind everyone in Hythe that Christmas is not that far away with our ‘Christmas in July’ week! We held this event last in 2019 Summer in Hythe