Page 18 • The HERALD • 16th February 2023 v SAY YOU SAW IT IN THE HERALD v M.D.S. DIGITAL INSTALLS/SERVICE • DIGITAL AERIALS/FREEVIEW • SKY DIGITAL/FREESAT DIGITAL • EXTRA TELEVISION POINTS • TELEPHONE LINES/POINTS • TELEVISION SYSTEMS SETUP/TUNED • WALL MOUNTED TV’S QUALIFIED, FAST FRIENDLY SERVICE FREE SURVEYS/QUOTES BEAULIEU: 01590 611011 MOBILE: 07717 194441 FLAT ROOFING SPECIALISTS All Roof Repairs Tel: 023 8184 5632 Mobile: 07880 508415 Email: steve@braithwaiteroo ng.co.uk THE FLAT ROOF SPECIALIST MUDLARK OF ASHLETT by Robin Somes, Fawley and Blackfield Memories Most people growing up in Fawley have at some point encountered Ashlett Creek mud, with a consistency and odour all its own; I am no exception. Just east of the Sailing Club is the public pier, a rickety structure jutting out into the creek; at its far end is Ashlett Lower Hard. is was, historically, where boats could safely pick up or land passengers at half tide. It has long since fallen into disrepair, and the pier is not far behind it. In 1983, though, there were a few boats moored alongside the pier, and for good or ill, I bought one, named “Mudlark”, for £20. It belonged to a friend; for reasons unexplained he had tted a car engine into it. e car, a Wolseley 1500, had belonged to his mother, and when it breathed its last, he thought it a shame to rebuilt it; surprisingly it still ran. We patched up some of Mudlark’s leaks, though the bilges still held a nasty mixture of water and engine oil, then painted her lime green above the waterline, and got her back in the water before either of us could have second thoughts. I can vouch that a small boat will go surprisingly fast powered by a car engine, though accurate steering can be an issue. We decided to go shing straight away. About half-way between Calshot and Lepe, we ran out of petrol. Undaunted, we re lled the tank, but by that time, the battery had gone at. Nothing then would persuade that engine to start, not even the starting handle we’d wisely brought along – perhaps the only wise decision we’d made. Too embarrassed to summon help, our only option was to rip up the sca old boards we had nailed down to make a oor, and paddle from Stone Point to the Coastguard Cottages at Lepe. at took over two hours of hard labour, and I had already decided that this was not the boat for me. Somehow, I got my £20 back, and walked away relatively unscathed. I never really knew what happened to Mudlark a er that. I do not recommend any of the activities described here! The public pier at Ashlett waste the engine. Complete with clutch and gearbox, it tted surprisingly well into the boat, though it would have won few prizes for elegance. A length of metal bar was welded to the clutch actuator, and a wire tied to the throttle on the carburettor; all a bit brutal, but e ective. Sadly, Mudlark then sank, the engine lled up with mud and seawater, and that was when I naively wandered along with money in my hand. Car engines weren’t really my thing, but over the summer I stripped it down and NEW LOCAL HISTORY BOOK FOR SALE! Robin Somes has recently published a new local history book titled Digging up the past which is now on sale in e Herald o ce. e book includes a collection of 28 illustrated articles, rst published in e Herald between 2021 and 2023, featuring historical events, family connections, and personal recollections of life around Fawley and the Waterside villages. e book is on sale for £5 (cash only) from e Herald o ce or via Robin’s online shop: shop. robinsomes.co.uk Applications are now open for those wanting to participate in this year’s Totton and Eling Carnival which is taking place later this year on Saturday 24th June. e entry fee for oat participants with a supplied lorry or atbed is £25 and for those with their own vehicle or walking participants the entry is £15. To apply please visit: tottoncarnival.uk/carnivalapplication/ For updates about this year’s Carnival keep an eye on their Facebook page: facebook.com/ tottonandelingcarnival A small group of enthusiastic people meet at Soul Café, North Road, Dibden Purlieu at 7.30pm on the first Tuesday of each month (excluding the month of August). If you’ve never done it, it’s an opportunity to meet together with others and discover what wonderful resources are now available to enable you to trace your family. is workshop/self help group is open to novices and experienced family historians alike. Contact Colin: 07754 668611 – colinjanhayter@ gmail.com or just go along. ey would welcome new members. Interested in Genealogy and Family History? Totton and Eling Carnival Applications Open
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