On 13/07/2010 09:33, Ian wrote:
wrote in message
he hovercraft deposits its load MUCH closer to the main
road. Pity its Southsea terminus is at Southsea, and not anywhere near
the rail station....

Main reason Ryde Pier is so long, is that the tide goes out a long
way, and the need to land at all states of the tide. That is also the
reason for the continued success of the hovercraft, which can travel
over the sandbanks exposed at lowtide as if they did not exist.

From this perspective Southport is interesting. It has a long pier -
but even at high tide the water is somewhat shallow at the end!

When Queen Victoria was on the throne, they built a statue to her on top
of the promenade, at the end of Neville Steet. In those days the sea
would come in as far as that. Now you go several miles to find the sea.
(alluvial deposits from the Mersey and the Ribble) When the pier was
built the sea would come into the land based end!

Old Liverpool joke - Southport beach, the only beach in the world where
the coastguards ride camels.


--
John Wright

Blasphemy - a victimless crime.