¡Español de paseo!
Un nuevo grupo de conversación - ¡pero con una diferencia!
As advertised another Spanish Walk was held on Thursday 28th April.
Attendees gathered once again by the Victorian fountain in front of Canoe Lake, Southsea, Hampshire. The leader of this
excursion was Judith Worley. Her plan was to lead the group east from Canoe Lake to Lumps Fort, highlighting items of historical or
cultural interest along the way. Diane Hiley, Chair of the society's committee, had prepared detailed notes in Spanish and
English, which were handed out to the group.
Lumps Fort's history stretches back to the Tudor period. Originally a simple redoubt acting as a lookout across the Solent to
prevent a beach landing east of Southsea Castle, Lumps Fort has been modified, redeveloped, and finally turned over to more peaceful means.
However, we should not forget the major role the fort has played as part of Britain's vital defenses
since its creation.
The fort was reconstructed as part of the "Palmerstone's Follies" project (1859 - 1869) to protect Britain against French Invasion.
At the end of WWI Lumps Fort was abandoned as a military installation before being purchased by Portsmouth City Council in 1932 for public recreation.
During WWII the fort returned to military duty as a training base for the Royal Marine Boom Patrol Detachment, later the Special Boat Service.
In July 1942 the fort was used as the base for Operation Franklin, a daring raid on German shipping located in the Gironde Estuary, southern France.
After WWII the moat was filled in with bricks and rubble from bomb sites around Portsmouth and the Rose Gardens were planted in the parade ground,
encircled by the remains of the fort. The western portion has become a Model Village. The Rose Gardens are planted with over forty varieties of
roses. The periphery of the Rose Gardens' formal layout is bounded by pergolas, which are covered with wisteria and other trailing plants.
The aims of the society's Spanish Walks are to reveal aspects of local history, recent and ancient, and help students of Spanish conversation
learn vital elements of grammar and language use in a light hearted and congenial atmosphere. Diane's provision of detailed notes in Spanish and English
certainly underpinned the main aim of today's walk.
Many thanks to Judith for arranging the walk and to Diane for researching and compiling the accompanying notes. To view Diane's
notes click on the buttons below.
Keep checking the website for the date, time, and location of the next Spanish Walk or contact Judith on
judithworley@aol.com for more information.