Storms, cruise ships, Covid... and a permit to walk your dog
FEBRUARY was very much a month of storms as the south coast was battered by a procession of low pressure systems rolling in off the Atlantic.
First to unleash her wrath was Storm Ciara which hit Portsmouth on the weekend of the 9th and 10th. Known as an extratropical cyclone, Ciara was the worst storm to hit the south coast since 2013 and unleashed heavy rain and winds in excess of 70mph which left hundreds of homes without power.
There was widespread travel disruption with ferries cancelled and trains cancelled after trees fell on the line.
A huge storm surge also caused the closure of Clarence Esplanade as the waves penetrated through sea defences.
However, despite the inclement weather the Portsmouth spirit was very much evident as some residents revelled in the stormy conditions.
Eddie Grelra from Southsea decided to visit Clarence Esplanade to take ‘the perfect selfie’ in front of the raging sea.
Decked out in a green onepiece rain coat and plastic shopping bags over his shoes, Eddie said he spent 30 minutes trying to get the perfect shot.
Only a week after the dissipation of Ciara came the arrival of her bigger angrier brother, Storm Dennis. While Hampshire was spared the full force of Dennis - which unleashed a top wind gust of 140mph - he still left a wave is disruption in his path.
The month started with a preview of the America's Cup racing planned for the Solent in June. Sadly it was one of many events that was not to be.
Plans were unveiled for a £1m museum in Priddy's Hard, Gosport in memory of the Coastal Forces, reservists who help repel enemy efforts during the Second World War, run by the National Museum of the Royal Navy.
And on a similarly maritime theme, it was revealed that Saga Cruise’s new liner Spirit of Adventure would be named in Portsmouth – a major shot in the arm for the city’s ambition to increase its cruise liner trade.
A memorial service was held at Portsmouth Cathedral in memory of John Jenkins, the 100-year-old D-Day veteran who died in January.
Schools were warned that they must do better as education leaders were to be summoned to Whitehall to explain why GCSE results in Portsmouth were lagging behind the rest of the country.
But in happier news, the Kings Theatre in Southsea was given confirmation of a £3m loan that would help it redevelop and face the future with optimism. Again, anyone reading this story in February could have had no idea of the devastation to the arts that coronavirus would bring later in the year.
The most bizarre story of the month was probably that dog-walking firms in Gosport were told that they would need a licence to walk dogs along the beaches at Browndown Ranges, which is open to the public except during military exercises – because of 60-year-old by-law brought in to prevent prostitution and gambling. Signs were put up warning that from April 1 any dog walkers running a business and using Browndown must pay £360 for a licence.
Storms Ciara and Dennis may have caused damage, but it was a storm of a different kind brewing in the Far East which would inflict its first tentative impact on our shores this month.
For the first time we saw the arrival of Covid-19 as the virus began to gradually exert its influence on our lives.
February was the first time one of the region’s schools had to close its doors to pupils due to Covid.
The first case in a school was in Southampton, where a independent school was closed when pupils developed Covid symptoms after a trip to China. Then, on February 12, two days on from the first incidence, a pupil from Bay House School in Gosport was sent home to isolate due to family members having to take a Covid test after a trip abroad.
On Valentines Day the impact of the virus within the wider community was seen for the first time as Kingston Crescent Surgery in Portsmouth was forced to close after a ‘suspected case of Covid’.
At 4.30pm, without warning, patients were abruptly asked to leave and the surgery was closed with immediate effect. This case turned out to be negative, and the surgery reopened shortly after, it would set the tone for the next few weeks as the pandemic caused previously unimaginable disruption – rendering Brexit a mere after-thought.
DELUGE
Storm Dennis batters the city’s Hot Walls. Dennis arrived just a week after Storm Ciara hit the south coast.