Clarity

I lived in and around the Southampton area until I was nineteen and thought I knew it extremely well. I've walked and driven and cycled over the Itchen Bridge on my way to visit people and never bothered to explore the river itself as it had an unsavoury reputation. There's a local poem, inevitably; "Go In Itchen, Come Out Scratchen'" so I'd not spent any time on (or in) it.

My mate Kath lives in a flat with her boyfriend Dave right on the bank and last weekend we went for a nice long wander along the (very) well looked after bank with some bread to feed the swans and ducks. Swans and ducks!! I was amazed.



The bank has been fantasically well developed, with a broad segregated path for cycles, skaters and pedestrians which apparently carries on all the way into Winchester. I'm going to be exploring that as soon as I can.

We looked down from the bridge and saw some enormous fish - we think they're most likely sea-trout or salmon escaped from the fishery upstream.

The weather was just perfect - I wanted to stay there for hours but unfortuntely had to start the long drive home way before I wanted to. How lucky you are Kath to live next to such a lovely river!