For the penultimate Sunday trip of the school year, the boys in boarding had a super day out on the Solar Heritage in Chichester Harbour.

Operated by the Chichester Harbour Conservancy and launched back in 2002, this vessel was the first solar-powered boat in the UK. Many people, we are told, scoffed at the very idea of a sun-powered boat. Oh, how times have changed! The crew were incredibly kind and helpful, and the boys were treated to a commentary on the passing points of interest. We boarded at Itchenor and headed to the village of Bosham and back.

The boys learnt about King Canute who famously tried to stop the tide from coming in at Bosham. Local historians actually believe the real context of this tale was that, as the local landowner, Canute tried to convince other landowners of the need to build tidal walls to protect pasture and in his attempts to convince them, he showed them that the tide would rise, even against the orders of the King. Bosham is also one of only four English locations explicitly named in the Bayeux Tapestry. The tapestry depicts the last Anglo-Saxon King, Harold Godwinson, arriving in Bosham to pray at the church and enjoy a feast in his manor before setting sail for Normandy.

Once back on dry land, we then spent a lovely hour or so at the Itchenor Memorial Hall where we played boules. This location was first visited by yours truly as a Cub Scout camp in 1982 (true). My emphatic victory in boules against the boys only reinforced my reported status as Kazakhstan Boule Champion (entirely false).

Thank you to Mrs Jennings and Mr Macey for not destroying my sporting reputation. Next weekend’s trip is the traditional bucket and spade trip to Southbourne.  

Paul Jennings
Housemaster