IN GOOD COMPANY..

Another bit of self-indulgence, I`m afraid. Part of my day last Saturday - apart from going to the football and having a luxurious ferry crossing - was spent having a short walk around my old boyhood village of Hythe. A few years ago now, I had a hand in a plaque being put up to mark the birthplace of my old school friend, Billy Scammell, who died in 2000 but who achieved recognition as a distinguished poet, critic and biographer.

At the time of the talks with the Parish Council, who kindly funded the plaque, they said that they were keen to provide other plaques to commemorate people with a connection to the village. One of those can be seen in the photo above, which I took whilst standing outside Myrtle Cottage looking along the road to where our own cottage stood all those years ago. TE Lawrence (of Arabia) is reported to have enjoyed his time in Hythe, living in Myrtle Cottage, whilst working with the British Power Boat Company on the development of high speed launches and he and his family had other connections with the area.

Billy Scammell`s was the first in the series of plaques to be provided, with Lawrence`s put up on Myrtle Cottage in 2007. The Parish Council have plans to also provide plaques in memory of Sir Christopher Cockerill of hovercraft fame and also Richard Eurich, RA and if they wish to extend their programme then other notable local residents also include David Ellery - the author and ship historian, not the former football referee - and Bruce Parry, the adventurer and TV Presenter, who was born in Hythe in 1969.

For a small village sandwiched between the New Forest and Southampton Water it has a lot to interest the visitor and the Parish Council are to be commended for safeguarding its heritage. Must be something in the water...or in the air. So, Billy Scammell is in good company and quite right too. Oh and by the way, Myrtle Cottage is currently on the market for sale - yours for £350,000, complete with plaque.