h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Congratulations on an excellent, very interesting and well written entry.

I grew up in Castle Street, Portchester. I go back from time to time to visit. When I return, the first thing I do is to clear up all the rubbish that has accumulated in Castle Street from the shopping precinct down to Castle End; in Waterside Lane and Hospital Lane; in the Castle grounds surrounding the castle, especially in the moat; in the grave yard of The Priory Church of St Mary; and all along the foreshore from the Vosper site to Fareham (about five miles).

The major contributor to the litter problem is that English Heritage and Fareham District Council refuse to install more public litter bins. So over the summer weekends the bins fill up rapidly and the overspill goes on the ground around the bins. I overcome this problem by pulling out the metal bins from their EH green, fibreglass outer covers, and jumping in them to compress the contents sufficiently to allow others to deposit rubbish in them. There are also ugly, little bins on poles along some of the foreshore between Portchester and Fareham - but these are designated for dog faeces only. One's not supposed to use them for other litter!

Add to the lack of public litter bins the antisocial mentality of the many yobbos who swarm around the castle during summer weekends and in the early evening, and it's not long before this precious spot takes on a very neglected look indeed.

English Heritage, or as many long-standing Portchester locals call it, English Heretics, had the bright idea a couple of years back of permitting a Status Quo concert to be held in the Castle grounds. There was immense opposition from most of the locals and from the Hampshire Constabulary. When it looked finally that the concert venue would be moved, a charming Portchester Status Quo fan and his family went on the rampage, in an attempt to intimidate other local Portchester residents, living in the castle end of Castle Street (from White Hart Lane down), who had written to Fareham District Council to oppose locating the concert inside Portchester Castle.

My point is that if the Castle has a pleasant air, then this is primarily due to the combined efforts of a tiny handful of local residents, who have worked very hard over the years to keep the place looking good. The efforts of Fareham District Council and of English Heritage have been minimal by comparison.

Portchester Castle was my playground as a kid i would spend meny days playing in it's greatness i been to lots of place's in the world but
Portchester Castle is the best off them all i think.

Just a couple of points about colenso's post. 1 The Status quo gig was in fact backed by the vast majority of locals I should know because unlike him i still live in the area. The only people against it were the snobs in Castle Street. 2 Nobody went on the rampage they merely walked down Castle Street complaining loudly about the snobs living in that street. And I know i said a couple of points but it was such an ill informed post I'd just like to point out that when there was talk of a classical music concert on at the castle the miserable gits didn't complain.