Isle of Portland Flag

The Isle of Portland flag! 

Portland has it's own flag as seen here.

The colours represent the landscape of the area: portland stone, grass and the sea. The white tower represents the castles and the naval coronet shows the long connection with the Royal Navy.

Portland's changing, making changes here too

Pause for thought... 

This Portland bill site has seen a few interesting changes over the last year and it has since then steadily grown in traffic and reach, slowly but surely... until a few months ago when it jumped, now it has doubled.

That is partly down to the facebook fan page set up for this site, partly down to YOU sharing it, partly down to my efforts elsewhere, partly down to Portland just being a great interesting place!

I'd like to say a massive thank you to all of you for commenting, sharing and most of all... being a reader.
So, just to share an update of sorts here and where's next for this site...

Isle of Portland slides into summer...

Portland's Chesil beach!

The Isle of Portland slides into summer, reluctantly...

June already and the weather still can't make its mind up!

It seems we have a few fantastic days and then a complete contrast, misty, rain, and miserably grey... mind you at times it's cool though.

Good typical old British weather!

But...

Portland's blooming

Portland's Victoria Sq flowerbed.

Victoria square, Portland visitors first view as they arrive, not the best place on Portland by far and that's something which needs sorting out badly yet this flowerbed is, like many of the others around the borough, maintained pretty well, not as nice as some others but at least it's got flowers on it! :o)

Portland Bill site possibly changing, again...

Portland Bill lighthouse!

This Portland Bill site may have some changes coming up, other than what I mentioned in the last post regarding working on a couple of things relating to Portland, things to share with you all, which will be as soon as they are finished, you will be the first to know about it, these other changes I am considering are a result of the last couple of months of keeping an eye on several factors.

I just wanted to share a few thoughts on this with you in this quick post...

Portland Bill, more possible changes and why

Portland Bill community's new portal

As many of Portland Bill readers know we also have the community site which as I posted about here recently, is having to undergo some unwanted changes due to Nings short sighted kick in the teeth to members.

Portlanders as it was will close in July or sooner, now I have found an alternative, which is not yet as rich as ning in some aspects, though it is looking like a good alternative, for now at least.

I am hoping many of you will join the new site and if you have any issues, please do let me know about them and I'll do what I can to help resolve it.

Portland's Royal Manor Theatre

Portland Theatre :o)

The Isle of Portland does have it's own Theatre which almost everyone who comes the Island passes... a big building yet due to being located on the hill in Fortuneswell it's easy to miss... oddly.

Standing opposite it you realise how imposing a building it is, the fact it's on a hill makes it seem more so.

It is one of Portland's Grand buildings really, not that many of them these day's but, it's built to last.

Easy to imagine that this was the centre of the community entertainment back in the day, still being used to this day but obviously with these modern times and how things have changed, not as often as at one time.

Portland's crazy brand new...

... idea and you read it here first!

Portland's Old Scuba shop, that blue building and car park in the foreground with the new view behind it overlooking PORTLAND's harbour, thus sailing academy too.. the 2012 sailing is here on PORTLAND... nothing to do with Weymouth...

I digress! :o)

Dad being a diver, took me and my brothers down there a few times back in day, in some way's I am surprised that building is still there, amazing some company hasn't jumped on it.

This is a prominent site on arrival to Portland, a good sized car park too, yet they removed the skate park that was sat behind this building, shame, but...as usual there is not alot to do for the younger generation...

Portland community, Portland Bill, you and me

Portland people ~ Portland being an island albeit a connected one, it's community was so tight at one time with it's real island mentality everyone knew everyone here, sadly that has diminished to an extent over the years, which started when the navy left, outsiders moved into the naval estate, things changed which was likely to happen the way it was done and handled.

I digress, with the arrival of the internet and social sites in particular people were connectcing up again in a new way and old friends were back in contact too.

People off the island say we are a bit odd here, we don't care, we acknowledge it and don't take it seriously as we know different, every island community is different than mainland ones, it's just a mentality, not worse, better, or anything, just different.

Every island community out there knows what I mean.

Portland... nowhere quite like it!

After the success of the last Portland bill blog, which had over 12,000 visitors in one month and was doing well daily, plus the amount of great comments about Portland I had sent to me, I wanted to do it again but on a more permanent basis!

Portland has a passionate community, passionate about Portland that is, while also having a history of the naval community as well, a small ever changing community who integrated into Portland with the locals almost so subtly you wouldn't notice it much, those who left and new arrivals didn't have an impact on the place.
(Unlike since they sold it and sold off the Naval estate cheap, to non locals.)

It was a great place to grow up, at least when I grew up, as that's the only time I have the experience of it.

So, here we start with the new domain and website based on the Beautiful and Unique spot of the world that is The Isle of Portland also known as Portland Bill to many, which is actually the south tip of the island where the main red and white lighthouse sits.