About England

     England (pronounced IPA: /ˈɪŋglənd/) (Old English: Englaland, Middle English: Engelond) is the largest and most populous constituent country of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total population of the United Kingdom, whilst the mainland territory of England occupies most of the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west. Elsewhere, it is bordered by the North Sea, Irish Sea, Atlantic Ocean, and English Channel.

     England became a unified state during the 10th century and takes its name from the Angles, one of a number of Germanic tribes who settled in the territory during the 5th and 6th centuries. The capital city of England is London, which is the largest city in Great Britain, and the largest city in the European Union by most, but not all, measures.

     England ranks amongst the world's most influential and far-reaching centres of cultural development. It is the place of origin of both the English language and the Church of England, and English law forms the basis of the legal systems of many countries: in addition, London, the country's capital, was the centre of the British Empire, and the country was also the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. England was the first country in the world to become industrialised. England is home to the Royal Society, which laid the foundations of modern experimental science. England was the world's first parliamentary democracy and consequently many constitutional, governmental and legal innovations that had their origin in England have been widely adopted by other nations.

     The Kingdom of England was a separate state until 1 May 1707, when the Acts of Union resulted in a political union with the Kingdom of Scotland to create the Kingdom of Great Britain. With the Principality of Wales already in the English state. Great Britain is the term in use for the largest island in the British Isles, with the name's origins in the Celtic 'People of the Islands', or Pretani.

About Lee on the Solent

     Lee-on-the-Solent, often referred to as Lee-on-Solent, is a small seaside town in Hampshire about five miles west of Portsmouth. The town is located on the coast of the Solent and forms part of the borough of Gosport. It is primarily a sleepy residential area, with an upsurge of mostly local visitors in summer, but is well known as home to the Royal Naval Air Station HMS Daedalus (previously known as HMS Ariel)

     The town gained its name from the river Lee - a small stream that flows from Peel Common into the Solent, which was originally used to name three hamlets along its length. Two of the hamlets, Lower Lee and Middle Lee, were to become Lee-on-the-Solent, while a third hamlet (known as Upper Lee) was to become Peel Common.

     From the 19th century onward, there were attempts to develop Lee-on-Solent as a resort. Early impetus came from Charles Edmund Newton Robinson, who persuaded his father, John Charles Robinson, art curator and collector, to fund the buying of land. Over the period 1884-1894, Marine Parade, a pier and a railway terminus were built. The railway service was discontinued in the 1930s and the pier, unrepaired after breaching in aid of coastal defence in World War II, was demolished in 1958. 

      In 1935 the Lee Tower complex was built on the seafront next to the old pier and railway station. Designed by architects Yates, Cook & Derbyshire, it comprised a v-shaped white building in Art Deco style housing a cinema and ballroom, with a 120-foot tower at the apex. It was demolished in 1971

     The Royal Naval Air Station HMS Daedalus has been closed for several years but remains in use for leisure gliding and as the base of a HM Coastguard search and rescue helicopter.

     Recently there has been debate and much controversy over plans for the Daedalus site. At one stage there were suggestions that it would be used as a detention centre for asylum seekers, a move that was unpopular with local residents and was subsequently dropped. Channel 4 produced a documentary in 2004 dealing with the opposition to these plans.

     In early May 2006 20 unexploded pipe mines were found under HMS Daedalus during runway repairs. 60 feet (20 metres) long, they were left over from 265, packed with a total of 2,400lb of gelignite, planted in World War II to make the airfield unusable in the event of a Nazi invasion. The subsequent removal, thought to be the largest of its kind in peacetime Britain, led to the evacuation of some 900 homes staggered over a 5 week period.

     Whilst Lee has a High Street which contains a number of shops it is in gradual decline. The once bustling shopping centre has slowly become a collection of restaurants and estate agents. This has come about since the number of retirement homes has drastically increased and the younger population have been pushed away. Lee is gradually losing its popularity as a holiday destination. This was not helped by the closure and the The Belle Vue Hotel after its planned expansion was halted by local objections, with its subsequent demolition and acquisition of the land to build apartments.

     Large new developments in the Cherque Farm area of the town have been built, and further development will take place over the next few years.

      With commanding views of the Solent and across the The Isle Of Wight, Lee seafront quite rightly was packed with families and people enjoying the beach nearly all year round. From Browndown right the way along as far as Hill Head in the west you would be hard pushed to find a spot to sit and enjoy yourself. Now it is rarely this busy, the seafront train has long since gone from the seafront with its station turned into a collection of beach huts, tucked away behind the car park near the location where the Lee Tower used to stand.