We weren’t able to make it along yesterday, but Stephen is able to report on the launch of the 50th Anniversary celebrations at Hovertravel Ltd. Ed
Inaugurated in 1965, Hovertravel is celebrating half a century of continuous operation as the fastest ferry service across the Solent. The service is the longest established hovercraft service in the world and the only scheduled passenger service in Europe.
Hovertravel Managing Director, Neil Chapman said:
“In 1965, Hovertravel was started with a bold vision to use exciting new technology to speed up transport across the Solent. Over five decades we have faithfully served the communities of Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight as well as attracting customers from around the globe.
“This great achievement would not have been possible without the dedication of our staff, both past and present, or the support of our customers whose loyalty continues to inspire us today. So, as just one part of our anniversary celebrations, we are hoping to collect and share not just our happy memories of Hovertravel but also those of our customers too.”
50 years of happy memories
An online memory gallery has gone live on Hovertravel’s website today. Hovertravel has 50 years of happy memories and they want to share these with the world.
They are also keen to hear stories, read letters and postcards from anyone who has fond recollections – from their holidays, honeymoons and day trips over the past fifty years. These will be posted on their website as well as on their Pinterest and Facebook pages.
Looking forward to your memories
Neil said,
“We have dug deep into our archives to find photos and videos for the memories gallery. The gallery is a great opportunity for us to share our memorabilia. It is fascinating to see what Hovertravel was like in the 60s and we are all looking forward to seeing what our customers and staff find to share with us.”
5,000 50p tickets
Hovertravel also outlined the plans to make their 50th anniversary a true celebration for all by announcing some of their best ever offers and weekend entertainment. For the first time ever, Hovertravel has slashed the price of a ticket to 50p for 5000 lucky travellers. Customers can book their 50p tickets online from today.
Thanks to our customers
Neil explained
“We wanted to celebrate our 50th with our customers because if it weren’t for them, we wouldn’t still be here. We’ve got some fun events starting at the end of this month plus some amazing cut-price tickets!”
Throughout the summer, Hovertravel will also be running ‘Summer of Decades’ campaign with five themed weekends – 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and 00s. The Summer of Decade events will be held on:
60s Weekend: 30 April -3 May
70s Weekend: 4- 7 June
80s Weekend: 2-5 July
90s Weekend: 30 July – 2 August
00s Weekend: 20-23 August
There will be several exciting promotions to match each theme, plus music, fancy dress and giveaways at the terminals. To find out more information about Hovertravel’s celebration plans, call in to either terminal at Southsea or Ryde or visit their website
