Twinning Portsmouth UK (home of my marine mystery police procedural novels) and USA sounds a good idea to me

[Pauline Rowson]

My marine mystery crime novels featuring Inspector Andy Horton and my thrillers are set on the south coast of England, in the Solent area with Portsmouth CID being Inspector Andy Horton’s patch. After reading an article in The News, Portsmouth’s local daily newspaper, I was reminded that when I write here I should say Portsmouth, England because there are two Portsmouth’s in the United States of America, one of which it has been suggested should be twinned with Portsmouth UK.

Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK and Portsmouth, New Hampshire, USA both have the same name, a seaside location and a seafront. In addition, a short trip across the Solent from Portsmouth in the UK brings you to the Isle of Wight and a short trip across the Piscataqua River from Portsmouth in the US brings you to the equivalent, the Isles of Shoals. Both also have a proud naval history. Portsmouth, New Hampshire USA has its own naval dockyard founded by John Mason, who is buried at Westminster Abbey, there is a plaque to him in our own Royal Garrison Church, that’s the one without the roof in Old Portsmouth, it was bombed in 1941.

Tourism bosses in the US would like to form a twinning partnership with Portsmouth UK. There’s another Portsmouth in the USA in the state of Virginia which Andy Horton’s Portsmouth currently has ‘sister’ status with.

I’m certainly up for this ‘twinning’ idea especially if it means an exchange of visits – happy to represent Portsmouth in the States, do an author tour and give talks, be an ambassador for Portsmouth UK and promote our City and region, interested parties please apply here! I might even get to send Andy Horton over there, who knows…? But if anyone reading this is from Portsmouth New Hampshire, or Portsmouth in the state of Virginia, do drop me a line to say 'hello'.

[I. J. Parker]

Not all that large, but as I said, it's solid humanity between Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, and Norfolk, and this continues across the Hampton Roads bridge-tunnel into Hampton and Newport News. It's mainly a nuisance trafficwise. :)

[Pauline Rowson]

Sounds like a much bigger version of Portsmouth UK.

[I. J. Parker]

Well, Portsmouth, Virginia, is a neighbor city here in greater Hampton Roads, where urban sprawl incorporates four to six major cities into a continuum linked by tunnels and bridges. Yes, it's very watery here also, and there are huge shipyards, naval installations, and tourist beaches.