A UK marina has returned to the control of the family that owns it after 50 years of being leased out.
Little Avon Marina in Christchurch is now being overseen by Charles Wallrock and his sister Jo Turnage.
Their father, Commander Michael Wallrock, bought what was then an ornamental pond in 1969 and dug out the marina.
The marina has been leased since 1975, but now it has returned to the family who have plans to invest in it.
It will be managed by Saviour Aquilina who also runs the country’s second oldest paddleboarding shop and hires paddleboards and kayaks.
30 boats
“I was brought up here and remember my father digging it out,” said Charles.
“It is a wonderful little marina with room for more than 30 boats.”
He added: “Most people, even locals, don’t know it exists because it is like a secret – tucked away behind the leisure centre’s rear car park.
“Some boat owners have been with us for decades and we want to create that sense of community that I remember from my childhood.”
And he said that the family had decided that the ‘time was right’ to take back control of the marina.
Marina facilities include a boat shed and slipway for dry boat repairs alongside storage for kayaks and other watercraft.
