First Picture: 1800’s
Second Picture: 1940-1950
Third Picture: Looking up the High Street
Cosham High Street
Peter Writes:-
I have just read your Blog regarding Cosham High Street etc; I would like to add a few additions and possible corrections. I was brought up in Cosham High Street where I lived over my fathers Chemist Shop "Bakers of Cosham" from 1946 to 1963. We were situated on the Western side of the High Street between the "Ship Inn" ( The landlord Was Mr Nuttall, who I believe, along with my father, was a founder member of Cosham Rotary Club ) and the "Swan Inn" ( The landlord was a Mr Simmons ) which to my Knowledge is still there. The shop you refer to as Dittman & Malpas, was in fact Curtis's and were next door to our shop. They were Coal & Corn Merchants. Our shop & Curtis's were eventually demolished by Murrays Demolition of Portsmouth, who we used to refer to as Murraymint in 1963. The whole plot was redeveloped by the Guy who owned Budgens Supermarkets ( more North of England. He was a Colonel somebody or other ) circa 1963 and part of the deal was that he would build my Father a new "Bakers of Cosham" where Curtis's had been and he would retain the freehold of the new site. Budgens built a new supermarket on our old site, the Ship Inn was eventually demolished and a supermarket called Finefare replaced it.
When we were children in the late 1940s and 1950s before the supermarkets arrived, the grocer in the High Street was Threadinghams where everything was weighed out into Blue Sugar Paper and the weeks groceries for my parents and 5 children were delivered in a cardboard box about 18"x18"x12".
Our Greengroceries came from Wiltons a few doors up from Boots. There was also a Grocer called Gaimans on the Corner of the Droke which lead to Portsmouth Dairies and the other Greengrocers were Peter's next door but one to Seals and also Leals in Spur Road. Our milk was delivered every day including Sunday from Gauntletts Dairy in Stakes Road, Waterlooville. our bread was delivered 3 times a week from Campions near the top of the High Street and our meat came from Pinks in the lower part of the Street. You chose your meat at the counter and then went to an Office which was like an ornate Glass Fronted Wooden Box, where Miss Rickman took your money and they would also deliver.
Working down the High street from Albert Road, was Weston Harts where I bought my first two vinyl singles - Smoke gets in your eyes, The Platters and Move It, Cliff Richard. Next to Weston Harts was the first supermarket in Cosham, Victor Value. Next was Naylors the Optician then a dry cleaners where they used to sit in the window and do invisible mending of nylons. then came a Doctors Surgery with Doctor's Sladen, Sampson & Woolas amongst others and then Chapmans Laundry. Then there was the Droke ( an Alley that went through to Mulberry Lane). Then Gaimans Grocers, Peters Greengrocers, Mays Fishshop, Smith and Vospers the Bakers and Seals Cycle and Toy shop where we used to take the accumulator out of our old Valve radio to get it re-charged for 3d. Then there was Magdalla Road with Christopher's Shoe Shop on the Corner, then a little jewellers then Hoar's sweet shop where we used to buy 2 Woodbines or Weights Fags and Penny Bangers and 1d Trebor Chews.
Going back to Timothy whites and Taylors, their Store was on the western side of the High Street, which was opposite Boots on the corner of Albert Road.
The other thing of interest was the Blue Police Telephone Box outside of Weston Harts, which used to keep dinging until the Beat Bobby came by to answer it, by which time, the person ringing from the Police Station, had probably forgotten why they were phoning in the first place.
Thanks Peter that was great. I remember most of what you are saying and I too bought my first record in Weston Harts except mine was Nairobi by Tommy Steele on a 78rpm!!!!
Take Care
Peter
DUSTYKEAT@aol.com
Pj.keat@ntlworld.com
YOU WRITE:
John’s Highbury Memories
Peter - whilst accepting there was no pub on the estate there was the "Portsbridge" at the beginning of Highbury Grove and an off-licence at the junction of Chatsworth Avenue/Dovercourt Road. The school that Mike refers to last week was, in fact, originally built as a community centre for the estate but taken over as the social club for Southern Electricity. It was used in the late 40's as a satellite for Court lane Infants - as was the hall at St Philips Church and the Tudor Drill Hall.
With regard to your comment that this was a badly designed estate does not take into account that it was complete in itself with shops at the junction of Chatsworth Avenue and both Pitrieve Road & Dovercourt Road providing most of the needs for the locals. You also mention the swimming adjacent to the railway bridge but not the steps provided at the top of Chatsworth Avenue which - I understand - was sanded/gravelled by the builders to provide a small beach.
NEWS AND VIEWS:
ON THIS DAY 15TH NOVEMBER 1960-1965
On 15/11/1960 the number one single was It's Now Or Never - Elvis Presley and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Bootsie & Snudge (Granada) and the box office smash was Psycho. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.
On 15/11/1961 the number one single was Little Sister/His Latest Flame - Elvis Presley and the number one album was Another Black & White Minstrell Show - George Mitchell Minstrels. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £13.25 and Ipswich Town were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.
On 15/11/1962 the number one single was Lovesick Blues - Frank Ifield and the number one album was West Side Story Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Lawrence of Arabia. A pound of today's money was worth £12.89 and Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.
On 15/11/1963 the number one single was You'll Never Walk Alone - Gerry & the Pacemakers and the number one album was Please Please Me - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Great Escape. A pound of today's money was worth £12.64 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.
On 15/11/1964 the number one single was (There's) Always Something There to Remind Me - Sandy Shaw and the number one album was A Hard Day's Night - Beatles. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was Dr Strangelove. A pound of today's money was worth £12.24 and Manchester United were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.
On 15/11/1965 the number one single was Get Off Of My Cloud - Rolling Stones and the number one album was Liverpool. The top rated TV show was "Coronation Street (Granada) and the box office smash was The Sound of Music. A pound of today's money was worth £11.69. The big news story of the day was Take Your Pick (AR)".
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