FIRST PICTURE: The Harbour Lights pub today





SECOND PICTURE: Motorway interchange where the A3 branches off from the A27









CHANGES




I think one the biggest changes to this whole area of Farlington, Cosham, Portchester and Paulsgrove over the year's must have been the building of the M27 which effectively cuts right through Farlington Marshes, alongside Portscreek, cutting off Hilsea Lido from its sea water intake, flying over the Paulsgrove housing estate and Portchester.

When the motorway/A27/A3 was built there was a tremendous outcry from the nature lobby re the destruction of the wet land environment at Langston and the effect that this would have on wildlife. However after 40 plus years things seemed to have settled down, the wildlife has returned, cattle are now grazing again on the meadowlands and one of the major problems is as a pedestrian where do I get access to the Marshes?

Another objector to the plan was St. John’s College who have their playing fields nearby as do the Council Recreation Services but after consultation and the building of a new approach road and car park this was all sorted out.
At the Paulsgrove end of the construction an enormous, noisy conveyor belt running from the slopes of Portsdown Hill, over the roads and houses of Paulsgrove being suspended over Allaway Ave, the railway line and Southampton Road was built. This conveyor belt finished at where the IBM main offices are now and carried the chalk that was dug out of the side of Portsdown hill which formed the motorway cutting above Portchester.

All of the seashore behind and to the left and right of the Harbour Lights Pub has been reclaimed. This used to be a lovely area to walk but now sadly has gone forever along with housing that was along that stretch of the Southampton Road. One of the residents was Commander Arthur Matthews who, with his elderly father, was very well known in the local Scouting movement. At the end of his garden, which backed onto the creek, was a large hut which was used by Sea Scouts and others and in fact I kept an ex- Government Whaler there for many years until the land reclamation and the building of the enormous Tesco Superstore.
A fair number of large factories that were along

the Southampton Rd have disappeared or have been redeveloped in another form. One of the largest was Johnson and Johnson, opposite the Harbour Lights, this was the baby products company. There is now a new office complex development on this site which is still waiting for someone to rent the office space. Another was C and A which had a factory further along next to Racecoarse Lane, in fact my uncle can still remember motorcycle races on the race course in the late 1920’s. One factory we all remember, if only for the smell, was the Smith's Crisps factory which was opposite the Transport Café, Bert’s and is now Mother Kelly's Fish Restaurant. I often wonder if, when the folks are digging their gardens in the houses that were built on the site, does a smell of cold fat drift up!!!!

A couple of Islands were also amongst our adventure outings. Trying to get onto Whale Island over the old scaffolding bridge or across the causeway a low tide was never an option as you were always seen but landing on the seaward side opposite Portchester Castle was always a possibility until you were thrown off by the MOD Police. Little did I know that in 40 years I would be driving over a new access bridge to go to work on the Island.

Horsea Island was also a challenge and was almost impossible to get onto. It was the school for Naval Fire-fighters, HMS Phoenix, and a diving school and torpedo testing station and was festooned with a vast array of radio aerials and impossible to get on to.

Whilst talking of things of the sea another challenge was to take a small dinghy and lose yourself in amongst the ships of the mothball fleet moored in Fareham Creek. This was always exciting, as you never knew if the Navy Patrol would spot your boat tied up to a mooring chain and realise you were aboard and come and throw you off. This happened only once and for the rest of the times we happily climbed all over these redundant Royal Navy ships.

Just one final thing about changes in the area, who remembers the beached submarine outside Harry Pounds yard in Portchester? I bet you all do!!!

Such memories
Yours

Peter

DUSTYKEAT@aol.com
Pj.keat@ntlworld.com

You Write:

Carl writes:-

I loved your thoughts on the washing line. We were a two line family at 71 Old Manor Way. Yeah, it was always the 7th cavalry wasn’t it & I fancied myself as The Lone Ranger. I think it looks like the Corporation Bus is at the junction of Milton Road & Highland Road just by the bus sheds & we are looking north in the photo. You’ve done a good job with the names I must say. There were loads I’d forgotten. Mind you quite a lot of the photos are understandably of you year & some the year younger than me. In the mixed photo the ‘ Fred ‘ was Fred Dyson, the ‘Carole’ in the front row was Carole Overton who used to teach with my wife on Hayling many years ago. In the same picture I can see Chris Goodyear (back row 3rd from right I think as I’m not looking at the photo. In the cricket photo, Pete Bridger is in the front row & I’m struggling to recall the name of the wicket keeper. I’m surprised I’m not in there as I also played for the school as I did hockey with Howard Bradshaw in goal, we also both played for Portsmouth Boys. Oh I could go on reminiscing all day. As always it’s a great job you are doing & I’m sure everybody appreciates it even if you don’t here it often said.

News and Views:

Composer and performer Burt Bacharach is recovering from back surgery December 31 in Los Angeles. The 81 year-old has rescheduled his concerts through March, as a result.

On this day 7th February 1960-1965

On 01/02/1960 the number one single was Why - Anthony Newley and the number one album was South Pacific Soundtrack. The top rated TV show was not listed and the box office smash was Some Like It Hot. A pound of today's money was worth £13.68 and Burnley were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.The big news story of the day was Riot at Test match in Port of Spain.

On 01/02/1961 the number one single was Are you Lonesome Tonight? - Elvis Presley and the number one album was GI Blues - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was No Hiding Place (AR) and the box office smash was One Hundred and One Dalmations. A pound of today's money was worth £13.25 and Tottenham Hotspur were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.The big news story of the day was Recorded Delivery introduced.

On 01/02/1962 the number one single was The Young Ones - Cliff Richard & the Shadows and the number one album was Blue Hawaii - Elvis Presley. The top rated TV show was Coronation Street and the box office smash was Lawrence of Arabia. A pound of today's money was worth £12.89 and Ipswich Town were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 01/02/1963 the number one single was Diamonds - Jet Harris & Tony Meehan and the number one album was Out of the Shadows - Shadows. The top rated TV show was The Prime Minister (All channels) and the box office smash was The Great Escape. A pound of today's money was worth £12.64 and Everton were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 01/02/1964 the number one single was Needles & Pins - Searchers and the number one album was With the Beatles - The Beatles. The top rated TV show was Labour Party Political Broadcast (all channels) and the box office smash was Dr Strangelove. A pound of today's money was worth £12.24 and Liverpool were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.

On 01/02/1965 the number one single was Go Now! - Moody Blues and the number one album was Beatles For Sale - The Beatles. 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 and Manchester United were on the way to becoming the Season's Division 1 champions.