In memory  John Edgar Mann ["Tom Bargate"] died March 2012  Your host John Avery Member Southampton Heritage Federation
SOUTHAMPTON LOCAL HISTORY
 
                                                                                                                  
                                                      copyright 2011/12
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Welcome to this site.

 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 sharing some of Southampton's local history and  heritage.

There are several amenity and local history groups in the Southampton area.

This site aims to summarise such groups and their talks and events and introduce some local speakers who visit schools, clubs and societies with talks re calling our local heritage.

In April 2011 I invited the Mayor Councillor Carol Cunio to unveil a new plaque at the French Garden in Town Quay Park next to the Wool House [at the time used as Southampton's Maritime Museum]

 

 

 

In November 2010 to commemorate the loss of life caused by a heavy air raid 70 years earlier, the recently formed group Friends of Town Quay Park held a tree planting ceremony in the park.Two former residents who had been trapped in one of the bombed houses when they were young siblings were invited to plant the tree. The tree was blessed by the Reverend Tim Daykin of the City Centre Parish. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I produced a small range of heritage postcards although nowadays most of us communicate by e mail rather than use a postcard. At the height  of the popularity of the postcard a busy housewife would post a card to the butcher or grocer in the morning and ask for her order to be delivered in the afternoon.

This particular card commemorated the Royal Blue Express one of the forerunners of National Express.

Being a Plymouth boy with an uncle who was a driver for the Royal Blues, they bring fond memories of trips to London.                                                                      
top image courtesy Jill Ghanouni lower image courtesy Will Temple
Will Temple treasurer and membership secretary of the Friends of RSH Hospital Chapel manning an information desk at an open day. The chapel built in 1858 was attached to the hospital ward and a gentle slope linked the buildings allowing nurses and patients to enter the chapel. With the old hospital now demolished leaves the problem that access to the chapel is now one floor up.


 

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Commemorative tree planted on 30th November 2011 to mark the heavy bombing raid of 1940. The tree was planted by two survivors who had been trapped in a bombed area of what is now known as Town Quay Park. The event was organised by the Friends of Town Quay Park. Afterward a service was held in St Michael's Church conducted by the Reverend Tim Daykin and members of the amateur dramatic group the Sarah Siddons Fan Club gave a re call of wartime and the blitz. [images courtesy Will Temple]
 



 

 

Heritage speakers.

 
 
John Avery operates in a 20/25 mile radius of Southampton but occasionally going into more distant locations such as Plymouth.  The talks range from cemetery conservation, Victorian Funeral and Mourning Practices, shipwrecks, Titanic, HMS Thetis [submarine tragedy] and about citizens of Southampton with interesting background.
 
 
Titanic's People
Many thanks for the lecture which was widely praised 
Dr Henry Will MBE [Ford Park Cemetery Trust April 2012]

I would like to say many thanks for the very interesting and informative talk you gave at Ford Park Cemetery on Wednesday 25th April  [Anne Roberts]

I am pleased to send you a cheque* for the splendid presentation that you gave to us. Thank you also for making your booklets available for purchase. There is so much ‘real’ information in them. I am pleased that I bought a copy. 

Barrie Clark [Bitterne Church Men's Group April 2012]

*cheques for this talk are added to donations to Seafarers UK


The Thetis Widows

"The presentation was excellent. The facts tumbled from your mouth without any apparent effort or unsureness……… your talk was amongst the top three given to us in the last 15 years  Thank you."

"I was a member of your audience but had to rush away before I had a chance to speak to you after the talk. You were too popular and I had other commitments.

As an ex RN Submariner I was delighted to get the background to the Thetis Incident from an unbiased mouth at last. The results on the families was almost entirely new for me.

"Again my thanks that you should have investigated this affair and given such an interesting and informed expose"

Don Hayward [IOWFHS Nov 2011]

"I travelled 70 miles to be here tonight and enjoyed the talk and images very much indeed"

"Just a quick note to say, on behalf of our group, a very big thank you for helping us out and stepping in to give us a most interesting talk. I think we all found is very moving and it must have taken endless research to gather together all the accounts of such a tragic disaster. It was an amazing story". 
With kind regards 
Liz Grover [Rownhams and Nursling History Group April 2012]

The Building of Plymouth Breakwater

"One of the most interesting talks I believe that we have had in the last 7 years or so" [Plymouth Postcards Collector's Club]
 
The Flying Enterprise and the tug Turmoil
 
"Your research as usual was first class and we look forward to your next talk" 
 
"I think that you have set a new standard, we have had interesting speakers in the past and you have set a new benchmark"
 Presentations to West End Local History Society, City of Southampton Society, Southampton Local History Forum, The Dynamo Club Chilworth, WI groups ,Highcliffe Towns Women's Guild [Evenings], Scout groups, Friends of Southampton Old Cemetery, Ford Park Cemetery Trust, Hampshire Genealogical Society [Alton, Bitterne Southampton, Bishopstoke,  Romsey, Brockenhurst, Waltham Chase branches],  Hampshire Industrial Archaeology Society, World Ship Society [Plymouth], Exeter Local History Society, Crediton & District Local History Society, Royal Victoria Country Park [HCC], Plymouth Postcard Collectors’ Club, Probus Clubs of Hamble Valley, Itchen Valley, Rhinefields, Southampton North; Friends of Old Southampton, Friends of Eastleigh Museum, Eastleigh and District Local History Society, Botley and Curdridge Local History Society, Lower Test Valley Industrial Archaeology Society, U3A Alton branch , U3A Bishopstoke branch, U3A Botley branch, U3A Chandlers Ford branch,  U3A Liphook branch,  U3A Petersfield branch, U3A Woolmer Forest [Bordon] branch, Devon Family History Society Plymouth branch, Hound Local History Society, IOW Family History Society, Friends of RSH Hospital Chapel , Botley Rotary, Southampton Retired WRNS Association, Bitterne Church Men’s Group, Shanklin & District History Society, National Grid Retirement Association, Highcliffe Conservatives Ladies Luncheon Club, Club Hampshire, Surrey Industrial History Group, Southampton Luncheon Club, Brendon Care clubs, Folland's Retirement Group,  National Women's Register [Southampton],  Southampton University Retired Staff Association, Bishopstoke Over 50 Club, Parkinsons UK [Southampton branch], Friends of Curtis Museum and Allen Gallery Alton, FOSMAG, Southampton Sight, Alton Hard of Hearing Group, Millbrook Local History Society, Sussex Family History Group Bognor Regis, All Saints Ladies Guild Bassett, Past Rotarians and Associates Club of the New Forest and District, Southampton in Bloom, Freegrounds Coffee Group [Hedge End],  Nursling & Rownhams History Group, Lordswood and Lordshill Historical Society, Portchester Townswomen's Guild, Townhill 50 Plus Club, Historical Society [Lymington & District]  etc
 
Jill Daniels has an interesting range of talks on Hampshire and Southampton and on the Titanic. contact
 
Jake Simpkin covers old Southampton, the blitz in Southampton and the shipwreck of the Stella off the Channel Islands. contact
 
Eric Payne-Danson talks include 

Southampton, New Forest, Pilgrim Fathers, Titanic, one on the music and culture of the travelling people entitled “Gypsy” and even an “adult” themed programme on Victorian sexuality entitled “The Worm in the Rosebud”. contact

Jo Smith, Archivist talks about the behind the scenes work in the SCC Archives  contact

Dr Frances Hurd talks about the Churches Conservation Trust and English Parish Churches contact

Nigel Smith talks on the Tram 57 Project [restoring an old Southampton tram] contact

Graham Mackenzie talks on the SS Shieldhall,  a steam vessel in preservation  contact

Colin van Geffen talks on aviation development in the Solent, the Schneider Trophy and the Flying Boats.       Telephone 023 80897793

 Neville Cullingford The History of the Royal Observer Corps contact

Jim Brown Policing in Southampton in the 50/60's contact

Dr Andy Russel SCC Archaeologist speaks on Southampton archaeology subjects, the restoration of Tudor House contact


Amenity and local history societies and groups.

City of Southampton Society [CoSS]

Friends of Old Southampton

Friends of Riverside Park

 

Friends of Southampton's Museums, Archives and Art Galleries [FOSMAG]

Friends of Southampton Old Cemetery [FoSOC]

Friends of St James Park

 
 
 
 
 
Solent Sky  [Hall of Aviation]

Southampton Art Society 

Southampton Heritage Federation c/o Solent Sky

Southampton Museums and Archaeology Society
 
 
 

Other websites of interest
 
 
 
 
 
Memories of the Royal Pier
 
 
 
 
 

Southampton Local History and Southampton Heritage is a website managed by John Avery © 2011 /12  contact
Guildhall courtesy Arthur JefferyCourt LeetQM2's first arrival Dec 2003Southampton Old Cemetery
Two mayors laying a wreathMayor's ParlourMural Hamtun Street SouthamptonThorners Regents Park Road
 
Ceremony to relay the foundation stone at the RSH Hospital in 2011Central Hall SouthamptonFriends of RSH Hospital ChapelSouthampton Art Gallery
 
 
 In the 1950's Southampton Council ran a fleet of Guy Arab buses, in fact it was the largest fleet of that marque in the UK
 A small number are lovingly cared for by amateur enthusiasts and are seen out and about from time to time.