Milton and Bransbury parks

The land for Milton Park was purchased in 1911 when the death of the local farmer and recluse James Goldsmith brought a large wooded area on to the market. Anxious to provide open spaces within the increasingly developed a Portsea Island, the Town Council acquired the property for £28,840 as well as some additional land in Bransbury Road. Both areas were converted into parks, which is how they remain today.

A cutting in Portsdown Hill

The first cutting through Portsdown Hill was made in about 1800 to ease the route out of Portsmouth to the north and on to London. It is still in evidence today by the George Inn. The debris was taken down the hill and placed in Cosham High Street to lessen the gradient of the road through this section. In the short term this resulted in the road being much higher than the front doors of the adjacent small farm cottages.

As Cosham developed with an increase in through traffic, these dwellings gradually vanished and no trace remains today.

The Mary Rose

Said to have been named after Mary Tudor, Henry VIII’s youngest sister, the first Mary Rose is one of the nine warships to bear the name. One of the earliest ships to carry heavy guns, she sunk in 1545 during an engagement with a French invasion fleet, in full view of the King as he looked on from Southsea Castle.

Rediscovered in 1971, her remains were eventually recovered in 1982 after one of the most complex and expensive maritime archaeology salvage projects ever undertaken. The remarkable find is considered something of a Tudor time capsule, with 19,000 artefacts providing a unique insight into naval life and technology in the 16th century.

Taken from Ships Monthly April 2011 which has a 15 page special on Portsmouth: http://www.shipsmonthly.com/

A Violent Storm

In 1820 a violent storm lifted the East Indiaman, Borneo, from her moorings at Spithead and left her stranded on Southsea Common.

The Spinnaker Tower

The Spinnaker Tower is the tallest publicly accessible building in the UK.
To find out more about the history of the Tower: http://www.spinnakertower.co.uk/About_The_Tower/History_Of_The_Tower/index.php

George Meredith

The famed novelist, George Meredith, was born in High Street, Portsmouth on 12 February 1858. The house was one of many destroyed in the Blitz.

Hilsea Lido

In the 1930s there was increased interest in leisure pursuits. In Portsmouth the Hilsea Lido was opened by the Mayor in July 1935 and flourished. It was a sizable undertaking having a café, paddling pool, sunbathing deck, a diving board, chutes and facilities for 1,000. Built by the council and used as an unemployment reduction scheme, it cost £36,000 and took seven months to build. Its striking architecture is typical of the era.

After World War II, the Lido reopened in 1947 but never regained its original popularity. After many problems, it is now supported by a lively community group. To find out more: http://www.hilsea-lido.org.uk/

Dickens’ week

In 1929 Portsmouth school teachers organised an ambitious event to celebrate the author Charles Dickens and his links with the city. A parade dressed as Dicken’s characters went from the Guildhall to his birthplace in Commercial Road, pageants and concerts were held and the culmination was a ball in the Guildhall. The event was a resounding success.

2012 will be the 200th anniversary of Dickens birth. To celebrate, Portsmouth City Council has a large community archive project which aims to reach out to everyone in the city celebrating both archives and Dickens. The culmination will be a exhibition at the City Museum.

http://www.charlesdickensbirthplace.co.uk/charles-dickens-birthplace/ATaleofOneCity.htm

Portsmouth’s most important industry

The leading industry in Portsmouth was surprisingly the dress sector represented by the many milliners, dressmakers, staymakers, shirtmakers, seamstresses, tailors, hatters and shoemakers. This dominance was evident throughout the years 1841 to 1911, by which time it occupied 39.6% of the workforce (metalwork and engineering were 23.6% and shipbuilding 20.8%).

Demand was led by the large presence of naval and military personnel requiring uniforms and a willing workforce was to be found among the female workers of the town. Portsmouth was particularly famous for its specialism in corset (stay) making.

To find out more read the excellent Portsmouth Paper no 25 by R C Riley.