SW11_Saint

Some great old pictures of the fantastic art deco Ocean Terminal. What a sin to have demolished it... Remember some great nights in the early hours watching the QE2 dock - especially exciting when back from a world cruise (if nothing else to see what my Dad had brought back!).

I remember going to a "Skinhead moonstomp" (I wasn't one, but did know a couple of skins) in the 80's in the big church opposite the Gaumont/Mayflower. A big fat blonde woman with an alsation on the door, along with a couple of skinhead bouncers - it was pretty terrifying inside, packed to the rafters with skinheads wearing Fred Perry polo or gingham shirts, braces and crombies. Some decent ska music though. Think that church actually did become a bar (Cloisters or something equally naff?).

I know exactly where you mean now - towards the end of the row of shops that Tyrrell & Green was in. Think there was a florist there too. Funny how other people's memories can spark your own - I remember the coffee shop vividly now, believe there was an old fashioned coffee grinder in the window? I used to change buses there back from school (15 from Swaything to town, 2/2a back out to Lordswood). Subway was on the parade of shops on the road that led down towards the Lido / Pirrelli's. It was the first one on left once you got through the cutway (where Thorntons chocolate shop was) from Above Bar. From memory I think it was downstairs - think all the shops on that little parade were. I have a feeling there may have been another record shop where you describe - in fact I'm certain there was - was that pre-Bargate Centre (white elephant!) days?

Amazingly we did catch one once - but only once - with one of those old fishing lines (wooden frame with orange cord wrapped around it). Didn't know how to kill it so stuck it in a tupperware box and wrapped a towel around it, which comically went hopping off down the pier... an angler took pity and killed the poor thing for us. Very nice it was too!

I remember that too. The commissionaire guy used to come around the corner at really popular films and shout "You've got no chance, don't wait!". We always hung on grimly, in the hope that you'd get in, even if you couldn't sit with your mates. Otherwise you ended up watching something you had no interest in! I'm sure I remember this ritual for Star Wars, Life of Brian, Airplane! etc. Of course you couldn't pre-book in those days, so you had to just queue up and take your chances...

Some things never change!

Not sure, before my time if there was. There was of course the ponies you could sit on and go up and down the common at the Southampton Show. Sea the Stars they were not!

I'm still trying to work out how we got from Pards on 'Goals on Sunday', to a theological debate?! PS I won't enter it, but I will say Richard Dawkins "The God Delusion" is a very thought provoking read if anyone is interested...

Didn't think about the cruelty then, just amazing to see Lions/Tigers (one of each?) in Southampton albeit in tiny little cages. Believe Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers got it closed down (post "Born Free"), which was undoubtedly the right decision. Used to get the circus regularly in the park next to Edwin Jones (the 'cricket park') too.

What a list - virtually every one gave a little twinge to my heart-strings! The witches hat roundabout - classic. I also always loved the concrete boats in Mayflower Park, what imaginary adventures you could have in them as a toddler. I took my wife down there recently, only for my heart to sink as they've been demolished (a new kid-friendly adventure park thing in it's place a bit further up - much safer I am sure, but it was so sad to see that little bit of history gone).

I went to Percy's as a little boy (used to use that special seat that went across the adult one) and went back again when I was older for the old 'flat-top' - he became a legend with the younger crowd. Going in Subway was always an experience - the more rude the staff were to you the better your experience! Was the coffeeshop Greensleeves? (or something) next to Toomers? The tobacconist rings a bell too. There were lots of odd little shops around Bedford Place - remember Delbridges, the bird /pet shop? I got given our school tadpoles to 'look after' over the holidays... next thing my mum marched me up to the Birds Aviary to dump them in the pond there!

Interesting few photo's here.

Great pic - brings a few memories back. The redbrick place next door was some sort of church wasn't it? (may have been a "proper" old church before I think). There was a taxi rank on that corner too. Was squinting to see what was on - Three Men and a Baby I think, along with something else. That would make it about 87 or 88.

Great photo, but sad story. And there is The Venture chippy next door.

Only a matter of time before a lynch mob starts burning down paediatricians offices in Pompey again...

Could be wrong, but I think the Odeon was where Virgin now is (or was?). The ABC became a bar for a while (it was up towards "Tyrrell & Greens" / "Plummers"). Of course, I could have the two cinemas round the wrong way.

The Classic!! Bang on. Yeah, now I remember it.

I was thinking of the cinemas - in town there was the Odeon (now a bar or something?), the Gaumont (now Mayflower), the ABC, now gone (bar as well?), and I'm sure there was another one, but can't remember it's name (or maybe that was the ABC and I'm getting confused). Might be the one you're thinking of, it was across the road from the Odeon from memory and was pretty much just an entrance. This is one of the ones where they used to do the Sat morning kids things "The Children's Film Foundation"... the manager used to introduce the programme and invariably got bombarded by popcorn and sweet wrappers! http://www.imdb.com/company/co0103210/

They had all sorts of weird and wonderful stuff in there. I was always a little scared to go in when I was a kid - we lived in the area - but did so when I got to my teens. Subway Records was the other regular haunt, particularly in the punk/new wave era.

Once classic on the "Nightlife" scene I forgot of course was Bogarts (nr. cenotaph) on a Friday night - this is more in the 80's Casual Era, Bri Smith as Mein Host, Hammy on the decks, and all sorts of mayhem guaranteed...

From memory, it was just the other side of Ascupart Street from Bigland the Bakers (which was on one corner), maybe one shop along - certainly before you got to Budgens. The Venture chippy was one or two along from Biglands.

I think Glen Eyre used to get it from all sides as you were in the middle. Getting off with Glen Eyre girls was seen as a victory for our lads (given we didn't have any of our own!) and used to rile the Glen Eyre lads...

Me too - fine on The Avenue or Hill Lane but then it all gets a bit confusing.

St. Georges! Never involved meself mind, but do remember lads stomping off to the woods to meet up, and home time on the bus was always an adventure when we got to around that pub "The Stile" (? memory fades). Numerous times I remember the driver/conductor warning that "the bus is not stopping until we get to the police station" although it rarely did. Had many a drunken burger at Mike's (assuming that is the one across the road from Barbarella's - next to what was the first Virgin Records shop?). The old Green Bus depot (Hants & Dorset) is a section on it's own - Plesteds Pies, Percy's the barber, Subway Records, those old drinks vending machines that were always getting battered etc. etc. Remember going to 'the Sporty' to watch the FA Cup Final "It's a Knockout". Can't quite remember who won, think Man Utd did...

Wishful thinking on his part. Perhaps upset that we're getting bigger gates at the bottom of League 1 than they're mustering in the Premier League... Says it all!