By Martin Brisland. Black History Month dates back to 1926 in the USA which has its events each February. Black History Month started here in 1987 and October is the month – October – for UK wide events. In 2005 Southampton formally recognised Black History Month through the...
Heritage
Heritage: new headstone for Titanic grave in Hollybrook
By Martin Brisland. On Saturday 26th September 2026, there was a ceremony at Hollybrook Cemetery. This marked the unveiling of a new memorial headstone for John Foley, commonly known as Jack Foley. This was part of the Unmarked Graves Project by the British Titanic Society (BTS). Amongst those...
See Southampton ensure the East Gate rises from the ashes after more than 250 years
Visitors to Southampton’s bustling East Street are today greeted by an image of its namesake ‘East Gate’. Installed last week, it will help visitors to visualise the layout of the old town walls in this area. At their peak, the Medieval Walls completely encircled the Old Town, covering a...
Heritage: Beating of the Bounds and Court Leet
By Martin Brisland. This year’s Beating of the Bounds ceremony and Court Leet will take place on Tuesday 29th September. But what are these ancient ceremonies, which date back at least 800 years, all about? The custom of Beating the Bounds was revived in 1957 after a gap of...
Suburban Safari: Townhill Park House
By Katie Isham. Some Suburban Safaris are available to relish every day, to wander freely. Others are a little more exclusive. Not every green space in the suburbs is open to general exploration. It might seem restrictive, but actually there’s a sense of occasion, an excitement in the air...
Heritage: Southampton’s first female mayor
By Martin Brisland. Lucia Foster Welch (1864-1940) was first woman to become councillor, sheriff, mayor, alderman and Admiral of the Port in Southampton. She was also a Justice of the Peace from 1920. When she became the first woman mayor from 1927-28 there were only nine women mayors in...
Photos: Black Businesses, Art, and Music Festival, Southampton Guildhall Square
Pictures: Mike Daish. Southampton’s BBAM Festival returned to the the Guildhall Square on Saturday, August 8th, bringing Africa and the Caribbean to life. It included a wide range of stalls, entertainment, food and more. See our photo gallery of the event. In Common is not for profit. We rely...
Heritage: what makes Britain Great?
By Martin Brisland. I recently tried to explain what Great Britain meant when asked how we came to describe ourselves as Great. It is an often misunderstood and misused term, but the Great in Great Britain refers to geography not superiority. The ‘United Kingdom’ refers to a political...
Heritage: When Prince Philip was saved from drowning at Netley
By Martin Brisland. All our lives are shaped by simple twists of fate. My grandfather worked for White Star Lines and was due to sail on the Titanic in 1912. He was replaced and went on to serve for many years as a boilermaker on her sister ship the...
Heritage: Here comes the sun!
Photo credit: Katie Belo dos Santos & Words: Martin Brisland. Human society has always been connected to the sun for our survival. The Helios artwork by artist Luke Jerram was on display in Winchester Cathedral earlier in 2026. Helios, which is Greek for sun, is a touring artwork, which features...