By Martin Brisland. What’s in a name? Sir Keir Starmer (61) became Prime Minister last week, on Thursday 5 July 2024, after a landslide victory for the Labour Party in the General Election. His parents were Labour supporters and are said to have named him after Keir Hardie (1856...
Heritage
Heritage: The story behind Jack’s Corner
By Martin Brisland. Jack Mantle was born in London on 12th April 1917. After his mother died when he was two years old his father remarried and moved to Southampton. The family lived at 2 Malvern Road off Winchester Road. He attended Taunton’s School and joined the Royal Navy...
Heritage: 350 years since the birth of Southampton born hymn writer, Isaac Watts
By Martin Brisland. If you pass the Civic Centre clock tower at 8am, midday, 4pm or 8pm you will hear the bells play the tune “St. Anne.” It was composed by the church organist William Croft and is used for Isaac Watts well known hymn, “Our God, Our Help...
Heritage Open Days returns in September
Heritage Open Days (HODs) returns this September with thousands of free events and experiences across the country. Brought to you by the National Trust, supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery and run by thousands of local organisations and volunteers, HODs brings people together to celebrate their heritage, community...
Heritage: Some notable female Sotonians
By Martin Brisland. Elsie Sandell (1891–1974) was a writer of local history books and Echo articles. Her books are very readable for young people. Elsie was key in getting the D Day memorial tapestry made. It is usually to be found outside the City Archives in the Civic Centre....
Old Grammarian’s and Hillonians Association reunion this September
Image: Hill College boys’ basketball team c1988. The Old Grammarian’s and Hillonians Association, incorporating former students and staff of the Southampton College for Girls, will be holding this year’s reunion on Saturday, September 28th, at a new venue. After two reunions held at their old school/college, now Richard Taunton...
Lawrence of Arabia and his Southampton connections
By Martin Brisland. Many will know the epic film Lawrence of Arabia which won seven Oscars in 1962. Peter O’Toole played a British officer credited with leading the Arab revolt against the Turks in World War One. The film, now considered by many to have racist overtones, with a...
60th anniversary of Southampton’s city status approaches
By Martin Brisland. On 24th. February 1964 Southampton was granted a royal charter to henceforth be known as the City and County of the City of Southampton. It was the culmination of a process that had begun 30 years earlier. The first informal approaches were made in the mid-1930s,...
Interview: Everybody’s Talking About Jamie’s Ivano Turco
By Hugh Montgomery. Everybody’s Talking About Jamie comes to Southampton’s Mayflower Theatre in January. Ivano Turco who stars in the title role talks about the affinity he feels for the role. In his short career so far, super-talented musical theatre star Ivano Turco has already demonstrated formidable range: having...
Heritage: Southampton is 6 minutes slower…
By Martin Brisland. Did you know that a Southampton sundial will always be six minutes slower than GMT or 1 hour 6 minutes slower than BST? Robert Morden’s map for Hampshire from circa 1695 is rather interesting. You can easily find it via Google. Along the bottom you will...