By Bik from Southampton. My grandad, on my mum’s side, led the team that built the collapsible canoes used by the Cockleshell Heroes in WWII. He ran a woodworking team in Boscombe during the war, a master carpenter known for precision and patience. He could shape the wooden frame...
Opinion Pieces
Reader’s letter: This Remembrance Sunday we remember the diverse history of those who fought fascism
By Jayanti Shah, MBE. Secretary, Southampton Stand Up To Racism. Images courtesy of New Forest Heritage Centre. This Sunday 9th November, the far-right ‘Southampton Patriots’ plan to march separately to the Cenotaph for Remembrance Sunday. To hijack a ceremony of solemn remembrance — after desecrating the memory of those who...
Reader’s letter: Samir Zitouni – Southampton Rejects Hate, Celebrates Courage
By Southampton Stand Up To Racism. Picture supplied by LNER. Last Sunday, the far-right ‘Southampton Patriots’ once again gathered noisily outside the Highfield House Hotel, home to refugees, seemingly exploiting a tragedy that happened hundreds of miles away to stir up hate on our streets. Like the overwhelming majority...
Reader’s letter: Why was unauthorised anti-immigration rally allowed to go ahead in Southampton park?
By Jayanti Shah, MBE. Secretary, Southampton Stand Up To Racism. Last Sunday (26th October), hundreds of Southampton residents — glorious in their diversity — stood shoulder to shoulder to show that hatred and intimidation have no place in our city. Thanks to the determined efforts of local communities, faith...
Opinion: Why are we getting so many film adaptations of the Victorian Gothic?
By Laura McCarthy. Like Dr Frankenstein, directors like Maggie Gyllenhaal, Guillermo del Toro, and Emerald Fennel are sparking new life into the Victorian Gothic… even if they should leave well enough alone. We are to be blessed (or burdened) with a burst of new releases retelling classics: Wuthering Heights,...
Experience: Emerald Glow – reflecting on transitioning on a cycling tour of Ireland
By Tammi Dodger. “I’ll share something too, but you’re going to lose respect for me.” This is my reassurance to a friend, who grins back at me from beneath her glossy, black cycling helmet. She is in the process of telling me something that while embarrassing, is also too...
Reader’s letter: Are Reform already making promises they can’t keep?
By a Southampton resident. Politicians and parties not keeping their promises is hardly ground-breaking. So why should Reform be any different? Well, probably because that’s exactly what they claim to be – different. Not part of the political elite. The antidote to the Tories and Labour who, we are...
Reader’s letter: dignity is not conditional
By Jayanti Shah, MBE. Migrants are now set to be told they must “prove” they deserve to stay—by volunteering, mastering perfect English, and waiting ten long years. Let’s be clear: this isn’t fairness. It’s a shifting of the goalposts for people who already contribute, already belong, already call this...
Experience: “I’ve been arrested twice for supporting pro-Palestine group”
As told to In Common. “On September, I was once again arrested as part of the Lift the Ban campaign – organised by Defend Our Juries. My first arrest occurred last month at the August action, where over 500 people were arrested on suspicion of terrorism for holding up...
Readers’ letter: Southampton’s Red Stars loved playing at Music in the City
By Ralph White. Southampton’s “Red Stars”, a Southampton radical, secular choir performed a set of 9 songs on Saturday afternoon at the Medieval Merchant House, French Street in the old quarter (13/9/25). It was one of the 54 venues used by Music in the City, a marvellous annual feature...