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...
Articles with the Tag heritage
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...
Heritage: How well do you know the River Itchen?
By Martin Brisland. Main image of recent River Rights mini pilgrimage with the goddess of the River Itchen, Ancasta, by Johnny Templeton. Did you know that the Itchen was connected to the production of banknotes? And played a role in securing victory in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 during the Napoleonic Wars? And...
Heritage: Who owns Britain? This land is my land!
By Martin Brisland. In 1940, folk singer Woody Guthrie, champion of the downtrodden in America, wrote This Land is My Land. It was later covered by many, including Pete Seeger. A young unknown Bob Dylan visited Woody when he was in hospital to pay his respects. The song contains a...
Heritage: The gateway to the world
By Martin Brisland. Before the days of jet travel, The Port of Southampton was once known as the gateway to the world. The Southampton to New York run was serviced by famous names such as the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth. Southampton has a unique double tide with up to...
Heritage: A Coat of Many Colours
By Martin Brisland A Coat of Many Colours is a Dolly Parton song she plays at every concert. Growing up in poverty, her mother made her a treasured patchwork coat made of many types and colours of fabric. In some ways that is the port of Southampton – which has...
Heritage: The history of ‘woke’
By Martin Brisland. Woke is a word used frequently in recent years but where did it come from? How did it transform from its roots in Black American culture to a mainstream term? It seems to be a word that means different things to different people. While there is...
Heritage: The Creation of Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre and Municipal Golf Course
By Martin Brisland. The Sports Centre was dubbed Southampton’s “Happy Valley” when created. It was formally opened on 28th May 1938, following a 10-year campaign, by Alderman Sidney Kimber (1873-1949). He was first elected as a Conservative Councillor in 1910 and was Mayor of Southampton from 1918 to 1920....
Heritage: Fascinating facts about Christmas time
By Martin Brisland. Richard I (1157-1199), often called Richard the Lionheart, may have spent his only Christmas in England in Southampton Castle in 1194. This was stated by many Southampton historians including the Victorian Rev. John Silvester Davies and Elsie M. Sandell in the 1950s. A local rich merchant...
Heritage: Legacy of the Spanish Civil War
By Martin Brisland. In May 1937 the SS Habana arrived in Southampton with nearly 4,000 child refugees from the Basque region of Northern Spain. They were escaping the Spanish Civil War and were put into a temporary camp off Chestnut Avenue, North Stoneham until that September. The Civil War...