Portsmouth. Can Anyone Remember?

[suzanne2812]

HI All

I am having a trip down memory lane & wonder if anyone else remembers the same things or can add to my memories?

Sometime after 1976 (before 1982) I was an angel on the Guildhall steps in Portsmouth. Three of us were chosen being the tallest of our year. We were pupils of Craneswater Junior school. Mary & Joseph were from 'big school' & much older than us. It was a pretty cold night & I remember a flake of snow coming down. The only other clue is that the year after Prince Charles visited & trod on the same step I stood on! It was a big deal to a child not so much now.

I originally went to school at Cumberland Infants & Cumberland middle school (my wonderful teacher was Mrs Jones, we even visited her house on a school outing). Cumberland middle then merged with the school previously on Cranewater site. My dad also went to that school when it was a grammer school & my great grandad, then grandad with gran ran Woodman's shoe shop opposite. I would pop in every day after school. My gran died in June & I really miss her.

In 1982 we moved to Cornwall yet my best years were when I was a child in Southsea.

What memories do you have? Does anyone remember Woodman's? What was the date on the Cumberland middle school building?

Regards Suzanne

[oh carolina]

Hi Suzanne,

i live in Southsea,about a 10 min walk from Cumberland school.
I remember Woodmans,i was so old fashioned but it fascinated me. I went to Devonshire Infant and Fernhurst Middle.
If i have time tomorrow i'll take a look at Cumberland to see the date on the building,

Karen

[suzanne2812]

Hi Karen

It was on what was origianly the middle school which can be seen from the infant playground.

Woodman's belonged to my great grandad Albert Woodman. He had it from new & then his daughter my gran & her husband ran it before they retired in the 90's. It was bought as a going concern but as soon as cheeper goods from supermarkets came in that was it. It was so lovely in there all polished wood. I remember the smell. Gran & grandad always had their dog out the back. Barney was the last one.

I believe it's a hairdressers now.

Thank you for your kind offer. I have a map dated 1892 (or 1896 can't remember!) but Cumberland isn't on it. I'm sure the date was in the 1800's.

Regards Suzanne

[oh carolina]

Hi Suzanne,

well i've just been round and had a bit of a shock ..........the middle school isn't there! there is a new development of flats,to me it looks as though the builder has used some of the original building and then built on the rest,so it looks like the school did.i looked at the infant school but there is no date that i could see.

we used to go into woodmans to buy slippers for my great uncle....i loved going in there,

regards Karen

[suzanne2812]

Hi Karen.

It looks like it was aquired in 2006 & 'The Cumberland Centre' became 14 flats. The date was on the side of the building overlooking the Infant school just below the eaves.

It says they were going to extend the building & I have seen a photo on a propety site & I see they built over the playground.

I know life goes on but It still is a bit of a shock.

Thanks anyway

Regards Suzanne

[oh carolina]

it was a bit of a shock to me only living 10 mins away and not knowing about it