Portsmouth, Hampshire ~ Photo's

[Steve G]

Gem; Sadly, I'd might as well state here and now that I appear to have No cemetery shots. (Saying that, I take it ye've already exhausted the various, dedicated, grave sites?)

 " Ashley Villas ". Dunno. Do ye know where in Southsea it was? Only, " Villas " was quite a vogue title for the posh properties of Southsea, at some point or other.

 I do have quite a top heavy selection of Southsea shots, as it happens. Perhaps your place could be featured amongst them? Only, I doubt it'd be directly titled as such. See?

 Point me closer and I'll check. The 'Parades' I have. 'Canoe Lake' I have, coming out of my ears. If Ashley might be recognisable from such as these? We'll need to fine tune.
 

[foxjohnstone]

Doh !

Unfortunately all I have is " Ashley Villas", Shaftesbury Road, Southsea. My g-g-g Uncle was A Naval Chaplain but I have no idea as to which Church he helped out at when ashore! ( Edward Martin Johnstone 1829-1880 something)

Gem x

[Steve G]

Gem; Shaftesbury runs parallel to the (in my time, notorious Nightingale Rd ~ where the right contacts and cash could get ye anything, except a credit rating!  )  Don't be put out though. It now seems the area might have been sanitised. Prices asked around there seem to reflect that.

 This  reflects that. It's also a perfectly fair representation of the sort of buildings around that block. From personal memory; I'd suggest that most houses down Shaftesbury might have adopted the title " Villas ". It would've likely been painted, in gold, across their door light.

 Saying that? I just can't shake the impression of there being at least one place, down those roads, which was distinctly different and set alone between the towering places such as the one above.

 I'd suggest ye pursue this through someone actually on the ground, in Pompey.

 Unfortunately, I have photo's of places within fifty yards of that road. But, the photographer saw no reason to shoot the actual properties down there 

[smokey]

Hi Steve g

Do you by any chance have any shots of Dock Row, Wish Street, Queen Street or North Street ?

Cheers
Smokey

[Steve G]

 Smokey; Queen St. struck me right between the eyes, to start with! I'm near as damnit certain I have something on Queen Street. In fact, I Know I have a couple of shots of an old theatre / cinema that stood there. I Think I have a view (or two?) from the southern end too.

 As for the other spots? All sound Portsea to me. I'm not au fait with the exact street names round there.  Again, most of the stuff I have identified is just what I've been able to figure out by simply recognising it from a long memory.

 I can do ye plenty of stuff from " The Hard ", if that's of any interest to ye? That was pretty much the 'front' of Portsea. Streets that made up the rest were just ..... err ..... the places round the back of the facade.

 You have folks from the area? In my time, " The Hard, Portsea " was always a sort of black comedic term: Anyone born and raised there was likely to be pretty damn 'Hard'.  Half a century ago, it'd take a Hard ~ or just psychotically deranged fight seeking ~ person to step into that 'hood 

  And, yeppers, it all sort of started at the northern end of Queen Street. The ol' spincture tightened with the first step south from there.

 Listen; I'm on Dublin time here. Half wrecked and answering an e mail from a good mate. Digest the above and see if ye can point me any closer. I'll see what I can do in the next 24 hours 

[smokey]

Hi Steve g

Do I know Queen Street I was Naval Provost 1982 to 1994 I patrolled those mean streets, weird all the time I was there I did'nt realise my ancestors lived there. North street is off Queen st got flattened in the war and there are new houses there now where the local kids used to chuck rocks at the Provost van from behind the hedge (oh happy days). its right next to the barracks.

Regards
Smokey

[Steve G]

Naval Provost?!  In the day, You were Bait, mate!  I had mates with short hair ~ for what ever reason. They reckoned there was nothing more amusing than being seen by you guys and bolting!

 Of course, your lads would go after them, thinking they were AWOL, finally catch them. Politely request their details ..... only to find they'd caught a couple of civvies!

 Personally? I never really fancied being chased by a van load of rather fit and muscled, probably wound up, young servicemen on a mission! Thankfully, I never really gave the impression of being the type you'd have sought either.

 80 / 90's? Last time I saw them too. (I don't miss them!) Believe me, Smokey; The " Mean Streets " you patrolled were a pale reflection on the place it used to be! Even in my own life time. Portsea, even less that half a century back, really was " The 'Hood " (as todays 'Gangsta' youth would know it).

 If your people hailed from there, or lived there, ye have my good eye  I'll try to dig out what ever I can to give ye a flavour of the area.

 Incidentally; Last I heard of it ~ mid 90's? ~ it'd become part of one of these 'Urban Regeneration' schemes. People I spoke to were actually Proud to say they lived there. In nice, bijou places with Chaffinches in their gardens! Fair play to them.

 Anyway, I really must pass out shortly. To save our reminiscing clogging up this entire thread, please do feel free to PM me about " Portsea ". Maybe we can compare notes about Family History there? I certainly now feel I can offer ye a better, 'historic' idea of the area anyway.

 Let's see what we can do 


 

[genuisscuffy]

Hi Steve many thank for your pics of St Bartholomew can I be a pain and see if you can dig up St Johns, in Portsea?? - My GGgrandmother was born at sea but baptised in St Johns!! Many thanks

[Steve G]

Genuisscuffy, ye've got me off balance here!

I checked my files and find I have James, Joseph and Jude. No John.

Finding that a bit odd, I wondered if it was the C of E place. But, no; That's Tom a'Beckett. Hmm .....

 So, off to Google I went, just to see if I could find out more: They seem to reckon " St. Johns " is the RC Cathedral? That the one ye thinking of? Only, I can't see any others, at a quick look.

Here ye go:

Google Images.

 Shots 3,4 & 5 are the RCC.

If that's the one ye after? I have half a dozen other, older shots of it. Let me know