One of our most popular events this year featured Alan Wallbank talking around his film of the Hayling Billy Railway. His most recent project has been a rediscovery of seaside miniature railways in our area. Southsea had one that closed in the 1980s, and Southern Miniature Railways Ltd ran lines at Lee-on-Solent, Poole Park and Bognor Regis.
Raymond Charles Riley (1931–2019)
No one who has browsed the local history sections of our libraries or few remaining bookshops can have failed to notice the name of Ray Riley, and we would imagine that most of our members possess at least one of his many publications. He was amongst the most prodigious writers on the City of Portsmouth, a stalwart member of and
Annual General Meeting 22 May 2019
The Portsmouth Society's Annual General Meeting will take place at 7pm on Wednesday 22 May 2019 at the Royal Maritime Club, Queen Street, Portsmouth, PO1 3HS. After the formal business, Dr Sue McClory will offer a talk on Frank Matcham, who is considered to be one of the greatest British theatre architects of the Victorian and Edwardian eras. Links to meeting documents
Design Awards – Blue Plaques
The Portsmouth Society Design Awards began in 1983 to mark our first ten years. Our aim was to encourage good design - of buildings and landscaping - in the city, by recognising high quality contributions to the city’s environment. Our first slogan was “To preserve the best of the old; to ensure the best of the new”. When we started in
Struggle and Suffrage in Portsmouth – Wednesday 17th April, 7pm
Following their popular series of paperbacks on towns in the Great War, Pen & Sword published a follow-on series entitled "Struggle and Suffrage", with local historians and authors again being asked to write about the experience of a town or city of their choice. Sarah Quail has the distinction of writing both the 'Great War' and 'Suffrage' volumes for Portsmouth, and will talk
Annual General Meeting 22nd May 2019
The Portsmouth Society's Annual General Meeting will take place at 7pm on Wednesday 22nd May 2019 at the Royal maritime Club, Queen Street, Portsmouth, PO1 3HS.
Matcham by Design – 22nd May
Frank Matcham is considered to be one of the greatest British theatre architects of the Victorian and Edwardian eras, and Portsmouth is lucky to have two examples of his 27 or so theatres that remain standing today - The Kings Theatre in Southsea built in 1907, and the New Theatre Royal remodelled in 1900 from C J Phipps’ 1884 theatre. Dr
Defences of Portsmouth and Portsea; demolition – and rediscovery
Although there were once two elaborately walled towns on Portsea Island: Portsmouth and Portsea, by the late nineteenth century most of the bastions, ravelins, walls, glacis and moats had disappeared as the towns expanded beyond these tight bands. So local historians were delighted when excavations In November 2018 briefly revealed the arrow-shaped low stone walls which were part of the
Design Awards 2018
The Portsmouth Society is delighted that two new buildings are winners in their Design Competition. The city’s new Bus Station on the Hard, with its soaring roof sheltering waiting passengers, who can see their buses arriving through the transparent walls. Interchange with the train station and ferry terminals is easy through 3 well-positioned entrances/exits. Designed by AHR Group and built
Groundlings’ historical tours
Discover the history of the Old Beneficial School on one of Groundlings' historical tours. Explore the truth surrounding Charles Dickens' birth and learn of former pupil Sir Henry Ayers, the man who became a rock in the middle of Australia. With guided tours and illustrated talks by costumed actors taking you through the sights and sounds of this wonderful Georgian school, our