This film is part of Free

Various views of Southsea

Enjoy a 60s summer with the promenaders on Southsea Common, the rowers on Southsea's Boating Pond and the wild, wild jumpers and divers at the Old Sally Port

Amateur film 1961 13 mins Silent

From the collection of:

Logo for Wessex Film and Sound Archive

Overview

A Naval parade on Southsea Common is followed by scenes showing people enjoying a summer's day, playing and relaxing on the grass and on the boating pond. While children enjoy the paddling pool a miniature train races past, loaded with happy passengers. After views along the Esplanade, holidaymakers row boats on the Canal Lake or sail their own model craft. We end at Old Portsmouth's Sally Port where masses of youngsters jump and dive into the Solent - thankfully at high tide.

Despite the holiday atmosphere that pervades this short film from F Howard, the location was once a very heavily fortified part of the coast - guarding the approaches into the strategically important naval base at Portsmouth Harbour. Dotted all along the Esplanade running east from Old Portsmouth and marking the entrance to the harbour, are the remains of several forts and gun emplacements built over several centuries to counter various threats from foreign belligerents. Today, many of these forts have become part of the local heritage and leisure scene - becoming either landscaped adventure gardens, museums or historic walkways.