At Wessex Film and Sound Archive you can see and hear history, from late Victorian times to the present day, through moving images and sound recordings. The Archive contains over 36,000 film and sound recordings relating to Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, including film and tapes of local TV and radio.
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
From the collection of:
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.
Related
Skateboarding in Portsmouth Skateboarding in Portsmouth
Amateur film 1978 4 mins Location: Southsea Common
Enjoy a nostalgic look back at the 70s with this film made by George Sloane featuring Southsea's newly opened skateboard park
A Day Out in Portsmouth A Day Out in Portsmouth
Amateur film 1958 15 mins Silent Location: Portsmouth
Travel back to the Portsmouth of open markets, period shops, bomb sites, congested car parks, workers on bicycles and holiday crowds - all in glorious black & white
Southsea's Roller Rink and Seaside fun Southsea's Roller Rink and Seaside fun
Amateur film 1946 17 mins Silent Location: Southsea Common
Join in the post-war rollerskating craze down at Southsea Rink in this nicely made film from Archibald Peskett
Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A
Inside Film 2024 22 mins
The director of a documentary about British funk pioneers Cymande joins the band at BFI Southbank to talk about the film.
The West Case The West Case
Action and Adventure 1923 28 mins Silent Location: Tilbury
Plotting world domination, Devil Doctor Fu-Manchu steals plans for a new aero-torpedo in this earliest surviving thrill-a-minute serial instalment.
Enter the Scala!!! Enter the Scala!!!
Inside Film 2024 16 mins
Filmmakers Jane Giles and Ali Catterall discuss their documentary Scala!!!, revisiting the legendary and inspirational cinema venue and some of the most notorious films that screened there.
Blades Blades
Drama 2023 2 mins
A group of young Black boys run into a building. One of them is about to do the unimaginable.
We Collide We Collide
Romance 2023 2 mins
A queercore romance - a visceral and immersive exploration of the power of the mosh pit and finding love in the most unlikely of places.
Smith Smith
Charity appeal 1939 10 mins
Long thought lost, this Powell-directed promotional short for a veteran’s charity was only rediscovered in 2003.