Saturday, August 23, 2003
Warm and sticky again today, upper 70s with rain clouds teasing on their way north. Just the evening for a couple of pints in the garden of the Yacht!
I have uploaded the Peartree Maps page at http://www.peartreegreen.org/maps.htm or through any side menu. There is a sketch map of the Green and an image of the area from a map of 1871. I have also provided links to a number of maps of the Southamton area going back as far as 1575. I hope to add a current map of the area so that the Green can be seen in the context of modern Southampton but am waiting to hear from the copyright people at the Ordnance Survey.
One area I intend to cover which is not strictly part of Peartree Green and that is the Vosper Thorneycroft site on the shoreline at Woolston. The yard built it's last ship for the Navy this year and is now in the process of closing, the site will be redeveloped as a mixture of housing and retail units. The remit for the developers demands that the site be sensitively designed to add to the public amenity. There is a great opportunity really open up the waterfront to walkers and cyclists and to create an open link vertually from Peartree Green to Western Shore.
I have uploaded the Peartree Maps page at http://www.peartreegreen.org/maps.htm or through any side menu. There is a sketch map of the Green and an image of the area from a map of 1871. I have also provided links to a number of maps of the Southamton area going back as far as 1575. I hope to add a current map of the area so that the Green can be seen in the context of modern Southampton but am waiting to hear from the copyright people at the Ordnance Survey.
One area I intend to cover which is not strictly part of Peartree Green and that is the Vosper Thorneycroft site on the shoreline at Woolston. The yard built it's last ship for the Navy this year and is now in the process of closing, the site will be redeveloped as a mixture of housing and retail units. The remit for the developers demands that the site be sensitively designed to add to the public amenity. There is a great opportunity really open up the waterfront to walkers and cyclists and to create an open link vertually from Peartree Green to Western Shore.
Friday, August 22, 2003
The weather is cooler but still warm (75 F ) and somewhat sticky today, the Green is in need a good few hours rain.
I spent a couple of interesting hours in the Local Studies Centre at Southampton Library, the Centre is extensive with 1000's of publications, an extensive collection of newspaper cuttings filed by area. Most of all editions of local newspapers from the mid 18th century onward are on microfilm.
I am planning to look in detail at the destruction of Itchen Ferry Village in 1940 and particularly to that part of Sea Road where ruins are still visible. Today I came a cross a reference to serious flood damage to the village some time before it's destruction and hope to find out more.
Rigth now I am off to the local shop to get in my Friday evening beer treats!
I spent a couple of interesting hours in the Local Studies Centre at Southampton Library, the Centre is extensive with 1000's of publications, an extensive collection of newspaper cuttings filed by area. Most of all editions of local newspapers from the mid 18th century onward are on microfilm.
I am planning to look in detail at the destruction of Itchen Ferry Village in 1940 and particularly to that part of Sea Road where ruins are still visible. Today I came a cross a reference to serious flood damage to the village some time before it's destruction and hope to find out more.
Rigth now I am off to the local shop to get in my Friday evening beer treats!
Tuesday, August 19, 2003
I have uploaded the first part of the Peatree History section. This merely covers the pre-Roman to the Anglo-Saxon period and with the medievil period forms an historical backdrop to the history of the Green.
An interesting note: Itchen Ferry Village, which was totally destroyed by German bombs in 1940, was on the southern edge of the Green. On the Green side of Sea Road the ruins were bulldozed after WW11, covered over with soil and grassed. On the south side of the road an area was left and became overgrown, parts of buildings still remain including the glazed front of a pub, the Red Lion. Why this area was left I have no idea but I intend to explore and photograph it, longterm I would like to see this piece of land turned into some kind of memorial to the scores of people who died during the German raids in 1941. If these had not been plain ordainary working folk then I bet there would have been a memorial long ago!
An interesting note: Itchen Ferry Village, which was totally destroyed by German bombs in 1940, was on the southern edge of the Green. On the Green side of Sea Road the ruins were bulldozed after WW11, covered over with soil and grassed. On the south side of the road an area was left and became overgrown, parts of buildings still remain including the glazed front of a pub, the Red Lion. Why this area was left I have no idea but I intend to explore and photograph it, longterm I would like to see this piece of land turned into some kind of memorial to the scores of people who died during the German raids in 1941. If these had not been plain ordainary working folk then I bet there would have been a memorial long ago!
Monday, August 18, 2003
Rain comes to the Green! We have just had about 20 minutes of rain - the first for weeks - which is nowhere near enough to stop the Green looking like California, you know that dirty grey brown. I suspect that the small amount of rain this summer means trees will loose their leaves early this year.
Watch the webcam this coming Sunday (Aug 24th) when there will a fund raising event on the Green: The Bank Holiday BBQ includes a Steel Band, Morris Dancers, Bouncy Castle, Face Painting, Fire-eater and much more. Organised by Stepping Stones in aid of destitute children living in Kenya.
Watch the webcam this coming Sunday (Aug 24th) when there will a fund raising event on the Green: The Bank Holiday BBQ includes a Steel Band, Morris Dancers, Bouncy Castle, Face Painting, Fire-eater and much more. Organised by Stepping Stones in aid of destitute children living in Kenya.
