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
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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
Design Awards 2018
One of the most prestigious events in the Portsmouth Society’s programme is the Annual Design Awards - Wednesday 24th October 7pm Royal Maritime Club. Our President, Dr Celia Clark, will present the judges’ considerations on the buildings and landscapes completed before the end of 2017 that have reached the necessary criteria for each category. Photos and expert opinion
WWI Museum Visit – 19th September
WWI Museum Visit - 19th September Members and their guests are invited to a private tour of the WWI Museum by Charles Haskell. A one-hour guided tour includes unusual tales from WW1 and stories behind the exhibits plus time for any questions. Following this, people can then explore further on their own if they wish. There are 9 steps to the museum
July Meeting – Air Quality in Portsmouth
At our member’s meeting on Wednesday 18 July we welcome Mike Dobson of FOOPA who is very active in the area of air quality and all aspects of traffic regulation, and is sure to give an enlightening and empirically based view of Portsmouth's problems. World Health Organisation data confirms Portsmouth as having some of the worst pollution levels in the UK, hardly surprising given the
Researching a Building’s History and Portsmouth History Centre
Notes from February's Meeting Drawing on his long experience as the local history officer and archivist with PortsmouthMuseum Services, Dr John Stedman gave a highly informative talk on aspects of tracing building history, and the extent of the collections in Portsmouth History Centre on the 3rd floor of the Norrish Central Library. Most of you will have used this at some time - for those who have
Notes from our March meeting: The Archivist as Detective
John Sadden, archivist at Portsmouth Grammar School, led an enthralling and profusely- illustrated journey through time to some of the lesser-known periods in the school's history. The very first school opened in Penny Street in 1753 next to the barracks, but was not a success and closed in 1871. The Victorian grammar school opened in 1879 in the detached building on the north side
Civic Day Conservation Area Walk – 20 June 2018
In celebration of Civic Day 2018 we will be looking once more at our City Centre conservation areas. Led by Ben Cracknell, Conservation Officer at Portsmouth City Council. The walk will start in the Guildhall Square at 6pm and follow King Henry 1 Street towards Burnaby Road. Returning via Queen Street the walk will include the City's gem, Victoria Park. The
April Meeting – The History of Fratton Park
Annual General Meeting 23 May 2018
The Portsmouth Society's Annual General Meeting took place at 7pm on Wednesday 23 May 2018 at the Royal maritime Club, Queen Street, Portsmouth, PO1 3HS. After the formal business, Fi Rosen gave a talk about Father Robert Dolling of St Agatha's Church. Father Robert Dolling was an extraordinary figure who had a profound influence on the society, morals, education and health