Would you return to live in Southampton?

[Barry Sanchez]

IMHO the problem with Ocean Village was because it was a stand alone development and not integrated to any overall masterplan for the city. Doubtless, mistakes were made with it which has left a problem for the council as to how they join up the isolated decent areas of the city, but it is undergoing considerable transformation and hopefully will work - although the old phrase "you can't polish a turd" may spring to mind! We'll see when Bouygues have finished there later this year.

 

You're right in what you say of the make up of the proposed development at Royal Pier. But any modern development will always need to be financed through retail, commercial and residential levers - which is essentaially what Gunwharf is, but it is seen as a success, so there is no reason why this one cannot be too. My understanding is that there has been a great desire to get this project off the ground for some time, but the Crown Estate were the problem with its unwillingness to sign up - it owns a fair chunck of the site. But it will depend on the design and let's hope they don't waste a glorious opportunity to attract the likes of Bazza back into the City and give him some civic pride when he's talking to his scouse mates.

 

You got it baby, it looks as usual ****e and ********.

[ecuk268]

The biggest obstacle to waterfront access is ABP. When they say "jump" the Council asks "how high?".

 

From Redbridge round to Northam Bridge there's not a lot of unused land and any of it within the docks is off limits as ABP don't want Joe Public wandering around on their land.

 

If Red Funnel can be moved into the docks, the Mayflower Park / Royal Pier / Town Quay area has considerable potential to be re-developed into an attractive place to go.

[rpb]

Southampton looks good here...

 

[buctootim]

Southampton looks good here...

 

 

Yes but the video has got 38 views, probably half on them from here. If they cant market a marketing vid there is no hope.

[SarniaSaint]

No Way

Proud of where I come from but I could never go back. My life is here in North America.

[John Boy Saint]

Until the age of 5 I lived in Bitterne, then in 1969 because most of my Dads work was in London and out into Essex we moved up to Silchester north of Basingstoke as the M3 was still just a draughtsmans drawing back then and the M4 was creeping its way out of London and junction 11 at Reading was next on the agenda and only 8 miles away.

We always came back to Southampton on a regular basis because my Mums parents lived in Shirley, as we got older both my Sister and I loved coming to stay with Granny and Grandad I guess living in a Village that saw a bus possibly 4 times a day if that, making the nearest town quite a rare event being in the city with a bus into the centre every 15 minutes and all the hustle and bustle was quite a novelty. Weirdly enough I have always felt very comfortable in Southampton stranger still especially when most of my growing up was by comparison in those days a remote village, when it got dark it was dark, no street lights.

I now live just outside Basingstoke, still in a village but the extending fingers of the town have a finger hold on it. For all the years coming to Southampton for the football I have often felt that I could easily live in Southampton, not sure where, Bassett always looked pleasant enough away from the hum of the Winchester road. But then our route to SMS takes us down Thomas Lewis way and up through Bitterne Triangle and round over the Northam Bridge, I always look over to the houses at Bitterne Triangle that back onto the river heading towards Swaythling then the houses in Peartree that overlook the water and city from up on the hill, I just think as I get old and boring sitting up there with a good pair of binoculars could see many an hour whittled away.

[buctootim]

I always look over to the houses at Bitterne Triangle that back onto the river heading towards Swaythling then the houses in Peartree that overlook the water and city from up on the hill, I just think as I get old and boring sitting up there with a good pair of binoculars could see many an hour whittled away.

 

I once viewed a house off Athelstan road. Didn't like the house much but the view across the river and the city was amazing.

[PompeyLass]

I have some great memories of living there when I was younger and then again post-uni (on Archers Road), but I wouldn't move back to any city. I did live in Bournemouth for 6 years though (I know it's a town) and despite some of it being a bit of a dump and a pain to get to, I would consider Bournemouth again - maybe when I'm 70 though.

 

I thought you were that old already

[View From The Top]

I once viewed a house off Athelstan road. Didn't like the house much but the view across the river and the city was amazing.

 

Barry Fox, who used to run the TO at The Dell, lived on Athelstan Rd. Excellent views down the river. Used to be great having a BBQ around there with the views.

[Saint-scooby]

Has anyone seen the area around Bargate recently..............................slightly sad

[Sheaf Saint]

Barry Fox, who used to run the TO at The Dell, lived on Athelstan Rd. Excellent views down the river. Used to be great having a BBQ around there with the views.

 

I grew up living just down the road from him and went to school with his two sons at Bitterne Manor. Sadly our house was further down the hill and on the other side of the road, and didn't have the same views.

 

I spent most of my spare time during my childhood playing in the wooded area between the waterfront and the railway at the very end of Quayside Road. There would always be a large group of local kids who would congregate there in the evenings and just mess about. We weren't causing trouble or anything, just making rope swings on the trees and playing games. Last year I was back in Southampton for the first time in a while and I had some time to kill while I waited to meet an old friend, so I decided to drive over there and go for a walk down memory lane. It was early evening in late summer and twenty-odd years ago it would have been humming with activity, but it was absolutely deserted. Are kids too addicted to Playstations and Facebook to go and play in the woods these days or are parents just too scared of the evil paedophiles that the Daily Mail would have us believe are lurking on every street corner in modern Britain?

[alpine_saint]

I grew up living just down the road from him and went to school with his two sons at Bitterne Manor. Sadly our house was further down the hill and on the other side of the road, and didn't have the same views.

 

I spent most of my spare time during my childhood playing in the wooded area between the waterfront and the railway at the very end of Quayside Road. There would always be a large group of local kids who would congregate there in the evenings and just mess about. We weren't causing trouble or anything, just making rope swings on the trees and playing games. Last year I was back in Southampton for the first time in a while and I had some time to kill while I waited to meet an old friend, so I decided to drive over there and go for a walk down memory lane. It was early evening in late summer and twenty-odd years ago it would have been humming with activity, but it was absolutely deserted. Are kids too addicted to Playstations and Facebook to go and play in the woods these days or are parents just too scared of the evil paedophiles that the Daily Mail would have us believe are lurking on every street corner in modern Britain?

 

Yeah, I have had similar experiences with Daisy Dip over in Swaythling. When I was a kid it was hotbed of activity all year round - football, cricket, the odd bike, war (on the rare occasions the Council cut the grass, the trimmings were turned into trenches); last few times I have visited my parents, its been utterly deserted.