Tricorn And Charlotte St

A Memory of Portsmouth.

I worked at Fine Fare and the Landport Drapery Bazaar in 1970/71 and was a member of the Tricorn Club on top of the Tricorn. My favourite locals were the Coxs Hotel and the Casbah Pub both in Charlotte St. The landlord of the Casbah, Ron Shepherd, was a witness at my wedding when I married a sailor at the Registry Office (now yet another pub). Sadly the Coxs and Casbah went along with the Tricorn. Also the Admiralty Tavern and Rose of England both in nearby Spring St. The only buildings remaining familiar to me are Marthas and The Crown just around the corner in Commercial Rd. The Crown is now an empty shop and Marthas is just empty and forlorn. Many great memories gone forever. Such a shame. Never been able to find a photo of the Casbah either. The Tricorn was so alive with its market and boutiques like the Village. The Indian restaurant and the chippy and the bakers. The Ice Cream bar looking like a fifties dive. Only the first part of Charlotte St remains now as the rest has been built anew. The Tricorn is still a car park despite plans to renew the site are nearly 10 years old. The market that graced the street and wound round onto the car park at the back of Woolies (now part of Cascades centre) was a brilliant place to visit where you could buy all manner of things. The Fine Fare has gone but the Landport Drapery Bazaar has got a new life as the Sue Ryder charity shop. When the Northern Quarter is finally built all will be gone. From the Sue Ryder side of Charlotte St up to Sainsburys will be one mass of shops and offices. Progress marches on, in some cases good, but more must be done to preserve our history before it becomes just a distant memory to be seen only on a site like this.