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Southbourne
Southbourne photos
Displaying the first of 46 old photos of Southbourne. View all Southbourne photos
Southbourne maps
Historic maps of Southbourne and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Southbourne maps
Southbourne area books
Displaying 1 of 18 books about Southbourne and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Southbourne
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Southbourne.
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or of a photo of Southbourne.
The Cliff Steps, Southbourne
Year 1955 because it's central to the time we lived just a few doors down in a new bungalow (Khandala), from the Thorpe's café (it was west towards the roundabout, north side of the road) and one of my cherished memories as a child, is of walking down to the dliff steps (steep then) and standing halfway down in very thick mist (couldn't see the hand in front of your face), feeling almost totally isolated except for the sound of the waves crashing below, and yet totally at peace and one with all creation at the same time. Great stress releaser and highly recommended to the reasonably stable minded.
Now I begin to understand why I loved it so, being a poet and dreamer, musician, photographer and artist of sorts. Never managed to bring my son there (www.permanentgreen.com for his art, photography and music), haven't been back myself for 50 years, wow, just realised this IS the anniversary year, as we left with Mum in November of 1957... Read more
The Red Squirrels in Fisherman's Walk
As a young schoolboy in Southbourne from 1954 to 1956 I loved to walk to and fro in Fisherman's Walk. There were red squirrels which were fairly tame and would take food from my hand if there were not too many people about. This was only a mile from my home in Petersfield Road and even nearer to Southbourne Junior School. This became a regular highlight to show our family visitors. Sadly red squirrels have now been ousted by the grey ones but I still recall them very fondly. When I was just nine years old in 1954 Fisherman's Walk seemed enormous - I revisited in 2004 and was so surprised at how small it now seems!
Dorset memories
Part of my Childhood
I spent many enjoyable school holidays in this town. My Uncle had a store called Staggs the Drapery and clothing store. Back then we used to spend many an hour wondering over to the Quay & the Priory. We also used to take the ferry over the Avon into Southbourne where my Aunt lived. Then we would walk to Hengisbury Head. Sometimes we would fish in the Avon. It was a wonderful little town and when I visit it I still have a touch of nostalgia because a lot is still unspoilt. Unfortunately the wonderful garden that backed on to my Uncle's store is now part of a car park. Progress I suppose where beauty has to give way to necessity.
The Trolley Bus Turntable at Christchurch
I moved to Boscombe near Christchurch in 1954 when my father's job with Williams Deacons Bank took him to their newly opened Bournemouth Branch. I was amazed! I was just eight years old and all I had ever really known in the way of public transport were the London Transport red or green buses, plus some red trams and trolleybuses. Yet here in Christchurch were bright yellow buses and trolleybuses which plied the route into Bournemouth. Better still for a fascinated young boy, was the amazing trolley bus turntable in Christchurch. The driver took the trolleybus onto the turntable in a little cul-de-sac in the middle of Christchurch and then the conductor would get off and disconnect the pantograph on the roof and they would push the trolleybus round to face the way it had come ready for the return journey. Any watching youngsters were invited to help push so I had great fun with this!
Christchurch Trolleybus Turntable
Where's the turntable?
High Street
I was born and lived in Christchurch for 10 years (1952-1962) but still count it as my home. Iremember walking down the High Street with Mum and my sister, when she stopped to talk to someone I looked around and saw them knocking down some building at the top of the street ready for the by-pass.
Turntable
I remember as a small lad being taken by Dad to the back of the (I think) Dolphin pub to watch the trolly buses being put onto to the turntable. First one of the men would get a long pole and disconnect the overhead poles, then the two would turn the trolly bus round using two push bars at 180, then they would re-connnect the poles - sometimes it would spark as they put it back.
