Southampton

Please note. All of the photographs in this lens have been taken by myself or Poddys. They may not be copied or used in anyway with out our permission.. Thank you.

Southampton is first mentioned as the place where the Viking Canute defeated Ethelred the Unready in 1016 to become king of England. (According to legend it was here that Canute commanded the mighty waves of the Solent to retreat.)

Following the Norman Conquest in 1066, Southampton grew prosperous as the main port of trade and transit between Winchester and Normandy, and a walled town was established on the peninsula between the rivers Test and Itchen to guard it against attack.

In response to a devastating raid by the French in 1338, the town became one of the best-defended fortresses in England. Henry I granted a charter of incorporation to the town, and it was made a county by Henry VI. Trade with Mediterranean ports was the basis of the town's economy by the 15th century.

The Mayflower, the ship that took the Pilgrims from England to America in 1620, originally set sail from here (bad weather forced it to stop at Plymouth).

By the middle of the 18th century the town had also developed as a spa (Frederick Prince of Wales bathed here in 1750).

The building of the modern system of docks began in 1838. The Old Docks, covering some 80 ha/198 acres, contain three large tidal basins known as the Ocean, the Empress, and Outer Docks.

The New Docks, which face the River Test, were completed in 1934. At the western end of the New Docks is the King George V graving (dry) dock, which was built primarily for the Queen Mary. The Princess Alexandra Dock has been redeveloped as a marina and shopping centre.

The Titanic began its fateful maiden voyage from here in 1912.

The port was frequently bombed during World War II but, despite the damage it suffered, it was still the principal point of embarkation for troops for the D-day operation - over 3 million troops left Southampton for the Normandy beaches.

Information sourced from Southampton

Southampton is a very easy place to reach.

Being 75 miles south of London, it is easy accessible via the M3, A34 from the north , M27 and A27 from the east/westroad networks and the A36 from the west coast, Bristol and Wales.

There is a coach station in the city centre giving you access via National Express.

The rail network gives various options too. You can get off at Southampton Central, for a day in the City centre, or maybe one of the stations at other locations in the city. If staying in Southampton, you can use the rail network for days out maybe to Winchester, Salisbury, London, Bath, Brighton as well as many other popular destinations.

Southampton International Airport is another option. There is also a train station there too, Southampton Parkway so you could take the train into the after arriving by plane.

By sea! Cruise to or from Southampton on one of the great liners available.

Of course, you may like to take the Red Funnel Ferry to the Isle Of Wight for a great day out.

I'll be adding links to this section shortly and extending it further.

'The Saints' is the nickname for Southampton Football club.

At the time of writing, things aren't good for the club. They've gone into administration and have just been relegated from the Championship league, to Division one... this is the lowest league The Saints have been in for many a year.

My Grandfather was a firm Saints supporter and travelled all over the Country to watch them play. I remember him taking me to some of their home matches at their home ground which was then 'The Dell'.

The Dell was a small ground and as Saints progressed upwards through the leagues, it became way too small to host visiting teams and their supporters from clubs such as Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea, amongst other top clubs.

It was decided to find a site for a new ground. This went on for years. A site would be found and then protests would be lodged... and upheld.

Eventually, a site was found and agreed on in the heart of the city, St. Mary's. This pleased everyone, as The Saints were returning to their namesake area.

In May 1976, Saints qualified to the final of the F.A. Cup. This is the most prestigeous award in English Football.

Who did we get to play? Oh brother... Manchester United. we were most definitely the underdogs.

As both teams colours were red/white/black, Southampton was chosen to play in their away colours of blue and yellow.

Southampton exploded in a vibrant mass of blue and yellow to support our boys. The excitement was at fever pitch, even though everyone knew we didn't really stand a chance.

Well, the final score was 1 - 0 ... to us!!!! Bobby Stokes, scored for Saints in what is probably the most nail biting game I have ever watched.

The day after the match, the team rode through Southampton on an open top bus to show the cup to the city. There were thousands of people lining the streets cheering for our boys, and I was there... what a memory.

Please watch the video and share what was one of the greatest moments of my teen years. I just got goosebumps watching it again!

And yes, it's true, I had a crush on Mickey Channon ;)

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