Southampton is one of the greatest natural harbours in the world, benefiting from four tides a day, and facing one of the world's busiest waterways.  Southampton's relationship with the sea has always rested on its people's ability to make the most of its natural advantages.  Romans, Saxons, and medieval merchants have all prospered in turn.  And today, Southampton is at the centre of the UK's cruise line industry, with a record breaking 720,000 passengers passing through the port in 2007.  It's the biggest vehicle terminal, and one of the county's most successful container ports. Overall, an estimated 16,000 jobs are port related.

Tragically, history has shown that success often brings disaster in its wake.  The medieval town was ravaged in 1338.  In more recent times, the loss of the Titanic, and the bombing of WW2, has devastated the town, and port.

Southampton was at the centre of trooping the Empire, and in time of war has witnessed the embarkation of great armies.  It was pivotal to the D-Day landings, and in the last year of WW2 over three and a half million troops embarked from the port. 

However, it is the quayside feelings of excitement and sadness associated with arrival and departure felt by pilgrims, soldiers, emigrants and war brides alike that are most poignant, and continue to echo down the ages.

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S.S. Stella Contains a wealth of information on the Stella shipping disaster of 1899. This is possibly the most comprehensive website on the Stella disaster in the world. The numerous pages are highly researched, and the site continues to grow.  Much of the work sheds new light on the subject, placing it in context, and giving a rare insight into late Victorian society. Guest writers, Sue Little, and Tessa Davis are descendants of Stella crewmen.    More Here
The Millionth American In the months following D-Day to the end of WW2, three and a half million troops embarked from Southampton docks. On the 25th. October 1944, Private Paul Shimer Jr, of the 15 Infantry, 3rd. Division, Seventh Army, stepped through the counting machine to become the millionth American soldier.  More Here
The Flying Nightingales Lydia Alford was the first of three women known as ‘the Flying Nightingales’ to land in a battle zone after D-Day.  She was a nursing orderly in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (W.A.A.F), and flew on the first RAF transport plane to evacuate the wounded from the Normandy battlefields.  More Here Southampton in WW2  was the seventh heaviest bombed city in Britain.  It was considered an obvious target; it was Britain's Number One Military Port, and home of Spitfire production...  More Here
Southampton Lido  I regularly visited the Lido two or three times a week during my school holidays back in the 50s and 60s. Unfortunately, there's no trace of it now, but the happy memories linger on...  More Here Speakers' Corner Hidden away in Hoglands Park is Southampton's Speakers' Corner. Why is it there, and who thought of the idea?  More Here
Park Road, Southampton Pete Simpkin takes us on a walk down memory lane remembering Park Road as it was in the 40s and 50s, when it was lined with a wide variety of shops and businesses.  More Here   For more local history visit Articles and Research tab

I provide my own fully up-to-date equipment to stage these high quality Power Point presentations. The slides are projected through a LCD, 1200 lumens, digital projector producing bright images onto a large screen. More Here

The Media menu contains some new pages to provide Video Clips and Image Galleries.
Image Galleries  More Here

Friends of St. James' Park 
Sunday 1 November 3- 5 pm.
Shirley Parish Hall
Visit FOSJP Website

Local History Studies

Starting September 2009
Mondays from 7-9 p.m.

(taster evening 7th. July)
 
Adult Education
Taunton's College
 Southampton

This popular course will revolve 
around a series of lectures and guided walks
by Jake Simpkin charting 
the development of Southampton 
from 1840 to the present day. 
 
More Here

For further information contact:
Taunton's website
http://www.tauntons.ac.uk

 More Here

New Image Gallery   Heritage Southampton   More Here

Join me, and cameraman, Mike Power, on a journey of discovery around this fascinating city.  You will be  absorbed by this film. Southampton's rich and varied history is everywhere to be seen.  From the sailing of the Mayflower; to the loss of the Titanic. The development of the docks; the impact of WW2; and post war reconstruction, through to the dynamic city of the present day. Enjoy Southampton Revealed ; you will not be disappointed.

See Trailer / Order Page

Jake Simpkin & Mike Power