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Vintage Photography – Sunny Southsea

Vintage Photography – Sunny Southsea

Following on from photos of The bandstand and Tennis Courts the other week, here’s another scan from Khalid.

Back before East Jet in the late 1940s, early 1950s people flocked to Southsea seafront. Check the beach huts near Canoe Lake. Dozens of them and the Paddling Pool which is now occupied by the Sealife Centre. Love the little train to the right of the picture. Click for a closer look.


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  1. Martin

    24 February

    I’m loving these old pictures

  2. Paul

    24 February

    Cool to see how things were before modern buildings were built

  3. Matthew

    24 February

    Im pretty sure I remember the paddling pool before the Sealife Centre – and the train track, maybe even with a train on it.

  4. Natasha

    22 August

    My Dad rented this pool from Portsmouth council in the 1980’s and it was re-opened after a period of closure. I can remember the clean up of the pool and that local students painted the back fence black with colourful fish all over. We also had a large inflatable disco bounce on the site. The council chose not to renew the lease and sold the land off to the sealife centre, which is still there today.
    Had great times here, it is sad that times have to change.

  5. Paul Gonella

    22 August

    Thank you Natasha! We love it when people comment on the website to add their personal memories and offer up extra history relating to a place and/or photograph, we really appreciate you taking the time to comment.

  6. Steve Langton

    27 August

    Jeez – I must be old – I remember swimming here when I was a kid, it was called Children’s Corner, an un heated, sea filled pool as I recall !!

    Went on the train too, you can still see the outline of the railway track in the grass bowl where the bandstand is, was a small steam engine, with a twisty track that went around the bandstand area, complete with a tunnel.

    This would have been early 70’s.

    Happy days for sure.

    Steve

  7. Leila Bennett

    8 March

    I remember this area from the 1960’s. I loved the train an remember riding on it many times. It survived into the late 1980’s, but with a much reduced track. There was donkey and pony rides in the area in area circled by the railway track. This was accessed via a miniature footbridge.
    On the wide area of the prom near where the Blue Reef cafe is today there was an enclosure with bikes trikes and peddle cars etc for kids. I also remember the beautiful floral clock.
    Are there any pictures of these areas?

  8. Ray wooldridge

    16 December

    I learnt to swim in this lido many many happy days in the summer holidays walking from somerstown to the pool and back, 1979 to eighties, what a great time growing up in Pompey, then moved to Yorkshire in 1990, will never forget the memories

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