Life on the Water’s Edge is a short documentary commissioned by Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust gathering local people’s memories and archival film and photos of the area’s past, and celebrating the growing community exploring and celebrating Milton Locks nature reserve today. Generations have enjoyed the tranquil beauty of this section of Portsmouth’s coastline – from the painter Edward King and the houseboats of the 1940s, to today’s photographers and wildlife enthusiasts.

Local people were encouraged to come forward with their memories of Milton Locks at an event at the Portsmouth Museum in April, and many of their stories, photos and experiences are now represented in this film.

Film Screening

The film will be screened for the first time at a special event at Portsmouth City Museum this Saturday (17th) afternoon, as part of the Portsmouth Festivities programme:

Life on the Water’s Edge

Date: Saturday 17th June 2017
Time: 15:30-16:30
Location: Portsmouth Museum, Museum Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO1 2LJ

Strong Island Media has produced the film on behalf of Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, thanks to the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund. New material discovered through the research for the film is being added to Portsmouth’s local history archives. More memories will be added over the coming weeks, and a final version will be screened at a later date on the Big Screen Portsmouth, and made available to schools, community groups, and online for local people to enjoy.

Jess Daish-Miller, Community Education Officer at Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, said: “‘I’m beyond excited to see our beautiful Milton Locks nature reserve captured on film. We have really enjoyed exploring the strong cultural identity of the area and the stories and experiences of the people who live there. I’m hoping that seeing the film will inspire people to visit the reserve and get involved with the Milton’s Hidden Seashore project.”

Tracy Teasdale, Learning Officer at Portsmouth Museum, said: “Portsmouth Museum is very pleased to support this project. The display of Edward King’s paintings has been incredibly popular and the partnership with Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust has encouraged even more people to visit it, share their memories and make connections with their own lives in the city. We’re looking forward to comparing Edward King’s paintings of Milton Locks in the 1940s with Strong Island’s film of the same area today.”