THIS WEEK IN 1984: Unity please for so-called '˜Trolleyland' Landport

Urgent action is needed to put the heart back into Portsmouth's city centre '“ with a meeting place for youngsters to keep them off the streets.
This was just part of the audience who attended the community meeting in Portsmouth (5620-1)This was just part of the audience who attended the community meeting in Portsmouth (5620-1)
This was just part of the audience who attended the community meeting in Portsmouth (5620-1)

This was the message from a meeting to discuss the controversial ‘Trolleyland’ report into Landport, written by detached youth worker Gaye Davies.

The overall reaction was that everyone at Landport should ‘get their act together,’ work together as a community, and approach Hampshire County Council for cash aid to help solve the problem.

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But there were also angry reactions to ‘Trolleyland’ from some people who were already actively ‘doing their bit’ to help the community and felt Landport was getting unfairly tarred with the brush of bad publicity.

Author of the report, Gaye Davies said: ‘I have taken a lot of flak and criticism since the report was made public.

‘ But if you work here or live here you’ll understand why I have said what I have said.’

The picture painted of Landport was one of an inner city slum with teenagers having nowhere to meet in the evenings – except on stairways and car parks, before getting moved on for being noisy or disruptive.