While some of the premises remain standing to this day, albeit in a different guise, many have sadly been lost to time.
We asked readers of The News which old buildings they were most fond of, and you had plenty of suggestions.
So, here’s our round-up of the 13 ‘buildings' the people of Portsmouth want back the most, with a few surprises along the way.
Join our Portsmouth Retro Facebook group to find more fascinating photos and memories from Portsmouth’s past.
9. Portsmouth buildings you want back
Technically not a building, scores of you couldn't resist telling us how much want the return of doomed high street retailer Woolworths to Commercial Road, Portsmouth. Photo: Paul Jacobs
10. Portsmouth buildings you want back
To a vocal majority it was an eyesore. To a minority, it was textbook, brutalist beauty. Multiple readers suggested the Tricorn, in Market Way, which was demolished in 2004. Photo: Michael Scaddan
11. Portsmouth buildings you want back
So many good nights were had at Joanna's, the nightclub along South Parade also known as the Savoy Building, in Southsea. Here it is in August, 2011, when it was destroyed by fire. Photo: Paul Jacobs
12. Portsmouth buildings you want back
The Victoria Park Swimming Baths in Anglesea Road, Portsmouth, were the second-most suggested building of the lot. Here they are in 1988. Photo: JPIMedia