South Parade Pier fire, picture | Nostalgia

I must thank Richard Newman for the use of his News scrapbooks which are full of stories ranging from 1959 up to the mid-1970s.

Richard Boryer is another reader and great friend of these pages. He has agreed to lend me his late father’s photographs showing many of Portsmouth’s long-gone pubs.given me full access to their marvellous postcard collections.

So stand by for some wonderful photographs of Portsmouth and the surrounding area in the coming weeks.

• See also: A collection of pictures starring the Red Plum – ice patrol ship HMS Endurance

I am also available to receive any old photographs you may possess which readers would like to see.

Please email them to me at [email protected].

If you can’t scan and send then contact me and I will visit you and take photographs of your photographs and sort them on my computer. No need to take them out of the house.

Now, let me get on… The picture at the top will immediately bring back memories for many readers.

Where warships were once built

Many of you might remember the Camber, Old Portsmouth, when it looked like this.

The photo was taken by a News photographer from Dirty Corner in April, 1959. The building is a wooden warehouse. To the left, just out of shot, was Vosper & Co shipbuilders which merged with Thornycroft of Southampton in 1960. It is amazing that frigates and corvettes were once built in this enclosed corner. There’s a marina there now.

Shining a light on alien craft

This searchlight station was on Southsea seafront and used during the Second World War to pick out any odd vessels.

I have been told, but this is not confirmed, this station replaced a much older one dating back to the First World War. Adjacent is the old lifeboat station with signalling mast.

Because it spoilt the view for so many walking the seafront, the scruffy searchlight building was demolished in 1959 when its days were over.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

A message from the editor, Mark Waldron.

Thank you for reading this story. The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on our advertisers and thus our revenues.

The News is more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription to support our journalism. You can subscribe here for unlimited access to Portsmouth news and information online.

Every subscription helps us continue providing trusted, local journalism and campaign on your behalf for our city.