NOSTALGIA: Anyone remember restaurant in shed beside Guildhall shell?

I know you have all seen pictures of the Guildhall in ruins before, but what about the Victoria Restaurant in the shed to the right of the steps? Picture: Barry Cox Collection ccc

One is the Victoria Restaurant seen in what appears to be a shed on the right hand corner of the Guildhall’s steps.

The Guildhall can be seen in a terrible state before its rebuilding. Many of the columns are in ruins and the interior is a burnt shell.

Secondly, is it not about time the monstrous civic offices beside the war memorial were torn down and the memorial site opened up once again?

Looking north-west along Hulbert Road, Bedhampton. Park Lane is on the right, Scratchface Lane on the left.

This is how I and many other other residents of the city remember the memorial, and the men and women who died always cross our mind’s when viewing it.

As it cannot be seen today without passing through to Victoria Park, memories fade.

With next year seeing the centenary of the signing of the armistice to bring to an end the First World War, is it not time to demolish that part of these civic buildings?

• The rural view in the picture below is of Hulbert Road, Bedhampton, and was taken at the turn of the last century.

A look along London Road north of Waterlooville. Can anyone tell me where it might be exactly?

On the right is Park Lane which now leads to Barncroft School and becomes Middle Park Way on the Leigh Park estate after crossing the Purbrook Way roundabout.

The lane at one time ran all the way to Cowplain emerging in London Road just south of Padnell Road. This route has since been cut by the building of the A3(M).

On the left is Scratchface Lane. Many think that this was the route of the old Roman Road but in fact that road is farther south at its then junction with the A27.

To the left out of the frame is where the present Belmont estate is located.

This junction is now very busy indeed during rush-hours.

• And so, to the picture on the facing page of London Road, Waterlooville.

At the moment I’m in the middle of producing my fifth book.

It will be a then-and-now photographic history of the Cosham to Horndean tram route.

The biggest problem I’m having is pinpointing the exact locations of some of the scenes.

Perhaps there is a postman out there who can tell me where the original photographer was standing to take this photograph.

I will include a few others in the coming days for which I shall also need some local knowledge.