The old Royal Tournament was just such a spectacle

The King's Colour, right, is pictured being marched through Portsmouth from HMS Excellent.
In 1939,  the Kings Colour was marched through Portsmouth from HMS Excellent, Whale Island, to the  Royal Naval Barracks, Queen Street.In 1939,  the Kings Colour was marched through Portsmouth from HMS Excellent, Whale Island, to the  Royal Naval Barracks, Queen Street.
In 1939, the Kings Colour was marched through Portsmouth from HMS Excellent, Whale Island, to the Royal Naval Barracks, Queen Street.

It was then on to the Royal Naval Barracks, after having been taken to London to be mounted with the Royal Guard at the Royal Tournament, Olympia.

Sadly, the Royal Tournament no longer takes place.

n The advert, below, is from the Portsmouth Evening News of April 1939 for The Convent of the Cross boarding and day school for girls, in Southsea.

Before traffic took over the village, East Meon sitting quietly beneath the South DownsBefore traffic took over the village, East Meon sitting quietly beneath the South Downs
Before traffic took over the village, East Meon sitting quietly beneath the South Downs
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It appears to have been a top school with a 100 per cent pass rate in 1937.

Among the lessons taught were elocution – which must have rid some of the girls of their Portsmouth/London accent.

n If you visit the Hampshire village of East Meon you will find it is still a quiet backwater.

But one thing has changed since the photograph on the opposite page was taken in the late 1940s – traffic.

Before traffic took over the village, East Meon sitting quietly beneath the South DownsBefore traffic took over the village, East Meon sitting quietly beneath the South Downs
Before traffic took over the village, East Meon sitting quietly beneath the South Downs
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Obviously there is not the traffic one would find in a busy town.

But, compared to the car-free scene in the photograph, it is now a busy place.

One good thing about these Hampshire villages is, architecturally, they change very little over the years.

n Before the area around Palmerston Road and Osborne Road was rebuilt after the Blitz, local stores had to find other premises to trade.

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When the area was rebuilt, companies such as Handley’s and Knight & Lee moved back there.

This is the corner of Elm Grove and Grove Road South, Southsea, where Knight & Lee opened up their store for a few years after the war.

It is now the home to Chantelle Originals, the high class girls dress shop.