Portsmouth December 2020 review – Christmas spirit alive and well as tier four arrives

One former firefighter used the end of 2020 to reflect on a year that could have been his last, as he spoke to The News about a dream holiday that turned into a medical nightmare.

Mark Jones’s trip to Barbados was cut short after a minor illness spiraled into a deadly nerve condition that left him in intensive care in Cosham’s Queen Alexandra Hospital in February, with the grandfather of four totally paralysed for weeks.

The retired firefighter, who served as a crew manager across Portsmouth for 30 years, has now recovered about 75 per cent of his mobility and used his story to praise NHS workers for their lifesaving efforts.

The end of the year also saw the end of the Shane Mays trial, with the murderer sentenced to at least 25 years in prison for the killing of Havant teenager Louise Smith. It concludes an investigation that started when the 16-year-old went missing in May.

A reporter from The News followed the trial as it revealed the horror of Mays’ crime, with the 30-year-old smirking in the dock moments before the judge handed down his sentence. In a statement read to the court, Louise’s mother, Rebecca Cooper, addressed Mays, saying: ‘I will never forgive you for this.’

While the trial may have come to an end, Ms Cooper said the ordeal will remain ‘scarred’ in her mind for the rest of her life.

Among the anguish and hardships of 2020, there have been moments of kindness – and one Gosport based charity used the festive season to spread as much goodwill as possible. The group Acts of Kindness created a grotto with a twist, as children handed presents to Santa so he could donate them to those less fortunate across the area.

Alongside Gosport Rotary Club, Gosport Stoke Road Sisters W.I. and The Centre in Gosport, Acts of Kindness has been distributing hampers full of food and toys thanks to children’s generosity.

The gifts arrived at homes just before the year brought more turmoil and uncertainty, as Portsmouth, Gosport, and Havant entered tier three coronavirus restrictions on December 20 – and then moved into tier four restrictions a day later.

The sudden tightening of rules across the city left traders worried their Christmas stock would be left gathering dust behind closed shopfronts. One ‘fuming’ owner of a toy and model shop said: 'January is the busiest month - if we are still in tier four then, I don't know what will happen...its just ridiculous’.

Portsmouth City Council leader Gerald Vernon-Jackson summed up the government’s treatment of the city with one word: chaos. In a letter to the government seen by The News, he wrote: ‘We can no longer cope with this level of chaos in government...a national crisis calls for cool heads and clear leadership, none of which is evident at the moment.’

But some residents took the change in their stride – even as their street was split in two by the new restrictions. Portsdown Road, in Paulsgrove, found itself sliced down the middle due to it straddling tier four Portsmouth and tier two Fareham. One resident said it wouldn’t divide the friendly neighbourhood: ‘When we talk to friends across the road, we tend to stand on one side of the street and shout across – so that won’t change’. Another added: ‘They have got to draw the line somewhere – I guess it is here.’

Just before Christmas, the city saw the funeral of inspiring teenager Sian Reeds, who died aged 17 after being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in 2018. Determined to live life to the full, Sian was praised by her idol Ed Sheeran and a range of Hollywood stars, as her fortitude in the face of adversity led to her achieving three grade 5s in her GCSE exams despite missing 90 per cent of her classes. Her family said they would ‘always be extremely proud of the beautiful, caring and thoughtful girl she was’.

As Christmas approached, The News highlighted some of the beneficiaries of the Comfort and Joy campaign, which has seen gift vouchers donated to homeless families in hostels and shelters across the city. One recipient said: ‘It’s really nice to see there are people out there that want to help.’ The campaign has served as a reminder that – despite the turmoil of 2020 – the year has also brought out the best in people across the area.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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