Portsmouth November 2022: Nightclub closures, stunning warships and mystery aircraft

USS Gerald R Ford dropped anchor off Stokes Bay in Gosport for four days – the newest American carrier design, the 333m long warship was too big to park up in Portsmouth Harbour.

American sailors had been carrying out Nato exercises in the North Atlantic with French and Spanish ships. The Gosport Ferry allowed people to get close to the US behemoth, and The News was fortunate enough to be invited on board for a tour.

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It’s an incredible warship and it was lovely to welcome our American allies to the city, albeit only for a few days.

Hopefully they enjoyed the nightlife we have to offer in the city – although one beloved venue announced it would be closing its doors.

Southsea bar and nightclub Kingsley’s announced that it would close after more than 14 years in business. Kingsley’s was founded by Steve Kingsley in 2008 having previously been The Osborne Pub – now the venue is set to change once again, as Steve is set to relinquish the lease of the premises to brewery Stonegate.

With the brewery’s plans to be confirmed, Steve is now on the hunt for a home for the Kingsley’s brand, which has become synonymous with nights out in Southsea.

Kingsley’s is due to close on December 31, after two final events on December 29 and 30.

Meanwhile, another nightclub was placed under threat of closure after a shocking four-person stabbing incident.

Tokyo Joe’s in Guildhall Walk, Portsmouth, saw four men slashed or stabbed on November 5.

A dozen police officers were called to the scene, and following the attack Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary called the venue’s licence in for review by Portsmouth City Council.

The venue was allowed to remain open during this process, and the city council decided that Tokyo Joe’s could keep its licence – on the condition that a metal detector be installed at the front door.

Elsewhere in politics, it was revealed that a wedding venue had been operating without planning permission for more than a decade.

The Tournerbury Estate on Hayling Island submitted a retrospective planning application to Havant Borough Council for the use as a wedding venue. The estate has attracted criticism for hosting weddings on the site without having any formal planning permission for the past decade. On January 17 2020, Havant Borough Council served an enforcement notice to the estate for what appeared to be a breach of planning control.

A council spokesperson said that whilst the notice remains in force, they would not ‘commence any formal actions’ until the application, and any ensuing appeal, has been determined.

Towards the end of the month, the We Shine festival in Portsmouth made its triumphant return, dazzling thousands of people with free art and light exhibitions throughout the city.

Highlights included an exhibition at St Mary’s Church in Fratton, called The Museum of The Moon, and a light installation at Alexandra Park in Hilsea.

Finally, residents were delighted to see a mysterious plane up in the sky for a few days over the Solent.

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Flight routes showed the aircraft circling Portsmouth, Gosport and Lee-on-the-Solent. The plane was easy to spot given its size – measuring 45 metres long with a wingspan of 42 metres.

The RAF confirmed that it was an Atlas aircraft conducting trial flights over the city.

First introduced into service in 2013, Atlas aircraft have the ability to carry a 37-tonne payload over 2,000 nautical miles to established and remote civilian and military airfields, as well as short unprepared or semi-prepared strips. Capable of operating at altitudes of up to 40,000ft, an Atlas plane also offers low-level capability – as seen in its low flights around Portsmouth.