There was an abundance of hospitals here once

We had the Royal in Commercial Road – now the site of a supermarket and garage.

There was St Mary’s Hospital in Milton Road which now has a comparatively new walk-in centre alongside.

Across the road where the new housing estate now stands was Priorsdean Hospital, which was a contagious diseases hospital.

In Grove Road North was the Eye and Ear Hospital, right, which was a specialist hospital which speaks for itself.

Considering that we also had Haslar Hospital across the water, plus cottage hospitals in Emsworth and Havant, which are now all closed, is it any wonder Queen Alexandra Hospital, in Cosham, is so busy?

n Below right, we see the Ford main dealer showroom in Grove Road South, Southsea.

There are now retirement homes built on the site.

I do not know that much about the site but if you worked there perhaps you might let me know more?

n The Whitby class frigate HMS Torquay is leading another of its class out of Portsmouth Harbour in 1977, opposite.

Launched in 1954, she later attended the 1977 Silver Jubilee Fleet Review at Spithead when part of the 2nd Frigate Squadron.

Decommissioned in March 1985, when she was the oldest frigate in the fleet, Torquay was towed from Portsmouth on July 1, 1987, to be broken up in Barcelona, Spain.

n A rare photograph sent to me by David French of Milton, below, we see a postcard view from inside the dockyard main gate before it was widened during the war.

Beyond the gate can be seen the buildings along The Hard, several of which were destroyed during the Blitz on the city.