High Street, Gosport, takes a breather in the days before Sunday trading

I would imagine this was on a Sunday as there is so little about.

I admit to knowing little about Gosport so if any of you can help with this scene please get in touch.

I know that Gosport had the demeaning title Turk Town attached to it dating back to 1850.

Two Turkish ships visiting Portsmouth Harbour were denied permission to land sailors in Portsmouth and Gosport welcomed them.

From that time Portsmouth people called Gosport Turk Town but I believe this might be based more on rumour than fact.

What is true is that two frigates of 64 and 44 guns arrived and anchored near Hardway. During their six-month stay more than two dozen men died and they were buried in Haslar Cemetery.

At the turn of the 19th century part of the cemetery was cleared to make way for a gunboat yard. The Turkish bodies were exhumed and transferred to Clayhall Cemetery where they remain.

Portsmouth Harbour – it’s a work of art

I’m enjoying the paintings received recently from local artists.

If you can paint as well as this and have a scene we might publish, please send it to me.

Here the chain ferry is arriving/departing Gosport pontoon. I think the fully-rigged ship is HMS St Vincent as she has sails furled on the yardarms whereas HMS Duke of Wellington had none. This is by Colin M Baxter (023 9252 5014) whose studio is in Weevil Lane, Gosport.

Obligatory delivery boy and bike

Another scene I know little of, so help would be appreciated. It is captioned ‘High Street, Fareham, in Edwardian times’ – a photograph impossible to take today because of the traffic.

As ever there is a delivery boy with a bike with the obligatory basket to carry his wares. Most of the buildings remain although the tree has long gone to make way for parking. Why was it that children appeared like magic when a photographer set up his camera?