NOSTALGIA: Bittersweet picture of youthfulinnocence on jolly boys' day out

Seen standing alongside the Town Hall steps, now the Guildhall of course, we see a band of men out on a jolly for the day, perhaps a summer Sunday, above.
Here we see a group of gentlemen in front of the Guildhall, perhaps on a jolly boys' outing, just before the outbreak of the First World War  
Picture: Robert James collectionHere we see a group of gentlemen in front of the Guildhall, perhaps on a jolly boys' outing, just before the outbreak of the First World War  
Picture: Robert James collection
Here we see a group of gentlemen in front of the Guildhall, perhaps on a jolly boys' outing, just before the outbreak of the First World War Picture: Robert James collection

I don’t suppose they went too far in those far-off days.

Perhaps to Leigh Park Gardens for a visit to the house and grounds with its large lake.

The charabanc must have been a rather superb form of transport on a summer’s day with the hood down.

One for  all you long time commuters to London, Waterloo, the former departure boards.One for  all you long time commuters to London, Waterloo, the former departure boards.
One for all you long time commuters to London, Waterloo, the former departure boards.
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No doubt everyone smoked back then, so there would have been no bother with a breeze passing over.

All have their best suits and a hat on, of course.

There was no dressing down in those days, which I believe would have been just a few months before the outbreak of the First World War.

I wonder how many of these men volunteered for military service, went off to France and never saw Portsmouth again?

Kingston Cross from Kingston Crescent in the 1920sKingston Cross from Kingston Crescent in the 1920s
Kingston Cross from Kingston Crescent in the 1920s

n Here is one for all you former commuters to London Waterloo.

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If you arrive at the station today it is full of cafes, shops and restaurants and the departure boards are all computer-operated.

Up until the mid-1970s it was all wooden slates with station names on and they were all operated by men within a fenced-off area by some mechanical means, pictured below.

If the board did not turn over then a long pole was to hand with a hook attached. This was used to tap the board and turn it over.

This is the drill shed at Eastney Barracks, but where was it located?
Picture: Robert James collectionThis is the drill shed at Eastney Barracks, but where was it located?
Picture: Robert James collection
This is the drill shed at Eastney Barracks, but where was it located? Picture: Robert James collection

I am surprised to see the 17.50 train to Portsmouth from platform 8 being advertised before the 17.22 platform 6. To advertise a train 30 minutes before departure would be almost impossible today.

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No doubt many of you now-retired commuters will remember looking up at this specific board to see when the next train home was leaving from.

n Looking up Kingston Crescent in the 1920s, we see two trams turning into and out of Kingston Crescent at Kingston Cross, below.

Another tram can be seen passing to the rear and heading for Fratton.

One for  all you long time commuters to London, Waterloo, the former departure boards.One for  all you long time commuters to London, Waterloo, the former departure boards.
One for all you long time commuters to London, Waterloo, the former departure boards.

The large building to the rear of the passing tram is the Blue Anchor Hotel which was destroyed when one of the first bombs of the Second World War landed on July 11, 1940, killing several people.

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n On the opposite page is the former drill shed within the Royal Marine Barracks, Eastney.

Robert James and I have looked at several aerial photographs of the barracks but cannot work out the exact location.

If any of you former Royals could tell us, we would be grateful.

n My article on Southsea Rock Gardens on Tuesday contained a phone number error for Jackie Baynes. It should have read, (023) 9283 1461.

Pop along to her exhibition at Portsmouth Central Library, on the much-loved Southsea beauty spot.