NOSTALGIA: Who remembers Children's Corner at Southsea?

With all the warm weather we have been having I am sure many adults who remember Children's Corner will miss taking their grandchildren to this much-missed area on Southsea seafront. It was where the Blue Reef Aquarium is now.
By The Newsroom
Published 25th Jul 2018, 18:00 BST
Updated 25th Jul 2018, 18:09 BST
No scene at Chidren's Corner, Southsea, would be complete without a photo of the miniature railway.No scene at Chidren's Corner, Southsea, would be complete without a photo of the miniature railway.
No scene at Chidren's Corner, Southsea, would be complete without a photo of the miniature railway.

All today's photographs, including that of Sultan Road, have come from Ellis Norrell's postcard album.

The bathing pool was just deep enough to swim in without getting into difficulty.

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At the far end there was a barrier denoting the shallow end in which toddlers could paddle.

There was a boating lake at Childrens Corner with powered boats which children could drive themselves. Imagine that today...There was a boating lake at Childrens Corner with powered boats which children could drive themselves. Imagine that today...
There was a boating lake at Childrens Corner with powered boats which children could drive themselves. Imagine that today...

In the bottom left hand corner is part of the track of the miniature railway, pictured above.

In the far distance are the chimneys of the power station at Old Portsmouth. To the left is the Naval War Memorial and to the far right the Queen's Hotel.

The boating lake at Children's Corner differed from Canoe Lake, Southsea, as children could drive these small pop-pop boats around the lake.

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They were powered, I believe, by paraffin, but stand to be corrected.

Part of Childrens Corner had a large bathing pool with one end reserved for toddlers.Part of Childrens Corner had a large bathing pool with one end reserved for toddlers.
Part of Childrens Corner had a large bathing pool with one end reserved for toddlers.

On the near left can be seen the station for the miniature railway.

To the far side is the Queen's Hotel again with Victoria Barracks in the far left distance.

No collection of pictures of Children's Corner would be complete without a picture of the much-loved miniature railway where the station was called Southsea.

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At the far end was a turntable and a runaround line so the locomotive was facing the right direction for each trip.

Sultan Road, Landport, Portsmouth. Can anyone tell me the name of the street on the left?Sultan Road, Landport, Portsmouth. Can anyone tell me the name of the street on the left?
Sultan Road, Landport, Portsmouth. Can anyone tell me the name of the street on the left?

This is a very early photograph as the carriages were made to look like pantomime coaches, very ornate. They were eventually replaced by open truck-like carriages.

For the life of me I cannot remember the semaphore signal being there when I was a boy.

I dread to think what it would cost to run such a railway today with all the insurance premiums that would be demanded.

And so, to the final picture.

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The shop on the left was in Sultan Road but I would like to know on which corner it is standing.

My 1948 Kelly's Directory tells me there was a Portsea Island Co-op on the corner of Malins Road.

On the corner of Agincourt Road Frederick Godding had a newsagents.

With all the billboards outside it is my guess that this corner shop belonged to Mr Godding. Am I right?

Country Life tobacco and cigarettes are advertised along with Fry's chocolate.

I would like to take a '˜then and now' view so any help would be very much appreciated. Please get in touch.

Related topics:Southsea