South Downs National Park

Today the South Downs were officially given National Park status, guaranteeing the area’s natural beauty for generations to come. For more information check the BBC News website article and also check Flickr for loads of photos too.

Tags: South Downs

Strong Island Bike Ride – 2pm Sunday 12th April

Well I must admit I never expected such a huge response for this. With 129 people confirmed on the Facebook Events page and at least another 30 people outside of Facebook and not including friends of Southsea Fixed coming over from Bournemouth and also some of the Portsmouth Cycle Forum members. Even if a quarter of the people turn up we will still be looking at a large gathering.

To recap for anyone who has no idea what I’m talking about we come up with a short 5 mile ride. All based around Southsea and the Seafront. Starting at the Bridge Tavern opposite the Fish Market and finishing up along Albert Road. An easy, casual ride that is accessible to everyone and their various types of bikes.

As I mentioned before this is strictly for fun and is open to anyone and everyone on any bicycle. We’re not out to make any points or be political and is by no means intended to be a Critical Mass or even a race. Just a good laugh on a Bank Holiday Sunday.

Click the link to view the route on Google Maps.

Tags: Strong Island Bike Ride

Indoor Market @ The Little Johnny Russells 4th April

Hear Ye, Hear Ye!

Gather round ladies and gents, after great success, Little Johnny Russells is hosting another Indoor Market. There is a wide range of products such as CDs, Records, Vintage Clothing, Prints, Jewellery on sale from Edgeworld Records, Bored of Southsea, Dress Code, Deluded Clothing, Mia Mai, Style In The City, top fashion queen Beau Franklin Savage and Luci of Dead Mans Glory, Parmiters Antiques, artwork by Ramsey Sheriff & Debron Tebb, prints from Tristan Savage and more.

Opens at Midday, with a wide range of refreshments including a licensed bar (obviously!) and then followed By We Supply Movement in the evening. More details on the Facebook Group.

Also the LJR boys were kind enough to let me sell some prints at the the next market. I’ve had a whole bunch printed on Fuji Archival paper at 12×8″ and will all be available for £5.

Tags: Indoor Market, Little Johnny Russells, Tristan Savage

Bat For Lashes

Last night Bat For Lashes (and the awesome Caroline Weeks as support) tore up the Wedgewood Rooms, an amazing show with loads of great new material plus a warm and friendly Southsea turn out making the Sunday night rather special. Sadly not many photos came out, note to self, don’t try out a new film camera in the dark…but if you have some online, up on Flickr, blogged, etc then please post a link in the comments so we can all check them out!

› Continue reading

Tags: Bat for Lashes, Caroline Weeks

John Bramwell – I Am Kloot 15th May

John Bramwell of I Am Kloot is currently on tour playing solo shows and lucky for us one of those shows is in Southsea at The Cellars of Eastney on Friday 15th of May. I Am Kloot’s first album ‘Natural History’ is a classic and was produced by Guy Garvey & Craig Potter of Elbow – who will be producing their new album too. This is likely to sell out so grab tickets quick, £10 in advance and £12 on the door. More information on the show is available at the Cellars website and the I Am Kloot website and have a listen over at MySpace too. See you there.

Tags: I Am Kloot, The Cellars at Eastney

Alice kettle – Line of Thread

Alice Kettle, a contemporary textile/fibre artists talks about her projects and her process. Alive has established a unique area of practice by her use of a craft medium on a unparalleled scale. Individual stitches combine to form great swathes of colour in her painterly works.

This talk is being held on the 2nd April at the Aspex gallery and is filling up fast so call 02392 778080 or email resource@aspex.org.uk to book your place. Also head on over to the ARC Facebook Group for updates on all current and future events.

Tags: Apsex, ARC

HKG Presents ‘The Hot Toddies’

Hong Kong Gardeners have another night coming up which might be of interest to Strong Islanders. Saturday 4th April at The Edge of the Wedge will see awesome alternative girl/surf/50s/punk madness all the way from California in the form of The Hot Toddies.

Also supporting they haveBrightonian gypsy indie madness from Foxes and their very own Balk Fiction. Plus in betweeny tunes played by Hong Kong Gardeners Keef Hicks and Abi Eales.

Tags: Hong Kong Gardeners

The Portsmouth Peleton

The Portsmouth Peleton blog covers the cycling and associated mishaps and adventures of Oliver Merkin & Carl Leroy-Smith and anyone else brave enough to join their Sunday morning 40km bike ride that takes in both the Island, Waterlooville and plenty of countryside. If you want to get involved you are more than welcome and details of the route and meet up time and location are on the blog.

Mark Morriss (The Bluetones)

Lead singer of The Bluetones, Mark Morriss, will be performing live at The Cellars of Eastney on Wednesday 8th of April. Doors open at 8:30pm and tickets are available at £8 in advance and £9 on the door. For more information see the Cellars website and check out Mark Morriss’ MySpace and have a listen.

Tags: Mark Morriss, The Cellars at Eastney

Baddies

Hotly tipped for greatness in 2009 by the NME, MTV2, Q Magazine and many others, Southend on Sea’s Baddies will be performing in Southsea at The Cellars of Eastney on Friday 10th of April, tickets are £8 in advance and full details are available at the Cellars website. Check the Baddies MySpace and Facebook to have a look and a listen and also watch the video for ‘Battleships’:

Tags: Baddies, The Cellars at Eastney

Just Dance

On Saturday 28th March Havana in Southsea are hosting ‘Just Dance’ between 8pm and 1am:

A night of colourful fun with tunes old and new from the POP INDIE ELEKTRO 80′s CHEESE scene with DJ’s Naomi, Princess Ursula, Vinka and Gir Lee Woo behind the decks.

Expect old skool dance classics, motown, bubblegum candy pop, old and new indie sounds with a sprinkling of cheese.

Sounds good! Check out the Facebook event for more details.

p.s. Any Excuse…

Tags: Havana

Cycle ban looks set to be lifted.

Many of you are aware of the cycling proposals for Southsea Seafront, but some of you may have missed the most recent updates. The NEWS published an article this month and the outlook seems very postive with an apparent 71% in favour out of over 3000 votes.

Have a read of The NEWS article and be sure to read the comments too.

Tags: cycle lanes, Cycle Routes

Super Sunny Southsea

What amazing weather we’ve been having as of late. I even rode the full 8 miles home in the sun on Friday. We all had a great weekend spent on the common, riding our bikes, skateboarding and generally eating and drinking the days away.

Tags: Southsea

Vintage Southsea Skatepark

Bored Manager Tom sent us over this original Skatepark article and poster. It doesn’t get more back in the day than this really. The original proposal plan and the opening day poster. At last Skateboard Paradise. Truly amazing. The article is quite small, but I zoomed it to read back the first paragraph.

‘Skatepark plan caters for all plus band and roller skating. Fast elevated runs and steep twisting slalom – like tracks for the advanced skateboarder, are a design feature of the £60,000 skateboard arena proposed for Southsea Common’

Tags: Skatepark

Retro Chaos

This one will take you back. At least if you’re as old as me, ha. Dropping classic old school hits all night from Nirvana to RUN DMC, this should be an awesome step back in time. Sign up to the I ♥ Chaos Facebook Group for all the latest on their upcoming events.

Tags: Retro Chaos

Support Southsea Skatepark – Spitfire Wheels Tee

The Southsea Skatepark Users Group is always in the action of doing something to raise money for the Skatepark, be it park events, Durty Sound System nights, Quiz Nights and of course tee shirts.

Check this Spitfire Wheels advert of Davis Torgerson reppin’ a Support Southsea Skatepark
tee whilst hammering out a serious backsmith.

Pick yours up from Bored and help the Skatepark live for another 30 years.

Tags: Southsea Skatepark Users Group, Spitfire Wheels

The History of Clarence Pier

I love a bit of history, especially when supported by old photographs. Clarence Pier was built in 1861 and opened by the Prince and Princess of Wales. The direct tramline route was removed in 1873. The pier was extended in 1905 and again in 1932 with cafes, sun deck and concourse hall. Bombed by the Luftwaffe on June 1st 1941 during Portsmouth heaviest air raid and then re-opened on the 1st June 1961 in it’s present state. Clarence Pier.

Tags: Clarence Pier

Vintage Southsea Postcards

You know we love a bit of vintage nostalgia here at Strong Island, and these old postcards of Clarence Pier are no exception. I always pick them up at the Car Boot sale opposite Clarence when I see one. When does the Car Boot start up again? Got to be soon. Answers on a postcard…

Tags: vintage southsea postcards

Past Local Artist – A.Pernet

This picture from a lithograph by A. Pernet is a detailed panorama of activity on Southsea seafront in 1865.

Apart from the paddle steamers taking tourists on pleasure trips, the army offficers riding on the common and the bathing machines protecting the modesty of those taking the waters, the scene is almost unchanged from what one sees today. The major exception would be that the pier on the left with its paddle steamer is today the landing place for hovercraft to the Isle of Wight.

This print is available from local maritime, naval & contemporary art dealers Artists Harbour. At a meter wide and under £30 this is a bargain.

Tags: Artists Harbour

Love Through the Lens

The Wine Vaults in Albert Road will be hosting ‘Love Through the Lens’, a collective photography exhibition of work by 9 aspiring local photographers. As students on the course ‘A Photographic Journey into Commerce’, they have produced this show as a response to their chosen theme of ‘Love’. The exhibit opens on Saturday (21st) and will run for a week and is free to view. For more info check the Facebook event.

Tags: Wine Vaults