FOTOsaurus Competition

So Lunar Park has arrived on Southsea Common. It really is a pretty enormous Ultrasauros and I am sure that the view from the sea is quite amazing.

Aspex are running a FOTOsaurus competition – details below. Get up close and personal.

FOTOsaurus! Visit the dinosaur sculpture and get creative with any type of kit, from camera phone to box brownie! This photography competition is open to all ages and abilities. Submit your snaps to aspex as prints, on disk or via Facebook or Flickr. Closing date 31 August 2010. If you missed the opening ceremony then view the video below.

Heather and Ivan Morison – Luna Park, 1 August 2010 from Aspex Gallery on Vimeo.

Tags: Competition, Luna Park, Portsmouth, Southsea Common, Ultrasauros

Vintage Photography – Sunny Southsea

Totally forgot to add this one to the series of ‘Vintage Photography – Sunny Southsea‘ that we had posted in the past. So following on once again from the photos of the Seafront and the Paddling Pool after The Bandstand and Tennis Courts and The Pier and Esplanade , here’s the final scan.

Southsea Carnival Returns this weekend

A little reminder in case you missed our last post. After a seven year absence Southsea is to see a return of the once annual carnival taking place from July 24th to 25th and will kick off with a huge parade, and about 20 colourful floats that will meet at the Royal Marines Museum and go along the seafront, finishing at Southsea common.

From 11am until 7pm on both days activities will be taking place on two stages run by Nick Courtney, as well as an arena and stalls on Southsea Common. The event is being run as a joint venture between Portsmouth Lions, Portsmouth’s Caribbean Association and Portsmouth City Council’s seafront management team.

There is also a Facebook page up and running now which has all the current listings and acts as well information on stalls, food, prize, raffles, funfair and much more. You’re also reminded to dress colourful. Red, Blue, Yellow and Green are key…

To get involved call Mr Apps on (023) 9232 1847, or e-mail john.apps@ntlworld.com

Tags: Carnival, Southsea Common

Southsea Carnival Returns

After a seven year absence Southsea is to see a return of the once annual carnival.

The carnival will take place from July 24 to 25 and will kick off with a huge parade, and about 20 colourful floats that will meet at the Royal Marines Museum and go along the seafront, finishing at Southsea common.

From 11am until 7pm on both days activities will be taking place on two stages run by Nick Courtney, as well as an arena and stalls on Southsea Common.  The event is being run as a joint venture between Portsmouth Lions, Portsmouth’s Caribbean Association and Portsmouth City Council’s seafront management team.

To get involved call Mr Apps on (023) 9232 1847, or e-mail john.apps@ntlworld.com

Tags: Carnival, Seafront & The Coastline, Southsea Common

Spotlight on Elio Trapani

Elio Trapani is a creative designer from Portsmouth with an impressive cv and experience. His work includes graphic design, photography, creative advertising and copywriting working with the likes of Fosters and Persil.

His website features a selection of his work and a downloadable showreel.

Tags: Elio Trapani, Photography, Portsmouth, Southsea

Your Twenty Four No.01 : Paul Gonella

Your Twenty Four is a new regular feature for Strong Island and each instalment will contain up to 24 photographs taken over a 24 hour period within Portsmouth by different people. You can shoot one roll of film or take out your digital camera and just document what you got up to. I’m going to start off with a sunny Saturday morning’s beachcombing in Langstone Harbour followed by a bike ride along the seafront to Bored, including a look around the Marine Museum grounds, one of the forts, the pier, etc. All shot on one roll of film in an Olympus Pen half-frame camera.

We are looking for contributions for future Y24 posts so if you are up for documenting your day please get in contact.

(Click Read More... to see the rest of the photos)

› Continue reading

Tags: Beach, Bike Ride, Fort, Half-frame, Marine Museum

Clayton Strange Live At The Bandstand

With the summer so very nearly upon us live music at the bandstand is imminent for another year.  Clayton Strange will be performing live at the bandstand on Saturday 5th June with things kicking off at Midday. Hailing from Portsmouth, the band have built themselves a solid reputation and have just returned from their first UK tour.  With such a great backdrop to watch bands, fingers crossed the weather will be good.

You can hear Clayton Strange tracks and find out more at www.myspace.com/claytonstrange

Tags: Clayton Strange, The Bandstand

Southsea Seafront Strategy

Portsmouth City Council published their Seafront Strategy document the other week, it contains all the information, plans and thoughts on the long term future of Southsea seafront and is an interesting read. The document is currently available to download as a PDF here. Some of the photos are from Strong Island contributors too!

Vote for Southsea Common!

We all know how lucky we are to have such a vast common area in a city such as ours. Especially one that’s right on the seafront. It’s hard to ask for more really! The first BBQs are just round the corner with the clocks turning on 28th March and I for one can’t wait for the Southsea Summertime to kick in.

Our beloved Southsea Common has been nominated as Warburton’s “Britain’s Best Picnic Spot” once again, after coming top in the South East last year and 4th in the entire country. Head over to www.welovebread.co.uk, follow the clicks and vote now.

Thanks to Ben Mills & PCC Tourism Officer Louise Rodwell for bringing this to our attention.

Tags: Vote for Southsea Common

Southsea Seagulls

How good was the weather on Sunday. Albeit cold, it was a belter for sure. Me and Liz hit up the seafront for fish & chips and inadvertently got involved with dive bombing seagulls. They love them chips…

Photography : Tristan

Tags: Southsea Seagulls

Vintage Photography – Sunny Southsea

Big thanks to Khalid who sent over these vintage photographs scanned from The Images of Portsmouth (1993). We have a small selection so I’ll put one page up each week.

Love this first shot of the band stand on the common in the 1920s showing how the site was originally used before the Skatepark was built around it in the 70s. So many deckchairs, it must have been big business back then. It’s a shame they didn’t keep the bandstand as it was with the little steps and iron railing. It’s a little different NOW as Marcus’s ariel shot shows. Click the image to see the high res scan up close.

Pier and Snow

Here are a few photos from a walk down to the pier on Wednesday during the snowfall. There are some more over on Forever Circling.

Tags: Pier, Snow

Snow, Snow, Snow

Snow hit Southsea pretty hard last night and it snowing again this morning. Good luck to everyone battling the elements to get to work, college, school, etc today. Here are a few photos from last night, if you have any please pop a link to them in the comments, we would love to see them.

Adam Wintle (see more here):

Elizabeth Bick (see more here):

Tags: Adam Wintle, Snow

Seafront Lights: Adam Wintle

Southsea web designer and photographer Adam Wintle has recently been taking some really nice photos of the Southsea promenade lights and of the pier at night. Be sure to look through his Flickr for loads more great photos.

Tags: Adam Wintle

Saturday Bandstand

This Saturday’s Bandstand will be hosting the following:

BRUISED BEAUTIES
Punky 5-piece Bruised Beauties are two VERY pretty girls and 3 pretty boys rocking and rolling to the rise and fall of beloved Britain.
Sounding like a ‘Libertines/Long Blondes mash set in the 70s’ Bruised Beauties and fronted by brother and sister duo James and Jasmine and have had regular support and airplay from BBC Introducing, playing on this years’ BBC Introducing stage at Sellindge Festival headlined by Supergrass, Thomas Tantrum and the Holloways.

JACK PALMER
Young Jack came to Portsmouth to uni and was introduced to us by the man above.
We’re glad he was as he’s another one that leaves you scratching your head in wonder.
Jack is the king of the loop pedal and writes songs that transcend the borders of deep, dark and dirty with sheer beautiful brilliance.

SPIRE CRAINES
If Aphex Twin and Roni Size got into bed with Badly Drawn Boy and Bright Eyes this would be the baby they produced. It’s clever, well crafted, relaxing and mindblowing.

WILL MCNICOL
Everyone knows Will and what he can do with a guitar. If you haven’t, check him out on myspace or youtube then run to the bandstand and save yourself a place close to the stage so you don’t miss a trick.

CHARLI VERONICA
Pompey newling Charlie Wilson has raised more than one or two eyebrows since her name cropped up a few weeks ago. We think big things are ahead and have tagged Charlie ‘Pompey’s one to watch’ over the next couple of years as her sound evolves.

The day will also feature HUW OLESKER too.

Tags: Saturday Bandstand

Bike Debate at Greenfair

The continued problems (and dangers) of cycling the seafront in Southsea will be raised in an open, public debate as part of the Greenfair, organised by Portsmouth Climate Action Network and PCC on Saturday 5th September 11am-4pm at The Guildhall. As mentioned previously on Strong Island, earlier this year the Council overruled the democratic, publicly chosen proposal of allowing cycling on the promenade. PCAN has invited Councillor Gerald Vernon Jackson to the debate so hopefully finally some progress can begin and Southsea seafront can be made safe for everyone to enjoy, both on foot and on bike. Please show your support if you can.

More details about the situation can be found at Pompey Bug.

Tags: Greenfair

Friday, Saturday & Sunday in Southsea

We couldn’t possibly of asked for better weather this weekend. From straight out of the door after work on Friday till finally retiring to our couch on Sunday evening the sun was blazing and Southsea was rich with activity and happy people. We spent pretty much the entire weekend outside on the seafront, changing the vista every now and then and sinking more than our fair share of corner store beers. Let’s hope it keeps up for at least a while longer hey. Check my Flickr for a few more Sunny Southsea photographs.

Tags: Sunny Southsea

As the sun sets…

More and more evenings are being spent out and about in Southsea as the Summer gradually shines in our direction. We’ve being making the most of what we get at any opportunity. I know ‘they‘ say it’s going to be an Indian Summer, but don’t they always say that?

Tags: Southsea Seafront