JESUS LOVES PEBBLES: Southampton

When I was checking my electronic mails the other day, I received an electronic mail from facebook (http://www.new.facebook.com/) that I have a “friend invitation” from someone. I stared at the name in puzzlement but did not recognise the name. I decided to access my facebook account to check further.

The photograph of the party who requested for my confirmation of her friend invitation was rather small but I had a feeling that I knew who it was. Yes! It was XY, who is currently enjoying life and hitting the night spots (clubbing?) as a university student in Southampton, United Kingdom.

No wonder I did not recognise XY’s name in the friend invitation. She had used her hanyu pinyin name in her facebook account. I know her by her other name which, in any event, sometimes misleads strangers into thinking that she is of another race. heehee...

I accepted XY’s friend invitation in facebook. Thereafter, I viewed the photographs in her facebook. Wow! The photographs were taken in Southampton and it is such a lovely place!

I do not know much about Southampton. When XY first asked me months ago (when she was still in Singapore) whether the University of Southampton is of a good standard, I asked Da and his reply was that as a general guide, the standard of the universities in the England tend to be in tandem with the standard of the football clubs from the same cities. He remarked, “Well, the Southampton football club is not in the English Premier League, so.....”. Well, my dear XY, now that you are drowning in your studies over there, do let us have your feedback about your University!

Ah! The power of the internet! There is a wonderful tool known as “google search”. I keyed in the word “Southampton” and so many links appeared! I enjoyed checking out the websites linked to Southampton.

Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire, on the south coast of England. It is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest. It lies at the northern-most point of Southampton Water where it is joined by the River Test and River Itchen, with the River Hamble joining to the south of the urban area.

Southampton’s history began in BC times with the establishment of Saxon and Roman settlements that dotted the region, and before 1000 AD the area was already a significant sea post and commercial port.

With the Norman conquest, the channel town grew in trade, population, and prosperity. Houses, churches, and gates constructed in coming centuries have survived and undergone restoration so as to serve as windows onto the past for the benefit of visitors enchanted by stories and images of medieval Europe. These landmarks include St. Michael’s Church, Bargate and the Medieval Merchant’s House.

Southampton became the first northern European city frequented by Venetian galley fleets, opening the area to cultural trade with cities that would play host to the wondrous achievements of the Renaissance. During the Reformation the town played the role of religious refuge for Huguenots - French Protestants - suffering from persecution across the channel.

Despite all its history, Southampton was not royally and officially granted city status until 1964.

The local authority is the Southampton City Council, which is a unitary authority. A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national government. Typically unitary authorities cover towns or cities which are large enough to function independently of county or other regional administration. Sometimes they consist of national sub-divisions which are distinguished from others in the same country by having no lower level of administration.

The city is part of the ceremonial county of Hampshire.

If you enter the city on the A33 and travel down The Avenue, which was once a perilous road frequented by highwaymen, you will come to The Common, a great expanse of open land encompassing 325 acres on which to stroll, picnic and relax. Its attractions include a wildlife centre, a boating lake, a fishing lake, a duck pond and a large paddling pool complex, which is a great place to take the kids. It also hosts events such as the Ordnance Survey Balloon and Flower Festival, held in July each year, and Power in the Park. Common Conservation Walks, which are free, are held regularly.

Continue down The Avenue and you will eventually arrive at the top of town (about 25 minutes walk). Just off the main high street on Commercial Road you will find the City Art Gallery, which boasts a collection of over 2700 works of art, spanning six centuries. The gallery is accessed through the same entrance as the city library. Just around the corner, in the same complex of buildings, is the Guildhall, which is the city's major venue for rock, pop and classical concerts.

A five minute walk away, following down Commercial Road, is the Mayflower Theatre, the main venue for great musicals, ballets and opera. Just behind the theatre is the Gantry Arts Centre, which holds numerous live musical, theatrical and comedy performances. Walk back to the main high street and carry on into the centre of town, past the busy shopping precinct, and you will come across the historical Bargate, one of the surviving gateways to the city.

Look up when you are walking through and you may see the damage caused by trams, which attempted to pass through the middle until 1949 and sometimes did not quite make it. Carry on down the high street and you may want to stop off for a drink at The Dolphin Hotel, which was a popular place to stay during the 18th century, when Southampton was a very popular Spa. Famous guests include Jane Austen, who is said to have danced there.

A couple of minutes walk away is another historical place to stop off for a drink or bite to eat - the Red Lion, which is the oldest pub in Southampton and still retains its 14th century vaults. Other places of interest in the lower part of town are the Tudor House Museum, which gives a fascinating insight into 15th century life, and the Maritime Museum. This gives a history of the development of the port and tells in detail the story of the famous Titanic, which began its ill-fated voyage from Southampton in 1912.

Also around this part of town you can walk along the old walls.

Significant employers in Southampton include the University of Southampton, the Ford Transit factory and one of the largest commercial ports in Europe.

The preservationist instinct of Southampton can be seen in Hurst Castle, built five centuries ago by King Henry VIII. The Hurst Castle has served as a prison for kings as well as a modern war battalion and armoury.

The Maritime Museum opened in 1912, the year the Titanic sank after departing from Southampton, and contains many items and information about the ship’s demise - letters, luggage, keys, etc.

The Medieval Merchants House, one of the oldest of its kind still existent, is a colourful capsule of Middle Age trade and habitat.

For art lovers, the Southampton City Art Gallery boasts an impressive array of displays, exhibits, and education spanning times ancient to modern, including a renowned accumulation of art from the last 600 hundred years.

The city represents the core of the Greater Southampton region, with a population of 228,600. The city's name is sometimes abbreviated in writing to "So'ton" or "Soton". A resident of Southampton is called a “Southamptonian”. So, my dear XY, you are now otherwise known as a “Southamptonian”. It certainly is more of a mouthful than “Smurfette”!

Southampton is a port for famous ships and cruise liners. Southampton is noted for being the home of the “RMS Titanic”, the “Spitfire” and more recently a number of the largest cruise ships in the world. Thanks to its tradition of sailing and shipping, visitors to the city are treated to scenic attractions like waterfront developments, alongside older historical landmarks such as the Bargate. The Mayflower and the Titanic both departed from Southampton, the latter resulting in the deaths of hundreds of crew members who had called the city home.

One of Southampton's most attractive features is the abundance of green open space. Southampton is named the “Green City” as it is graced with green spaces and parks. The largest green space is the 148 hectare Southampton Common, parts of which are used to host the annual summer festivals, circuses and fun fairs. The Common includes a wildlife centre on the former site of Southampton Zoo, a swimming pool and several lakes and ponds.

Known for its strong sense of history, its maintenance of medieval monuments, and an incredibly vibrant pub scene, much of Southampton culture can be grasped in its multiple museums and other historical attractions that have come to exhibit the city’s growth and to shape its identity.