Southampton has been a major port on the south coast of England since its beginnings. It was also a favourite embarkation point for naval expeditions to France in the Middle Ages, including Henry V’s troops in his Agincourt campaign. Later maritime connections include Titanic, the Cunard liners and D-Day forces in the Second World War. Southampton had to be extensively rebuilt after damage during the Second World War and today’s city is a commercial and cultural hub for the south of England while still retaining large sections of its mediaeval walls and with a working inner-city port with an unusual double high tide.In Quirky Southampton author Martin Brisland delves into the fascinating tales from Southampton’s past and what makes it unusual today. In this book, readers will find stories of the revived Blessing of the Seas ceremony, the Victorian sculptor who rode around in a Roman chariot, the early aviator Edwin Moon and his Moonbeam aircraft, the cricket match played on a sandbank in Southampton Water, the pub that had bears in the garden until the 1950s and much, much more. Quirky Southampton celebrates the unusual and often strange history of Southampton and its characters over the years. This fascinating insight into Southampton will be of interest to all those who want to know more about the city’s quirky history.
