Album Southampton from John Oram

When Worlds Collide (21) - 5 June 2021

nobody@ipernity.com (John Oram) — Sun, 06 Jun 2021 16:42:19 +0000

My occasional series 'When Worlds Collide' illustrates how today's cruise ships can dominate their surroundings. Previous pictures in the series taken in developing countries and smaller ports show this to great effect. Even in Southampton, with late afternoon traffic streaming away from Westquay, MSC Virtuosa, berthed at City Cruise Terminal (101), makes an imposing sight.

Virtuosa was one of the first ships to restart cruising with passengers as the industry staggered back to its feet and will be a Southampton regular throughout the summer of 2021.

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Southampton Grain Terminal - 7 March 2021

nobody@ipernity.com (John Oram) — Sat, 22 May 2021 06:09:09 +0000

John Oram has posted:

Early morning light on Southampton Grain Terminal seen from Weston Shore.

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Bevois Mount Mural (1) - 9 May 2021

nobody@ipernity.com (John Oram) — Tue, 11 May 2021 18:02:48 +0000

John Oram has posted:

The attractive and extremely interesting Bevois Mount Mural is in Alma Road, Southampton.

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Holiday Inn, Southampton - 2 April 2021

nobody@ipernity.com (John Oram) — Sat, 03 Apr 2021 05:54:42 +0000

John Oram has posted:

Holiday Inn, Herbert Walker Avenue, Southampton, viewed from Mayflower Park.

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Pandemic Port Life - 30 July 2020

nobody@ipernity.com (John Oram) — Thu, 30 Jul 2020 16:17:22 +0000

John Oram has posted:

2020 was a year like no other in the life of the Port of Southampton and this picture reflects some of what that year meant as viewed from Mayflower Park.

It is unusual to see a Cunard ship on 101 but that's where Queen Victoria was today, taking a break from other south coast resting places. Alongside were the bunker vessel Whitonia and the Veolia waste disposal vessel Seagreen, both well known to habitués of the port. My pictures usually show one or the other with a cruise ship but rarely both. In the background is P&O Arcadia on 106, also taking a break from short distance cruising between Hampshire and Dorset.

A part of the background, starboard of Queen Victoria might go unremarked in photographs up until now but the slightly majestic Solent Mills is now undergoing demolition to be replaced by who knows what. There are, apparently, good reasons to demolish rather than preserve the building but it is sad to see it thus reduced.

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The Victoria, Woolston - 2 July 2020

nobody@ipernity.com (John Oram) — Fri, 03 Jul 2020 05:15:50 +0000

John Oram has posted:

The basic external decor of The Victoria public house in Victoria Road, Woolston was already in place when a mural was added at the end of June 2020. The Churchill figure and the quotation, usually attributed to George Santayana, are not directly connected but both, I imagine were inspired by recent, rather heated socio-political debate. I note the events of June 2020 as a matter of record and do not intend to fan the flames of any particular faction any further.

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Former NatWest Bank, Southampton - 20 June 2020

nobody@ipernity.com (John Oram) — Sun, 21 Jun 2020 07:36:55 +0000

John Oram has posted:

The NatWest bank at 12 High Street, Southampton (corner East Street) closed on 31 August 2017. Like so many other closed banks, it stands empty nearly three years later.

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Former Lloyds Bank, Southampton - 20 June 2020

nobody@ipernity.com (John Oram) — Sun, 21 Jun 2020 07:36:58 +0000

John Oram has posted:

Former Lloyds Bank, 19-21 High Street, Southampton.

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One Thousand Origami Cranes - 20 June 2020

nobody@ipernity.com (John Oram) — Sat, 20 Jun 2020 16:59:27 +0000

John Oram has posted:

One Thousand Origami Cranes displayed at Southampton Vineyard Church (The Old Chemist), 16 Manor Farm Road, Bitterne Park, Southampton.

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The Old Chemist, Bitterne Park - 20 June 2020

nobody@ipernity.com (John Oram) — Sat, 20 Jun 2020 16:59:24 +0000

John Oram has posted:

The Old Chemist, 16 Manor Farm Road, Southampton now houses the Southampton Vineyard Church. A notice on the easel in the window welcomes all comers with warmth and liberalism and with a breadth which echoes the content of the Sermon on the Mount (my opinion). In the left hand window are one thousand origami cranes which I illustrate in more detail in my next picture.

Personally, I love the glazed tiling.

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Former Bank, Shirley, Southampton - 14 June 2020

nobody@ipernity.com (John Oram) — Sun, 14 Jun 2020 17:42:02 +0000

John Oram has posted:

This building at 193 Shirley Road, Shirley, Southampton (corner Howard Road) is clearly a former bank but now houses, rather discreetly, at least three flats. The inscription over the door, 'Established 1833' is likely to refer to the erstwhile National Provincial Bank and I assume the branch became a National Westminster even if it did not survive to see NatWest (sic) branding. The closure appears to have been too long ago to easily be traced online.

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Lloyds Bank (closed), Woolston - 9 June 2020

nobody@ipernity.com (John Oram) — Tue, 09 Jun 2020 16:34:25 +0000

John Oram has posted:

Lloyds Bank (closed), 1 Victoria Road, Woolston, Southampton.

In viewing this, another closed bank, it occurred to me that the salvation of areas like this, left without a bank after this closure, might lie in the operation by banks of more utilitarian, less ostentatious buildings. On the corner of Victoria Road and Portsmouth Road, this is a grand building indeed but, like so many other closed banks, it stands empty more than two years after its closure on 5 March 2018.

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Timeless Photography - 5 June 2020

nobody@ipernity.com (John Oram) — Sat, 06 Jun 2020 06:03:00 +0000

John Oram has posted:

Photo Solutions, 49 Commercial Road, Totton.

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Former HSBC, Totton - 5 June 2020

nobody@ipernity.com (John Oram) — Sat, 06 Jun 2020 06:02:58 +0000

John Oram has posted:

This former branch of HSBC at 45 Commercial Road, Totton closed as long ago as 2 June 2017 and one might reasonably assume that it has been vacant since thus underlining, once again, my displeasure with banks for their branch closures and landlords and local authorities for allowing commercial property to stand empty for extended periods.

For the banking historian, it is of interest when modern day fascias are removed to reveal evidence of former identities, in this case Midland Bank. I think a more correct address for this bank would be 45-47 Commercial Road as Photo Solutions (right) is no. 49.

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Calshot Spit Light Vessel - 5 June 2020

nobody@ipernity.com (John Oram) — Fri, 05 Jun 2020 18:16:48 +0000

John Oram has posted:

Built in 1914, the Calshot Spit Light Vessel (LV78) spent a lot of her life elsewhere before being moved to Calshot after WWII. She retired by 1989 and was moved to Ocean Village Marina, Southampton. Proposed development of Ocean Village put her at risk of being scrapped but she has found a new home at Solent Sky Museum and can be viewed from Albert Road South at the rear of the museum.

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Old Bank House, Southampton - 25 January 2020

nobody@ipernity.com (John Oram) — Sun, 26 Jan 2020 08:06:20 +0000

John Oram has posted:

Old Bank House, 66-68 London Road, Southampton.

Currently occupied by the National Probation Service, I have not yet found out more about its history as a bank.

Photograph by John Oram
Photoshop (blur) by Gregory Halse

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Southampton Eastern Docks - 16 July 2019

nobody@ipernity.com (John Oram) — Wed, 17 Jul 2019 06:32:44 +0000

John Oram has posted:

This view from a high floor of the Southampton Holiday Inn towards Eastern Docks shows the vehicle carriers 'Drive Green Highway' and 'Höegh London' at their berths. The Drive Green vessel later moved to 104 berth.

The picture also shows part of Mayflower Park (foreground, right), the Red Funnel holding area and loading ramp (centre) and Town Quay.

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Westquay South - 16 July 2019

nobody@ipernity.com (John Oram) — Wed, 17 Jul 2019 06:32:45 +0000

John Oram has posted:

Westquay South, originally planned as WestQuay Watermark, opened in 2016/7 as an extension to the already substantial Westquay shopping centre. The building contains the multi-screen Showcase Cinema de Lux (sic) and around 20 restaurants.

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Carnival House - 16 July 2019

nobody@ipernity.com (John Oram) — Wed, 17 Jul 2019 06:32:46 +0000

John Oram has posted:

Carnival UK offices, Carnival House, 100 Harbour Parade, Southampton.

Carnival Corporation encompasses P&O Cruises and Cunard Line whose head offices are here and Princess Cruises, Seabourn and Holland America whose UK offices are here.

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Raptor Attention - 27 February 2019

nobody@ipernity.com (John Oram) — Wed, 27 Feb 2019 18:10:38 +0000

John Oram has posted:

This CCTV camera and mounting at a site in Southampton looks very much like a raptor.

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