by Alex Thurley-Ratcliff. From the opening, I threw myself into this new children’s book by first-time author, Yarrow Townsend, a writer with strong family and personal connections to Southampton and the New Forest. Though I do already have a love of fantasy stories, they have to be innovative and...
Write a Note April poetry showcase: Graham Barrie Langley, Emma Bailey & Cat Eliza T
by Anita Foxall. Every month Write a Note receives poetry and spoken word at the MAST, in the heart of Southampton, and this month this city has showed me/us once again how much talent it contains. Being an In Common collaborator, I eventually thought that I could make some...
Suburban Safari: Back on the Bluebell Trail
by Katie Isham. This time of year is synonymous with the bluebell explosion of the British woodland. You’ll find local enclaves at Manor Farm, Victoria Country Park, further out into the New Forest and of course, in the Old Cemetery on The Common. But for now, come explore the...
Pleasure Beyond Measure – free online local music archive for Southampton
Phase 2: The Pete Holden Bequest by Geoff Wall. Southampton has always boasted an incredibly diverse and prolific local music scene, but lacking any major commercial success or identifiable sound (prior to Craig David and Artful Dodger), the spotlight has fallen elsewhere. As a consequence, far too many bands...
Review: Footloose, Mayflower Theatre, Southampton
By Catherine Collins. Growing up in the 80s means we were spoilt with some classic films, and Footloose, starring Kevin Bacon, was no exception – so I had high expectations for the stage musical that opened at the Mayflower Theatre last night (May 3). City boy Ren – played...
Review: The Da Vinci Code, The Mayflower Theatre, Southampton
by Martin Brisland. You’ve read the book, watched the film, now see the play! The world premiere stage adaptation of Dan Brown’s blockbuster novel The Da Vinci Code is at the Mayflower Theatre until the 30th April. With over 100 million copies of the book sold, this is the story that...
Preview: The Da Vinci Code at Mayflower Theatre, Southampton
by Catherine Collins. Epic stage thriller The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown’s blockbuster novel that captivated the world – arrives at Mayflower Theatre from 26 to 30 April. Based on the best-selling novel of this century, with over 100 million copies sold, the world premiere stage adaptation of...
Suburban Safari: Life and Death in Romsey
by Katie Isham. Start this exploration in the centre of Romsey, the market town northwest of Southampton. Don’t worry though, we’re not staying amongst the hustle and bustle of the town centre. We’re heading out to the suburbs. From the centre, travel east along The Hundred, one of the...
View from the Kingsland: champions in style
by Nick Mabey. Congratulations to Southampton FC women on winning the FA Women’s National League Southern Division this week. They’ve been top all season and clinched the title with a couple of games to spare. The icing on the cake was being able to lift the trophy after beating...
Opinion: why I’ll be protesting when Jimmy Carr comes to Southampton
by Manthan Pathak. Jimmy Carr returns to perform at the city’s Mayflower Theatre next month, and so it seems like an opportune time to revisit his joke about the Holocaust that caused so much furore after his latest Netflix special. I’m a member of Southampton Stand Up to Racism,...