by Nick Mabey. Almost exactly 12 hours after England’s sad exit from the World Cup I found myself inside St. Mary’s stadium with 800 other hardy (or is that foolhardy?) souls. We were lined up for the start of the inaugural Southampton FC 10k race, an event that started...
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Suburban Safari: A drop in the Itchen
by Katie Isham. Dip a toe into the Itchen Navigation. Not literally. Keep your walking boots on. But we’ll wander a small section of the trail that runs alongside the river to get a taste of what those dedicated long-distance walkers find so alluring. Start in Bishopstoke, on the...
View from the Kingsland: Strange days indeed
by Nick Mabey. It’s November and the World Cup is in full swing. That’s not a sentence I ever imagined saying, and yet here we are. It wasn’t even a plan. We ended up here because someone realised, too late it seems, that it would be too hot to...
Suburban Safari: Leafy suburbs in Ashurst
by Katie Isham. Our Suburban Safaris have sprawled across the city of Southampton and beyond. They’ve visited parks, gardens, woodlands, beaches, cemeteries, streets, shops and many a café. The definition of a suburb is an area outside, yet near a city, and consisting mainly of homes. For this safari,...
View from the Kingsland: Thanks and Farewell
by Nick Mabey. After what feels like months of speculation Ralph Hasenhuttl is no longer manager of Southampton FC. Tuesday 7th November saw him sacked with immediate effect following a run of results in 2022 that, spread over a season, would have seen Southampton relegated. It’s a cut-throat business...
Suburban Safari: A Walk to Remember
by Katie Isham. There’s some corner of an English field, in a park by the sea, where a gate leads to remembrance. Through an avenue of determined oaks and tired leaves clinging to the autumnal branches, a path cuts through a valley to the final resting place of many...
Suburban Safari: Cake by the Coast
by Katie Isham. This Suburban Safari explores somewhere a little further afield. In fact, we’re venturing into a PO postcode. Don’t leave! I promise it’s for a good cause. Or two good causes in fact. Next week sees the glorious relief of half-term for many students and teachers. Blessed...
View from the Kingsland: Where it all began (for me)
Photo: Southampton’s Sékou Mara, left, during the Premier League match between Saints and Everton on Saturday 1st October 2022, at St Mary’s Stadium, Southampton, England. Picture: Chris Moorhouse/Southampton FC. words by Nick Mabey. It has been a while since I posted. The football has taken a depressing turn and...
Suburban Safari: Netley Common
by Katie Isham. The leaves of the calendar are falling as their tree-based counterparts tumble to the ground; October is here and the season is perfect for booted adventures through a forest. No need for extended rural journeys when you can safari through the suburbs and step straight into...
Suburban Safari: Bridge Club
by Katie Isham. Southampton being a sea city, we’re never far from the coast or the numerous bridges spanning the city’s waterways. This safari takes a mooch about under the biggest bridge to marvel at the architecture, enjoy the scenery and maybe even join some activities occurring by the...