Why has it apparently never occurred to architects or designers to actually ask disabled people about accessibility? Like genuinely. Just grab a handful of us and ask if something will work, and if not, what would work better. If this had happened, almost every disabled toilet would be totally...
Opinion Pieces
Reader’s letter: essential services should be run for people, not simply for profit
As Saturday’s post arrived I met the postman at the door. He handed me my letters. A very important hospital referral I’d been waiting for for one of my children, a small package of something I’d ordered off of eBay, a wedding anniversary card and a couple of other...
Reader’s letter: Southampton is rich in culture but too many projects are ‘top down’
Dear Editor, I have just read the letter concerning requests for access to data amassed during the unsuccessful City of Culture bid. I too had wondered how we would build on the work done; Access to good quality up-to-date data would be a great place to start. I’ve been...
Reader’s letter: what’s happened to all the City of Culture data?
I’d like to ask what use will be made of the wealth of data accumulated during the City of Culture bid. There surely has to be an incredible amount of facts, figures, qualitative as well as quantitative information, most of which I’d like to think can be brought to...
Opinion: should we be worried that Southampton is a Freeport? (hint: yes)
by Charlie Hislop. I’ve been interested in the development of cities and how they work since I was a student in the 70s, and if something new is going to affect my city’s future, I’m on it. Southampton has been designated as a Freeport, so I’ve been taking a...
Experience: it was supposed to be a perfect evening – instead my young child suffered a racist assault
by Dr Nazneen Ahmed Pathak. This was me and my 9 year old son, R, at Mayflower Theatre, our biggest commercial theatre in Southampton, yesterday, for some precious mummy-son time, like lots of other families, five minutes before curtains up. Look at his thrilled little face. It’s because he’d...
Letter: City of Culture money should help disadvantaged local children visit theatre
by Corinne Finlay. I would like to see the money (awarded to Southampton as a runner up to becoming City of Culture 2025) go towards opportunities for disadvantaged children to have access to big theatre productions. Some Southampton children will never get the opportunity to see a West End...
Letter: I’m delighted that Satvir Kaur has been selected as a general election candidate
by Jayanti Shah MBE, Director, Positive Message Limited. Picture: Chris Moorhouse. Forty years ago, I was told by someone in Southampton that a non- white person would never get selected let alone win a parliamentary seat on the south coast. I’m delighted and glowing with pride that Satvir Kaur has...
New project exploring lesbian experiences of community in Southampton seeks participants
by Dr Elizabeth Reed. Researchers at the University of Southampton are currently recruiting participants for a project exploring lesbian people’s experience of community in the city, through the pandemic. Southampton’s City of Culture bid celebrated our diverse communities and cultures and set out a plan to make our city...
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,...