ACCORDING to the front cover it is definitely not a guidebook to Southampton but, at the same time, the new publication is packed with fascinating facts and figures about the city.

The quirkily named not a guide to Southampton might be a slim volume, but should anyone want to know the distance from the Bargate to Ayers Rock in Australia (8,684 miles to be exact), details of notorious local murders and ghosts, the city’s grid reference or a list of a dozen things to do, including having a picnic on the Common or walk the medieval walls, then this little book is invaluable.

Local author, James Marsh, has chosen wide and varied contents such as a checklist of other places called Southampton in the USA, Canada, and Australia, a reminder that King Canute famously tried to command the waves on the waterfront, and amongst those born locally were the artist, Sir John Everett Millais, pop singer, Craig David, and controversial film director, the late, Ken Russell.

The section of the book entitled, A to Z of Southampton, takes in D for Dell, the Saints’ former home, K for Kingsland Market, R for Rose Gardens formerly facing the Civic Centre, and Z for Zoo which once stood on the Common.

Local characters recalled in the book include “Peddler Jack” who walked the streets from the Bargate to the old Royal Pier sharpening knives and scissors for local people.

Also remembered is the “Guitar Man of Tyrrell and Green” who stood everyday in the passageway between the different parts of the departmental store.

“This pathway led from Above Bar to Palmerston Park,” said the author.

“On a daily basis the Guitar Man was there, playing his guitar and collecting coins from the many passers-by.

“A real character, he was also very good and I, like many, stopped to listen to him more than once.”

In the chapter about what the author likes about Southampton he talks about the parks and the open spaces, especially the Common with its lakes, flora and fauna, the Tudor House museum as well as all the comings and goings of so many ships in the port.

However in the following chapter, Things I Hate About Southampton, the author does not shrink from criticism.

“The closure of the city’s ice rink in 1988 was disappointing,” said the author.

“Plans are constantly being put forward for a new one to be built. These always look promising, but each time they have eventually been rejected.

“Then there are people who illegally ride bicycles through the precinct in Above Bar, resulting in pedestrians having to jump out of their way.”

Another thing that makes people jump is the ghostly goings-on in and around Highfield Road, Southampton.

It seems an old tram shed was built on top of a former burial ground which, according to some, disturbed the eternal rest of the local residents.

The sound of heavy footsteps has often been heard and the sighting of a pair of phantom hands is also recorded.

“Are these the restless spirits of former employees?” asks the author. “Or the angry souls of those buried there in times gone by?”

In the book’s foreword former city council leader, Royston Smith, said: “This book is all you remember of Southampton, all you will come to remember in the future, and everything in between.

“It has made me think of what it means to have been born here, and for me it is a mix of so many things from past and present which make me proud to be local.”

• not a guide to Southampton by James Marsh is published by the History Press and costs £5.99 It is a small book which is big on information.