AT one time the Northam area of Southampton always had a reputation for being one of the more colourful districts, although now, as time takes its toll on one-time residents, first-hand memories are dwindling.

It was a community of hard working families, narrow streets, corner pubs, and terraced houses where children could play outside safely on their own in the streets.

Times have changed and Northam has undergone radical redevelopment, but just occasionally descriptions re-emerge of what life was like in the area during earlier times.

One such account, written anonymously in 1965 by a one-time resident, has been discovered in the Hampshire Heritage archives. It paints a vivid picture of everyday life in Northam in the early part of the last century.

This is one person’s description in their own words...

“FIRSTLY, the Boys’ School.

Mr Long was headmaster and he married the headmistress, Miss Norris.

“I well remember the ‘thwack’ of his cane on the hands and other parts.

“What a great mistake it was to abolish the stick! I recall the names of nearly 50 boys on the register, from Adams to Zebede.

“Some of the teachers’ names were Taylor, Hoar, Player, Welcher, Stone, Billinghurst, Rogers and ‘Buzzer’ James. The latter used to take sly nips of whisky behind the halfopened cupboard door.

“I lived in the house with the monkey puzzle tree in the front garden in Northam Road.

“Now for a quick conducted tour of Northam in those hard but happy days, starting at Northam Station.

There was a six-stand cab rank including a hansom and the de-luxe models announced on blue glass in their side lamps.

“The cabbies’ names were Ward, Jelly, Clothier, Pothecary and the two Humbys.

“Half-way down the bridge, by the lamp-post, Mr Hoskins, who had two wooden legs, used incessantly to churn out Soldiers of the Queen on his little barrel organ every Saturday.

“Near Britannia Road was a small mansion, later a Co-op warehouse, occupied by Mr Bull who built about half of Northam. I often saw his carriage and coachman in livery. At the bottom of Britannia Road, known then as Bulls Run, were built the first flats in the town.

“Turning into Millbank Street you passed Fays and several other large yacht builders and at the north end was the scene of the flooding.

“Up to Northam Road again, a short distance to the right, was the toll bridge and very often you could see a square rigged vessel discharging timber on to the wharf adjacent the bridge.

“Later the Chamberlayne Baths were built close by, surmounted by a handsome column clock.

“The railway lines which crossed the road led to the Northam running sheds at the end of Radcliffe Road and a pair of horses used dexterously to do the hauling of wagons to and from the labyrinth of wharves and yards in Lower Northam.

“I wonder who remembers the enormous traction engine, proceeded by a man with a red flag, drawing two or three huge wagons loaded with sulphate from the gas works coming up Bulls Run and along Radcliffe Road? Chiefly, because of the smell, the load had to be clear of the town by 8am.

From Clarence Street to Cable Street, a distance of about 300 yards, there were no less than eight butchers.

Many will remember the ribald shouting on Saturday nights between Messrs. Fletcher and Nelson, almost next door to each other, leading from ‘Buy, buy. Ladies you can’t be looking. I’ve got some lovely legs’ to downright insults.

“And then there were the street traders. The muffin man with his little brass bell and tray of wares neatly balanced on his head.

“The flypaper man wearing a top hat with flypaper attached literally black with flies.

“There was the blackberry woman and Mr Goodman with his truck of crockery, the paper windmill man who exchanged the windmills on sticks for jam jars, the one-man band and the Italians with barrel organ complete with monkey.”