IT was the year Winston Churchill died, Sir Stanley Matthews took to the football pitch aged 50, and the Beatles’ film Help! made its debut in London.

But 1965 was also the year that Sainsbury’s opened its doors for the first time in Bitterne.

Staff and customers marked its 50th birthday in style as they were treated to a display of old photographs and memorabilia from Bitterne Local History Society.

When it first opened, the store soon attracted customers from across the city and expanded quickly. In fact in under a year it quadrupled in size.

In 1972 that expansion became even bigger when the historic Angel Inn pub next door was demolished.

Fire In February 1978, the store had a dramatic fire in the freezers which caused thousands of pounds worth of damage.

Then the roads around the store changed in 1980, when what was the A3024 was directed to bypass Bitterne High Street, which saw it become pedestrianised.

But despite all these changes, the store has remained a landmark in Bitterne.

One person who remembers when Sainsbury’s first opened is the chairman of Bitterne Local History Society, Peter Richards, who was just 16 at the time.

Daily Echo:

Southampton Mayor Cllr Sue Blatchford was there to celebrate Sainsbury's 50th anniversary

Mr Richards, said: “Quite a lot of people are quite surprised how long ago Sainsbury’s opened. I think it was a real eye-opener for them.

“So many people feel quite connected to Sainsbury’s because they either go in there or know family members who have worked there.”

Sainsbury’s Bitterne store manager Kevin Strowger said: “To celebrate being part of the community for 50 years is a tremendous achievement.

“Some of our staff have been here for 35 years and when we have colleagues that not only live locally but work locally too, they have seen a huge amount of change. To have Sainsbury’s being a part of that is fantastic.”