Cheap air travel killed local souvenir trade

8:21am Friday 18th July 2008

IN reply to the "So few souvenirs of Southampton'' letter.

Southampton is now full of multi-national shops that are not interested in stocking an item they can only sell in one particular store.

There is now no great sale for such items locally as most visitors either pass through the city on to cruise ships, or visit the New Forest where there are plenty of local family owned businesses selling souvenirs.

During the late 40s,and into the 50s and 60s, my now defunct shop in Shirley, Bradleys, sold many Southampton souvenirs, mostly with a picture of our famous Bargate on the front.

When cheap air travel took hold the trade in local souvenirs slowly diminished to the extent that we could not justify buying the huge quantities that manufacturers required us to.

ROGER BRADLEY, Southampton.