Southsea Driveby 1983

A Vivian Gregson presentation

[@traceysawyer1139]

I have tears in my eyes!!! Dad was in RN for 27yrs and we lived in Gibraltar Rd. You drove by where the maisonettes were on the left. This was the happiest time of my life and wished we could’ve stayed there. Wonderful trip down memory lane.

[@jofuzzard6150]

I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this video, it is so great seeing all of Southsea, looking at things that have changed and things that haven't, it showed so much of the road I travel everyday on school runs and going to work, but today I looked around that much more because of this video, Love it! Thank you so much for putting it on here.

[@andrewsaunders2752]

This is superb!! Takes me back, life was so much simpler back then :-)

[@kaimeridius3849]

As a student who moved into the area in 2020, this video was seriously interesting to watch, thank you for sharing!

[@rebeccaholmes791]

Didn't expect a tractor in Old Portsmouth! Thank you, absolutely brilliant!

[@motormouthalmighty]

i've got to say,that was absolutely magnificent southsea which i didn't visit until 1997-8.that was so bright,clear,colourful and beautiful that i could almost cry a glimpse into 1983.one of my most treasured memory years of all.that year was so fantastic,a few of the old crew have left me and passed away.my dad was a few years younger than i am now that footage of a beautiful time gone by,of the magical country that we once had,shows me just how small and insignificant that my whole existence was and is at the time,i believed that i was the centre of the whole universe if i had been made out of chocolate i would have eaten nyself.just think of all the millions and millions around the world,who have passed away to nought since that day.oh 1983!i'm going to miss you when i go!

[@1100HondaCB]

Thankyou immensely for an excellent nostalgic piece of rare footage. I'm Portsmouth born and bred and have always lived there. I know Southsea very well, infact too well and it's interesting to see how some things have remained virtually unchanged and how things have changed leaving no trace such as the service station at the bottom of Vic RD Sth. Love seeing the old cars and was 1982 a really hot summer? England was a far better place then.

[@alphalunamare]

What a thoroughly enjoyable journey! I remember '83 in Southsea well, We lived in Oliver Road off Winter Road. It was a good year :-) ... set the foundation for our future it did. I have been back since and felt so crowded and claustrophobic .. seeing the roads as I recall is simply brilliant. This is a real Pompy treasure. Thank You :-)

[@MrPhilfridge]

I lived in Westfield Road (off winter road) Southsea '79-84 , and this really brings the time back to me. Probably the last decade when you could still drive and park in the area fairly easily. I'd hate to live in the city now though, sorry to say its a complete and utter dump. Thank you for posting , enjoyed it immensely.

[@tubzeeee]

I also lived in Westfield Road 1955-1979 (when I got married!) I also enjoyed this video, also brought back memories of a more simpler lifestyle and a lot less red tape - parking for one!

[@socknrolla]

One of the best local videos on here so pleased to have seen it will watch again and again each time with a soundtrack of my choice while getting nostalgic for those days and all those old motors. Thanks.

[@sphinxtheeminx]

This is fascinating to me as it covers 'my bank yard', including the road I now live in, and shows what it looked like before my block of flats went up.

[@PieAndChips]

I lived at 14 Pains Road. I recognised the street straight away. Fantastic post

[@andyhay735]

My nan and grandad lived at 40 pains rd , happiest days ever

[@MyopicGnu]

Awesome video, I feel like a time traveler. Cigarette adverts, British cars, chunky jumpers and so many places I hung out at as a kid.

[@captpat22]

Fantastic contextual history - I hope this gets archived in the museum aswell

[@englishexplorer5985]

its surprising to see actually how many foreign cars there actually was back then in 83, its a shame you have to watch this to really feel at home again , the wimpy the austins triumphs morris wolsely rovers marinas and minis and the talbots hillmans and other rootes grp cars oh when we had a lovely english country and industry , now ruined by bad management and foriegn goods everywhere and we all moan about our taxes going up , because we dont have a conglomerate of english industry paying in , cant seem to get out of relying on others products, a vicious vortex, i liked that video for my own reasons seeing the english cars and the character of our streets and the way we should be gives me a glazy eye and that little lump in my throat for what really is a testament to our once industrious country, not quite the same when you go outside today is it.

[@pfield39]

I'm so pleased this appeared in my KZbin picks. Although not intimately familiar with Portsmouth I recognised most of the roads travelled. Great to see all the cars, a large proportion of which were built in the UK, but not for much longer. To see the area of Gunwharf Quays prior to that development was most interesting. Petrol at £1.76 a gallon too. The videography was very steady, in those days a solid camera mount would have been difficult and the separate camera and recorder a bulky set of kit, probably worth as much as the car! I know it was posted a long time ago, but a belated thanks is in order.

[@0230179]

Really loved this video, it shows how much and at times how little of Portsmouth has changed

[@davidyoung9561]

Portsmouth is a shithole now.

[@oojimmyflip]

Ahhh those were the days I was only 18 back then and livin in Copnor opposite Baffins Park tennis courts. I feel young again cheers, I wish I had my old MK5 Cortina it was beautifully restored and would have only been 2 years old in 1983. I bought it in 1995 bit of a sod to start in the cold in the winter though even with a manual choke kit fitted. thanks for posting this video I wish I had half the cars on the road back then they would be worth a lot of money now.

[@wayneelson7326]

oojimmyflip hi i was 20 i also lived in westover road by the baffins pub my name is wayne i have brothers brent and gary elson ,, i may know you

[@saneman1977]

Fascinating! Thank you for uploading this. I'm a life-long Portsmothian and was born in '77 so this is definitely what my childhood looked like. I don't know how surprising it really is that so little has actually changed, but where things are very different (Winston Churchill Ave - at each end) it's quite shocking.

[@darenharriss7383]

Fantastic , i lived at no7 it was nice to see my dads car out side the house shame he wasnt out working on it

[@oaksho]

I was born in Portsmouth and was 22 when this was filmed I was married in Portsmouth in 83 I had just came back from Ireland with my girl friend and we are now 36 years married have 2 kids and 3 grandchildren. I do worry about what the future holds for them, life was hard but good back then. I never did like the 80s music though LOL. Nice to see the old green southdown buses

[@Wiggywoo1977]

I would go back in a heartbeat.

[@marktwain380]

Ah, Southsea seafront, back to childhood and adolescence on the beach. Thanks for the memories😚

[@calxtra5361]

Thanks so much for the trip down memory lane!!!

[@allanscott4140]

Great Video, I have many happy memories of Southsea and the Royal Naval School of Dancing in the 80's.

[@richardkeam4022]

What a memory jerker! I grew up as a child from 1955 to a young man in winter road south sea, and used to drive all over the town doing electrical work in pubs, banks and houses, so knew the town very well. I left in 1985 to work abroad and I often return now to see my uncle and stay at the Queens hotel, but oh how the town has changed for the worse. 161 Victoria road north was where I first set up home with a woman, Margaret Mary lynch. I wonder where she is now! South sea will always remain a beautiful place in my mind. Thank you for the excellent video.

[@ScreenplayVideo82]

Glad you like it, Richard. The idea behind the video was just to test a new camera, I didn't have a clue that it would become so popular. Stay safe. Viv.

[@coecludd]

Wow, that was fantastic. I've lived in Southsea for a few years now and it was really interesting seeing what I'm familiar and what has long gone. Thanks for uploading

[@remandstimpy]

Outstanding! Cosmic Karma must have caused this to appear in my suggested videos. Barely thought about it in years, but in 1983 I was working at The Kings Theatre (3:00) and living in a flat near The Festing (5:45). This video pretty much shows my entire world at the time.

[@andre-dx4yw]

hey ken how are you mate, worked with you on the fly floor for many shows, i remember when you used to live on biscuits or anything else that was on special offer while you saved for a mitsubishi shogun, i used to pick you up and run around the stage lol. all the best mate

[@drarryshipper1]

I was 3 when this was filmed. So much is the same (the Tesco in Albert Road lol) and so much is different. Gunwharf of course, and the Admiralty Quarter in Queen St. Very interesting! Didn't think I'd watch all of it, but actually I did, and really enjoyed it!

[@AntonHu]

And Fine Fare beyond Tesco in Albert Road - to become Gateway in a few years. Good store.

[@dianafetterman2748]

I lived there up until 1974 when I moved over seas.

[@hostsphere]

Just done an updated one and will upload later on tomorrow ... so it's an update almost 30 years on.... I was born in July 1983 so fantastic timing! :) Thanks for uploading your video :) It was hypnotic viewing and amazing to see how much has changed in 30 years!

[@hilltop9098]

This is a blast from the past, lived in Portsmouth in the early eighties, the Falklands Wars is still in the forefront of my mind and how it affected the city in regards to the navy and civilian workers.

[@andrewsmith2757]

The world's very first dashcam. 😀

[@doug2794]

It's amazing how much history was captured in a video camera test. Things change gradually, you don't realise it until you look back.

[@simonbiggs9102]

When life was so simple people looking very relaxed.

[@jasonclark8544]

Thanks so much for sharing this!!!!!!!

[@moco2802]

I spent many a long hour in southsea back in the 80s. Was at school at priory, but I lived in fratton. Beautiful cars back then, they have no character any more. Great video 😀

[@PieAndChips]

Count the Cortinas!

[@ladyhawkeBK]

loving the scimitar at the start!!!! thanks for uploading this film :)

[@MrAnamchara]

+ladyhawkBK I love the Scimitar too. My aunt had one and lived on Southsea Terrace at the time. I was about 7 or 8 when this was filmed.

[@jamico7]

Only brilliant what a remarkable piece of history, l am not a local but as an old matlot l new most of those roads and places, my wife is a Pompey girl and it made her smile also. Thanks from a lee on Solent airy fairy.

[@hilltop9098]

Yes, fond memories, worked at a naval base in the 80’s. I believe it looks s lot different now as the navy have sold off a lot of their buildings to private investors.

[@jasonjones5357]

That took me past about 2 office workplaces, 2 pubs I worked at, my last school, places I socialised at and nearly to 2 places I lived. Wicked, when this was made if it wasn't on a weekend I would have been 7 and at school in North End. , thanks for the memories

[@brenatom.]

Thank you!

[@andyhay735]

Look how lovely it’s was back then, compared to now

[@douglasvinter2557]

I was 10 in 1983 , (spenlow close ) buckland, it was the best time of my life , I’d give anything to go back

[@davidyoung9561]

Times were better then. People were better as they had time for one another. Cars were better as they looked good and sounded good. Better pace of life. I was alive then so understand quite well.

[@vonny10096]

Thank you very much...loved it...cant believe its changed as much...I was 20ish then.......

[@memsom]

THOSE BUSES!! I remember those buses! Wow! It's funny how much has changed and yet stayed the same. I was about 8 when this was filmed.

[@baplfrhe]

May have to watch this again later! I was riding my Lambretta about Pompey in 83! Ace footage Mr!!

[@carolynmetcalfe8292]

Absolutely fab

[@saintnick7]

Amazing to watch. And they say time travel isnt possible! ! Great effort. Love it

[@mrartboy1]

Very Enjoyable!..my home town. Did my apprenticeship at Reading & Co. Coachbuilders as a signwriter in Hilsea. Worked as a freelance at that trade for most of the time, so went all over the city. Last place I worked was Victory Bodyworks on Burrfields Rd; then moved to Aberdeen, Scotland in 1985...still there to this day!

[@onetonlandrover]

Great video, love seeing the old SEB vans here and there. :) And the Landrover camper parked up by the sea.

[@adamwort7160]

Well well fancy that Dan 👍

[@onetonlandrover]

@@adamwort7160 😋

[@kunststofffantastisch5690]

I loved watching this thank you, it brought back a lot of great memories. Considering this is the best part of 40 years ago and one of the very few post-war links to Portsmouth, it must be considered important hisotrical information.

[@classichit40]

Result! I've spotted my old red Transit (Disco) Van at 34:20... Those were the days!

[@hifzulmannan2242]

ok

[@blazer666del]

Really cool, im sure I was in it somewhere...I Used to live in Taswell Road - you never drove down there :(

[@VANTHEBOB]

love this sort of film lots of flashbacks , thank you x

[@d.davies8670]

Portsmouth used to be a lovely seaside Town, it has become a very strange City over time.

[@1100HondaCB]

+Debbie Davies I agree. I am Portsmouth born and bred. I am 36 and lived here all my life. I use to love Portsmouth.

[@richardturpin8981]

I worked in Southsea in 1983. I liked the place. It is now a Third World city and quite depressing to see.

[@spo5egy]

Wow great video! I was ten at that time. Today would be a car restorers dream :)

[@StuartStapely]

great video thank you - watched it with Google Streetview on the other screen to compare old with new. Loved all the Minis - even a Marcos. Brought back many memories.

[@nikwalsh435]

Can't help thinking this was slightly earlier than 1983, more likely 80/81, judging by the cars and the billboard adverts.

[@ScreenplayVideo82]

I didn't get a video camera until 1983, it was definitely 1983.

[@ENGBriseB]

Those Were The Days my friend.

[@marylebone321]

That was a brilliant video, i didn't know Argos on Commercial Road used to be British Home Stores, was nice seeing a glimpse of the Tricorn again too :)

[@colleenusher3978]

Wow, this brought back some memories (especially as I am living in China at the mo) ... I was 19 at the time and I would have been riding around on my Honda CM 125 !! Awesome footage. And did you know the Exleys who also lived in Pains Road? That was my friend from Junior School We went to Somers Road Juniors..

[@wayneelson1963]

Loved this video such good memories , in queen street portsea hoping to get a glimps of my dad derek he had a garage in lion street , thank you for this video

[@eddieshorez]

Absolutely brilliant :D

[@Hotrodngaz]

The REAL England :) Great video, looking forward to seeing your others :)

[@markkozakiewicz1166]

OMG. I was in Portsmouth/Southsea in Dec 1983 to see the Mary Rose. I walked from the train station out to the castle and back to the docks. It was absolutely blowing a gale that day and you could hardly stand up. I rocked up to where the Mary Rose was but it was not actually open to the public. I told them I had travelled all the way from Australia to see it. Half truth. They switched of the sprinklers and I was allowed to walk around the space.

[@crumplezone1]

Lots of Austin Allegros around great !, top video my man nearly bought a tear to me eye :)

[@PieAndChips]

Count the Cortina's!

[@TemeculaValleyLapse]

It's nice to see cars with straight lines.

[@davidfrench4806]

God I feel my age now, given that I was 29 at this time, not even half my age now. It was so cool to see the old Eastney pumping station… I’d forgotten about the smokestack. I’ll bet that’s no longer there!

[@blackberrypickle7651]

Billy Mannings and the Hovercraft. Brought back some memories.

[@MrWebbster1997]

i love this as i live in portsmouth now and allways wanted to see wat it looked like in the 80s

[@stevefellows7]

amazing ,having only lived in the area for 4 years or so was surprised to see how much had changed..........but how much was still the same .

[@cjmillsnun]

Indeed, I recognised Pains Road straightaway before it was captioned on the video, then turning into St Andrews Road and Bailey's Road. It felt like I was back at Uni ;)

[@airbornelights]

Loved this video. I was living in Solihull House at the time.

[@bonglesnodkins329]

This is amazing. Any more like it? Assume this was shot on video rather than film, from the occasional light streaking? Any idea which day of the year this was? The route goes one block away from my old house on Chelsea Rd where I would have been living in 1983. And amazing to see the old houses in the derelict roads in the area to the east of St Luke's school. My grandparents used to live there at one time. One thing that seems really striking now is the number of elderly people riding bikes around the town. That is very rare to see these days, but was very commonplace thirty years ago.

[@dalenewton9697]

kzbin.infosearch?query=southsea

[@booga1963]

absolutely awesome, saw some of my old haunts there

[@RadialSkid]

4:04: That big 1966 Pontiac on the right must've been an odd sight in the UK at the time.

[@PeatCowman]

Wonderful vid. Thanks for uploading.

[@jimtames]

Was thinking I'd watch the first couple of mins but loved all of it! The sedate driving, respect for cyclists, those nasty red/brown striped double-decker buses...the dinky junctions at Edinburgh Road and Victoria Road North...how old the cars look! Kings Theatre, pitch and putt, the piers, Still and West...no Gunwharf...1983 in Portsmouth, not a bad place and time to be growing up as I was. And we had an N-reg Avenger just like that one!

[@dis80786]

What really strikes me is that, aside from the vehicles and the odd shop front, how little has really changed! Some of the residential streets look nearly identical.

[@egotram]

Fantastic video- i was living in Norfolk Street at the time.

[@martyncoles7161]

Who owned the '65 Pontiac on the right at 4.03? Nice to see so many British cars!

[@coecludd]

@Vivian - Can I have your permission to use this footage as a Windows screensaver? I think would be a fun idea to forward it to people in Southsea as a free screensaver. I would certainly acknowledge your channel as the originator of your footage. Thanks.

[@ScreenplayVideo82]

Be my guest.

[@coecludd]

@@ScreenplayVideo82 Thank you :-)

[@andrewquew2167]

wow my nan lived in Hellyer road i went to what was then cumberland 1st school. i would of been 5 n half when this was made... where did the time go!

[@Koorova]

Loads of people on bicycles, I noticed: ordinary every day-looking people too, not members of the lycra-cult like you see today. Also: it's super quiet and only marginally a bit more congested in the town centre. Was it a Sunday by any chance?

[@hilltop9098]

Very flat land, easy on the legs when cycling.

[@simongleaden2864]

And not one of the cyclists wearing a helmet.

[@davidyoung9561]

I reckon a Friday afternoon. The beer wagons delivering beer for the weekend is a clue and the tradesman cutting wood in the earlier part of the video. Times were so much better then and no SUVs to be seen.

[@ConnorSmallman]

I live on pains road in 2023, not much has changed lol

[@memsom]

Those disabled cars!! Not seen any of those for years! I remember, they used to be everywhere and there was a road somewhere in North End/Fratton that had a workshop that maintained them.. a link road somewhere between Powerscourt Road and Queens road. It used to fascinate me as a kid. Anyone know what kind of Car they actually were?

[@deanaldridge4277]

Thundersley or AC Invacar. Sorry I'm nine years late with this information, but I have only just watched this video.

[@theedge5630]

great stuff - there is a bit missing driving towards Lumsden Road and then suddenly reappearing at the Seafront.- shame as one of the areas to have changed substantially since the 80s was the area around the old Ferry Road which used to be two roads running along the coastline where the marina now stands. The other was past Jubilee Church on Carlisle Road- otherwise as others have suggested, plus ca change!

[@matthewjones2287]

I lived there between 2005-2008 (on Pains Road in fact) and it looks no different... obviously a few changes here and there but the residential streets look the same.

[@User-wollswoycegawage]

What car are you filming this from Austin 1100 ? Allegro? The ride looks smooth And it does seem to have that ride like the 1100 and Allegro had?

[@vivgregson1981]

Datsun Bluebird Estate.

[@JohnJones-cp4wh]

At 6 mins, Highland Road Cemetery, more VC`s buried there than anywhere else in the country.

[@ScreenplayVideo82]

I look forward to seeing it.

[@susannnie217]

Does anyone remember the bingo hall off Bradford junction? Any pics or vids of that area?Also a second hand shop across the road from Montgomery road?🙂

[@candyqueenroadto30subs97]

I bet there were no parking issues back then.

[@newsmansuper2925]

40 years ago

[@Cliffster]

£1.78 a gallon? The good old days...

[@blazer666del]

That actually works out at £5.62 in todays money (with inflation calculated) a gallon which is more expensive than today's fuel, Rose tinted glasses comes to mind. products were, in general, more (in retaliative terms) back then, I was a child of the 70's/80's and although life was a tiny "bit" more simpler it wasn't that different.

[@p.istaker8862]

@@blazer666del Theres nothing rose tinted about not being surgically attached to a crappy smart phone.

[@blazer666del]

@@p.istaker8862 Your point being?

[@ministergerry]

Love it.

[@1100HondaCB]

I see at 38:50 Homesea House in Green Road isn't there, but the petrol station that is now Jet is, but can't make out what it is. Do you happen to know what time of day this footage is? I must admit this probably is the best video I've personally seen on YT. Everything seems so much easy going and less rushed compared to nowadays. Breaks my heart how England has changed in 30 years. I wish I had a time machine.

[@4444LUKEBAKER]

Brilliant !

[@ispi_video_photo]

Have you thought about dong this again (as closely as possible) to show all the changes?