SouthseaScene

I don't often make Indonesian food because the ingredients are hard to find, but our local supermarkets are getting better at stocking ethnic ingredients. In the frozen section of Tesco, near the samosas, you can find the spring roll pastry.  Don't bother asking the branch in Chester. I was laughed at by the cashier when I asked for spring roll skin, because 'skin' is what we call the wrapper in Indonesian. Her more helpful colleague offered me filo pastry instead, which can be a good substitute. I'm afraid no one in Chester has yet to taste my amazing spring rolls as a result. Friends in Southsea are luckier!  Here are the ingredients to make 30 spring rolls (the packs come in 30 or 40 pieces) 1 medium head of cabbage, thinly sliced 2 carrots, julienned 1 red or yellow pepper, julienned 1 medium onion, thinly sliced 1 medium courgette, julienned 1 tablespoon of Oyster sauce (omit if cooking for vegan) 2 tbsp soy sauce salt and pepper to taste 1 tbsp vegetable oil f...

Sometimes you found a recipe and wrote it down on a piece of paper to try it out. Having done that, you forget where the recipe came from. Likewise this Korean recipe for pork, which turned out to be so delicious we have cooked it for everyone. The marinade is simple to make and yet really packed with flavours. For the Korean marinade you need  3 garlic cloves 1/2 brown onion 1/2 a pear or apple Blitz these ingredients together and then add 5 tablespoons soy sauce (I use Kikkoman) 3 tablespoons caster sugar 2 tablespoons sesame oil 3 tablespoons mirin black pepper For dinner for 2 people, 200g pork tenderloin is enough. Slice this thinly, and bash it to an even thinner piece with a meat mallet. Marinade in the sauce and leave it in the fridge for an hour. Then heat a frying pan on medium heat with a teaspoon of vegetable oil and fry the thin pork pieces until browned. You want some of the edges of the meat to be dark brown and caramelised, if you can. Don't cook too many pieces or ...

Whether you love sea shanties full of salty metaphors and swashbuckling action, or the stirring sound of a military band with brass and drums, there will be music across Portsmouth Historic Dockyard in a new event on Friday 23rd and Saturday 24th June 2023, which is completely free with a valid ticket to the given attractions. The rich history of music in the Royal Navy is being explored at a brand new two-day event, featuring a wide range of musical performances and styles, from The Royal Marines School of Music to Tudor Opera singing with Jay Britton. Portsmouth Historic Dockyard comes alive with music, beginning on Friday 23rd June, with a special Solent Shanty singing event in collaboration with the Portsmouth Music Hub. This special collaboration has allowed the museum to host a special performance of sea shanties by over 700 children in the shadow of the legendary HMS Victory. This new event continues on Saturday 24th June, featuring performances across Portsmouth Historic Docky...

My Friendly Planet Art and Design School presents their latest exhibition at Southsea Cinema and Art Centre on Palmerston Road from 22 June to 8 July 2023.  This exhibition is an opportunity to introduce eleven talented local artists showcasing various approaches to paintings, drawings and sculptures which exude style, skill and talent. Through their creative journey, some of these artists have rediscovered a passion to mark making, a skill and talent rekindling their love of art through the art of playing. This Artists Exhibition Studies and Works is a true celebration of the artistic value experienced in joining art classes as they have helped some of these artists to experiment, gain creative and practice confidence, to create friendship and to develop creative collaborations in attending the various projects offered at My Friendly Planet Art & Design School and the creative communities.  This exhibition ties in nicely with My Friendly Planet Southsea’s Life Drawin...

Family favourite Action Stations at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard gets a new look for summer and reopens with a physically-charged Royal Marines experience that will challenge visitors. Reopening on July 23, Action Stations welcomes the Commando Experience, that puts visitors at the heart of the Royal Navy’s elite amphibious force, with a series of Royal Marines Commando-style physical challenges. With the reopening of Action Stations, the Ultimate Explorer ticket that gives entry to all the attractions at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard including its Gosport museums for 12 months, is even better value than before and adds to the perfect day out with plenty of family activities to choose from. Visitors get hands on with some Tudor assistance Credit The Mary Rose Action Stations: Commando Experience, open from Saturday 23rd July.  Action Stations: Commando Experience puts visitors at the heart of the Royal Navy’s elite amphibious force, with a series of Royal Marines Commando-style phy...

The National Museum of the Royal Navy is running events across its sites this month to inspire people to get involved in stargazing, and learn more about the stars and beyond. The positioning of stars has long been vital to seafarers the world over, and this heritage is a key part of the history of the Royal Navy.  Portsmouth Historic Dockyard: Virtual Pompey Stargazing 2022 is held between 26th and 29th January.  A collaboration with the University of Portsmouth and the Hampshire Astronomical Group, this virtual stargazing experience is completely free to anyone. There are talks for children and adults, and exciting Q&A sessions with both the Hampshire Astronomical Group, and the University’s Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation.  Viewers can also learn more about nautical navigation with a talk and Q&A from one our own curators, showcasing some of the items from our collection.  The family activity day on the 29th also gives special attention to younger v...

I love fish and there's such a variety you can find these days in your local supermarket. Eating fish is also good for you and here's a recipe I return to again and again because not only it is simple to make, but also very tasty. Cut a bunch of spring onion into thin sticks. Slice carrots into very thin rounds. Chopped an inch of ginger and set aside. In a mug mix together 3 tbsp each of soy sauce and orange juice, 2 tbsp sherry, 1 tbsp malt vinegar and 1 tsp sugar. Basa fillet (you can use cod or haddock, but basa I find to be the best to hold its form) 150 g per person. Pat dry with kitchen paper and cut into cubes. 2 tsp. Cornflour Salt and pepper Toss the dry fish pieces in the spiced flour and coat evenly. Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a frying pan and when hot enough, add the fish pieces and make sure the pan is not overcrowded. You want the fish pieces to brown to a crisp. Do not turn the pieces until 2 minutes is up, then flip to fry the other side another 2...

The University of Portsmouth has joined a new scheme from Friends of the Earth to help university caterers fight climate change.  The Kale Yeah! Kitchens scheme, launching this month, encourages caterers to make their menus more sustainable by serving less, but higher welfare meat, dairy and fish and offering more plant-based options.  The scheme has five different levels of accreditation that encourage universities to rebalance dishes, incentivise plant-based eating via a loyalty card scheme and commit to promoting sustainability. Caterers will have to alter their procurement and menus, and employ ‘nudges’ to inspire cultural, behavioural and attitudinal changes to the way we eat.  In reaching the higher levels, the university can ensure it is in line with Friends of the Earth and the Eating Better Alliance’s more ambitious target of a 50 per cent reduction in the amount of meat and dairy eaten and produced in the UK by 2030.  The University of Portsmouth trialled...

Luna Park 2021, an eagerly anticipated new public artwork for Portsmouth designed by internationally renowned artists Ivan Morison and Heather Peak of Studio Morison will be launched on 2 October 2021 on a celebratory day in Southsea Common.  The 1.4 metres bronze sculpture is a tribute to the original 53-foot high 2010 artwork Luna Park, which tragically burned down on Southsea Common. The artists will unveil a new sculpture that responds to ten years of public demand to ‘bring back the Southsea Dinosaur’.  The new public artwork will be located within a direct sightline to the position of the original Luna Park sculpture. It will sit on top of a fossil Portland stone plinth with a QR code which when scanned with a smartphone will connect to an Augmented Reality experience. People will be transported to a digital rendering of the original artwork, seemingly standing life-size in front of them on Southsea Common. Viewers will also be able to use their mobile devices to visit a...

Portsmouth Guildhall is throwing open its doors on Saturday 14th August, 11am – 5pm, to welcome people back into the city’s premier Concert and Events venue and give a sample of some of the performances, activities and workshops that the venue and its creative partners have to offer throughout 2021/22, and to celebrate the city’s creative economy. SAMPLED, a FREE event, will offer something for everyone including live music from LMSUK Media, the chance to get creative in a craft & design workshop with The Maker’s Guild, circus skills with The Parenting Network and a samba workshop with UVG – The Urban Vocal Group. In a taster of the Guildhall’s Games Fest and Portsmouth Comic Con events, there will be the opportunity to play new and retro board and computer games with partners Dice and Game Over and the chance to meet some of your favourite superheroes and characters with GoGeek Events. If you’ve always wanted to be the star of the show, now is your chance as you can take you...

The Southsea Rose Garden is really a beautiful oasis to sit and smell the roses. This spring has been particularly beautiful and so we went for a visit to take some photographs of the roses for your viewing pleasure. When you get the chance, do give it a visit.

Sometimes you don't need to overthink your dinner. Pressed for time, and ideas, I recently fried plaice fillets with butter. The result was really delicious, especially if you squirt some lemon juice over the whole thing afterwards. You want to dust the fillet with plain flour and then fry them for 3-4 minutes on each side. I use 20-25g butter per 120-150g fillet.

(Image Above: LCT 7074 Restored at the Southsea Sea Front - Copyright NMRN) The unique D-Day survivor LCT 7074 has won the coveted Museum and Heritage Awards Restoration or Conservation Project of the Year. The judges’ citation read “The scale of this project is astonishing and was, without doubt, challenging. It was detailed in its conservation principles and brilliantly delivered – the judges felt that it was a remarkable achievement.” This prestigious industry recognition comes at the same time that the National Lottery Heritage Fund confirmed an additional £589K to support the project and plug the gap left in its finances caused by COVID delays. The National Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN) worked with Portsmouth City Council's D-Day Story, to conserve, research, interpret and display the 59-metre 300-ton landing craft tank ship which is now open to visitors. D-Day is a pivotal moment in history. Most invading troops arrived by sea in landing crafts. Of these landing crafts, mor...

Imagine Portsmouth has today (14 June) launched a creative competition challenging the people of Portsmouth to pick up a camera or pen and share how they see the city in 2021. The photography and poetry challenge is designed to celebrate Portsmouth's city vision, which was officially unveiled earlier this year and sets out the city's ambitions for the future. Aspiring poets and enthusiastic photographers are being challenged to take inspiration from the themes and values of the city vision - such as Portsmouth as a healthy and happy city, a green city or a city that celebrates equality, community or innovation - and bring them to life through striking images and imaginative writing. The competition is open to residents of all ages throughout the summer, closing on 5 September. Photographs can be entered into 11 different categories, based on the themes and values of the city vision. Poems can be entered into three different age categories - adults, 11-18 year olds, and under 11...

The National Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN), National Army Museum (NAM), the Royal Air Force Museum (RAFM) and Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) are delighted to announce the launch of a country-wide celebration of our service personnel in conjunction with this years Armed Forces Week (21 – 27 June). All four organisations have come together to host a virtual walk event In the Footsteps of Our Forces, and are appealing to the public to reflect on and celebrate the role of our Armed Forces today and in the past. The virtual walk will kick off on Monday 21 June, Armed Forces Week, and will end on Sunday 4 July. The public will have two weeks to complete their chosen distance of either 5, 10 or 25K. They will also be able to download one of the suggested routes which will take then around museums, war graves, memorials, historical sites and places of remembrance. All of those who complete the walk will be awarded a commemorative medal to mark their achievement Entry for the In th...

The Organ Project: Organ Recital given by David Cain on Thursday 10th June 2021 7.30pm Our 2021 monthly Organ Recital series continues with a VIRTUAL recital given by David Cain, who is Director of Music at St George’s Church, Waterlooville, a position he has held since the beginning of 2021. Previously, David was Director of Music at St Mary’s Church, within Portchester Castle. Sit back, relax and tune in to a virtual recital from St Mary’s Church, Portsea, performed on our temporary digital organ. Our J.W. Walker & Sons pipe organ is currently being restored by Nicholson & Co. Ltd, and we hope to celebrate its re-dedication in late 2021.  We still have some way to go on our fundraising; please consider playing and sponsoring a pipe. Donations in aid of The Organ Project (www.theorganproject.org) – c/o St Mary’s Church Music Foundation (registered Charity no. 1020088) *  Celebrating Christ’s Presence: 2nd Sunday after Trinity on 13th June 2021, 10.00am To watch, you c...

Portsmouth’s leading visitor attractions are asking the public to join us in commemorating the 77th anniversary of the Normandy Landings on 6 June at their sites, highlighting a range of ticketing offers. Portsmouth’s connection to D-Day as operational HQ is well known, and as museums and attractions open back up after a long period of closure, it is a perfect opportunity for the local community and visitors to Portsmouth alike; to discover more about some of the incredible stories the city holds. To mark the commemoration, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard will be offering a range of activities throughout the day focusing on an appearance by veterans, supported by the D-Day Revisited charity, from the landings. Arriving at the site by landing craft, they will be piped ashore by pipers playing the ‘Millin Pipes’ used by William Millin (Piper Bill) on D-Day itself. The dockyard will also have on display a range of military vehicles, musical performances, model boats and will be offering ride...

From 2nd – 4th July, Ports Fest will invite audiences to Remember, Reimagine, Reset with a festival of music, art, talks,  and workshops, providing something for everyone.   Ports Fest is Portsmouth’s most established annual curated multi-arts festival. This year, they are delighted to be able  to offer a reduced but varied programme to suit the current climate, featuring outdoor, online, and free events.  If you are hoping to seek out some artistic and cultural stimulation this summer, Ports Fest 2021 will be  your starting point!  The festival kicks off on Friday 2nd July with several events for Portsmouth schools, including an online live talk from  former children’s laureate Michael Rosen, and an opportunity for pupils to grapple with our theme of Remember,  Reimagine, Reset by debating whether we should reset to normality after COVID-19. In the evening, welcome  Slapstick Picnic to the beautiful gardens of Portsmouth Museum for a re...

Last weekend I was actually planning to make a crab and Gruyere tart, but unfortunately, there was no crab to be found apart from a small tub that will cost a fortune to make. Always happy to use ingredients that are at hand, I decided to make the tart with asparagus instead. Now is the season for local asparagus, that tastes slightly sweeter. For the pastry: 225g plain flour 110 g chilled butter a small glass of chilled water For the filling: 3 medium eggs, lightly beaten 200 ml double cream a pinch of nutmeg 100g Gruyere cheese, grated salt and pepper a bunch of fresh asparagus, about 12 stalks Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celcius and grease an 8-inch (20cm) baking tin with a removable base. To make the pastry, sift the flour into a bowl, then chop the chilled butter into small pieces and drop them into the bowl. Cover the butter pieces with flour and gently rub them with your fingertips until they resemble rough breadcrumbs. Add a pinch of salt and then slowly, a teaspoon at a ti...

In association with AccuWeather, The Royal Meteorological Society's 'Weather Photographer of the Year 2021' competition launches today (29 April 2021). It is free to enter and open to everyone. Whether you climb mountains, chase storms, scour coastlines or sit in your back garden capturing the beauty of the weather around you, the judges want to see your pictures.   The Royal Meteorological Society (RMetS) is once again calling on photographers of all ages and abilities to enter its annual photography competition,  ‘Weather Photographer of the Year 2021’  and ‘Young Weather Photographer of the Year 2021’, in association with  AccuWeather .  Last year this popular competition attracted over 7,700 photos, seen by millions of people across the world.   New for this year, the sixth year of the competition, there is also a mobile phone category. The judges want to encourage entries from anyone with a passion for the environment and photography to enter on a leve...