SouthseaScene

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...

A new study suggests that shoppers may be fearful of returning to large enclosed shopping centres when lockdown restrictions ease on 12 April to allow non-essential retail to open. Researchers from the Universities of Portsmouth and Edinburgh in the UK, Saint Xavier University in the United States and the Universidad Externado de Colombia in Bogota, Colombia found that shoppers experience higher levels of stress, lower levels of excitement, and greater difficulty focusing on a shopping task when in the presence of large crowds of other shoppers. Since the Covid-19 outbreak, people have been required to avoid crowded spaces, maintain social distancing in retail stores and shop alone when possible, and to avoid touching public surfaces. These ‘new normal’ behaviours work against enclosed shopping centres in terms of being attractive destinations for shoppers. However, they could be a boost for smaller, independent shops where there are not so many people. Study co-author Dr Jas...

The Guildhall Trust is delighted to announce that with effect from 1st April 2021, the multi-award-winning Urban Vocal Group (UVG) will be joining the Trust with the aim of increasing opportunities for young people to engage in singing and music-making, to develop transferable skills and to nurture positive health and wellbeing. Having been based in Portsmouth Guildhall (which is run by the charitable The Guildhall Trust) for the past seven years, UVG has developed a strong partnership with the Trust which has a shared vision around its work, particularly with those from disadvantaged areas and backgrounds. Since forming in 2008, UVG has provided over 18,000 free opportunities across a range of activities including its weekly singing groups, gigs, recordings and performances (including at Victorious Festival) to training, masterclasses, songwriting, mentoring and artist development.   The Guildhall Trust’s rich programme of ‘Get Involved’ workshops, activities, groups an...

 A British world leading expert in extreme environments has been given an international lifetime achievement award in recognition of his decades of work to help prevent drowning. Professor Mike Tipton, a human and applied physiologist at the University of Portsmouth, was given the award by the Higgins and Langley Memorial Awards for Flood and Swiftwater Rescue. The awards recognise teamwork, preparedness, skill and honour under extreme conditions. Recipients from across the world were honoured for working extremely long hours in difficult situations to save lives threatened by water, such as following hurricanes, floods and monsoons. Professor Tipton was nominated by Hampshire Fire and Rescue and the editor of Technical Rescue magazine for his work helping those who get into trouble and the search and rescue community over 35 years. Professor Tipton said: “I am honoured to receive this. It is really satisfying to have been nominated by those at the sharp end of search and rescue. I...

We inherited many cookbooks when grandma and grandpa died. One of them is a vegetarian cookbook. It's old, thus many of the dishes reflected the vegetarian offering at the time, with lots of recipes with beans and cheese. The ingredients: 200g red split lentils, cooked in stock 1 medium onion, chopped roughly 1 medium carrot, grated 50g butter 2 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 1/2 teaspoon Marmite 100g cheddar cheese, grated 1 egg, beaten Mixed herbs Black pepper Cooking this is easy. Cook the lentils in stock. Saute the onion and carrot in the fat and then combine all the ingredients, adding egg last. Bake in a well-greased dish for 30-40 minutes at 190 degrees Celcius. Serve with salad.

Years ago as a Christmas present we received a set of small cookbooks published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson. Each book is themed and there's a wide selection from party cakes to Sichuan recipes. One of the books on Vietnamese cooking written by Nicole Routhier came in handy last week when we were looking for a recipe that uses Hoisin sauce. The recipe is for beancurd, we cooked it with pork tenderloin and also chicken, on which the recipe below is based. Having read a few Vietnamese recipes for Dao Phu Xao Xa , we come to the conclusion that Routhier's is a variation and here we will also share our version of this dish. For 4 people you will need: 450 g chicken, cut into cubes 12 dried Shiitake mushrooms, soaked in 200ml of boiling water for 30 minutes 1 medium banana shallots, or a small onion, thinly sliced. 4 tablespoons Hoisin sauce 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon tomato puree 2 fresh small red chillies, finely chopped 1 teaspoon of lemongrass paste (or 2 stalks of fr...

The University of Portsmouth Business School has retained its Small Business Charter Award in recognition of its work to support students, small businesses and the local economy. Portsmouth Business School has held the Small Business Charter (SBC) accreditation status since 2015 and is one of only 33 Business Schools in the UK and Ireland. Portsmouth is one of four business schools to have successfully completed their reassessment through the SBC’s virtual assessment process. It will now hold the SBC Award for a further five years. The assessors were impressed by the environment created and the range of opportunities to stimulate and support student engagement with the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) community. These include placements and consultancy projects offered through the Business and Law Clinics. The panel regarded Portsmouth Business School as a champion of engagement with SMEs. Professor Jeremy Howells, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Business and Law, said: “This a...

A new survey has been launched to learn more about how people in Hampshire have handled the latest lockdown laws and rules. Following a successful survey about the first national lockdown in the spring, researchers at the University of Portsmouth are now looking for volunteers to help with the questionnaire. It will target the opinions and attitudes of respondents about their own behaviour and that of the wider public during the latest lockdown. The results will be used in research with Hampshire Constabulary. The Constabulary and the University are working together to help them learn the lessons of policing the pandemic and how the force should respond to future Covid-19 restrictions. The survey takes about 15 minutes and respondents will remain anonymous.   Questions include: Have you felt safe in your local community? Have the police done a good job? Has guidance been clear on a national level? How have you and others complied with the current lockdown compared to previous ...

The way to man's heart is through his stomach, so the saying goes and I often express my love through preparing delicious meals for my loved ones.  For Valentine's Day, why not prepare one of the simplest dishes I learnt last year during the lockdown? It's beef short ribs cooked in the oven for five hours. The preparation is simple but it yields one of the most delicious meals. It's from a book by the French chef Stephane Reynaud.  Everything is cooked in one pan, so this recipe is also kind to whoever has to do the washing up. Well, you may have other things in mind after this dinner. The ingredient list is also short: 1.2 kg beef short ribs for 4 people 4 red onions, quartered and included in its skin, or peeled and chopped roughly 8 new potatoes, or King Edwards also fine 3 tablespoons of tomato puree 1 tablespoon honey (or maple syrup) 3 tablespoons soy sauce 80g butter Pepper Preheat the oven to 120 degrees Celcius. Peel and chop the onions and clean the potatoes. ...

Determined that the show will go on for young people this year, The Guildhall Trust is taking its hugely popular dance competition event for schools and colleges, Dance Live! on the road to record pupil’s performances and then screen them as an evening of Dance Live! TV. Liaising closely with the schools and colleges that were registered to perform in the competition’s heats in March and finals in April at Portsmouth Guildhall, the Dance Live! team has worked to secure an option that meets the challenges posed by Covid-19 restrictions whilst ensuring the event can still go ahead for the young people who have already missed out on so much over the last year. The plan to take an LED screen, backdrop, dance floor and filming equipment into each school or college at the end of May (when hopefully restrictions will allow) will give participants the opportunity to record their performances within their bubbles and produce their ‘Journey to Dance Live!’ and ‘Screen Content’ videos as planned,...

Everyone is invited to explore the universe through the first-ever Virtual Pompey Stargazing which offers a range of exciting, interactive events from 25 to 31 January. Pompey Stargazing Live is usually held at the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, but this year events will be held online which will allow more people to get involved with the action. Run by the University of Portsmouth's Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation (ICG), the events are free and tickets for each of the events are available on Eventbrite. There is a variety of interactive sessions for the whole family including public talks on gravitational waves and the early universe, one-to-one sessions for visually impaired people with the Tactile Universe project, as well as child-friendly interactive sessions on galaxies, light, planets, and the blackholes. The Virtual Pompey Stargazing allows children to add to their lockdown home schooling with an exciting, educational, exploration of our universe. An audio guide to th...