SouthseaScene

This rapid coq au vin takes only half an hour to make. For two people, the ingredients are: 2 bacon rashers, chopped 1 medium onion, roughly chopped 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 4 chicken thigh fillets, boned and quartered 1 tablespoon plain flour 150 ml of red wine 200 ml chicken stock 250 grams chestnut mushrooms, quartered a sprig of rosemary Do all the chopping and cutting. Cover the chicken pieces in the flour. Heat the oil in the pan and cook the bacon and onion for 5 minutes, add the chicken pieces and cook for another 5 minutes. Then add the red wine and bubble vigorously for 5 minutes before adding the stock, mushrooms, and rosemary. Simmer for 15 minutes until the chicken is well cooked. I tend to serve this with steamed rice, but it's also delicious with mashed potatoes, served along with some steamed carrots. Crack open a bottle of wine and enjoy!

As we're now on Coronavirus lockdown and supply is getting low, this simple recipe that uses very few ingredients might be helpful (if you can find pasta!). Prawns - 150 g pack serves 2 generously and 3 at a stretch Linguine - 75 g per person Garlic - 1 clove, crushed and diced Red chili - 1 medium, diced (substitute with 1 tsp dried red chili flakes) Butter - 25 g (or 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil) Sliced spring onions, if available - it just makes the meal a bit more moreish Parmesan - 25 g, grated Half a lemon to add zing, but also optional Boil some water in the pan and add the linguine. Set the timer to 10 minute as it takes the linguine 8-10 minutes to cook. Then melt the butter in a pan and add the spring onions, garlic and chilli. Fry it gently and as the timer shows 3 minutes to go, add the prawns and salt and pepper and drain the linguine into the pan with a little of the water to keep everything moist. Only cook the prawn for 3 minutes so it rem...

We have lots of great parks across the city - which are open for people to use for their daily exercise with their family - whilst observing social distancing advice. We're working hard to keep our parks well maintained so that people can enjoy using them and use the space nearest them. Our work includes mowing the grass - as it grows rapidly at this time of year - keeping sites free of litter, maintaining our grounds and trees and daily visual inspections to make sure they're safe to use. The welfare of our grounds maintenance staff is our priority and we've implemented measures to ensure they keep at a distance from colleagues and the public, both when working in the open space and within welfare areas and that welfare facilities and PPE are available. Cllr Steve Pitt, Deputy Leader, Portsmouth City Council said: "We're all encouraged to take exercise daily to get out and enjoy parks and open spaces with those in our household. It's so important t...

There's an eerie quietness as I walked to work this morning. The streets which are normally crowded with kids going to school, parents pushing younger siblings in prams and gossiping in groups, were empty. It's as if Southsea is in a lockdown already. In some sense it has. Restaurants and bars, which a week ago were sending messages of taking good care about cleanliness, now are saying they are closing their doors. The Guildhall is closed, museums such as the Mary Rose are closed, libraries and the council offices are closed. All day at work we were preparing to close the office and work from home. My colleague brought home the 21 pots of plants from the office to look after. We practiced using Google Hangout and put a daily meeting online for the weeks to come. For how long, we don't know. While we rant against those who swiped the supermarket shelves clean of loo rolls and pasta, I secretly worry that there will be no supply in the weeks to come. Friends nervously l...

A new illustrated children's book - 'Gustav the Brave' is swooping into land at The D-Day Story in time for BookFest 2020. There are a limited number of pre-bookable spaces - free with a valid entry ticket for The D-Day Story - for the launch of the new Gustav the Brave book on 21 February at 2pm at The D-Day Story. Book via: www.portsmouthbookfest.co.uk for a full programme of events. 'Gustav the Brave' is the story of a local, feathered D-Day hero - who won a Dickin Medal for his achievements.  He was the homing pigeon who bought back news of the D-Day landings in June 1944. Gustav's story has been brought to life by poet Steve Tasane along with a group of young Portsmouth writers. The launch will include a display of 'pigeons in war' memorabilia, craft activities for children and displays featuring items relating to Gustav and the Portsmouth man who owned him. There'll also be the first public reading of the story by writer and perform...

This year's BookFest- run by Portsmouth City Council Library Service in partnership with The Hayling Island Bookshop- offers a packed programme of events with something for everyone. The Festival runs from Monday 17 February- Sunday 8 March and highlights include: Harry Potter parties for children at Alderman Lacey and Carnegie Libraries during half-term Children's author and illustrator Tracey Corderoy at Beddow and Paulsgrove Libraries on Friday 21 February Children's illustrator Neal Layton at North End and Southsea Libraries on Saturday 22 February Scientist and writer Professor Jim Al-Khalili talking about his first novel Sunfall on Friday 21 February 7pm. Former hairdresser to The Beatles Leslie Cavendish talks about his life and book - The Cutting Edge - on Saturday 22 February Designer of iconic film posters Graham Humphreys on Tuesday 25 February Music journalist and presenter David Hepworth on Thursday 27 February Portsmouth MysteryFest with authors L.C...

Portsmouth City Council's Museum Service is 125 years old on 21 January 2020. On 21 January 1895 Portsmouth town council opened its very first museum - housed in the old Town Hall in the High Street, Old Portsmouth which stood next to what is now The Dolphin public house. In September 1904 the council purchased Charles Dickens Birthplace in Commercial Road and in 1931 Cumberland House was turned into a natural history museum with an art gallery. During the Second World War the museum building in Old Portsmouth was bombed and a large part of the collection was lost: Cumberland House became the main museum until new premises could be found. The 1960s and 1970s were a time of growth for the museums service - Southsea castle was purchased in 1960 and in 1972 a new city museum opened in the striking building on Museum Road, part of the former Clarence Barracks. Eastney Beam Engine House was also opened to the public as an industrial museum in 1972. The latest addition to ...