SouthseaScene

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...