Visiting your own backyard

It seems to be a rule that you never visit places on your doorstep, as if somehow because they're easy they're not worthwhile.

So what about Southampton, my home city? Well at first sight it's pretty unappealing to the tourist and the Lonely Planet for the UK gives it short shrift. It has to be said that it lacks much of architectural merit because it was bombed heavily in the Second World War and like all of the South Coast cities, the response to all the damage was to build nasty, concrete second rate buildings. Fortunately these are now being taken down and slightly better buildings are replacing them (fingers crossed).

But what is there to interest the casual visitor...well it's the port that gives it its character and it always has done. There was a Roman settlement and then a Saxon one (Hamtun). Surprisingly it has the second biggest stretch of medieval city wall standing (York has the most) and it is quite amazing to stand at one corner by West Quay and look down one long side to the current water and think that this was what once made a city. It's a little tiny space and you can walk the whole space in an hour or so, if you don't get distracted on the way.

There's also the remains of a Saxon church (another bomb victim), Holy Trinity on the High Street, which is now a Merchant Navy memorial. It's been done really beautifully retaining what's left and using audio devices to play local people's memories of the city. You can hear proper Hampshire accents, which are incredibly rare now (a bit like a toned down South West accent).

And if you like looking at big cruise liners, you might be in luck and see one of the many that operate out of Southampton - Queen Mary, QEII, Oriana - to name a few. And then of course you can use it as a jumping off point for the Isle of Wight, the New Forest, Winchester and lots of other "nicer" places. But I think what I have come to like about this city, is that is that it knows what it is and how it makes its living and what gives it its character. It's a port, a bit rough round the edges at times, but alive and with pride in the past and the present. It's real and I like that.