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Picture source: Barry Taylor
The Harlequin was situated on Southwick Hill Road. This small Gales pub was on an elevated position at the entrance to this council estate. Closed and demolished in 1987.
This was the brave new world of the 1960's and it was like going on to a 'Thunderbirds' set. You parked downstairs and walked up to this 'Classic' of its time. The interior picture brings memories flooding back. Gales pub. Dark Mild, BBB, HSB served by electric pump. Portsdown Park was a site of 17.5 acres comprising a concrete housing estate of 520 dwellings, on the lower slopes of Portsdown Hill, on the northern boundary of the City. The estate was intended to be a showcase of the city council’s housing program but was ultimately destined to become an embarrassment. Work began in 1968 but with construction and contractor issues it wasn’t finished until 1975. Right from the start there were serious water penetration and condensation issues for almost half of the tenants, ‘condensation ran down the walls and dripped from light sockets, carpets became like wet sponges and clothes left inside wardrobes became mouldy’. On top of that due to its inherent architectural design problems there were serious issues of access and ultimately vandalism and gangs (empty underground carparks are never a good idea). By 1987 the whole estate was set for demolition. Portsdown Park was buit on the slopes of Portsdown Hill and was a residential estate consisting of three high-rise tower blocks, maisonettes, flats and houses. Although it was supposed to be a visionary complex, problems soon started to show with the building work as well as antisocial behaviour. Portsdown Park had earned itself a bad reputation by the 1980s and with the increasing problems with damp, all residents were rehoused so that the demolition could start in 1987. The site is now the location of the new estate Cosham Heights.
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Other Photos
Joyce & Jim, publicans, 1973	Picture source: Allan Culham