18 | SOUTHAMPTON


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SOUTHAMPTON: THE SAILING TOWN


BY HEIDI MCALPIN


AHEAD of a two-week Mediterranean cruise, Heidi McAlpin, husband Ray, and children Scarlett (16) and Freddie (13) enjoy a three-night city break in Southampton. When RMS Titanic launched in Belfast in April 1912,


our city rightly claimed ownership of this mighty ship. From the esteemed engineers to the shipyard riveters, locals felt an immense pride as they watched her glide into Belfast Lough and on to Southampton. She had, after all, loomed large over Harland and Wolff for longer than she would stay afloat before that fateful night when the Atlantic iceberg claimed the lives of over 1500 souls. Southampton, however, holds similarly emotive connections with the doomed liner. In the six days she was docked in the English port, crew and passengers prepared themselves and the ship for the crossing to New York. Many of these people were either from the city or had stayed there ahead of their journey. And it is this particular aspect of Titanic’s story that is


presented at Southampton’s SeaCity Museum, a place I had long wanted to visit to explore the cities’ unique maritime link. The south English destination is one of the world’s busiest cruise ports, so when I booked a family Mediterranean cruise from Southampton, I decided to extend our stay and get under the skin of the city itself. Direct flights connect Belfast and Southampton but due to no airlines serving the route when we booked, we opted to fly from Belfast City Airport to London Gatwick and take the easy two-hour train direct from the airport to Southampton city centre. Our journey started at Belfast City Airport’s newly opened Aspire Lounge where calming Scandi tones, comfy chairs and complimentary food and drink set us up beautifully for the short easyJet hop. Southern Railway spirited us seamlessly from


Gatwick through south England’s bucolic charms and on to Southampton where a gentle 30-minute stroll led us to the first of two hotels (of which more later). Room2 is a ‘hometel’ which, as the name suggests, packs a lot of living space into its various overnight options. Our Master Loft was the largest such room, with a king size bed plus mezzanine alcove with sleeping space for the children. A kitchenette, dining space, long sofa and en- suite shower room ensured plenty of sprawling space between our city jaunts. Suitcases parked, we headed to room2’s uber cool


Living Room whose laid-back vibe and insta-worthy nooks provided the perfect spot to enjoy a honey- drizzled pizza and ice-cold beer. Room2 is also in London’s Chiswick and Hammersmith, with brand new Belfast premises set to open in Autumn 2023. The next morning we headed straight to SeaCity Museum, the main reason for our visit, and its three exhibits, Southampton’s Titanic Story, Gateway to the World and Southampton Stories. The first takes visitors through the ship’s timeline, including its Belfast construction, before focusing on the locals who found work onboard this superstar of the seas and those from all backgrounds who overnighted in Southampton ahead of their much-heralded trans-Atlantic voyage. Display highlights include Captain Smith’s dress


sword and the pocket watch of ship steward Sidney Sedunary which stopped at 1.50am, just before Titanic sank, and was recovered from his body. Equally poignant for me was a large floor map of Southampton with red dots indicating the homes of locals who perished on the ship, a bleak reminder of the personal losses the city suffered. In a grand wood-panelled large screens


room,


recounted key moments from the Titanic Inquiry. And another darkened space featured audio recordings of survivors of the disaster, including Eva Hart who was


November/December 2023


ahead of their holiday, equally enamoured of its unique place in history’s most infamous maritime disaster. The irony was not lost on any of us. Our final full day continued the


theme with a Titanic Walking Trail picked up at SeaCity and taking in the city’s connected buildings and memorials, including ones to Titanic’s musicians and engineer officers. A dip into Southampton’s Ocean Village revealed a modern city makeover with


jet set


yachts moored alongside glossy apartments and a chi


chi spa


hotel. The annual Southampton Boat Show and neighbouring Isle of Wight Cowes Week consolidate this region’s love of the sea – past and present.


Navigating back to the White


Star Tavern, we rested our weary legs at its trad trendy restaurant and tucked into a delicious lunch of Beer Battered Haddock and BLTs. Refreshed and refuelled, gaming fun followed at High Score Arcade where a one-off entrance fee covered an hour of unlimited play across two floors of contemporary and retro classics. The kids loved it, and I channelled my inner geek with a go on Space Invaders and Pacman. Square- eyed and blinking back into the outside, we headed to Westquay S h o p p i n g Centre,


a


gle aming cathedral to commer ce where


seven at the time and lost her father in the tragedy. I interviewed Eva in her later life, and hearing her vivid memories of that fateful night reminded me of my time in her company. Eva died in 1996 aged 91. Gateway to the World covers 200,000 years of the


city’s history, from the Stone and Middle Ages through Roman times and on to today’s bustling port. And Southampton Stories is filled with reminders of its maritime evolution, footballing escapades and wartime reminiscences from the locals themselves. Like Belfast, Southampton endured its own WW2 Blitz, with over 600 people perishing and more than 4000 homes destroyed by the German Luftwaffe. Another grim connection shared by our two cities highlighted in this busy gallery. After an absorbing couple of hours at SeaCity and adjoining Southampton City Art Gallery, we headed for STAKKS Pancake House and feasted on carb-tastic creations clad in everything from crispy bacon and maple syrup to indulgent Eton Mess. Filled to the brim, we waddled off to our next historic attraction. The Tudor House & Garden is a


restored 15th century dwelling right in the heart of the city which, over the eras, has been inhabited by aristocracy and merchants and came close to demolition on two occasions. The grand building was saved by Southampton Council and now stands proudly as one of the city’s tourism jewels. An audio-visual presentation sets the scene for the tour that reveals 16th century graffiti, historic curios and a colourful kitchen garden where plump bees merrily graze. An engaging and authentic glimpse into Southampton’s colourful past well- told by knowledgeable guides at every turn. Our time-travelling afternoon


continued at an altogether more 21st century family adventure. Escape Rooms are the latest craze to pop up in cities worldwide, and Southampton’s Locked in a Room serves theirs with a steampunk twist. The four of us had to decipher cryptic clues and save the world’s sole remaining time machine in a frantic race against the clock. All in a day’s work (or 90 minutes to be precise), though not without a few dead ends and fraught exchanges to test the family’s mettle. Great fun! Our action-


packed day ended with a fabulous meal at The Real Greek where meat and fish meze plates and souvlaki wraps took our tastebuds on a gastronomic Hellenic tour.


resident


dinosaur Big Sara sits alongside over 80 stores and 50 eating and drinking options. Af ter


grabbing a few I


particularly enjoyed the Greek Yoghurt with walnuts in syrup, lovely and light after all that indulgence, though I prefer to think of it as pre-cruise training… The following morning we said farewell to room2


and headed for a final night in the White Star Tavern. Named after


Titanic’s shipping line, and formerly


known as The Alliance Hotel, this is where many Titanic passengers slept before boarding the ship. Staying here was like walking in the footsteps of those who had spent the evening in excited anticipation, blissfully unaware of what was to come. The recently revamped rooms, bedecked in dusky


pink, petrol blue and sage green, take their names from those iconic liners; Ray and I overnighted in Olympic and the children bedded down in Britannic. The inn’s quirky layout, historic photos and even the original hatch where passengers collected their Titanic tickets transported us to a bygone age filled with hope, excitement and, in the case of Titanic, ultimate despair. Like us, fellow cruise passengers had congregated


last-minute items for our upcoming cruise, we ended another busy day with indulgent cocktails, zingy juices, Phad Thai Noodles, Dim Sum and Red Curry at nearby Mango Thai Tapas. Families, couples, and students from the University of Southampton bring a fun atmosphere to this colourful culinary hotspot, while carved wooden screens, watchful Buddhas and jungle fronds deliver on the exotic. Another destination ticked off on what has been quite the Southampton food cruise. After waking up to a full English for him, Eggs Benedict for me and French Toast for Scarlett and Fred, we departed the wonderful White Star Tavern and headed to God’s House Tower, the final stop before boarding our ship. This old stone building began life as a gatehouse built to protect Southampton from invasions by sea. The French successfully broke through and raided the town 200 years later, prompting King Edward lll to order the construction of a defensive wall, much of which remains today. As well as telling its story from lookout point to prison and refuge for poor travellers, God’s House Tower is home to a contemporary art gallery. Visitors can also ascend the stone steps for views across the city’s docks – and glimpses of the giant cruise ships waiting to set sail across the Solent and beyond. Which is exactly where we are heading for two weeks on the high seas. With a newfound appreciation of the city’s Titanic story in our wake, alongside a deep dive into its lesser-known history, our Southampton sojourn has been a real voyage of discovery.


FACT BOX For information on all hotels, restaurants and attractions, go to visitsouthampton.co.uk. Book Southampton overnights at room2.com and www.whitestartavern.co.uk. Book Aspire Lounge at Belfast City Airport via www.executivelounges.com (adults from £36.99, children from £21.49 3hrs before flight). Southern Railway run an hourly service between London Victoria and Southampton via Gatwick Airport. Book your Off-Peak or Super Off-Peak ticket online and up to four children can travel with you for just £2 each on most journeys. Check www. southernrailway.com for details.


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