working life Work and play on the coast
Arts, sea and air Aside from superyachts, there are the Cultural Quarter and Guildhall Square, with Southampton City Art Gallery and SeaCity Museum, depicting the story of
the Titanic. There’s also the Mayflower Theatre, Westquay shopping centre and Solent Sky Museum, showcasing the city’s aviation history, including the Spitfire, which was designed and built there.
“I was absolutely devastated,” she says. “I loved writing and I
loved my role promoting the community, particularly giving a voice to people who don’t get that platform very often..” Within 24 hours, she launched a crowdfunding campaign and set up In Common, an independent, not-for-profit website featuring stories about arts, culture and people in the local area. It is volunteer led, but her aim is to get funding so everyone can get paid. Churchward, originally from south London, says
she loves Southampton’s strong community. “It’s very interconnected and there’s this incredible grassroots movement with DIY projects that are run for love just because people think they should exist,” she says. “It’s really gutting that we didn’t get the City of Culture bid.” Southampton was one of four cities shortlisted for the
2025 UK City of Culture – losing out to Bradford. Claudia Murg, an investigative journalist originally from
Romania, has found the community very welcoming. She moved to Southampton from London in 2006 to work on a six-month contract as a senior investigative producer with BBC Inside Out, and has worked on investigations for Dispatches, Panorama and The Sunday Times. In 2016, she set up community website We Make Southampton and says that, while it doesn’t provide an income, it has helped her feel at home. “I learnt early on that there are no jobs – you’ve got to
create it yourself,” she says. The main magazine in the area is monthly glossy
Hampshire Life, now owned by Newsquest. The team shares an office with The Daily Echo (which also produces free magazine Hampshire Living). Elizabeth Kirby, editor of Hampshire Life and Cornwall Life, says: “Hampshire Life started off about 25 years ago as a
Pitches wanted Elizabeth Kirby, editor of Hampshire Life and group editor of titles covering the south west, says the magazines rely on contributors and welcome
“It’s a lovely place to live and super well connected. If you love that outdoorsy waterfront living, you’ll enjoy living in Southampton.” Elizabeth Kirby, editor, Hampshire Life
“It’s a small, multicultural city with a thriving arts scene and lots of green space. Unfortunately, it took a battering during the Second World War and postwar architecture isn’t great.” Kate Taylor, planning editor, ITV News Meridian
“It’s got a really strong community. I know people who have put roots down here more quickly than in 15 years in London.” Sally Churchward, journalist and editor, In Common
pitches: “We pay for words and images. If photographers have some great cover shots or anything that might go alongside a feature, we’ve got a budget for that too.”
Learn broadcasting Kate Taylor, planning editor at ITV News Meridian, advises
journalists to apply for the ITV trainee scheme: “It gives a fabulous introduction to all aspects of broadcast journalism with extensive training and usually ends with a job within an ITV regional newsroom.” ITV News Meridian also takes people on work experience.
90-page publication and we now have about 212 pages each month. We’re a really big magazine and encompass everything to do with the county.” Kirby has lived in Southampton for 20 years, after moving there to go to university. “I love being close to the water. I think that’s one of the biggest draws,” she says. She now has two boys of her own, one of whom belongs to the local sailing club and the other is learning to sail – not an opportunity she had growing up in Northampton. Another advantage is the proximity to London. Kirby used to commute regularly to do shifts on women’s magazines (a direct train takes just over an hour). Bournemouth, Bristol, Brighton, Winchester and the Isle of Wight are also within reach, as well as beaches, the New Forest and South Downs. The cost of living, rent and house prices are much lower
than in London and Kirby says that if you cross the river Itchen and move a bit further out to areas such as Woolston, you can get even more value for money. Aside from being Europe’s sailing capital, it is very green. “The parks within the city are some of the prettiest I’ve ever seen and quite unexpected,” says Kirby. “You’ve got on one hand a very industrial waterfront and, next, you’re walking through wisteria tunnels in East Park. There are lots of lovely opportunities for walking.” Plans for the marina include a £200 million scheme to
redevelop Town Quay, with four apartment blocks and a five-star luxury hotel with panoramic views. “It’s a very progressive city,” says Kirby. “There is lots going on behind the scenes to try to elevate it and transform it.” If it was good enough for Ken Masters back in the 1980s (TV
series Howard’s Way), its transformation could make it an option for hacks today.
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