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People of
Portsmouth:
The 20th Century in Their Own Words
John Stedman (ed.)
This remarkable oral history of the 20th century
in Portsmouth, compiled by Portsmouth Museums and
Records Service together with leading local historians,
offers a fascinating insight into the experience of
life during the recent past. The many voices that
have been recorded provide an intimate, authentic
portrait of Portsmouth and its people, with chapters
focusing on the key stages in personal life stories
– on childhood, courtship, sex and marriage,
family life, old age and death. Earning a living plays
a principal role in the story and there are first-hand
accounts of working conditions and of Portsmouth’s
varied occupations – from knife-grinding, corset-making,
aircraft manufacture and market gardening to police
work, shop work and, of course, work in Portsmouth's
dockyard. The book also looks back to the entertainments
and leisure pursuits of their day, including the seaside,
cinemas, cafes, sports, music, dancing, the pub and
the coming of television.
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