A guided walking tour celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Southampton Tourist Guides Association, looking back at the shops and streets of the past 50 years.
Southampton: Then and Now 1976-2026 is a guided walking tour on Sunday 20 September, marking the 50th anniversary of the Southampton Tourist Guides Association. It starts outside Southampton City Art Gallery and takes in Above Bar and the High Street, tracing the city's shops and streets as they've changed over the last half-century.
The walk is led by the Association, a group of volunteers who've spent years researching the history of the city's shopfronts and gathering archival photographs to bring the route to life. It's a nostalgic look back at the shops, cafes and streets that have changed or disappeared since 1976, following the High Street's transformation from its traditional stores to the rise of the West Quay shopping centre.
Along the way, the guides share memories of the social scene as it was in 1976: meeting a date under the clock at the Daily Echo offices, queuing to see Star Wars at the local cinema, and the pick-and-mix at Woolworths. It's as much about the people and the habits of the time as it is about the buildings themselves.
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If you're interested, the tour kicks off outside the Southampton City Art Gallery on 20 September, with the route taking you through Above Bar and along the High Street.
