1935 – I Walk Alone

Research rabbit hole ~ Portswood 1935

Portswood Road – The Palladium is on the right

I lived in Portswood for a couple of years in the early 1980s, in a flat on Belmont Road, so when I wrote A Dish Best Served Cold, and my characters took me there, I already had a feel for the area. Things were different in Portswood in 1935, but modern-day Portswood still has remnants of its past glory, if you look closely. These, along with old photographs and searches through Kelly’s Directories, formed the bones of my story’s world. As usual, my research led me down some interesting rabbit holes and uncovered lots of snippets of information, many of which never made it onto the page. Rather than waste them, I’ll share them with you now.

Research rabbit hole ~ Cafe culture 1935 ~ The Bungalow Cafe

When I was writing A Dish Best Served Cold, I needed a fancy cafe where Arthur could hang out. A search of the 1935 Kelly’s Directories showed me a long list of options, but more research told me The Bungalow Cafe, at 157 Above Bar Street — billed as ‘the most up-to-date restaurant in Southampton,’ was the sort of place a show off like Arthur would love. ‘He enjoyed having a pageboy open the door for him. The art déco interior, live music, and waiters ready to cater to his whims made him feel important. This place echoed his aspirations — upmarket, modern, vibrant’. My quest to find out more about it, to paint a picture of Arthur’s regular visits and some of the defining moments of his story, uncovered an interesting tale.

Research Rabbit Hole ~ East Street & The Ditches 1935

East Street looking towards St Mary’s Street 1930s

Known locally as the Ditches, Southampton’s East Street and Canal Walk play an important part in my latest novel, A Dish Best Served Cold. East Street dates back to the days of the medieval town when it led from English Street (now the High Street) to Bag Row (now St Mary’s Street) and linked the medieval town with the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Hamwic. Of course, modern-day East Street is nothing like the street in my novel. The Southampton blitz saw to that.

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