Four years ago the first mural to adorn the Bevois Mount area was completed. Despite massive changes to the city over the years, the outline of the original Bevois Mount Estate is still intact and symbols such as the Stag Gates still exist in folk memory. We were lucky to secure the services of Slam Daniels, renowned street artist, and Ally is a very handy artist herself.
The first mural was a very ambitious project, covering three walls on the side of Bitter Virtue. OARA hold their twice yearly street parties by the mural, and visitors to the Alma road surgery frequently pass by.
Not content with a Facebook page, website, talks, guided walks, and publishing pamphlets, books and a yearly calendar Bevois Mount History also aim to make the area attractive and give information to local people, students and visitors. The following year we decided to put the Earl into Earls road; the Earl of Peterborough that is - the man responsible for the original Bevois Mount Estate. Earls road, Mordaunt road and Peterborough road are named for him. Slam and Ally teamed up again and an impressive mural took shape.
The Earl is ideally situated, being just a few steps from the Guide Dog, and he can also be seen from Lodge road.
Not content with just the Earl, two other murals also appeared that year: Anastasia Robinson, opera singing wife of the Earl, and Alexander Pope, his good friend.
Since forming in 2013 Bevois Mount History have uncovered many interesting stories about residents through the ages. We wanted to commemorate some of these people by putting up memorial plaques, but weren't sure how to go about it. It turned out that, just like murals, all that was necessary was to get the permission of the owners of the buildings. So Tommy Lewis, Eric Meadus, John Arlott, and Frank McFadden now have their own plaques.
As stated on the plaque, situated in Alma road, Tommy Lewis was one of Southampton's first Labour members of parliament. He was instrumental in forming a number of trade unions including the British Seafarers Union. He represented members of the Titanic crew and organised strikes to ensure that there were enough lifeboats on other cruise liners.
Eric Meadus was born in Rigby road and had great natural artistic talent. Through H Margery Clark he met LS Lowry who encouraged him in his art. Unfortunately Eric died young, but he left behind many sketches and some beautiful idealistic pictures of the Flowers estate in Swaythling!
Eric Meadus was born in Rigby road and had great natural artistic talent. Through H Margery Clark he met LS Lowry who encouraged him in his art. Unfortunately Eric died young, but he left behind many sketches and some beautiful idealistic pictures of the Flowers estate in Swaythling!
Everyone knows John Arlott was a renowned cricket commentator, but he was also a policeman in Southampton for ten years. During that time he policed a mass gathering on the Common when Oswald Mosley came to town, wrote and edited several books of poetry, delivered lectures on Russian Military History to the troops, and broadcast the police's tribute to the king on VE Day. He lived with his wife Dawn at 114 Lodge road, and was happy that there was plenty of space for his books. He wasn't so keen on the large garden though - something that has been remedied now by infill building.
The McFadden family lived in the house on the corner of Rose and Avenue road. Frank and his brothers worked for the Ordnance Survey at the turn of the twentieth century. Frank was a talented artist who was responsible for the etchings in a delightful book known as Vestiges of Old Southampton. He produced the pictures just before there was a major slum clearance in the town. His picture of Blue Anchor lane is well known.
The most complicated piece of hardware that we have had to organise was the Welcome to Bevois Mount sign. This involved applying for a council grant, co-ordinating the site and then waiting for the artwork to be done! It was all worth it in the end, and the sign is at the Stag Gates end of Lodge road.
While we've been in lockdown we have not been idle. Thanks to Will Rosie Southampton is fast becoming the city of mosaics. We didn't want the Bevois Mount area to be left out, and what could be more suitable than Sir Bevois himself? He is currently embellishing the planter on Alma road.