Southampton was the "home" of the Ocean Liner Titanic, and is now the official home to the newest liner, which was named Queen Mary 2, on Thursday January 8th 2004 by the Her Majesty the Queen. Today it is the home of the Round-the-World Yacht Race. The boats come in at Ocean Village, a small man-made yacht base with entertainment and shops, beautiful waterside restaurants and bars. Many people gather at the weekends to relax; including sailors, students, and the general public.

Southampton holds the biggest Boat Show in the South of England in September, with pontoons spread out over the water. There's plenty to do and see & the nearby Hotel makes fine accommodation, while giving access to the boat show which has grown in size over the years. Make it your September date.

 Within the area of Southampton itself, are many interesting places to visit. These include the aeroplane museum, which has an original flying boat. As you climb aboard her you realise that this is very spacious compared with flying today. Southampton was also the home of the Spitfire, so a visit to the aeroplane museum is a must.

Southampton is also noted for its parks. These are always well kept, with many bright flowers in season. The Pilgrim Fathers left for America from this famous port, that is why there is a park called Mayflower Park overlooking Southampton Water, where there is much going on all the time. It is nice to park the car and just watch the boats come and go.

 A pleasant cruise can be had across to the Isle of Wight on a P&O cruiser or a nice trip to Hythe where T.E. Lawrence once stayed while working on the Flying Boats. The motorway links Southampton to Bournemouth and Portsmouth where there are also many attractions. The New Forest is always delightful whatever the season, and that leads to Lymington, another yacht haven in the South.

The local radio in the city is a very lively one with great participation by ordinary people; it covers an area from Poole to Chichester, with News Views and traffic information. A giant new shopping centre, called West Quay is now complete, linking the present shopping centre by a series of paths.

 The Bargate and some of the original walls of Southampton remain; parts of these you can walk along. When coming to the U.K. be sure and visit Southampton.

Full information from the Civic Centre. This contains a very pleasant award winning art gallery & library. It has a good restaurant and is situated opposite one of the city's parks, which gives a tranquil view while dining out. The city also contains many coffee shops and bars, some quite recent additions to the full complement of restaurants.

For further information visit the official web site at