Photos wanted for Fareham’s ‘Golden Anniversary’
By Connor Steel
FAREHAM BOROUGH COUNCIL have invited all local residents to share their ”historical’ photographs from across the town since 1974 as they prepare to mark this area’s fifth decade as a official ‘Borough’; the council further creating this fresh logo graphic and listing a range of milestones on their website to kickstart their ‘Golden Anniversary’ celebrations.
The Borough was officially created back on April 9, 1974 (Tuesday) with the ‘inaugural’ council meetings which saw the “Charter of Incorporation” presented to the Mayor at 11am by the Lord Lieutenant for Hampshire. The “Captain of HMS Collingwood” further marked the occasion with the ‘Civic Mace’, that is still used to this day for all ceremonial purposes.
Fareham has seen the total of forty-one Mayors since this time and been represented as a Parliamentary Constituency by four MPs; the Borough marking a number of landmarks throughout this period. This includes the development of the leisure centre in 1980, shopping centre in 1981 and bus station in 1993 alongside a visit by Baroness Thatcher (2007).
Councillors have previously announced that a ‘gold’ colour scheme would be incorporated around Fareham, which was first seen in November at the Christmas Lights’ Switch-On event. Special flags will be flown along West Street later this year alongside large community events to mark the occasion; this year further due to see the opening of Fareham Live.
More information about future events can be seen via this page and the council aims to include Fareham’s past into the celebrations; starting with a special gallery page showing old photographs of the Borough since 1974. Residents are all invited to contribute to this project by offering their historical images from the last fifty years, using a variety of methods.
They can upload images to Facebook and can email them to publicity@fareham.gov.uk with residents asked to provide as much information about dates or locations. Alternatively physical photographs can be brought into the ‘Civic Offices’ and put into a special post box to be scanned but all contact information should be included to ensure their safe return.
PICTURED BY ALAMY (DDX5FJ): Photograph showing Civic Offices, which opened a year after first council meetings.
