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The Pompey Beat - Southsea Lifestyle Magazine
The Pompey Beat - Southsea Lifestyle Magazine
Scream If You Want to Go Faster! - A First Look at My New Pompey Beat Column in Southsea Lifestyle.
Scream If You Want to Go Faster! - A First Look at My New Pompey Beat Column in Southsea Lifestyle.
There’s a particular kind of energy to Portsmouth. Anyone who’s lived, worked, or grown up here knows it: that mix of seaside charm, naval grit, and the unpredictable pulse of a city that never quite sits still. It’s the same energy that defined my years on the beat in the 1990s, A time when policing Pompey could swing from quiet routine to full‑tilt chaos in the blink of an eye.
There’s a particular kind of energy to Portsmouth. Anyone who’s lived, worked, or grown up here knows it: that mix of seaside charm, naval grit, and the unpredictable pulse of a city that never quite sits still. It’s the same energy that defined my years on the beat in the 1990s, A time when policing Pompey could swing from quiet routine to full‑tilt chaos in the blink of an eye.
So I’m genuinely pleased to say that my first article under the Pompey Beat banner is now out in Southsea Lifestyle Magazine. It’s a small nod to those years: a look back at the lighthearted madness, the humour, and the moments that shaped both the city and the officers who served it. Hopefully it will be a blend of polcing the city in the 90s and how polcing issues compare today.
So I’m genuinely pleased to say that my first article under the Pompey Beat banner is now out in Southsea Lifestyle Magazine. It’s a small nod to those years: a look back at the lighthearted madness, the humour, and the moments that shaped both the city and the officers who served it. Hopefully it will be a blend of polcing the city in the 90s and how polcing issues compare today.
Why The Pompey Beat?
Why The Pompey Beat?
When I started writing STOP, POLICE! I realised how much of Portsmouth’s policing history — especially the everyday, human side of it, rarely gets told. The big incidents make headlines, but the real story of a city is found in the small moments. Those late‑night conversations outside kebab shops, the regulars who knew your name, the sudden scrambles to blue‑light chaos, and the quiet drives back to the station when you finally had a second to breathe.
When I started writing STOP, POLICE! I realised how much of Portsmouth’s policing history — especially the everyday, human side of it, rarely gets told. The big incidents make headlines, but the real story of a city is found in the small moments. Those late‑night conversations outside kebab shops, the regulars who knew your name, the sudden scrambles to blue‑light chaos, and the quiet drives back to the station when you finally had a second to breathe.
The Pompey Beat is my way of bringing those stories back into the light. The 1990s were a different world for policing. No body‑worn cameras. No smartphones. No instant social media storms. Just you, your partner, your radio, and whatever the next call threw at you. Portsmouth had its own rhythm back then. Friday nights on Guildhall Walk. The unpredictable churn of clubbers heading to Time and Envy and Joannas. The quieter corners of Southsea where trouble sometimes hid behind postcard views, such as the Rock Gardens or on (or under) the pier. And always, always, the sense that the next job could be anything from a neighbour dispute to a full‑blown foot chase.
The Pompey Beat is my way of bringing those stories back into the light. The 1990s were a different world for policing. No body‑worn cameras. No smartphones. No instant social media storms. Just you, your partner, your radio, and whatever the next call threw at you. Portsmouth had its own rhythm back then. Friday nights on Guildhall Walk. The unpredictable churn of clubbers heading to Time and Envy and Joannas. The quieter corners of Southsea where trouble sometimes hid behind postcard views, such as the Rock Gardens or on (or under) the pier. And always, always, the sense that the next job could be anything from a neighbour dispute to a full‑blown foot chase.
“Scream if you want to go faster!” wasn’t just a fairground phrase, it was the unofficial motto of many shifts. You learned to adapt, to think on your feet, and to find humour in the madness because sometimes that was the only way to stay sane.
“Scream if you want to go faster!” wasn’t just a fairground phrase, it was the unofficial motto of many shifts. You learned to adapt, to think on your feet, and to find humour in the madness because sometimes that was the only way to stay sane.
Bringing Those Stories to Today’s Readers
Bringing Those Stories to Today’s Readers
My first Pompey Beat article in Southsea Lifestyle is a gentle introduction — a look at 'Risk Taking'. If you’re local, you’ll recognise the places. If you’re not, you’ll still recognise the situations.
My first Pompey Beat article in Southsea Lifestyle is a gentle introduction — a look at 'Risk Taking'. If you’re local, you’ll recognise the places. If you’re not, you’ll still recognise the situations.
Pick Up a Copy
Pick Up a Copy
The magazine is free in major supermarkets across Pompey, and this month’s edition carries the very first Pompey Beat column. If you fancy a read, grab one while they’re still on the shelves. They tend to disappear quickly, and this issue has a proper slice of Portsmouth policing history tucked inside.
The magazine is free in major supermarkets across Pompey, and this month’s edition carries the very first Pompey Beat column. If you fancy a read, grab one while they’re still on the shelves. They tend to disappear quickly, and this issue has a proper slice of Portsmouth policing history tucked inside.
This is just the start. More stories, more memories, and more glimpses into the life behind the uniform are on the way.
This is just the start. More stories, more memories, and more glimpses into the life behind the uniform are on the way.
Portsmouth shaped me. Now I get to share a little of that with you.- Read the full article online at:
Portsmouth shaped me. Now I get to share a little of that with you.- Read the full article online at:
Stay safe - Richard
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