My favorite street is FLYING BULL LANE ,Local legend has long held that this road was named after the first balloon flight in Portsmouth, c1784, which allegedly took off from a spot close to the site of the Air Balloon Public House (at the Commercial Road end of Flying Bull Lane). It was said that in order not to endanger human life the only passenger on this flight was a bull. The balloon was also said to have travelled as far as Rake, north of Petersfield, landing close to a public house named the Flying Bull Inn, which still exists.
Brilliant! I love Old Portsmouth, one of my favourite places in the UK, the history and its gateway to Europe make it a really fascinating place. I lived in Southsea for a while.
I'm very interested in the history of The Froddington pub in Fratton. Way back in the past it used to be called/pronounced "The Frodintone" which meant "The Settlement Of Frrodas People". Does anyone know who "Frodas People" were, and/or who Froda was and where he or they came from?
