Lions in Southampton

When our American Airlines flight was delayed on the tarmac in Philly, Julie and I were feeling pretty good about our decision to refrain from booking the earliest bus from London Heathrow Airport to Southampton.

An hour later, still waiting on the plane at PHL, we were concerned about making it in time for our later booked reservation.

The pilot somehow made up all of the lost time in the air, and with London's easy photo-recognition helping us clear customs efficiently, we made it in time for that earlier bus.  I asked if we could still take it and was told we had to go later as scheduled.

We sipped coffee, checked email and eventually boarded our bus for the uneventful ride.

  

In Southampton, a local pointed a route along the sidewalk to our hotel, Moxy Southampton, in a contemporary, corporate neighborhood of twenty-first century buildings near a shopping mall called West Quay.

Arriving just after noon, the tattooed clerk immediately handed us room keycards despite it being well before the official check-in time.  High marks for that!  

Moxy is a hip, modern hotel with the casual feel of an idealized youth hostel but with posh hotel rooms.  It's probably targeted for Gen Z but worked well for us.

Having eaten on the plane, our priority was a short nap to wait out the forecasted rain.

I was out like a light, and the next thing I knew Julie was opening curtains to wake me up.  The drizzle had abated.

This being England, we set out with umbrellas.

We sauntered past the old city wall and modern buildings to a nearby Burger King for a bite to eat before exploring the old town.

Southampton is something of a hodgepodge of historic sites, touristy restaurants and some shops used by travelers and locals alike.

Immediately outside the Burger King is the majestic town gate built in medieval times.

That old city entrance, Bargate, dates back to 1180, so quite remarkable based on that alone, but it also happens to be quite beautiful.

Most people seem to pass it without noticing.

I assume those others passing the gates were mostly locals who have seen Bargate so many times that they no longer notice the structure, but it is truly remarkable from either side.

As we strolled through town, restaurants from about every culture but England's vied for attention at well-worn storefronts.

And then dramatically there's a remarkable historic building arising next to that 1950's shopfront.

We had arranged to meet our friends Mike and Linda, who would be joining us on our cruise, at The White Star, a very cool looking pub and inn where they would be staying that night. We thought we would be having a pint there, but instead we headed out to find a pub elsewhere.

Photo by Mike and Linda

They had been traveling all day from the Lake District, where their son Chris and his family recently moved, so they probably wanted to stretch their legs and see the village.

We walked to the nearby Holy Rood and took some photos, not only because it is a beautiful church but also because Rood is Mike and Linda's last name.

Linda found The Red Lion Pub on her iPhone.  It was supposed to be 50 yards from where we sat, but we couldn't see it from there.  

Mike and I have known each other since first grade, and part of that time was spent at Westminster High, where we were the Lions and our primary school color was red.  As such, it seemed like fate that the old Lions should go to The Red Lion for a pint or two.

Despite being clearly marked, The Red Lion's historic Tudor facade seemed to disappear among more garish signs between Holy Rood and there.

The patrons sitting at the old bar seemed to be locals.  

We grabbed a table in the corner and returned to place our orders.

Mike and I sampled a couple of brews, opting for pints of the tasty house-branded ale while the ladies went with wine.

The meal specials on the chalk board featured Potato Jackets with assorted stuffing.  Julie went bacon and cheese, while Linda went with scampi.

From the regular menu, Mike and I split fish and chips with peas and salad, which because of the giant piece of fried cod that seems to be the norm in the UK was plenty for me and I hope filled Mike.  The barmaid gave us an extra plate when she brought the meals.

I tried some of Linda's "scampi" and thought it looked and tasted more like macaroni and mayo (not very good, IMHO).  My fish and chips tasted great.

I'd recommend staying with the main menu's Battered Cod, or perhaps the Home-Made Steak & Ale Pie that I think Mike would have ordered had I not asked if he wanted to split the cod.  Neither of us were hungry, but we could have probably eaten it all. 

Mike and I once again marveled over the fact that two kids from a blue-collar neighborhood had globe-trotted to so many amazing places around the world with our Bond Girl wives.  These old Lions had last traveled together just before Covid-19 raised its ugly head.  That had been a great trip to South America/Antarctica cruise.

This pub had a considerably longer history than us, as this blurb from the menu revealed.

The Red Lion, situated in the High Street, below the Bargate and within the old walled town of Southampton, is one of the oldest inns in the city.

The cellar is of Norman vintage dating back to the 12th century, but parts of the upper structure of the inn, which has been considerably altered, are of Tudor origin.

The most attractive part of the inn’s interior decor is the fine timbered apartment known as Henry V’s Court Room.

This was used for the trail of Richard, Earl of Cambridge, Lord Scrope of Masham and Sir Thomas Grey of Heton, all of whom conspired against the life of the crown of Henry V in 1415, immediately prior to Henry’s departure from Southampton to Agincourt.

The trial was a famous landmark in English history. The conspirators were found guilty of high treason, condemned to death and summarily Executed outside the Bargate. A rubbing from stone describing the execution can be seen in the Court Room.

Photo By Mike and Linda

The Red Lion is the kind of pub that many new taverns try to emulate, but there is something very cool about being in a place where significant history unfolded. 

All of us were pretty knackered --- which as our old friend Crabtree might recall is an English term that popped up in some conversation when we were in college --- by the time we finished a second round of drinks, so we headed to our respective hotels with plans to meet onboard Caribbean Princess.

Photo by Mike and Linda

The next morning, Julie and I set out again with umbrellas at the ready to explore more of the town, seeking out historic spots highlighted in the tourist map provided at the Moxy front desk.

High on the list to see was the Mayflower Memorial, dedicated by the American descendants of John Alden, who joined the Mayflower when the ship stopped in Southampton for supplies and recruited him as a cooper.

John Alden is remembered as the first man to set foot on Plymouth Rock.

From my elementary school memories, I associate John Alden and his mate Priscilla with the first Thanksgiving.  Just thinking back on those formative days in elementary school when we made Pilgrim hats out of construction paper makes me smile.

Who doesn't still cherish a turkey art project that begins with tracing a child's hand?

As I write this, we are fast approaching another Thanksgiving.  I thank God for all the blessings of my life as an American, including having the ways, means and curiosity to visit the lands of our country's heritage.