SINCE that sad day 20 years ago when Southampton's Royal Pier turnstiles clattered round for the last time and the once elegant Victorian landmark closed for good, local people have looked out across the water from nearby Mayflower Park.

Despite present demands for action to either rebuild or demolish the remains of the pier, the harsh reality is that the combination of two disastrous fires and huge amounts of cash that would be needed for reconstruction means nothing is likely to happen to the structure in the immediate future.

Mayflower Park will remain the city's focal point on the waterfront but if you had tried to stroll here in past decades you would have certain-ly got your feet wet.

The site is on reclaimed land and it came into the possession of the corporation in 1934 as a result of exchange of land with the old Southern Railway. There were ambitious plans for the waterfront site and the record books of 1938 contain a glimpse of what might have been.

"The reclaimed land between the pier and the first of the Test Quays, No. 101, is to become a place of public resort,'' said a report at the time.

"Provision is made for a small car park near the entrance; a sunken garden surrounded by rock gardens and enclosing an ornamental pond with fountain forms the approach to the ground.

"Model yachtsmen will at last see the fruition of their dreams, for the central figure is a model yacht lake planned to catch the prevailing south west wind. It will be surrounded by paving and grass.

"At the north west corner there will be a band-stand and pavilion facing the lake, simply designed shelters will be placed along the paved terraces overlooking the waterfront with seating for 275 people.

"There will be a children's playground and sandpits and, to give a separate entrance to that area, a bridge over Docks Road is suggested.''

The Second World War intervened and the majority of the plans were never started.

In 1952 to 1953 a promenade and children's playground were provided and in 1955 the area was again upgraded, car parking introduced and its name changed from the Royal Pier Recreation Ground to Mayflower Park.

In April 1957 more plans were drawn up aimed at "re-establishing a more direct relationship between the town and port'' with the radical idea of removing the Royal Pier at the centre of the proposals.

"The Royal Pier would be replaced by a jetty purely for use by Red Funnel Line steamers; and to build on Mayflower Park a pavilion containing a dance hall, a small hall for film shows, lectures or exhibitions, and a large public restaurant and bar which would have fine views up and down the water,'' said the London architect, who drew up the scheme.

Despite some local discussion at the time no part of the plan was ever acted upon but by the early 60s the council were accumulating something like 6,000 tons of top-soil to enable grass areas to be laid out and a putting-green was established.

In the last couple of decades nothing drastic has changed at Mayflower Park (now the established site of the annual Southampton Boat Show, which begins again next month) and it remains a favourite spot to idle away a sunny afternoon or to watch the comings and goings of the port.

Converted for the new archive on 25 January 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.