And it's not just sharing the details of where to find us on the web, although obviously that is one very good way of getting more people coming to this site - you can also share some of your memories, mementoes, old photographs and much more.

We are constantly on the look-out for new material - new "old" material, to be more accurate! - and we know that there is a huge treasure chest of forgotten history out there, tucked away in the backs of drawers, cupboards, desks, diaries ... we are all a part of history and our parents and grandparents before us probably even moreso, so if anyone has anything they think might interest our readers, please contact us via e-mail.

However, we must stress, please do NOT send any material via the postal system, as letters and packages can all-too-easily go astray, and there are some things that just cannot be replaced, regardless of insurance.

These days, photographs and other illustrations can be scanned and sent via e-mail, or, in some circumstances, we will arrange for one of us to pick-up from you and make sure your property is returned safely, within a few days. Better safe than sorry!

But coming back to "passing the word" - we all have a much wider network of contacts than we probably realise, ranging from family members, either living locally, or anywhere else in the world, to work colleagues, friends and maybe even people we just exchange the odd word with down at the pub.

It's a bit like the old "chain letter" syndrome - ten people pass on our details to another ten people each, then those people do the same again, and then again, and so on - and suddenly there are a million people in the know. Of course, it doesn't work out quite that way, as there will always be people who won't get around to passing on the message, or perhaps just tell one other person, but the numbers will certainly grow.

We will shortly be circulating all the schools in the region, as we firmly believe that we are creating a superb teaching and research facility, which is all the better because people can use it free of charge.

And the more people who read these pages, the more chances there are of us uncovering bits of history that might otherwise have disappeared into obscurity in time.

Our numbers are increasing all the time - initially, we did little to promote our presence, as we wanted to ensure that what we had in these pages was sufficient to make it worthwhile for people to visit us. We still have much to do, but we hope you will agree with us that we have already produced an excellent start to Portsmouth Now And Then, so we will be actively looking to "recruit" new regulars to the site.

So, if you are able to help us, we - and a lot of other people, ultimately - will be grateful for your efforts. Remember, this website is for YOU and people like you and in order to keep it going, we need to generate and maintain interest.

So, we hope that you are already enjoying regular visits to us, and that you will continue to do so for many years to come. And please, let us know - sign the guestbook, or e-mail us with comments and suggestions; we love knowing that you are out there, following our progress.

(** Please note - Guest Book entries will not appear immediately, as we have to filter them for innapropriate and "unsavoury" content - but it usually only takes 24 hours for your entry to be visible.)

Thank you for reading this welcome section and we hope you will explore the rest of the site fully, although that will now take a few days, at least.

Take care, but have fun at the same time,

Editor, Portsmouth Now And Then