We Are Pompey: John Westwood backs Portsmouth's UK City of Culture Bid and shares his love of our city
Meet the people backing Portsmouth’s City of Culture Bid
Portsmouth is bidding to become the 2029 City of Culture. Here we meet one of the people in the city backing the bid - and find out why Portsmouth is so special to them.
John Portsmouth Football Club Westwood - Famous Pompey fan
John Westwood is not only well known by football fans in Portsmouth but is known by fans across the country for his passionate following of Pompey and crazy matchday outfit. So passionate is he about the city and its football club that he changed his middle name to Portsmouth Football Club.
Why John is backing the bid
John said: “Portsmouth is steeped in history and culture. Look at all the authors who we have had, HG Wells, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Charles Dickens, Neil Gaiman, Rudyard Kipling, and Jane Austin used to visit. We have the Mary Rose Museum, HMS Victory, and the most important dockyard in the world, it was a trend setter that led the way in the industrial revolution.
“We have the Round Tower, the Spinnaker Tower, Southsea Common, we have so much. It is just a lovely place. It is an island, not even a part of mainland England but it is one of the most important city’s in the country. You have London but in my mind the next most important city is Portsmouth as it has helped make England what it is today.
“Portsmouth is what England is all about, it is a working class city, it is an honest city. It is a bit rough and ready but there is nothing wrong with that. It is full of honest working class people who love this country and love this city. What you see is what you get with Pompey and that is what I love about it.”
Portsmouth in three words: City with heart
Beyond the bio
When not following Pompey up and down the country, John can be found at his bookshop in Chapel Street, Petersfield. The Petersfield Bookshop stocks a range of antique and second hand books.