Sir Sidney Kimber, who helped shape modern day Southampton, was born in Highfield on 5 November 1873.

Sir Sidney Kimber was born on 5 November 1873, in Highfield. He was Mayor of Southampton from 1918 to 1920 and then made an Alderman. He helped shape modern day Southampton. He was the driving force behind the Civic Centre and also established Southampton Municipal Golf Course – hailed as the best in England. After his marriage, he lived at Oakdene, at the corner of Welbeck Avenue and Church Lane. He died in 1949 and is remembered by the ‘Kimber’ porch, designed by E. Berry Webber for Highfield Church.