‘Passing the time on the Undercliff’: Speaker: Richard Smout This month’s Society meeting is on Friday 29th September 2023, when the speaker will be Richard Smout from the Isle of Wight Heritage Service, whose talk is about how our ancestors spent their leisure time, and the clues that can be found from archive sources. The… read more »
High Street, Ventnor, in the early 1900s. Article by Michael Freeman,
Flowers Brook Camping Site, by Michael Freeman. A photo showing the camping site and Woody Bay in the 1950s introduces the article which describes the site and accommodation, and a visit there by a family from Tyrone in Northern Ireland. PDF of article available to read here: Flowers Brook Camping Site
The Hann twins, Ethelreda and Sheila, were born in 1908, grandchildren of Henry Brown who ran the well-known Posting and Riding establishment in Pier Street, Ventnor. The article includes information about the Brown family and their Pier Street business with a photograph of the twins in their pram, a few weeks old, and a second… read more »
The Rex Cinema, by Colin Beavis, describes something of the history of the Rex Cinema in Church Street, which opened in 1938 and was popular with the inhabitants of Ventnor, young and old alike, until it closed in 1980. The artcle includes a photo of the outside of the cinema and one of the site… read more »
A Bull family photo. By Michael Freeman. The photograph, likely dated between 1910 and 1914, pictures a family on the rustic bridge at the bottom of the Ventnor Cascade. The Royal Navy sailor in the picture could be Thomas Bull, surrounded by his wife, mother and children; the family later emigrated to Australia. The article… read more »
When holiday coaches once crowded Ventnor’s streets. By Michael Freeman. In the 1950s three coach companies operated in Ventnor – Randall’s based on the High Street, Crinage’s on Church Street and Nash’s on Pier Street. A photo shows one of Randall’s pre-war vehicles on a ‘Round the Island’ trip. The article mentions: Harry the Tout,… read more »
This month’s meeting is on Friday 28th July. The speaker is Paul Kingswell, whose talk, An Isle of Wight Postcard Collection, covers the history of postcards as well as the hobby of postcard collecting, and will feature a selection of cards covering various aspects of Isle of Wight life from the early 1900s to the… read more »
Pulpit Rock. By Michael Freeman. Pulpit Rock in Bonchurch, a mansion built around 1850, was owned at one time by Dr Henry Leeson. The article includes a image of the house on a carte de visite (visiting card), with a second photograph showing the sandstone rock on the cliff behind the house after which the… read more »
Bonchurch Inn. By Michael Freeman. The photograph heading this article shows visitors taking refreshment in the courtyard in about 1930 when Frank Martin was the licensee, and an advertisement from the 1938 Ventnor Guide gives information on facilities and prices at that time. The article mentions Frank Stacey, Allan Roake, Ventnor 7 telephone number, Ribbands… read more »