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 »
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 »
A scene on Ventnor Beach from a hundred years ago, but looking surprisingly modern, with a mixed group of bathers and a few of the old bathing machines parked up by the sea wall. Click here to see the article: Ventnor Beach Scene – summer 1924
This week’s article describes some of the small selection of postcards in our Collection that give a glimpse of seaside humour in the first half of the twentieth century We have an exhibition of some of these in the Ventnor Heritage Museum this season, but don’t expect anything to match the ‘saucy’ cards produced by… read more »
In 1901, George Barfoot set up as a draper in premises formerly run by Walter Hammond at 101 and 103 on the north side of the High Street, close to the junction with Victoria Street George, his wife Kate and their children Ada, George and Marguerite had come to Ventnor from Tichfield in Hampshire; they… read more »
The 48 foot long ‘Queen Mary Hedge’ at Craigie Cottage St Lawrence, was a representation of the Cunard liner, created by John ‘Brisher’ White. He began working on it in 1938, and it ultimately grew to be eleven feet high and eight feet wide. Born at Niton Undercliff, John was a player member at Ventnor… read more »
In the 1920s Ventnor Horticultural Society held its annual flower show in Ventnor Park in conjunction with a sports programme, which included high jump, hurdles and the hundred yards sprint. It was well attended by the likes of Mrs Emily Franklin, Mrs Annie Attrill and Molly Attrill whose families had a long association with the… read more »
It is remarkable just how well small villages like Niton were provided with shops over the inter-war years with an antiques and furniture shop, a hardware shop, two grocers (Baverstock’s and Noriss’s), a post office, a haberdashery, a cobbler, two bakers, a butcher (Frederick Green and his delivery boy Ken Wright) and a chemist which… read more »
The Royal Hotel Buffet once stood at the junction of Belgrave and Zig Zag Roads, and in 1912 Christopher Cooper was the Manager, living on the premises. By the 1990s, however, changing habits had resulted in its closure and, in December 1996, the building became the subject of a Demolition Order. Town Councillor ‘Buster’ Bartlett… read more »