Ventnor Heritage Centre

"To Collect, Record and preserve the rich heritage and history of Ventnor and surrounding villages, and share it with local and wider communities"

Newsletters |
Menu

Newsletters

Regular newsletters sent out to Ventnor & District Local History Society members were first produced in 2002, and almost all past newsletters are now available here in PDF format.  It’s fascinating to see how the Society has changed over the last twenty years, while always keeping local history at its core.  Sadly we are missing Newsletter No. 23, September 2013 – if anyone has a copy we would be delighted to see it!

The newsletters continued regularly until, sadly, the Covid 19 Pandemic struck; as well as losing friends, volunteers and members, we were unable to produce or distribute regular newsletters for more than two years.  But we are back to normal now, with news of the Society and Heritage Centre  once again being sent to all our members.  We  welcome new members, so if you are interested in the local history of Ventnor and the surrounding area please join us – for details see   Becoming a Member.

VDLHS Newsletters for Society Members (2002 onwards):

2002-14

Exhibitions, stories, images . . .

Olivia: Portrait of a Life

Olivia Parkes (1881-1962) was born in Walsall in the Midlands, but for many years lived a solitary life in a wooden hut in Myrtle Bay in Ventnor, where local people referred to her as ‘Britannia’, and her life has been a constant source of fascination to local people and visitors. This new exhibition for 2024, inspired in part by the ‘Olivia’ art installation by Teresa Grimaldi and Sarah Vardy shown at Ventnor Fringe Festival in 2023, features a model of Olivia’s home (Britannia’s Hut) and is accompanied by an extensive board display. A new book, 'Britannia, The Extraordinary Life of Olivia Parkes' is available to buy in the Ventnor Heritage Centre, or by post from our Online Shop.  

Sidebar