Ventnor and District Local History Society are delighted to announce the release of a new book about the iconic St Catherine’s School in Ventnor. Written by Michael Pye, the book provides a valuable insight into the history of St Catherine’s and its evolution as a groundbreaking school for children with speech and communication difficulties. Michael… read more »
Our next Society Meeting will be on Friday 30 October, when Mark Louis Earp will give a talk on Isle of Wight Pub History, with the intriguing title: Murder, Mystery and Manifestations. The meeting is in the Yarborough Masonic Hall, Grove Road, Ventnor, 7.30 – 9.00 pm as usual. All Welcome: Admission free for Society members,… read more »
Our next Local History Society Monthly Meeting will be on Friday 25 September 2026, when Lesley Telford will be talking about some of the memories of life in the last century that have been published by the Society – and some that are to come. Copies of some of our publications will be available on sale… read more »
Society Monthly Meeting: Friday 31 July 2026: Our next Local History Society Monthly Meeting will be on Friday 31 July 2026, when Andy Butler and Alan Clark will be giving us the second part of their series Ventnor – The Early Years. Andy and Alan’s talks are always popular, so we look forward to seeing… read more »
Ventnor & District Local History Society Open Meeting The Trustees would like to thank everybody who attended the Ventnor & District Local History Society Open Meeting held on 29 May 2026. We also extend thanks to those who couldn’t be with us on the night, who none the less, took time to contact us with… read more »
The Society meeting on Friday 28 November 2025 will be the last meeting of this year, and Paul Kingswell will be presenting a slideshow: My 2025 Collecting Year: 99 Old Photographs. The meeting will be in the Yarborough Masonic Hall on Grove Road as usual, 7:30 – 9:00 pm, admission free for VDLHS members, £4 for… read more »
Our next Society Monthly Meeting will be on 25 April 2025, when Andy Butler and Alan Clark will continue with Part 3 of their series Do you remember? An Isle of Wight Scrapbook. This final part covers 1970 to the present day. Andy and Alan’s talks are always popular, so we look forward to seeing… read more »
The first Independent or Congregational chapel was erected in Ventnor in 1836 at a cost of £500. It was located on the north side of the High Street in part of what is now the main shoppers’ car park. Sometime in the 1840s, the building was enlarged with the addition of a school room. A gallery… read more »
Our final monthly meeting for 2024 will be on 29th November, when Paul Thompson’s talk, ‘Nothing to see here . . . ‘ will be about the recent archaeological ground investigation into the emerging story of the possible WW2 raid on RAF St Lawrence in 1943. As always, the meeting is in the Yarborough Masonic… read more »
Myrtle Bay a postcard tale. By Michael Freeman.