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Brading
Brading maps
Historic maps of Brading and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Brading maps
Brading area books
Displaying 1 of 4 books about Brading and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Brading
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Brading.
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My Mother And Me, Brading High Street.
The lady and the small boy by the Wax Museum are my mother and me. I was born in 1962.
Grandad's Cement Works
Mr grandfather owned the old cement works in Quay Lane (this picture shows the large building with the tall chimney, centre of frame) and his men used to make concrete roofing tiles there. In the late 1950's the chimney became dangerous and they used expolsives to demolish it. I have some very poor photos of this. His building company was so busy he closed the factory one winter and the employees were called in to work on his sites. When they opened up in the spring, all of the aluminium moulds had been stolen and the buildings fell into disrepair. I now live in a house built on the old foundations of the brickworks, and my horses have stables over the original ovens which are still underneath. I cherish the history behind my home, and share old stories with some of the former employees who still live in Brading.
Isle of Wight memories
Summer Holidays
Many of my childhood summer holidays were spent at Sandown. We usually stayed at Mrs. Woodnutt's hotel in Carter Street. Mr. Woodnutt hired out the deck chairs on Sandown Beach. He also kept ferrets and I was allowed to go and help him look after them. One of our family's favourite places was the miniature golf course pictured. It was called Brown's as was the canoe lake next door. Browns made the most delicious ice cream, very welcome after following the grown-ups around the pitch and putt course. Oh the joy when I was deemed old enough to have a putter, ball and score card of my own!
Sandown Youth Hostel
It was 1969 and I had just come down from Manchester and was staying once more in my family home in Hatch End. My parents suggested that I took my younger brother away for a break following his "O" Levels so we set off for a youth hostelling trip to the Isle of Wight.
A ferry crossing from Portsmouth was followed by a ride on the "new" trains on the island. In fact these were former London Transport tubes so it was something of a surreal experience to rattle through the island's countryside in a blue painted tube carriage! We decided to stay in Sandown that August and had a great time enjoying the sunny weather on the beach and also walking around exploring for three or four days. I have not returned to the island since 1969 but still remember what a lovely time we had so I hope to return before too long. Maybe next time I shall be taking my granddaughter Anna... Read more
School Days
I was at Bembridge School above Whitecliff Bay from 1953 to 1958. I used to spend many happy hours in the bay and on the top of Culver Down.
Bembridge my Home
I was born in Seaview but my mother and grandparents lived at "erndene' Steyne rd.
I went to the Bembridge villiage school and attended the villiage church. I was free to roam the villiage aand beaches at will as the villiage was very safe for children.
I and my family would swim at Lane end and at Forelands and Howegate, We would look for winkles and crabs and also would go mushrooming on the downs. My father was a pilot so we spent time at the Bembridge airport. We lived part of the time on Toad Hall houseboat on the harbour. My mother taught me to love Bembridge and she knew it very well(as did I) She knew the names of all the wildflowers and where all the birdsnests were and she taught me to respect the sea and the tides. What an idealic upbringing it was, I have only the fondest memories.
Happy Days
Seeing this picture of the Spithead Hotel has taken me back to my childhood in Bembridge. I have very happy memories playing with my friend Carola who was the owner's daughter. We would play for hours in this hotel making up endless games, hiding in all the rooms and having great fun although sometimes it was a bit spooky out of season when we had the whole hotel to our selves. Happy days.
