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Freshwater Bay
Freshwater Bay photos
Displaying the first of 31 old photos of Freshwater Bay. View all Freshwater Bay photos
Freshwater Bay maps
Historic maps of Freshwater Bay and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Freshwater Bay maps
Freshwater Bay area books
Displaying 1 of 4 books about Freshwater Bay and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Freshwater Bay
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Freshwater Bay.
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Brambles Holiday Camp
When I was about ten (1967), we went on holiday from London to the Isle of Wight with my mum and dad and brother. We stayed at Brambles Holiday Camp, which I think was in Freshwater Bay? It was one of those old fashioned British places like on 'Hi di Hi', where they woke you in the morning with loudspeaker announcements, and told you of the itinerary for the day. It seemed like everybody got involved with endless events all day long, including obstacle races, nature trails, whist tours, horse riding, and rollerskating, amongst many others. I remember the weather was beautiful and sunny, and the location was wild and pretty. In the evenings, they would have a show in the clubhouse for the adults, and there was a patrol of the chalets by staff to listen out for the children crying. I have a photo of me, with my mum and dad, at a table in the clubhouse one night. I'm wearing a stick-on moustache and striped boating hat... Read more
Isle of Wight memories
Hook Hill
In 1960, when I was 6, we moved into Longhalves, a detached house on the left of Hook Hill going up, and just on the brow of the hill. The road then was narrow and dangerous, and in about 1964 they took 3 - 4 yards off our front garden to widen the road and make a footpath. Opposite the main gate to Longhalves was Asher's field. Mr Asher kept cows on there, and we used to walk through the field across the marsh and the old railway line (closed even then), and onto Afton Road. The railway station was derelict when we moved in, but within a few years became a spring factory. Next to Longhalves on the uphill side set back, the builder, George Weeks, built a bungalow to live in. Our garden went back quite a way right up to a row of firs boardering Weeks' yard. My father dug that garden out over the years and uncovered yards of flag paths, with some square rose gardens... Read more
Totland Tea Gardens
My late father and mother-in-law used to love their holidays on the Isle of Wight and particularly enjoyed their times at what they called Totland Tea Gardens.
Would anyone have any recollection of this place? I would be especially interested in photos and/or the location as we are staying in Totland for a week in June and would love to know where this place was (is?). Thank you.
Mountfield Caravan Park
My great uncle Frank and his wife Fan Sampson and their partner Chip Wright owned this park then. My grandfather Bert Sampson helped out there too. We used to come for family holidays from our home in London. I loved it. The Island was magical. I never wanted to go home. We visited all our family and had great holidays. There was a big house there where the family lived. I think it is still there. There was a little shop full of groceries and holiday must-haves. My first place to go. There was a playground and a sandpit too. I never understood why I loved the Island so much, then I traced my family tree in later years and found we came from there, mystery solved.
Joy Arnold as A Child
I lived on the Isle of Wight from the early 1930s until roughly 1943.We lived at several different locations, Cranmore being one of them. I remember as a small child Mrs Jordan's shop. I also have vague memories of the old postman wearing his Victorian postman's uniform and also of Mr and Mrs Higginbottom. As I recall, Mr Higginbottom worked for an insurance company and was also a Sunday School teacher and taught myself and my two brothers Reg and Archie . Mr and Mrs Higginbottom took all three of us to Sunday School in their car. There were two elderly sisters who lived next door to us who kept angora rabbits for their fur, which they used to spin! I think of them as my guardian angels as they used to tell me to sing "There is a happy land" at the top of my voice when I went to fetch the milk from the farm nearby so that they knew that I was safe. ( I was only... Read more
Our House!
Our house is the second left and I was about 8 when this was taken. The field in front of the houses is now the site of the Methodist Chapel.
Going to School
I walked past these houses every day to and from school from 1956 to 1959 when my family lived at Marsh Green.
