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Lake
Lake maps
Historic maps of Lake and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Lake maps
Lake area books
Displaying 1 of 4 books about Lake and the local area. View all books for this area
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Memories of Lake
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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
Lower Hyde Farm
I can remember staying in a caravan at Lower Hyde farm, we used to go there lots when I was a kid in the 1960s. I can still remember staying there when England won the World Cup, not that it meant a lot to me then! I remember mum sending dad over to the clubhouse to watch the match... Coming from East London it really felt like we were in the country, it was lovely. I took my own kids back to this site about 15 years ago, it was unrecognisable to me (and my mum) it had been taken over by some large 'Haven' type Company... We used to have some lovely holidays in Shanklin. We also stayed at Fawleys guest house in Hope rRoad, didn't enjoy that as much as the caravan though. Mum did as it meant no cooking for a fortnight:)
Lower Hyde Farm in 1966
I too stayed at Lower Hyde Farm on many occasions as a child and remember arriving on the day of the 19966 World Cup final. We listened to the match on another passenger's transistor radio, standing in the guards's van on the Ryde to Shanklin train. In those days it was still a steamer before the tube trains arrived. Usually, when we arrived at Shanklin locals would be out with sack barrows offering to take your baggage to your guest house/cravan site etc. Like you I returned as an adult on a trip and couldn't recognise the site although the chine and the beach were pretty much as was.
The Londoner Rickt@pdq.net
I wonder if any one remembers the cockney kid Fred, who moved into "The Elms" back in 55 at the wonderful age of 15, went to school in Sandown for almost a year until graduation, ended up with the Royal Mail until I eventually returned to London went on to Manchester and then the rest of the world in the oil business.
Had lots of fun back then with the skiffle group at the teenagers hangout, I forget the night but remember the fun times. Always wondered what happened to Ruth Groves, she left for London before me and I lost contact. Anyway, it was also facinating to a city kid to grow thing like toms, cukes, peas, etc. etc. I enjoyed it so much that to this day I have a veg. garden. Oh by the way, I live in Texas now and enjoy all year growing weather with maybe three or four light frosts a year. Contact me for a chat if you remember me.
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.
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.
