Cowes, Birmingham Road c.1965

Photo ref: C173088

More about this scene

At the top of the High Street on the right is the Cowes Advertiser office, but just before that is the NSPCC charity shop. It was once Shergold's grocery, and still has beautiful tiles on the walls. Next door to that is Joliffe's shoe shop, established 1853, now closed, which has a handsome decorated tiled and stained glass front. On the right in Beckford Road is the public library and the Maritime Museum. The Museum displays paintings, logbooks, model ships, and yacht designs by Uffa Fox, and is a sailor's haven. Uffa used the carriageway of the old l896 Floating Bridge as his workshop. At the top of Shooters Hill there is a sign-post. To the left of the sign-post between the buildings can be seen a lovely view of the harbour and the boats of the Yacht Haven. On the same side of the road as the chemist's shop was Alexander Hall, now Alexander House (the pedimented building). This was a public hall where the people of Cowes watched theatre groups and attended dances. The theatre group has now transferred to the Trinity Theatre. Opposite Alexander House was once the Royal Cinema. There too is Beken, the world famous photographers, with the sign over the door 'By appointment to HRH the Duke of Edinburgh - Marine Photographers'.