In future, the 17th of June will be known as Someone Up There Likes me, Bembridge on the Isle of Wight Day.
Some sixty years ago, or more, my birth mother, Mabel, booked and paid for a caravan holiday for two weeks at Bembridge on the Isle of Wight, for herself, her eldest sister Lena, her younger sister Margaret who was known as Harriet and who was my care mother, and me. I cannot remember if this was the first family holiday. We had been prevented from having holidays at the seaside because of World War Two, we were poor and because she had her sisters had cared for a sister who had become progressively, deaf, dumb, blind and bedridden from school age meningitis.
It was not our first trip away together as during the last year of the war when Croydon, and the surrounding area, became the target for the greatest concentration of rocket bombs dropped in the UK, over 140, and all five of us went to stay for part of the year with a married sister who lived in army officer’s quarters with her baby son at Catterick camp in Yorkshire, then a few houses away from the base and surrounded by corn fields where we would walk in the evenings. I mention this because there were aspects of the Catterick experience, especially the travelling and being in the countryside which I remember as being similar to that at Bembridge.
In the last year of the war with Germany I had travelled with the disabled sister in an ambulance, and my care mother and her elder sister had travelled separately by train, with my birth mother staying behind until the end of the school term and then had travelled on her own to join us. When we returned to Wallington, after the bombing ceased, we had come back by train, my first long train journey experienced. It may even have been my first train journey of any kind My birth mother arranged the trip to the Isle of Wight from a newspaper advertisement without any prior knowledge or information about where we going, except that someone had said to her, or to one of her sisters that the Island was the place to go, perhaps reminding them of the peninsular island of their homeland, Gibraltar which they had been required to leave in 1938 and again in 1939.
The journey there and back would have taken some organising as it would have been necessary to take the Trolley bus, the 645 from a stop in Wallington close to our home and then walk from one part of Croydon to another and then catch the train to Portsmouth and take the passenger ferry from the Harbour to Ryde and then the Island train and then the bus to the village and then walk to the farm where the caravan was located. I can remember that there was a walk with cases from the village to the caravan and from the caravan to the headland of the Bembridge Ledge. No sandy beach and no seaside of a pier, a fish and chip café, ice creams, candy floss and amusement arcades, that we were expecting.
I have no picture in my head of the village as it was then, other than there were a few houses, an Inn but was there a store? I remember the disappointment, especially of my care mother that there was no beach and no seaside when we explored that first evening after a cooked meal. I recollect that there were still traces of the war defences which added concern about the location. Our other task that evening was to gain directions for the nearest Catholic Church and then how to get to the nearest public beach which was by a bus to Sandown. I cannot say for certain but I believe there was only a limited service there and back.
I do have a strong recollection that by the time we got up, had breakfast, made sandwiches for lunch and flasks of drinks and then caught the bus, it was around midday and time for lunch. It was a rule not to bathe for two hours until after a meal so it would mid afternoon before anyone would go into the water. I was afraid of the water so would only splash about. I cannot remember if either my birth mother or elder sister changed in to bathing costumes or went into sea but my care mother did and I having photos of her and friends sun bathing at various haunts in Gibraltar.
I remember that we returned late afternoon when a meal was cooked and we would go for a walk before bed. I remember walking to the harbour which was just an inland waterway. I will leave until the next writing the experience of Sandown, the trips to Shanklin and Ventnor, around the Island to Ventnor and Cowes, and the Shanklin Chine. I can no longer remember what we were able to do on this first trip, or the second when we stayed in a guest house at Sandown. We usually went to a different place each holiday but because of the isolation and inability to stay late and attend a Saturday night firework display held I believe at Shanklin we returned the following year or a year soon after.
We would have appeared an odd family group, three ladies, one in her fifties and two in their early forties, speaking Gibraltarian Spanish, so that no one, including me, could understand what they were saying. I saw them as English and it was only decades later that I comprehended that they were a mixture of Mediterranean Catholic, with mother and grandmother of Spanish, Italian and Gibraltarian mixed ancestry, and a grandfather from three hundred years ancestry from pre Victorian Calne in Wiltshire. Unknown to me, until I was sixty, my background was a mixture of this and four hundred years of Maltese ancestry. I had not been back to Bembridge since that holiday and wondered how much if anything I would recognise. It was something of a pilgrimage, unfortunately combined with visiting a friend relative who was incarcerated in hospital at Newport.
I set off from Newport and almost immediately got lost. The previous day I had been led in convoy from the Fishbourne Inn to the Hospital and then to the Lugely Street Car Park across from the Travel Lodge where I had secured threes nights accommodations for £19 a night and although I had commenced a walkabout, first to find the Tourist office for a tourist parking permit, but it was closed until 9.30 the following morning, I was too tired to explore further.
The following morning I had risen early and made my way to the car park for a ticket valid from 8 to 10 and then set off on an explore, first to a phone box as I needed to confirm continuation of my building and contents insurance after the mix p created the previous week when I had enquired about raising the limit on the contents insurance and something I must still sort out given the replacement value of my work materials, my books and such like. The work itself will have little or not value at present but just printing the photos and available print matter from disks and computer hard drives would involve several thousand pounds. I must work this out sometime to ensure that I am covered.
I then needed some short sleeve shirts and soon found the bus station with Morrison’s in the distance and then at Morrison’s, Marks and Spencer’s where I arrived just after opening at two minutes past nine. I bought three short sleeve shirts in a pack of blue, white and cream for £18 and then checked out the café where two creams teas, mixed sandwiches, scones, cream, jams and tea could be had for under £9 and an assortment of breakfasts and breakfast filled rolls were available. As I had a coffee and an apple turnover for breakfast I resisted the very strong temptation to have something here and then at Morrison’s although I promised myself I would indulge on the morning before taking the ferry to the mainland on Friday.
I then went to the Cineworld to find the film times for Angels and Demons and then went to the Quayside where I sat on a bench and made notes before calculating it was time to go to the tourist office in time for the pass to commence at 10am. As usual I kept finding things I wanted to do such as stay longer and then go on a walkabout both sides of the river, but other priorities prevailed. Bembridge beckoned.
I was immediately impressed by the tourist office where there was time to take in the large array of books, maps, souvenirs and informations. Some was booking a combined ferry and train trip and it took a surprisingly short time. A gentleman arrived with posters for a fete and was disappointed it would be several days before they would be put up at other offices. I did not understand why if this was so he and or someone else could not arrange to take them personally to each office during the day time.
I bought a map book as the one previously purchased on my day’s visit to Sandown and Shanklin the previous year was not comprehensive and obtained the two day permit which is excellent value because it enables movement all over the Island. While it costs more than the Brighton 7 day unlimited use pass for £27,50 at National Car Parks one is restricted to the particular park.
As a consequence of the morning walkabout I had worked out to leave the car park by the other exit and found my way into the what I believe is the High Street and Quay street on to the roundabout. However having spent several minutes studying the map I remain confused as instead of taking the road to Sandown I think I took a road marked Bembridge via Staplers, although at some point I reach a junction which said towards Sandown or Newport where I had come from. It was only the following day that I came back via the magnificent Down’s route.
On reaching the village centre, instead of finding parking and doing a walk about I was determined to find the Bembridge Ledge and drove around a couple of times trying to work out which route to take and ended driving along the harbour road to St Helens. I remember that we did walk here at least one evening commenting that there was nothing there either. I wondered when the houseboats were established. I was able to have a brief look around from the car as traffic was held up while children disgorged from three coaches heading for some watery adventure.
I decided not to continue around to the viewpoints the other side of St Helens and turned around and headed into the headland area and was soon lost in the winding Love Lane, Meadow Drive and Swains Road and eventually finding Swains Lane and Lane End Road and then coming to the car park overlooking the works on the Lifeboat Pier, the Lifeboat shop and the public Toilets, my first objective. There were only a few vehicles with those of the workmen in a compound a little distance away.
On leaving the toilet I noticed that the vehicle in the corner of the car park closest to where there was a row of four or five benches looking out over the Ledge and Pier workings was leaving and moved mine into this space. I would sit on the nearest bench if free after an on foot explore. The first impact had been yep this was where we had come on that first evening but I did not remember the lifeboat pier.
I then commenced an explore on foot going left and found the café at the start of the coastal path. All I wanted was a cup of coffee but I could not resist mentioning that this was my first visit for sixty years and I remembered the Ledge but there had been nothing else here on this part of the headland, but was my memory being true?
It was then time for a walk in the opposite direction and I could not resist exploring the grounds of the Hotel which commands the headland and which prevents the continuation of the coastal path requiring detour through the now residential headland, but then farmed land. Was anyone left who was a child at that time and would remember what the area had been like.
The Bembridge Coast Hotel is a fine hotel with extensive grounds ideal for elders or adults without children and appears self contained with places to lounge in the sunshine, pitch and putt golf green and Archery, Tennis, Croquet, Air Riffle shooting, Boules and a Spanish Garden. Inside there is an international standard four lane bowling green, heated swimming pool and sauna with exercise bikes and there is also a full beauty treatment suite including massage and facials.
The standard deal includes a full English breakfast and a three course evening meal in the Four Tides Restaurant which was beautifully set out in a grand traditional manner and for lunch there is the separate Solent Café which serves everything from fish and chips, baguettes, Panini’s, Baked Potatoes and salads including the Ploughman’s. There is music entertainment in the evenings from Tributes to Queen and the Be gees to Tom Jones and Glen Miller and Joe Loss. The all in price ranges from £214 to over £500 for 3 to seven nights plus range of extras in terms of room quality, views and facilities and services. The hotel is part of the Warner Chain.
Having explored so far I return to the car, and then sat on the first bench studying the map and reading the short notes on the history of the village. I then made a phone call which led to this writing being called Someone Up there likes Me- Bembridge.
It is not my practice to refer to living relatives or friends other than in the most general terms but this is the first and possibly the only instance where I will do so although without specific identification. A friend of a relative lives in Bembridge and for the past month has been incarcerated in the Island Hospital at Newport with major health problems. I had arranged to meet up with the relative after my exploring, and have lunch with another relative also staying at the home of lifelong friend in the Sandown area. However because of a previous commitment the other relative would not be free to late afternoon.
I had sat on the bench closest to my car noticing that there was another man sitting on the bench furthest away. There was a vehicle with a coach type vehicle with young people which had taken benchers in the grassland next to the car park.
I then got into a kafuffle about the phone. I had four pockets in the sleeveless waistcoat type jacket which is idea for travelling and part of a coat where as in fact the phone was a trouser pocket. I also remember having my car keys in my hand and a pocket address book at some point.
Having made the phone call, found about the changed arrangements and that the property was within walking distance via the grounds of the hotel, I elected to leave the car where it was, and walked continuing to listen to directions on my mobile phone.
It was close to 5pm before I was about to get into the vehicle of my relative to be taken back to the car park to collect my other relative in convoy and then visit the friend in hospital. It was at this moment that I attempted to get out the car key in readiness and could not find it. I emptied all pockets onto the passenger car seat and then went to where I had sat talking. I decided again checking everywhere I had been, especially the garden of the property because instinctively I felt I could have left the keys in the car. As we approached my car it was evident I had been right in one respect. Someone had found the keys, as stuck to the driver’s side window was a large notice which included a map. The note included the name of one individual and a mainland telephone number and the telephone and address of the person holding the key, the address provided in case I did not have a phone. I made the phone call and then travelled to the address to collect.
A holiday maker, it is presumed, had found the keys on or near the bench where I had sat and which I must have put down or dropped when I made the phone call and had then set off phone in hand following the directions. The individual had worked out that the keys related to the only other car and waited and waited assuming that I would be returning from a walk. Having reached the point when they had to leave the initiative had been taken to visit the Royal National Lifeboat station and left the keys with a volunteer who had provide notice, the map and the sticky tape. I had been very very, very, very lucky, due to the observation thoughtfulness of the visitor and the RNLB volunteer. I had already experienced the kindness of the Bembridge residents having had a little chat at the Solent view café. On my way through the grounds of the hotel, I had been advised that there was gate behind the Spanish Garden with led into the residential area where my relative was staying. I had seen the gate but hesitated because adjacent to it was a private residence and I had gone back in the grounds toward the main entrance and seeing a member of staff making their way to a car I asked about the gate and the individual accompanied me to where I was able to point to the gate, technically gates, one for vehicles and one for pedestrians, and which was used by hotel staff on occasions.
Some five hours had elapsed since losing the key and it had been handed over and one of several amazing aspects of the day is that the RNLB volunteer not only knew my friend in hospital but lived in the very next road.
It will not surprise that my friend found the tale entertaining or that it was pointed out that none of this would have happened had I taken the car round to the property rather than decided on the walk though the hotel grounds. I have only recently acquired the bright red Suzuki Wagon, as a replacement for one owned for ten years and where my own key had become bent and the dealer taking the vehicle in part exchange had advised that had it ceased to function it would have been expensive to change the car locks. On my way from Newport to Bembridge in the morning I had passed the Suzuki dealership on the Island ( I assume there is not more than one) and the thought had crossed my mind that if anything happened to the vehicle at I knew there was a dealership and where it was. I must stopping having such tempt the fates thoughts.
Meanwhile during the period of discovering the lost key and setting of my other relative had been patiently waiting at the end of her road to be collected.. Again had not last minute changes been necessary and she arrived for lunch we would have set off earlier for the hospital and the key loss could have been discovered several hours earlier.
It could be thought, with justification, that this was enough adventuring for one day for anyone in their sixties and seventies but our trio could not resist going out for a meal and the late evening showing of Angels and Demons at the Cineworld. We managed to find two of the last places in the Quayside area car park with the bridge into the main level of the Cinema and we had then gone down to have a meal in Pizza restaurant attached to the complex. Here we found that between a dozen and fifteen tables were occupied but another dozen were not, There appeared to be only two young members of staff attending to the tables and the two steadfastly ignored the two other parties waiting for tables as well as ourselves. We waited for only five minutes and went instead to the Chicago Rock Café, clearly an establishment designed for young people with a passion for exotic drinks and staying up to 3am at weekends. I enjoyed a BBQ chicken breast with chips and coleslaw while my companions had several pieces of battered fish with chips presented with theatricality and reasonable priced, with even better value had we arrived before 7pm when there was a two for one offer. . The meal obliterated the disaster of that at the Fishbourne Inn the previous day The Inn has a great atmosphere and location. The food was however expensive and appalling. The staff indifferent.
Returning to the cinema where we obtained our tickets beforehand having exchanged vouchers obtained from my credit card firm having put the deposit for the car on the card. We then found over a hundred young people held in a queue. There had been a fire alarm earlier in the evening which had put some programmes back twenty minutes or so as apparently the cinema had been cleared because of the fire alarm. I later learnt from this had happened before, recently. As I had seen Angels and Demons and written at length, I will leave further comment except to say that the hilarity and incredulity about some aspects of the film was shared and with Wimbledon fortnight almost here, I am reminded of the McEnroe call, You cannot be serious? There are still some great shots of Rome and some significant issues about religion and science, the origins of the universe and the nature of faith within the film.
As my companions set off to their respective homes across the Island one joked about my getting lost in the one way system and then not being able to get into the Travel Lodge at that time of night. No problem I said having been in a position to advise not one but two other visitors to the hotel about car parking and the one way system. I had also gone down to the reception about 12.30 to buy a cool drink from the drinks and snacks machine only to find that this was the one travel lodge in the land that did not have one. However still affected by the narrow escape of the car keys and tired I was in no mood to sit and work out my way home and finding that I had missed the turning to get to Lugely street I opted for another town centre park Chapel Street which I mistook for the double park of Drill Street just along from Lugely. I realised that on getting out of the car and I cannot remember how I managed to get myself directly to the Travel lodge as I was in no mood to go walkabout. Then I found that the my key card did not work but had to wait only a couple of minutes before having pressed the external call button I was let in and the card renewed for the remaining period of my stay.
The following morning I had to ask for directions to get to the Chapel Street car park and the first person approached took part of the way before going off in a separate direction. I then decided to buy a thank you card at Smiths, seen earlier on a previous orientation walk, and also draw out some cash from a bank machine in order to make a cash donation to the Lifeboat fund. I then could not immediately work out in which direction I should go and then a lady came out of her house so I asked her and she accompanied me to Smiths before going on, and I discovered that there are a number of tiny alleys and shortcuts familiar to the locals. We had a good chat along the way. By this time I was feeling good and that Someone Up There Like me. And then I placed my card in the cash machine, entered my code and the machine went off line taking my card with it. I had to wait for fifteen minutes while the machine was opened from the back and the card removed because until this happened it was important to keep watch in case it came back online and ejected the card. I found my way back to the car taking the same short cuts and in the car I was able to toot the individual as she returned to her home.
Yesterday I bought a copy of the County Press Island newspaper onboard the Wightlink ferry and came across their advertisement for the DVD with film and photos of Bembridge and the area from the 1940’s and 1950’s. Wow I cannot wait to get home and place an order, Somebody Up There Does Like me and Bembridge, Isle of Wight.
