Although there is still a little bit of work to do, the Donald McGill saucy seaside postcard museum is now ready for public viewing! Thanks to a great deal of hard work by James and HRS volunteers, the last few days have been a frantic push to move things forward. This will mean that as from tomorrow, the entrance charge will increase to £3 for two museums in one. This is a soft opening, but there will be an all-singing, all dancing opening once the few remaining tasks have been completed. Watch this space…. Please let family and friends know we’re now fully open for business, and, with the stairlift in place, there’s no excuse! Return to homepage.

It is with deep regret that we announce the death of Gloria Minghella, a very dear friend and supporter of Historic Ryde Society, and our President since inception. Always full of praise for the achievements of the group – sometimes to the embarrassment of the subjects of such glowing and effusive praise!! – Gloria never missed an opportunity to boost morale and instil a sense of pride amongst the group. As President of the Society, Gloria has guided the group through its formation, the Royal Victorian Ryde 2011 weekend, the Royal visit, in July 2012, and all other landmarks along the way. The Society could not have hoped for a better, or more committed ambassador, and she will leave a huge, irreplaceable gap in the group. Her wisdom and advice proved invaluable – something which will be greatly missed. In a recent conversation, Gloria admitted that, when first approached with the plans for a Heritage Centre, her first thought was: ‘This is pie in the sky – it’ll never happen!’ She admitted to not having grasped the dedication of the volunteers, but soon realised we meant business. Her belief and pride in what the Society has achieved has been a great

Local man Jeff Please recalls the times of the Diamond and Flamingo clubs, Ryde. The Diamond Club – An entrepreneurial man before his time, Simon Hornsby had a vision of the Isle of Wight’s own Cavern Club. He rented a disused cellar, which was adjacent to Joe Watkins’ Flamingo Club, called the Diamond Club. Simon’s vision was realised and we played there every Saturday night before moving next door at midnight to play in The Flamingo until the small hours. The Diamond Club – ‘The Hole’ as it was commonly known, had a short, but  exciting life. With a Watkins copycat echo chamber and a big home-made job for bass, Bob was as loud as ever. In the dark, sweaty caverns of ‘The Hole’ we were devastating. Understandably, the neighbours didn’t like us! The Hole was a safety hazard, considered thoroughly unsavoury by the local residents and Simon didn’t have a licence. Despite a protest march to Ryde Town Hall, ‘The Hole’ was returned to its damp, derelict state. The Flamingo Club – Joe was much better positioned with the local community, since many of them probably gamble in his club. Our Flamingo days continued. The greatest treat at the end