To read about forthcoming events, please go to the Calendar page.
December 27 2012 – Pub Quiz – A healthy turn-out for the Christmas quiz raised over £150 for funds. Thanks to all who came out on a windy night to support Historic Ryde Society.
December 6 – 9 2012 – Dickensian Christmas event and Grand Voucher raffle- The voucher raffle raised £230 this year. Many thanks to all busineses in Ryde which were generous with donations. As part of the Ryde Business Association’s Christmas event, Ryde District Heritage Centre hosted Santa’s Grotto over the four days. Over 100 children came in to see Father Christmas, so many thanks to him, his elves, and Windmill Carriages for stepping in at the last minute, when his sleigh broke down!
December 2 2012 – Antique and Collectors’ Fair – Despite a bitterly cold day, nearly 150 people turned up at the Masonic Hall, John Street, helping to raise £400 for funds. Thanks to all concerned, especially the volunteers.
November 29 2012 – Pub Quiz – Our monthly quizzes are continuing to attract a regular following and a very enjoyable evening was had by all. The Ryde history rounds remain a thorn in much flesh, so all the more reason for everyone to get down to the Heritage Centre and learn a bit more about it!
November 21 2012 – House History workshop with Richard Smout – another popular and successful event, which is now a regular on the Historic Ryde Society calendar. Free workshop, highlighting various resources available locally and online, which will assist in tracing the history of your home. Further free workshops will take place in the spring and autumn of 2013. More details in due course.
November 1 2012 – Rock ‘n Roll night – Another brilliant night, although the audience could and should have been bigger….to acknowledge the hard work put into the organisation of this event. More here.
October 25 2012 – Pub Quiz – Nearly 50 people took part in the October quiz at Yelf’s Hotel. The raffle raised a healthy £59, to bring the takings for the evening to nearly £200. Many thanks to Tony and Tony for the questions – we need more geography next time!
October 24 2012 – Dorothy O’Grady – The Spy from the Sea – over 50 members and visitors came to listen to Adrian Searle’s fascinating talk about the Isle of Wight’s WWII spy – or was she? Sandy proved she had been listening very attentively, and won a copy of the book, giving the correct answer to Adrian’s question at the end. Over £60 was raised from donations and the raffle, for the Heritage Centre. Many thanks to all who came out on a dreary evening.
October 13 2012 – Variety Show Garfield Road Methodist church – Over 60 turned out to enjoy The Arcadians’ latest offering for the Heritage Centre. Many thanks to Liz and the team for all their hard work. The sketches were excellent, the singing very jolly, and all in all a wonderful event which boosted the funds for the centre.
October 5 2012 – Disco Fever – A small but enthusiastic crowd braved the rain to boogie on down to the Balcony at Ryde for the Disco Fever event. A first event for HRS at this popular venue, which was a good start to our musical evenings.
September 27 2012 – Yelf’s pub quiz – a smaller uptake than normal, but we still managed to raise well over £100 for funds. Thanks to all committee and volunteers who turned out to help, and to everyone who turned out! Also – Happy Birthday to Vice Chair Brian!
September 21 2012 – Design Charrette – RDHC hosted a one day Design Charrette organised by architects Andrew and Beth Laitt of Depth Ltd. More details can be found here.
September 6 – 9 2012 – Heritage Open Days – (HOD) and Open meeting – Heritage Open Days 2012 was the first time RDHC has taken part in this National event. The Centre was very busy, and the event did much to raise the profile of what HRS is doing. The ladies from the lace-making group proved very popular. In the evening, members and friends enjoyed an interesting and amusing talk by IW County Archivist, Richard Smout, on Island Diaries and Correspondence. Richard was able to draw on around 200 diaries deposited with the IW Heritage Service, but was also able to include one of the diaries in the care of HRS in his talk. This is a diary written in 1845, by the then 19 year old Archibald Clarke, sent on a reconnaissance mission to Belgium by his cotton manufactory owning family. During this visit, he visited the last resting place of the Marquis of Anglesey’s leg, following its amputation after the Battle of Waterloo. More about the weekend can be foundhere.
August 30 2012 – Pub Quiz – The third HRS quiz, and the first of the regular monthly quizzes, to be held at Yelf’s Hotel on the last Thursday of the month, raised over £200 for funds. Many thanks to Yelf’s for the use of the room for these events.
August 10 2012 – Volunteers’ Soirée – HRS President, Gloria Minghella MBE DL JP hosted a soirée for RDHC volunteers, to thank them for all their hard work over the first year of opening, of Ryde District Heritage Centre. Photographs on the Events gallery page.
July 14 2012 – Temples of convenience – a history of the lavatory – 100 members, friends and general public came to hear Lucinda Lambton’s talk at All Saints’ Church. The first, hopefully of many, HRS events to be held at this venue.
July 13 2012 – The Start of the Pier Show – HRS held its second pub quiz in Yelf’s Hotel, Union Street, when over £200 was raised for the Heritage Centre. Thanks to Yelf’s for the use of the room, and to all those who came to support this event.
July 8 2012 – Antique and Collectors’ Fair, Masonic Hall, John Street. Nearly 200 people attended this event, which was kindly sponsored by Collectors’ Haven, Royal Victoria Arcade.
July 3 2012 – Ryde District Heritage Centre was opened by HRH Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester KG GCVO.
May 23 2012 – In October 2011, HRS was invited to take part in the 2012 Civic Service. We created a ten minute Powerpoint presentation about working together in Ryde – a show of community groups through the years working together for the common good. The presentation was very well received, and again the profile of the Heritage Centre and Historic Ryde Society was raised throughout the town and beyond.
May 18 2012 – Historic Ryde Society was pleased to be shortlisted for the Community Action Awards 2012. The awards ceremony was held at the Riverside Centre on Friday, May 18, when we were placed runner up in the Arts and Heritage category, behind the Quay Arts Centre. A fantastic opportunity for networking increased our public profile across the Island.
April 12 2012 – Due to the fire at the Ryde Castle hotel in March, the venue for our April meeting had to be changed at short notice, and we are very grateful to Annie and the team at the Black Sheep, who stepped in to offer us a venue. Despite appalling weather, over 40 turned out for Tony Gale’s fascinating talk on Ryde’s election riots. Over £75 was raised through raffle and memberships, and everyone had a very enjoyable evening. We’ll practice with the projector before Lucinda’s talk in July, though, so don’t worry! It’s a new toy at present!
March 24 2012 – The Arcadians played another blinder at Smallbrook Stadium and had their audience in stitches, with their Tribute to the Musicals. Read more here. Over £250 was raised, so many thanks to Ron Watts.
March 8 2012 – Another successful House History workshop with Richard Smout, County Archivist, attracted 12 enthusiastic researchers.
February 23 2012 – Sixty members and friends gathered at Ryde Castle Hotel to take part in HRS’s first pubquiz. The event raised £250 for funds, and will definitely be on the calendar from now on!
February 16 2012 – Richard Smout led a very successful House History workshop in the Centre. To read more, click here.
February 2 2012 – The first meeting of 2012 was the AGM, held in Ryde Castle Hotel. Fifty nine folk braved a bitterly cold night to come and listen to Roger Whitby Smith’s talk on Regency Ryde. Over £420 was raised through subscription renewals, new memberships and the raffle. Many thanks to Julian, Emma and the Ryde Castle team for their hospitality. Roger has agreed to lead guided walks around the town later in the year, so details will follow in due course.
