Tag Archives: Square

Eileen Smith: Funfair, Carnivals 1920s, 1930s

Fair Arrival at Yarmouth, Steam driven

The Fun Fair

Arnolds Fun Fair came to the Island for August, with 3 big traction engines, brought on the barges towed by the tug Jumsey.

The Jumsey towed the wooden barges to the Quay and the biggest traction engine, the ‘Island Chief’ was the first off, and parked in front of the Harbour master and Customs Office ( which is now the Lifeboat shop). Big wedges of wood were put under the back wheels and a hawser was hitched to the wagons. One by one they were pulled out of the tow barges by the Island Chief. When all were out on dry land, Mr Arnold drove the traction engine and three wagons up Quay Street, across the Square and up the High Street.

Island chief, traction engine

The other engines and wagons and lorries would follow, causing all sorts of disruption in the High Street, which was the only road in and out of Yarmouth.

When the Funfair set up in Yarmouth, it was on the Recreation Ground which was given for the children of Yarmouth. There would be gallopers, chairplanes, dodgems and swing boats; proper coconut shies and all kinds of stalls. It cost 1d in the afternoon, 3d in the evening. Eileen Smith nee Lansdowne b 1921

Eileen Smith: Shops 1920s, 1930s

In the town there were 27 shops, 1 fish and chip shop on the corner of South Street and Tennyson Road, 1 garage in Quay Street ( now the Pharmacy), 4 pubs and hotels and 2 chimney sweeps, Mr. Chambers and Mr. Holloway. There were 4 grocers shops – one in Station Road, Mr. Cook’s – later Mr. Burt’s -, one now called Sixpenny Corner owned by Mr. Barnett, Harry Mills in the Square, and Higginbothams. There were coupons given with Bourneville Cocoa and such like. My mother collected enough to get me a wooden pencil box at the Sixpenny Corner shop.
If you took an egg with you when you went to Batchelor’s for chips, they’d cook that for you too. Eileen Smith nee Lansdowne b 1921

Shops: Square 1930s with Harwoods van

Blanche Kennard : WWII WRNS drill 1940s

We used to have Squad Drill in the Square, although there weren’t many of us. Sergeant Harris – a marine, used to keep us drilling on a Saturday when we had the afternoon off, and the bus went at 10 to 1. Lots of people wanted to go to the Pictures, I wanted to go to visit my parents.
He used to say, ‘Dism……..’ and someone would move a foot, and he’d say, ’Attention!’ And keep us there till 5 minutes before the bus went from outside the Town Hall.

Yarmouth Square

b 1922

Pat Burt, Nick Chandler, Blanche Kennard: Buses

Square 1950s with bus stop outside Town Hall.

My father used to work for Southern Vectis; he used to drive the school bus sometimes.
If he drove my school bus home would drop me off by Basketts Lane. I’d get off and make a cup of tea because they always stopped in Yarmouth for half an hour or more. The bus was always parked by the side of the church where that tree is in St James Street, and Dad would bring his conductress up with him for tea. I would have it ready by the time he got up there. Pat Burt nee Adams b1929

I went by bus to work at Whites in Cowes and caught the bus in the Square, outside Jireh House, and the bus went up the High Street. It cost 7/9 ( 7 shillings and 9 pence) for a weekly ticket which was a lot out of your pay when you were only on £2 or £3 a week. I was there from 1953 to 59. Nick Chandler b 1937

The bus stop was outside the Town Hall, and it cost me 2/6 to go to see my parents in Ryde. Blanche Kennard nee Dore b 1923

Blanche Kennard, Phil Kelsey, Eileen Smith: Trains 1940s

To get from the ferry to the station, people had to walk through the town, but there were porters to push their luggage from the Pier to the station. It’s not very far really. (A) It is on a wet day!(P.) Annette Haynes and Pat Burt b 1929

It used to cost 6d to catch the train to Freshwater to go to the Pictures at The Palace, then we’d walk back afterwards. Blanche Kennard nee Dore,b 1923 stationed at The Pier Hotel ( now The George) as a WRN in WWII from 1942.

The station master used to live in the house next door here. I can remember a Mr Dennett, because his daughter was very friendly with my sister Kate. They used to get about a bit together. Of course he never used to do a lot down here at the station, he was always down the pier. Phil Kelsey b 1920

A porter from the Pier met the trains and collected luggage on a hand truck which he pushed to and from the Pier. Mr. Orchard had a big old fashioned car – open at the front where the chauffeur sat – and he used to meet the trains to drive people round to the ferry. Eileen Smith nee Lansdowne b1921

Jean Maitland, Phil Kelsey: Allotments 1930s

When we were living down the Square my Dad had an allotment up “Pigs Alley”
OOH I mustn’t say “Pigs Alley” because people these days get cross. “Pigs Alley” is the lane behind Victoria Road, that people now call Garage Alley. Yes, its proper name always was “Pigs Alley” because pigs were kept up there, but that was before my time. Jean Maitland nee Levey b 1928

Of course all that was allotments right through there. Before the war they were all well cultivated too. I remember like on a Good Friday there would be everybody up there if the weather was right, digging away. When they built the council houses there was a bit left where the flats are now. Dad had that until I took it over after him until they built the council houses. Phil Kelsey b 1920

Alec Cokes: Shops, Mills, Sid and Alf Kelleway, 1940s, 1950s

Sid Kelleway did the slaughtering and the game, and he made the brawn in a big copper just inside. He had a cousin called Alf Kelleway, who drove the British Road Service lorry, In those days of course, there wasn’t Health and Safety, and stuff like barley came in 160 lb sacks, huge great sacks. Alf used to bring these round and of course he couldn’t get his lorry up that little lane, so he had to get them off his lorry down in the Square, put them on his truck, trundle them up.
He went in Mills one day and Sid was doing something, and Alf said ‘You going to give me a hand with this then?’ and Sid said, ‘ No, bugger off.’
They argued a bit – the brawn was cooking away, and as he went out, Alf picked up another handful of spices and chucked it into the brawn. When he came back with the next sack, same thing. He finished up putting about four lots more of spices, herbs or whatever. Sid went on and made the brawn. It was all sold and people came back and said, Oh that was wonderful, that brawn, it was so tasty.
Alec Cokes b 1945

Shops: Mills and bakers, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s

Mills had a very dark haired nice- looking boy who used to push the bread round daily on wooden trucks door to door. Also we had bread delivered from Whilliers at Newbridge.
Pat Burt nee Adams b 1929

Athel Henderson worked in a bakehouse in Mills. They used to cook some bread there, when you come to think of it! They had 2 vans on the road, one used to go out with the bread and one with the groceries. Brian Pomroy b 1937

I can remember sitting in our big old pram outside the bakehouse, waiting for my Dad ( Athel) to finish his shift. Terry Henderson b 1947

Pubs: The Square, Bugle 1930s

The Square, with Bugle Hotel left.

Go in a pub before you was about 20? Blimey no! If they didn’t like the look of you, especially some of the old ones in the Bugle, they’d say, ‘What you doing in ‘ere?’
I suppose the Bugle was the one that was used most by just the local drinkers.
George Cleary’s father was there since the First World War. I don’t know whether young George was born there or where he was born. The old chap had it for years.
Phil Kelsey b 1920

Eileen Smith, Blanche Kennard: Shops, The Square,Harwoods

Harwoods hardware shop in the Square – well it’s a wonder that when someone dropped a match the whole street didn’t go up, there was so much petrol everywhere. They had petrol pumps which swung across the pavement. The petrol at one time was brought across the Solent in barrels. Eileen Smith nee Lansdowne b 1921