Ryde Social Heritage Group research the social history of the citizens of Ryde, Isle of Wight. Documenting their lives, businesses and burial transcriptions.
RYDE SOCIAL HERITAGE GROUP
Based at Ryde Cemetery Heritage & Learning Centre. Preserving, documenting and promoting the social history of Ryde on the Isle of Wight.
  • MENU

THE PARTY ON THE PIER!

Party on the Pier
Party on the Pier

On Saturday 31 March crowds of locals and visitors thronged to the Pier Head at Ryde for Wightlink’s second annual Party on the Pier. The party in 2011 was to celebrate the reopening of the original pedestrian pier after it had been closed for several months for repair and restoration works. This year the celebration was to mark the 200th anniversary of the passing of the Act of Parliament which allowed the original pier to be built. The Pier Head was decorated with bunting and looked very festive for the occasion.

Bigger and better this year the Party on the Pier attracted hundreds of people throughout the day. Local groups represented were the IW Hospice, St Catherine’s School, Goddards Brewery and the New Carnival Company. There were also stalls selling jewellery and scarves, carved soap, artefacts made from the original wooden boards taken up from the pier and refreshments were available from stalls and the Costa Coffee cafe. There was a display of classic cars outside and throughout the day visitors were entertained by local groups from Platform One.
The highlight of the day was Medina Marching band in their bright red uniforms marching and playing up the entire length of the pier and then giving a concert to the appreciative crowd assembled at the Pier Head.
Ryde Social Heritage Group had its exhibition boards on the history of Ryde Pier on display. We met up with and chatted to friends old and new and were kept busy all day long answering questions about the pier, listening to and capturing other people’s memories of the pier in the past.

Note: We are collecting people’s memories of all aspects of Ryde life – the people, business, places, schools, events, etc., so please contact us by clicking on the Contact button on the top right of the page, if you would like to share your memories of Ryde with us
Dover Park School also had a display of artwork and poetry produced after a recent visit to the pier on a very misty morning, and Ryde Arts Festival had a display of drawings produced by Ryde Academy for the Big Draw Event held last October and which was centred on the Pier.

Everyone had a fantastic day and enjoyed themselves thoroughly. Thanks are due to Wightlink’s Kerry Jackson for organising the event and all the Wightlink and Costa Coffee staff who were on hand to assist during the day, it was a fantastic event.

We are all looking forward to participating again next year!

Photography by Carol Strong & Janette Gregson (c) Ryde Social Heritage Group 2012