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.
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A FANTASTIC START TO HERITAGE OPEN DAYS

Nick Barratt
Nick Barratt

We had a great start to Heritage Open Days and had a lovely day with our guest Dr Nick Barratt, Editor in Chief of My Family History Magazine.

There is a big music festival on the Isle of Wight this weekend and Nick had to travel across the Solent on a ferry packed with young people carrying tents and festival gear. Shelagh met him at Ryde Pier Head and brought him to St Thomas Heritage Centre where we had spent the past 5 days setting up our exhibition.

Last Saturday morning we walked into the empty building and the team worked hard, cleaning the old disused church, transporting and setting up displays including the fabulous Ryde in Miniature display.

This is how the exhibition looked just before we opened on September 6.

When Nick arrived Janette, Chairman of RSHG, showed him around the exhibition and introduced him to the team. Then they visited the Heritage & Learning Centre in Ryde Cemetery so that he could see the group’s base and where the work started 10 years ago.

Shelagh and Ann took Nick to lunch and they all arrived back at the St Thomas Heritage Centre in plenty of time for Nick’s talk. About 60 people came to listen to Nick’s fascinating talk “Behind the Scenes, Family History and the Media”. Afterwards he answered questions from the floor and then, all too soon, it was time for him to leave to catch the ferry back to the mainland and to travel home.

We all had a fantastic day and are grateful to Ann Barrett, who had the brilliant idea of inviting Nick to come to our event, and to Shelagh Gaylard, who made all the arrangements.

The exhibition is open

Friday 7 September 11am to 4pm.
Saturday 8 September 11am to 4pm & 7pm to 9pm
2pm ‘Meet the Residents’ by members of RSHG
7:15pm Shore Women Poetry Group present Ryde Benches followed by the Dollymopps performing songs from the Long Collection
Sunday 9 September 11am to 4pm
12:30pm ‘Meet the Residents’ by members of RSHG
2:30pm ‘Union Street’ a presentation by Janette Gregson
3:15pm the Raffle will be drawn
4pm close.

Why not come along and meet the team and see what we have achieved in the past decade of researching and documenting the history of Ryde.