My time on the Isle is very a short, but memorable one. In the early to mid 50’s my Father took us (my Mother, Brother and me ) to a holiday park near Wootton Bridge for several summer holidays. We lived in a borrowed canvas army bell tent. We probably stayed on the Isle no longer than a total of several weeks, although nearly fifty years later, I consider those weeks some of the most memorable of my life.
That was the time of the Atlantic Ferry, The Queens Mary and Elizabeth, the United States, and the Empresses were the names of some of those great ships that sailed through the Solent and we would watch we awe.
Royal Navy helicopters spent hours in the vicinity of Wootton - the rumor was - they trained over the nudist camp in the area.
I’ve had a love for wooden boats and railways throughout my life. Both were started on the Island - a trip in a small white clinker rowboat and trips on the Island’s railway.
I returned to the Isle of Wight about twenty years ago with my wife while we were on a trip to England and was pleased to note that the paradise of my childhood really does exist. Hopefully, we will return in the not too distant future.
