Ryde

Dear, I have quite a rush of engagements in Ryde just now.

I found the picture attractive but the reverse is what made me buy this card.

It may not be clear. It says, "This space may now be used for communication to all Countries except Japan and Spain".  I haven't seen that particular phrasing before.  Japan first allowed divided back cards on 28 March 1907.  I can't find a more precise date for the USA allowing these cards than 1907 so I have to assume it was earlier than 28 March and that this particular one was printed within that time.

So, not only a pretty card, but an interesting one too.

This is a post for Postcard Friday, which is hosted by Beth Niquette at The Best Hearts are Crunchy.

A day out in Ryde, IOW

Ryde, the Gateway to the Island (the Isle of Wight).  It was called that because it was so easy to reach from Portsmouth, as the card says the sea crossings linked with the trains running from Portsmouth to London Waterloo.

When Queen Victoria set up her summer home, Osborne House, on the Island it gave a great boost in popularity, and many wealthy people took up residence.  Now Ryde is a conservation area to try to preserve the many old properties in the town.

PFF: the story of a postcard journey

 

Postmarked Scarborough, dated 8 April 2009.
The Needles, Isle of Wight.

This lovely card  arrived yesterday, from John of English Wilderness.  It shows the Needles at the westernmost tip of the Isle of Wight off the south coast of England.  They are stacks of white chalk cutting into the sea with a lighthouse, built in 1859, at the far end.  Before that, the lighthouse was on the downs behind the Needles.  The area was a shipwreck blackspot.

For some interesting vintage postcards of the area, have a look at Isle of Wight Historic Postcards.

But the best thing about this card is that John sent me a series of pictures showing its journey.  It started off in this shop.

The sort of shop that sells everything, by the look of it, and the postcards are a bargain at 12p!

Then Thorness beach where the card was written, a beautiful empty beach.  It features again on John's blog.

The letterbox where it was posted. It is a George V wall box, dating from between 1920 and 1936.

I can really recommend English Wilderness for its beautiful photography showing the English countryside at its best.  It does one or two forays into Scotland I notice, because there are some stunning shots taken on top of Ben Nevis.

A post for Postcard Friendship Friday

St Nicholas' Chapel, Carisbrooke Castle

Carisbrooke Castle, Isle of Wight.
Interior of St Nicholas' Chapel, looking west.


Carisbrooke Castle, Isle of Wight.
Interior of St Nicholas' Chapel, looking west.


Neither card has been posted.
St Nicholas' Chapel was built in 1904 to mark the 250th anniversary of Charles I. See also a previous post showing the castle gatehouse.

Carisbrooke Castle, Isle of Wight

Never posted, and I don't know when it could have been bought.
P.1. Carisbrooke Castle, Isle of Wight. The Gatehouse, from the north-west.
The Isle of Wight is hoping to become an eco-island, to include social, economic and environmental sustainability, by the year 2020.