Ryde (Isle Of Wight)

.../> I grew up in Ryde and have fond memories of the place, it’s where I went to school, played with my mates and got my first job. Ryde is primarily a seaside tourist town, and this side of it is probably the best part. It can be tacky at times, as any seaside town can be, but Ryde tries its best to be welcoming and interesting to visitors. However, Ryde also has a side which is not often seen by tourists visiting its sandy beaches and ice cream ...
...tourist industry is what keeps Ryde ticking and the people of Ryde in jobs, which are mainly seasonal.

Ryde is full of gorgeous Victorian style buildings which are huge and majestic, most of them have been converted into flats or bedsits though, which takes the edge of their beauty a little.

What to do and what to see
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So back to basics, Ryde is one of the larger towns ... more

I asked for this category to be included on Ciao about six months ago but it’s taken me this long to get round to putting pen to paper so to speak. This was partly due to the daunting task which lay ahead for me, as I wanted to do the town justice while making it informative and interesting.

I grew up in Ryde and have fond memories of the place, it’s where I went to school, played with my mates and got my first job. Ryde is primarily a seaside tourist town, and this side of it is probably the best part. It can be tacky at times, as any seaside town can be, but Ryde tries its best to be welcoming and interesting to visitors. However, Ryde also has a side which is not often seen by tourists visiting its sandy beaches and ice cream kiosks. It is a very deprived area and there are a lot of social difficulties linked to housing and unemployment here, which is why it has Sure Start funding, a government project which helps children and their families in areas which are disadvantaged and in need of social regeneration.

I will be looking mainly from the tourist’s angle for the purpose of this review, as it is a vital component of Ryde, as well as the Isle of Wight itself. The tourist industry is what keeps Ryde ticking and the people of Ryde in jobs, which are mainly seasonal.

Ryde is full of gorgeous Victorian style buildings which are huge and majestic, most of them have been converted into flats or bedsits though, which takes the edge of their beauty a little.

What to do and what to see
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So back to basics, Ryde is one of the larger towns on the Isle of Wight; it is often called the gateway to the island, as it is one of the first towns that the visitor will see when they get off the ferry. Unless of course you catch the ferry from Southampton then it will be Cowes or East Cowes which will be your particular gateway!

It’s from the perspective of getting off the catamaran and heading down the pier, that I will describe Ryde and its many different attractions which will appeal to visitors and day-trippers. Once you actually disembark from one of Wightlink’s wonderful 400-seat catamaran’s you will find yourself on a very old-fashioned and slightly rickety pier. This safe and robust pier was actually built in 1815, but it has been updated since then you’ll be pleased to hear! At the top or as we Islanders affectionately call it: the wet end, you will find a bright dinosaur festooned train which we stole from the London underground when the revamped their tube trains many years ago.

The railway on the island may be very small and not linked to many other towns but we have one of the highest records in the country for trains running on time, and workers who don’t go on strike. Unfortunately I don’t think the railway provide a refreshment service on the line, but seeing as the railway runs from Ryde to Shanklin and no further, which is a distance of about 10 miles, this news isn’t so hard to take.

An interesting fact for you here: Before the pier was built in the early 1800’s passengers, had to get off the ferry and be taken to the shore by horse and cart. However, if they were late for that all important business meeting, then they sometimes got a piggyback from a member of staff! Imagine that happening today?

So once you’ve either taken the train, driven (yes you can drive down Ryde Pier and you can even park at the end of it) or walked down that wooden, slightly mite ridden pier (it’s perfectly safe though) you will find yourself in Ryde Esplanade, the hub of Mr Whippy ice cream and greasy chip shops so prevalent in the summer months. The actual esplanade isn’t very inspiring and hosts a collection of quite tacky and embarrassing gift shops which sell the usual assortment of rock, postcards and mugs with ‘Property of Parkhurst Prison’ (one of the island’s notorious prisons famous for housing such criminals as Peter Sutcliffe and Dennis Nielsen).

There is a bus station right on the Esplanade which allows you to catch buses to other island attractions for an exorbitant fee. The company Southern Vectis has a bit of a monopoly on the Isle of Wight, and I think visitors who come here are often shocked by the prices. Local taxis are also a lot more expensive than their mainland counterparts.

If you walk past the cheesy gift shop, assortment of amusement arcades and bypass the various fish and chip establishments, you will pass the Hovercraft terminal which provides a service between Ryde and Southsea. Next you come across a large building which houses Planet Ice skating rink, home of the Wight raiders currently top of the league in the English Premier Ice Hockey League. The ice rink can hold up to 2,500 people, although I hope that doesn’t mean that they all skate on the ice at the same time – that could be very messy. Planet ice often holds music concerts and I have been there twice to see Ocean Colour Scene and Toploader, although it was pretty cold and if you do go when there is a band on, wear two pairs of socks!

The art deco (ish) building next to Planet Ice, used to be called the pavillion when I was younger, and is now called LA Bowl, and funnily enough is home to a bowling alley (see photo below). Upstairs there is a night-club, which plays the usual clubby music as well as more mainstream poppy stuff. Entry is free if you are on a hen night!

Next up is Peter Pan’s playground, which is a small fairground ideally suited to younger children. It has rides such as the dodgems, helter skelter and a mini rollercoaster. Forget it if you are used to Alton Towers or Chessington, this is a small-scale park which is as big as a tennis court. On Saturday’s you can buy a wristband which allows the kids to go on the rides for an unlimited amount of times, as long as it is between 2 and 5pm.

In the summer months there are the usual array of activities which make the kids tug your arm and ask if they can have some money or go on that particular ride. These include trampolines and a bungee jump machine which flings your kids 20 feet in the air so that they can lose the lunch you’ve just provided them with.

Along the stretch of Ryde esplanade there is also the Waterside pool which is a small swimming pool complex, which has three different sized pools. One of which has a retractable roof, which is wonderful in the summer when the weather is hot, and equally good in winter when it is covered over. Like most swimming pools and leisure centres it offers different classes like aqua aerobics and toddler sessions.

The canoe lake is adjacent to the Waterside pool and is home to a collection of swans, ducks and large plastic paddle boats which you can hire for half an hour or so for a small fee. The Canoe Lake itself is quite large and is quite nice to walk around, if you don’t mind being chased by a disgruntled swan which happened to me once.

Next to the pool is a splash type area, which consists of a few water spouting metal creations where the kids can wash their feet after a day at the beach. There used to be a lovely free splash pool there, which I actually learnt to swim in when I was seven. But like most things these days, the powers that be took it away in case of lawsuits, as the pool wasn’t supervised.

As you continue to walk along the beach you will come to Appley Park and beach. Appley is basically just a beach; café/restaurant and golf course with a kid’s play area. The beach here is one of the best on the island, it is clean, safe and offers stunning views of Portsmouth. You can see the new spinnaker tower from this beach. Appley has a lifeguard station, which allows you to relax knowing the children are safe in the water. However, it should be noted that there are strong currents in this area of the beach. When the tide comes in quickly, as it invariably does, tourists who don’t know the tides, often become stranded on sand banks, which is probably why the life guard station (complete with dinghy and not just a bloke in a pair of shorts on top of a wooden structure!) is open all summer. They also help with minor first aid requirements but don’t provide a waiter service unfortunately.

Appley and indeed Ryde, beach obtained a seaside award flag in 2001 which means the water is clean and safe to swim in. The only disadvantage of this beach is that the sun is always behind you, which can be a bit annoying at times.

Ryde Esplanade also has a small harbour, skateboard park and plenty of toilet facilities.

There is also the obligatory Dotto train that runs along the seafront at 1 mile an hour.

Other attractions include: Three screen cinema, library and a dreadful place called Waltzing Waters which is a lot of colour lights mixed with water that spray everywhere – and they make you pay to go in!

Where to eat in Ryde
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Although there are plenty of places to eat in Ryde there is a distinct lack of chain named outlets, which to some people will be an advantage and to others will be an utter disaster. There is no Starbucks or Burger King, and you won’t find either of these establishments anywhere on the Isle of Wight, much to my partner Rich’s utter dismay, Burger King being his favourite takeaway full stop!

There is a McDonalds in Ryde but you will have to get in the car to get there unless you feel particularly energetic. It’s about two miles away from the esplanade itself, and offers a drive thru’ facility as well as the usual restaurant.

If you are into burgers, there is a Wimpy in Union Street in Ryde. I know it well as I worked there for two years way back in 1986! It was my first job and I loved it! I was a great waitress and was able to carry seven plates of food at once! Remember Wimpy serves your fast food on a plate rather than in a polystyrene box.

There is a Poppins restaurant and a Subway sandwich shop also in Union Street, and I think that these are the only other well-known chain restaurants/cafés in Ryde. One of my favourite restaurants is called Dos Amigos, a Mexican which also serves Cajun and Texan food. It’s quite a small place and has a lovely atmosphere. They play the film Three Amigos, with Steve Martin, on a loop, so you get the sort of place this is.

Another favourite is an authentic Italian restaurant called Michaelangelo’s, they serve the usual pasta dishes plus a wonderful assortment of real Italian pizza’s made on the premises. Their cappuccinos are one of the best on the island!

Ryde also has a large collection of fish and chip shops some of which pride themselves on battering whatever you want, with the exception of animals and small children, they will batter teenagers for a fixed price.

There is a wonderful Chinese restaurant called the Beijing Palace on the edge of the Canoe Lake which provides amazing views across the Solent. It’s always very busy though, so it would be advantageous to book.

Where to shop
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Ryde, and the island itself, isn’t known for it’s vast array of shopping opportunities, and most islanders pop over to Southampton or Portsmouth to do the majority of their clothes shopping. Ryde is smaller compared to Newport and in this way I think it suffers from a let down of retailers, as any new stores will always pick Newport over anywhere else on the island as it’s more lucrative.

Nestled between the usual assortment of charity shops, gift shops and budget stores you will find a Somerfield, Boots, Superdrug, Woolworths, New Look and Peacocks. Along with my all time favourite: Thorntons.

There are also lots of antique shops which sell nick nacks and antique style goods, one of which can be found in an arcade halfway down Union Street, which is the main road in the centre of Ryde.

Where to drink
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Ryde is well known for its pubs and most locals start at the top of the town on a Friday night and work their way downwards until they end up in the Balcony nightclub. Worth mentioning is JoeDaFlo’s which used to belong to Mark King of Level 42, who is a well known island resident. It’s now owned by someone else, and I believe he recently opened a branch of JoeDaflo’s in Southampton, very near to the Mayflower theatre.

There are also the usual spit and sawdust bars where the locals stare at you when you come in the front door, luckily enough these sorts of pubs are off the beaten track somewhat, and it’s rare you will feel that way right in the middle of Ryde itself.

Other pubs worth mentioning are: The Crown, Appley Manor and Weatherspoon’s in Union Street.

Events
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There is a Regatta every year in Ryde, this year it is being held on 5th June. The regatta has the usual yacht type races along with stalls and entertainment to keep the land lubbers occupied.

The Isle of Wight festival is held every year, and although it isn’t technically held in Ryde, it’s worth mentioning as it is getting bigger and better every year. Last year we had the Stereophonics, Snow Patrol, The Who, David Bowie and the Manic Street Preachers.

Ryde carnival happens in early September, just before the children return to school. It is quite a memorable occasion and it’s lovely to see everyone dressed up enjoying themselves, along with the elaborate floats decked out with beautiful decorations.

Accommodation
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Ryde houses a wide assortment of different hotels, B&B’s and guesthouses to suit all sorts of budgets. Some are right on the seafront with fabulous views of the beach, while others are a little further out of Ryde and you will probably need access to a car.

Details of accommodation can be found easily on specific sites related to the Isle of Wight or you can contact the Isle of Wight Tourist board for a list of hotels and guesthouses.

Anything else?
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Ryde is definitely lacking in the larger amusement style places which are found on the island such as Blackgang Chine and Robin Hill, but it more than makes up for it in it’s beaches, so if it’s a beach style holiday you are after Ryde is the place to see. It’s also much quieter than the busier seaside resorts of Sandown and Shanklin, and is definitely not so commercialised or tacky.

Other interesting facts about Ryde:

 The railway runs to only 7 stops which are Ryde Esplanade, Ryde St John’s, Smallbrook Junction, Brading, Sandown, Lake and Shanklin
 The railway also connects to the Isle of Wight Steam railway, which is a tourist attraction in its own right.
 There is a pitch and putt area in Appley
 The first regular crossing from Ryde to Portsmouth was in 1817
 Ryde was the first town in Great Britain to have a pier

Overall opinion
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Ryde is great for both the day tripper and the for the long stay visitor, and while it offers lovely beaches and some great restaurants, it isn’t as busy or activity laden as the other resorts such as Sandown or Shanklin.

Thanks for reading
purplelynne ©

 

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