Media: Oil On canvas 

Wayne was a councillor to Ryde Town Council and IW Council for many years as well as being a Ryde seafront business owner. Wayne paints as a hobby now but started painting from a young age when he would produce the artwork on the travelling fairground rides where he grew up. His style developed from influences from his mother and father, one side coming from barge boat travellers and the other from fair ground travelling communities, influences you can see in this painting of Ashey. 

Farming remains a major part of the Island’s economy so the Island is not criss-crossed with roads. Open farmland, the Downs and wooded areas delight Island walkers and tourists who can disappear into the landscape away from urban development.  Once a year a “Walk the Wight” is organised to raise money for charity.  Hundreds of people, adults and children and a few dogs, take up the challenge for this good cause and have a very enjoyable time, whatever the weather.

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Zach is a keen photographer and skilled at knitting. 

A big area of meadow and woodland on the southern edge of Ryde, adjoining the Monktonmead Brook. The meadows at Pig Leg Lane have sat within the Island’s agricultural landscape for over 4000 years and the archaeological evidence of its long history still survives today. This beautiful unspoilt area is one of the few areas in Ryde where we can enjoy the countryside as it might have looked in years gone by.

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Ryde Esplanade is home to a couple of annual motor events.

Isle of Wight classic car extravaganza 

3rd + 4th Sep 2022

Isle of Wight Scooter Rally

26th - 28th Aug 2022

The annual weekend long Motor Show in August/September is one of Ryde’s most popular events.  Hundreds of cars, old and newer classics, line up along the Esplanade for residents and tourists to admire, discuss, and remember. A stroll along the route can take hours. Some owners bring their cars from faraway places and are there to chat and discuss their prized possessions, all in immaculate condition.  The money raised goes to charity.  Memories are made of this. 

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This digital image is of Queen Victoria  shadowing the steps. 

The extremely humble Cappuccino Chris is a wonderfully talented artist and composite engineer, able to turn his hand to anything creative with the perfectionism of a true and rare professional artistic craftsman. 

Medium Acrylic on canvas 

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It's a simple flat walk along Ryde Esplanade. Wander along the bustling seafront and enjoy an ice cream as you find your perfect beach spot. 

Ryde Esplanade runs the full length of the seafront, followed by the promenade along the sea wall, which passes the Canoe Lake and reaches as far as Puckpool Park to the east. 

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01983 614017

Medium: Pen and ink 

John is a talented pen and ink artist who can mix realistic architectural sights with that of fantasy. He has also designed tattoos. 

Appley Tower is the most iconic structure in Ryde.  Built around 1875 by William Hut, the wealthy owner of the Appley Towers Estate, of which little remains. A true folly, it feeds into the imagination of adults and children alike and is consequently our most popular and curious building.  Rumour says that the extensive Appley Towers Estate was built on the proceeds of smuggling, a popular activity in times past.  Appley Tower must have some tales to tell.

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I produce a range of art, detailed pencil drawings, paintings, pen and ink drawings and rolled paper abstracts. 

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This artificial lake was built as a tourist attraction known as “Canoe Lake”. Canoes for rent were replaced with pedalos when the lake was shortened and Ryde’s Waterside Swimming Pool was created.  More recently, a waterspout play area was added at the far end of the lake for young children. The lake has acquired a large population of water birds over the years which live and breed there and a fine collection of swans often seen dozing on the pathway around the lake.  It is a popular and peaceful haven for a walk in the sun.

medium: arylic on canvaas

Mandy Bangerter

Mandy is a textile artist and illustrator whose mixed media images explore how thread, stitch, fabric and found materials can be used to describe surface and place. Often blurring the boundaries between photography, paint, drawing and stitch, her work is inspired by both landscape and human form. “On my walks I am fascinated by the feeling of the landscape unfolding in layers before me. I recreate that experience by layering fabrics 

Beach Huts 

Along the north wall to Puckpool Park sit Ryde’s beach huts, just a step from the beach.  What could be more evocative for a seaside town?  If you are fortunate enough to have one, it’s a place to park your seaside gear, or a mini home with kitchen for outdoor picnics. Tables and chairs on the grass are where the family congregates to enjoy the open space, the sea air and the view across the Solent, and the safe sable sand where their children play.  They have become much sought after little amenities, and somewhat expensive for the average family, but there is always a high demand and long waiting list.

Ryde Garage

01983 614615

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Medium: pencil crayon

During the 1980's + 90's and 00's I designed costumes for many well known musicians and 'rock bands'. These were for stadium shows, world tours and promotional videos.

Due to demand and requests, I now sell limited art print editions of some of my costume design sketches. Some of these designs have been exhibited at The Barbican London, the Metropolitan Museum of Art New York USA, Ballarat Australia , Queen Exhibition Knebworth, Hertfordshire , Montreux Switzerland and the V & A Museum London ( David Bowie Exhibition now touring internationally ) 

Ryde is home to the oldest carnival in the UK, and was created to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Centenary in 1888, which she attended.  It has continued ever since with a few missing crisis years.  The history and popularity of the Carnival is a long story.  Suffice it to say that it is as popular now as it was over 120 year ago.  Naturally, it has change with the times and has grown with the support of other arts groups, local schools, bands and charity groups.  Members of the Notting Hill Carnival from London join in and are now a regular feature.  Thousands of spectators make the Carnival a great end-of-summer spectacle as it winds its way through the town, the Pride of Ryde.  

Medium: Pen and ink 

age:8

Joseph has been a fanatical and talented artists from a very young age. Joseph is now 11 and has secured a visual arts scholarship to Ryde School

Ryde’s Town Hall is the large, stately Victorian building in the centre of the town at Lind Street.   Built in 1831 it served the town as Town Hall, market and theatre until, needing some refurbishment, it was sold off by IW council.  Left to deteriorate for the following decade, plans by Ryde Town Council are now in hand, to bring it back to life in the community where it can reclaim its natural position as the home of local governance and the cultural centre it once was.  

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Ryde Town Council is the Best!

Medium: watercolour and pen and ink 

Since 1990 Jeff has been the assistant to Anish Kapoor and has travelled the world working on huge internationally significant projects. most recently the  

medium: photography aged 7

Daisy is now 10 and is a keen photographer with a focus on composition and moody weather. She also has a chocolate making business called Daisy Willow chocolatier. Daisy sells her cards and chocolates in Monkton Arts shop and cafe.  

Ryde Marina is located on the northeast coast of the Isle of Wight and enjoys excellent views across the Solent towards Portsmouth. The well-situated marina is protected from adverse weather conditions from most directions.

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Medium: oil on canvas

The charming sight of a group of horses from one of Ryde’s riding stables trotting down to the beach to exercise in the Solent surf is sure to turn heads.  Horses are a feature on the Island wherever you go but horses on the shore line or at sunset enjoying the water, are particularly attractive and photographic, reminding us of former times. The artist’s painting of a horse’s head captures the sensitivity of this beautiful animal.   

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Hovercrafts and cushion crafts were invented on the IOW, many of the team were Ryde residents. It has gone through a number of different models and a few different landing bases but the current service the only one of its kind in the world and only passenger hover. To find out more about the history of hover travel I recommend a trip to the ryde museum in the basement of Victoria Arcade on Union Street. 

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medium: digital art

1. All Saints' Church Ryde Address: Queens Road, Ryde, Isle of Wight, PO33 3BG Denomination: Anglican (Church of England)

2. Ryde Methodist Church Address: Garfield Road, Ryde, Isle of Wight, PO33 2PT Denomination: Methodist

3. St. Michael and All Angels Church Address: Church Lane, Swanmore, Ryde, Isle of Wight, PO33 4EP Denomination: Anglican (Church of England)

4. St. James' Church Address: High Park Road, East Cowes, Ryde, Isle of Wight, PO32 6RU Denomination: Anglican (Church of England)

5. The Salvation Army Address: 3 George Street, Ryde, Isle of Wight, PO33 2JF Denomination: Salvation Army

6. Ryde Baptist Church Address: Garfield Road, Ryde, Isle of Wight, PO33 2PT Denomination: Baptist

7. Our Lady and St. Wilfrid's Church Address: High Park Road, Ryde, Isle of Wight, PO33 1BP Denomination: Roman Catholic

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A short walk along Monkton Street just off the Esplanade, is Ryde’s Bus Museum on Park Road.  Originally, public transport in Ryde was by horse-drawn buses.  In time, horses were replaced by buses and trains. Gradually the older buses disappeared, to be saved and admired by bus enthusiasts.  Ryde’s Bus Museum found a permanent home on Park Road, where it is open to the public during the summer months.  A popular summer event, organized by the Museum, takes tourists on short bus trips around the island, stopping for refreshment at some of the Island’s characterful pubs.  

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medium: digital art

I’m a bit of a purist really – love shooting on film with my large and medium format cameras. I work slowly – it’s all about attention to the detail. It’s quite a meditative process for me really, it’s time out from the rest of the world, nothing else matters beyond you and the camera.

Another of Ryde’s historic buildings lies at the top of Melville Street.  This was Ryde’s first free school, built in 1812 for the new middle class that were settling in Ryde. Consequently, it is of local and historic interest.  It is currently in a sad state of dilapidation but it is being restored by Ryde Town Council who managed to buy it after many years of effort.  A charming little reminder of the past, it stands back from the street in a row of buildings that retain their architectural facades.

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medium: textiles, tracing paper, card,  plastic filament and woollen yarn

Jenna Sabine runs Monkton Arts with her mother Dawn. She is primarily a textile artist but works with a variety of materials on many different community and ecological projects as well as a children's book author. She also has a background in child development which informs her playful colours and style in her art. Jenna is also the Deputy Mayor of Ryde and a Ryde Town Councillor for Appley And Elmfield.

Ryde town is built on the slope of a hill divided by a series of vertical streets which provide a postcard view down the hill to the Solent. Union Street, Ryde’s main shopping street, runs from the centre of the town down to the Esplanade. It still retains its original shop buildings and architectural character which gives the street it’s popular heritage charm.  The small attractive shops provide a number of essential services for Ryde residents.  Others sell a variety of interesting gifts, clothes and antiques, and there are restaurants for every taste and pocket.  

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medium: card, paper and paint college 

Jim Mason is a fantastic and extremly knowedgable ceramasis. He has written a book about his time in Jordan learning and teaching old methods of firing and glazing. He has been an art teacher for many years.

Ryde sands and the Solent, at certain times of the year show off a wide variety of rare or protected birds. The IOW was awarded the UNESCO Biosphere reserve status in 2019 and these sands show many of the features pf why we got that designation.    

Ryde, “The Town by the Sea” has a wide variety of seaside birds from small to large. A walk on the beach with a chorus line of wagtails or sanderlings endlessly running in and out of the water’s edge, as if to avoid getting their feet wet, is a familiar sight.  A slender legged heron ignores them.  A crowd of gulls swirling and diving for the same small scraps of food are a noisy aerial circus. Ducks and migrant geese have made their permanent home on Canoe Lake and provide endless theatre. Most dramatic is the unmistakable sound of a group of incoming swans.  First the loud swoosh of their wings and then like downhill skiers, the long necked flight and the stiff footed slide along the water to a silent and majestic halt.   Feathers, flight and song.  Perfect. 

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Medium: Paper college 

Mo Martin.

(Born and raised in London, she has lived in Ireland, France, Italy and the U.S.A.  After a variety of careers, she retired to the Isle of Wight in 2000.)

Self- taught, her influences are all modern colourists, from the Post Impressionists to current artists like David Hockney.  She considers her work to be a challenge to commit to canvas or paper collage whatever idea takes hold of the moment.  Her special commitment, particularly as custodian of the Sara K collection, is not to her own art but to pass on the adventure, the pleasure and satisfaction in creating something that expresses the artist’s personality.  We are all artists at heart.  It is too big a gift to ignore.

 There are many sports and activities that are available in Ryde.  Many visitors think of sailing as the Island’s dominant attraction.  But there are many other activities on the Island.  Horse riding, swimming, field sports, fishing, bowling, windsurfing, cycling, beach sports and hiking.  The Island’s great climate, open skies and clear air provides wide choices for exercise and enjoyment.  For others there are the many beaches, of which Ryde’s rank as one of the best.    

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medium: Acrylic on wood 

Vernon Square Gardens is a green space located in the heart of Ryde. This tranquil oasis offers well-maintained lawns, flower beds, and mature trees, providing a peaceful environment for relaxation and recreation. Visitors can enjoy seasonal floral displays, while amenities such as seating areas and possibly a small playground enhance the experience. Occasionally, community events take place.

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medium: Acrylic on wood

Dawn Fidler Owner of Monkton Arts 

Ryde’s Inshore Rescue station is one of 60 in the UK which is manned entirely by volunteers.  It receives no money from government and relies entirely on the donations and goodwill of the people it serves.  It has a history going back to 1869. However, a tragic double drowning in 1956 prompted the creation of a new volunteer life-saving unit in conjunction with St. John’s Ambulance and Vectis Fishing Club, using small dinghies with outboard motors. Now Ryde’s Onshore Rescue has a permanent location on the Esplanade at Ryde beach with 2 state of the art rescue dinghies.  The currents and tides in the Solent can be dangerous and the highly trained volunteers provide an essential service which benefits the whole town and its visitors.  It saves lives. 

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