A Familiar View
One of the more memorable views in Ryde is down the steep Union Street with a view of the sea straight ahead. At the bottom you can turn left into St Thomas' Street ...
... with the western Gardens (The Western Trees (?) on the right. Or you could go round the non-roundabout ...
... past a few more bits of garden, another tree, the toilets and cafe block that completes Western Gardens. Then comes the entrance to Ryde Pier for cars and (for the time being) pedestrians.
Then comes the now excised bus station, its successor to be featured in a forthcoming blog.
Opposite the pier/bus station you will find a selection of caffs ...
... including the (fake!) half-timbered King Lud, then a closed caff blotted out by Google (why?) and, far right, the bottom of Union Street. Swinging a little left come more eateries, the famous Arcadia ...
... and (far left) he bottom of George Street. Here is the same area on Google Earth.
For the record, Union Street is one way own (aerial view left) and George Street is one way up (lower tight opposite the bus station).
And here it is on a map.
George \street is the unnamed pink road running parallel to Union Street.
Peering For Pier Street
So all we have to do is to find Pier Street!
There are pictures of Pier Street, Ryde on-line, this one not too helpful.
It is decorated for Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in 1887.
Here is a more helpful view.
Alert readers will immediately spot the (fake!) half-timbered King Lud Hotel, and, yes it is the same one! But there are no Western "Gardens", a k a grass and trees, on the left. In fact Western Gardens was behind those buildings, between them and the sea ...
... complete with a splendid bandstand.
And the disappearance of Pier Street was directly caused by a Public Transport Issue;
Of which more tomorrow.
Two Coronations In 2023
We look forward to King Charles III big "do" in May, but the Hornby Models programme on Yesterday on Monday last also revealed the other Coronation due this year.
One coach ...
... will set you back £67 and is thus unlikely to appear on fbb's layout! Two "beaver-tail" coaches were built to add to the prestigious "Coronation" train introduced by the L N E R (the original one) running between Kings Cross and Edinburgh.
The observation coaches were added to the train for the summer season and offered the last word in luxury seating ...
The two-blues livery adorned; with chromium plated lettering ...
... was spectacular. The blue was repeated internally.
The beaver tail had rotted away by the time preservation began ...
... and getting the curvature right was a real challenge.
It was the same challenge on the model but samples shown on the programme looked great. Much of the Yesterday item was about the technology of making the articulated coaches "ackle" through reverse curves of OO gauge pointwork.
... but, perhaps, not the best view out if the beaver's rear end!
It worked! So you will be able to buy a complete train; possibly with more applications for a second mortgage!
Perhaps the coach could pay a visit to Peterville "for a special open day"? Maybe not, as the expense of moving the layout from outside to inside is "significant".
Next Pier Street blog : Friday 3rd February
The beaver's end didn't so much rot away as be completely rebuilt to a different (flatter) design by BR in the 1950s, for use as an observation car on the West Highland line. The other one has been preserved in this condition - I think it is currently on the Great Central railway.
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