Ryde Esplanade's Recent Evolution
The "station" has performed a number of functions in its long and chequered career. It served as a base do Southern Vectis bus operations; it was (obviously) he last stop before the pier head on the Island's railways; it was one end of the pier tramway and he entrance to the promenade part of the pier, originally bereft of motor vehicles. 
The complex later included a shop nmd a cafe.
But an early picture shows a very basic construction.
Note the pedestrian entrance to the pier with the two distinctive toll booths augmented by more recent pay boxes.
The stone built station building (above picture bottom right), the tramway platform canopy and the canopies over the two curved railway platforms (centre right) give some idea of the station's ingredients.
A tinted postcard shows the building more fully.
Then see what happens later.
W H Smith has appeared, developed from the stone building with the mullioned windows in the first picture. And slowly various other bits and pieces are added until the station swallowed up the eastern pier booth!
See, it is surrounded by other bits of flat roof - a nightmare to maintain and keep waterproof!
Southern Vectis facilities were moved and improved and a bus station replaced the roadside stands.
This shot shows the building in its present form. The old booths habr long gone, but the one remaining platform canopy and tjr roof line of the pier tramway still maintain their shape.
Work is nearing completion on he latest refurbishment to match the latest manifestation of the bus station.
The broad layout of the building is unchanged with an entrance from the bus station (bottom right), an entrance from the street (sort of) next to the terra cotta coloured block and ahead of the route through to the one remaining platform.
The big change in functionality is the darker cream circulating area leading out to where the pier tramway once ran.
The tramway pier is now the pedestrian walkway to Pier Head ...
... leaving the former promenade pier to the onslaught of the private car.
So let us now take a tour of the new improved Ryde Esplanade station with pictures supplied by Alan, our senior ("only" actually, but he likes the status) Island correspondent.
We start outside the new doorway to/from the walkway.
... viewed from the walkway itself. Once inside .,,
... we can see through to the main circulating area with toilets on the left and, beyond the pedestrian (Mrs Alan!) the site of the new cafe.
The actual cafe is smaller than shown on the above "impression" with the "outside" seating just a plain corridor.
The original public toilets stood outside the station ...
... and have been demolished to make way for the revised layout for vehicular access to the pier. Currently the new cafe is not yet let and the toilets are closed because nobody has agreed to pay to keep them clean or stocked with consumables.
Both situations are a consequence of the skilled advance planning policies of Ryde Town Council!
Looking from the way in from the bus station ...
... you can see right through to the pier walkway. The new corridor used to be the ticket office in its pre refurb location; so, we all cry, where has the ticket office gone!
It sits in the former cafe where fbb used to enjoy a bacon and stilton baguette whilst on duty at the wheel of his open top bus service. Ah, happy, tasty (but salty!) days. The ticket counter is within.
For comparison, here is a non-Alan view through from the bus station end looking towards the former ticket office.
The "main" entrance was still being finished off when Alan snapped his pictures ...
... but from the outside it should look something like this.
The cafe (smaller than the artist's impression shows) is on the left and the existing shop is on the right.
The exit to the platform is largely unchanged ...
... although a ticket collector no longer lurks in his cubby hole to he left of the gates!
The ambience is good and, if the whole area is kept clean and repaired, it should work. But you do wonder whether it would have been better to bulldoze the lot and start again!
Of course there was insufficient money in the coffers to do that but, ultimately, a cobbled together station will surely cost more than a fresh start.
Think of that roof, now less messy that it used to be, but ...
For the record, here is Ryde bus "station" at first with simple roadside shelters for passengers.
Then 1970s style with head-in bays and lots of shelter.
And today's shiny new bus station ...
... with wholly inadequate roadside shelters.
Progress??
Bank Holiday Quiz
Answers from Sunday
Dore station with trains to Manchester and Sheffield
University station, Birmingham
Garforth station, Leeds
Addiscombe station, Croydon.
Nine Elms station on the London and Southampton Railway, line later extended to Waterloo.
Part of the Nottingham station information display
Line 3b, Paris
Brighton and Hove
Two questions numbered 7? - fbb cannot count up to ten!
London Euston
Lumo from London to Edinburgh
Two 8s, see incompetence as above!
It gets worse, This is not a footbridge awaiting installation. It is the new road bridge from Renfrew to Yoker in Glasgow. You may have a sympathy point if you answered the question fbb should not have asked. The new footbridge (NOT illustrated) runs from Govan to the Transport Museum.
It was a bad brain day!
Woodside Interchange, Birkenhead.
Next Underground train oddity blog : Thurs 9th May
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