PS Ryde at the Island Harbour Marina on the River Medina between Newport and East Cowes. Photo copyright Kevin Flynn and licensed for reuse under a Creative Commons Licence
I’m saddened to report that another interesting old vessel is in mortal danger – but perhaps there is just a chance that a petition to No 10 (see below) might make a difference.
The PS Ryde was built for the Southern Railway in 1936 and for many years operated the Portsmouth Harbour to Ryde Pierhead route.
Sadly, the petition is very much a last-ditch effort – for some time the PS Ryde Trust has been trying to purchase the vessel for preservation and restoration, but after promising progress negotiations have broken down, and the dismantling planned by the owners has started. The petition is aimed at halting the scrapping.
The petition, which closes on the 2nd March, can be found here: http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/PSRyde
I feel strongly about this boat. When I was a child my family used this from Portsmouth Harbour to Ryde Pierhead. At nearly 70, my husband and I spend a lot of time at Waverley Park with our touring van (sometimes 9 weeks per year) and each time we make a point of visiting the
Ryde. Years ago we visited it when it was a pub. The loss of its funnel made me sad but to think of it going altogether fills me with dread. It is part of the Island.
This may have been posted in 2010 but the funnel collapsed in August 2006