Bench at St.Helen's Duver, Gordon Attrill

On the lovely Duver of St.Helen you can find this bench.

This bench was placed by Gordon Attrill at a nice spot overlooking the Solent. Gordon Attrill was very much at home on the Solent, being the last ferryman sailing between St.Helens and  Bembridge. 

                                                      Gordon Attrill

Gordon Attrill was one of the eight children of Henry and Rose Attrill. He got used being on the water because his father or older brothers would row him to Bembridge to attend school. During the Second World War he has been very heroic which gave him the Arctic Star medal from the Russians. After the war he took over the foot passenger's ferry from his father which he had to stop in the early 1990's.

With his brother Mike he started the boat building firm H.Attrill & Sons in 1947 which was based on a piece of land rented from the Southern Railway. Later the land was bought.

After the death of father Henry he took over his boat rental firm till his retirement. He converted the wooden boat Snipe for own use and spent most of his time fishing. He lived from 1920 till 2009 and was never married.

A pity the sight from the bench nowadays is a bit hampered with the life saving unit, but I'm sure Gordon Attrill would have approved. It's for a good cause.

Marina in Ryde, Bench 5: Rob Cooney

On the path around the Marina of Ryde this sign is on the fifth bench if you walk from the Esplanade: the bench is dedicated to Rob Cooney.

Around the Marina there are 11 benches giving you a nice view on the Marina. When you look to the right you can see the beach and the hovercraft coming and going on it's way to Southsea. If you hear some rattling noises coming from the same direction, it's the special train that is riding over the Isle of Wight from the Pier of Ryde to Shanklin. The train consists of ancient carriages that were used by the Subway in London in the 1930's. When you look behind you, you can see the lovely beach of Ryde and the Solent.

It's a lovely spot, for Rob Cooney it even meant a bit more. He used to go crabbing at this spot.

                                         View from the bench

Rob Cooney was a financial manager and worked in Portsmouth. A big job he did was the financial side of the Isle of Wigh Broadband Plan in 2011-2014.

He was a very popular man on the Isle of Wight. For years he played for Brading Town Football Club; in the last years of his life he gave his knowledge about the sport to the youngsters of the A-side.

Before moving to the Isle of Wight Rob played for Columbia FC. They never forgot their team mate.
This shows in an announcement in the Isle of Wight County Press on February 13, 2015.
He also was a well known member of the East Cowes Cricket Club.

                                           Rob Cooney

It's such a lovely spot where the bench is, but it makes you feel sad for Rob Cooney. I feel he should have been crabbing over here for many, many more years.