Appley Beach, second bench, family Padwick

This bench on Appley Beach marks a special spot for the family Padwick. They all loved coming over here, enjoying the lovely beach and the great view on the Solent.

Denis Padwick was born in Romsey, Hampshire in 1914. He was a man of many talents and he tried some for various jobs before making his final choice.
He started studying accountancy before becoming a psychiatric nurse. In the mid-1930s he joined the police force and was stationed in Basingstoke.
He married his beloved Lena and together they got three children.

In 1950 Denis Padwick, now a Sergeant at the police and his family moved to Hayling Island. In the mid-1950s the family moved again, now to the Isle of Wight, after Mr.Padwick being promoted to Inspector. They found a nice house in Ryde.

Inspector Padwick made it to international news when he had to create a makeshift mortuary in Parkhurst for the fifteen victims of the crash of the Aquila flying boat in Chessell.

                                          The crash site of the Aquile flying boat

His job forced him off the Isle of Wight, first he went to Lyndhurst as a Chief Inspector and he ended his career at the police force in 1964 as a Superintendent where it all started: in Basingstoke. After his retirement he worked 15 years for the Ministry of Defence in security.

Mr.Padwick was not a man who would do nothing, so after this retirement he filled his days with singing, giving talks, cross-stitching an writing his memoirs. In 2006 he moved back to the Isle of Wight, to Bembridge, to be closer to daughter Pat and her family. Daughter Janet died in the same year.

He became ill in 2008 and was treated in St.Mary's Hospital in Newport where he died quite soon after. He left behind two children, seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Quite a lot of people on the island will have memories of his contribution to the commemorations at the 50th anniversary of the Aquila disaster in 2007.

Appley Beach, down at the beach, bench 4: Yana

The bench for Yana's memory is perfectly located, but I can imagine she would have been pleased with lots of other spots too.

                                                      Yana

Yana was born Pamella Guard in 1932 in Romford, Essex, she died in 1989 in London.

She was a big star in the 1950s and 1960s as a singer and as a model. In 1956 she even got her own tv series with the BBC. She also appeared in lots of tv shows on ITV.

Through the 1960s and 1970s she was a regular in pantomimes, starring together with artists like Norman Wisdom and George Formby. According to her colleagues she was the sweetest person in show business, loved by everybody.

                                                  Yana with Tommy Cooper

In 1961 she was in the news when she offered her car to be used by Yuri Gagarin, the Russian Kosmonaut when he visited the United Kingdom, three months after his historic journey into space. Her car had a personalised number plate YG 1. (For Yana Guard).

She made it also to the big screen and starred in two films: "Zarak" and "The Cockleshell Heroes". 

At the end of the 1970s her star had faded and she was forced to sell a lot of her belongings. Even her much loved car was sold. In the 1980s she could be seen working at the til of a Boots, the chemist shop, in London. She was found and featured once more in a nostalgia tv show called "Where are they now?" Her latest "show" was demonstrating a slimming machine in a Harrods department store.

                                                        

She died in 1989 from cancer of the oesophagos, far too young being only 57 years.
Even if you try it is almost impossible to buy any records of the once famous Yana.

                                                          Yana

Yana did quite a lot of shows in towns around the Solent, she loved the area.
It really amazed me that the bench hardly gave anything away about the artist.
She must have been loved by many, how is it possible to become so forgotten?
This is one of her songs, from 1957: https://youtu.be/jDChEpiKPhI

I'm sure she would have loved the view from the bench dedicated to her.

Appley Beach, down at the beach, bench 7: Alan Miles

A lovely spot has been chosen for the bench dedicated to Alan Miles, from Ryde. From here you have a great view on the Solent. In the summer time the beach is bustling with life, people enjoying the beach.

                                                      Alan Miles

Alan was born in 1941 in Brighton. As a boy of 16 he joined the merchant navy, which brought him to faraway places, like Australia and India. After this period he became working in the safety business, becoming an expert in fire alarm and intercom equipment. For his job he visited the Channel Islands quite often and really loved it over there. In 1972 he fell in love with another island: the Isle of Wight, so he moved to Ryde. In 1973 he started his own business in safety equipment: Island Fire Alarms.

The business has been taken over by his son Philip after he retired.
Mr. Miles was married to Leslye and got three children. When he died he was the proud grandfather of 5 grandchildren.

                                         View from the bench

Appley Beach, down at the beach, bench 1: Aaron James Dunford

On a beautiful spot, very close to the sand of the beach, stands this bench dedicated to Aaron James Dunford who suddenly died at the age of 22 in 2015. He was from East Cowes, very much loved by his family and very popular with his friends.

His death was caused by asphyxiation as the result of chronic use of nitrous oxide, known better as laughing gas. He was a student at Brighton University and after his death 200 empty canisters of the gas were found in his room.

Later it became known that in the last months of his life he could not walk the stairs anymore because of pains in his knees caused by using the gas. It is not an offence to have the gas in possession or to us it. It can give you a short term high, because it pushes the oxygen from your lungs. But there is a big downside: it can cause a huge deficiency of vitamin B12. 

                                          Aaron Dunford 

                              

The police investigated the tragic death of Aaron James Dunford and stated that anyone using this drug should have a good thought about it. Already the first use can cause severe damage to your nervous system. 

This "drug" is responsible for at least 17 deaths in the UK in the last 6 years.

There is a strong plea to make it illegal, but until now it's very easy to obtain through the internet. The canisters are used to make whipped cream. Maybe this tragedy will make a difference?

                                          View from Aaron's bench

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.

Seagrove Bay, Bench 3: Pauline Weston

Seagrove Bay, the third bench from the slipway: Pauline and Len Weston

Between the boats that are waiting in line for their owners to take them out to sea there are four benches looking out over the Solent. From here you can see the main land of England and more. One of the benches, the third when you are walking from the slipway, is dedicated to Pauline and Len Weston.

Pauline Weston was according to her friends and relatives a soft spoken, friendly lady. She was loved by everybody who knew her. During her working days she was a very popular teacher.
She has been a devoted Special Olympics Volunteer for many years.
Pauline survived her husband Len 12 years and left two children behind.
She died in 2009 after a long and courageous battle against cancer.

The Weston bench gives a nice view on the Solent; it is possible to see two of the forts that has been placed in the Solent during the time Lord Palmerston was the Secretary at War (1809-1828).

The sentence: "Our souls have sight of that immortal sea" is from a poem of William Wordsworth (1770-1850) named Intimations of Immortality from the book Recollections of Early Childhood.