ryde paddle steamer on the isle of wight August 08

[Urban Mole]

Just a little bit of history.
One of the previous owners sadly passed away last week.His obituary is available on www.iwcp.co.uk.
If someone could cut and glue it or whatever computers do I sure members would appreciate a snippet of history.

Copy and paste is the term

But here it is;

Alan Hilton Ridett
By County Press Reporter - Friday, August 15, 2008
ALAN Hilton Ridett, who built Island Harbour and established the Medway Queen Leisure Park there, has died at the age of 72.
Best known for his popular nightclubs on board the paddle steamers Medway Queen and Ryde Queen, Mr Ridett also served for many years on Sandown and Shanklin Urban District Council in the 1960s.
He was born on February 29, 1936, and grew up in Shanklin.
He went to East Cowes Building School and later trained at Portsmouth School of Architecture.
After a period of National Service as a surveyor, Mr Ridett returned to the Island and joined the family building firm, H&B Ridett, following which he started his own design practice, designing many houses on the Island.
He also invented and developed a unique Endothermic whole roof heating system, using the ambient energy in the atmosphere, which won much acclaim over the years.
His biggest project was excavating and building Wight Marina, now known as Island Harbour, and establishing the nightclubs there.
With his cousin, Colin, Mr Ridett saved the Medway Queen, known as the Heroine of Dunkirk, from the scrapyard in 1966 and converted her into a members’ club.
It was so successful the Ryde Queen was brought alongside and converted to a nightclub in 1970, with both ships running side by side and catering for 1,000 revellers on a Friday and Saturday night.
Mr Ridett had four children with his first wife, Ann — Mark, Carl, Adam and Kim — and two step-children, Stuart and Debra, with Pat, who spent the last 25 years with him, living in Binfield.
He leaves 12 grandchildren.
A funeral service will be held at St Mildred’s Church, Whippingham, at 11am on Tuesday.

 

[bunnywabbit]

Thanks for that!
Also heard a rumour some years ago that it was operated by one of George Bests girlfriends.

 

[T-bar]

earlier on in the year there was an article about her she is being scrapped they say but that was well over 6 moths ago and still nothing unless they are waiting for the off peak season. It will be a shame not only a night club, a passenger ferry, a minesweeper, a big part of history but a landmark people go to visit year after year when on holiday.