Last Tuesday morning we went down to Ventnor Beach to speak with Sophie and Jim Blake about the issue of the proposed railings along the section of the beach where the Blakes have their beach huts.
As well as speaking with Sophie, we also spent some time talking to Jim Blake, Ventnor’s very own longshoreman.
Background
The Isle of Wight Council are proposing to install railings along the section of the beach where Jim and Sophie put their beach huts.
The concern for the Blakes is how they would get the huts on and off the beach when a storm is blowing during the summer.
The huts are a ripe old age but due to Jim’s loving care of them, they still do the job they were built for. Jim told us that there are no records of any Ventnor huts built after 1860 – and that the old bathing machines were cut in half after the 1918 war, so the backs of the huts are relatively new at just 90 years old!
Fast and easy access needed
It’s absolutely clear that in order to protect the huts during a storm, the Blakes need fast and easy access to lift the huts off the beach. It is normally carried out with ropes under the huts, the retaining wall taking the weight of the hut, with three people on the bottom and two up top pulling the huts safely onto the pavement where they are left until the morning and then lowered back down again.
The IWC were suggesting that wide steps are installed that the huts could be carried up, but that would require people to lift them in a storm and carry them along the beach, tackle the hand railings and all this with a storm blowing.
Loss of vital part of community
If the Blakes are unable to get the huts on and off quickly it wouldn’t be worth their while running the beach and if they left Ventnor beach we’d be saying good bye to the Longshoreman’s Museum, the extra safety and the invaluable community resource, not to mention the historical huts which add to the special charm of Victorian Ventnor.
Whilst we were interviewing Jim, we were interrupted many times but passers by asking questions and advice. It’s clear that the Blakes provide more than huts and deck chairs.
They are a vital part of the Ventnor community.
We understand that they’ve had another meeting with the IWC since our interview, so we hope to bring you the latest news in due course.
Listen to what Jim had to say – we have another section about general safety on the beach to follow.
Image: Auntie P
