If you missed last week’s Sandown Jolly but would like to share your anecdotes, memories of photos of Sandown for the Sandown Scribe project, worry not.
Boojum and Snark will be open for the next three Saturdays (11th, 18th and 25th July) from 11am to 4pm for you to pop in.
View the progress, leave your own strand of the story, and participate in Sandown Scribe. Even more relevant now that Sandown has been shortlisted in the UK Town of Culture competition, and in the running for £3m prize money.
Tracy from Boojums, who is leading the project, shared this update below from last week’s event.
A most jolly day
We welcomed an incredible mix of people, from those who have lived in Sandown all their lives to others who apologetically describe themselves as “blow-ins.”
Together, a brilliant collection of memories and stories emerged: learning to swim, first jobs in hotels, mastering the art of serving 99s, dancing at the town’s many nightclubs, breaking into the police station as naughty nine-year-olds, and even the distinct stink of public toilets.
It made us realise there are many shared experiences linking the now and the then. We still have naughty kids, fun beach days, and issues with our loos, yet somehow it all feels different today, anchored to the fall in demand as a holiday destination.
As Michael noted,
“Sandown no longer appeals to tourists, and in that respect we’re not different from other coastal towns that are now struggling.”
What makes Sandown stand out, however, is the sheer scale of dereliction, epitomised by the once-popular Ocean Hotel. One person said,
“It’s a wreckage of a town.
“All the disgraceful derelict hotels. And when charity shops are the only reason to come to the High Street, you know something has gone wrong.”
You could feel the anger and, as another person put it, the “deep shame” they were carrying. A town gone to seed.
Yet, those very charity shops are vital micro-communities where staff and customers look out for each other, brightening days as well as wardrobes.
We overheard a wonderful story in one: a customer was laughing about a ‘diamond-encrusted maple leaf’ she had bought at the local jewellers. As the staff gathered round to admire it, she told them, “And then this young lad shouted at me, ‘Respect, respect!’” It turns out the necklace wasn’t a maple leaf at all, but a cannabis leaf! They all hooted with laughter, and her friend immediately offered to buy it if she ever wanted to sell it.
Time and time again, themes of community, connection, and deep resilience nurtured through kinship surfaced. As one resident beautifully put it,
“It’s not about bringing back visitors and tourists, it’s about raising a community and investing in the people.”
Sandown’s portrait is emerging.
A Sandown Story written in a flash
Boojum’s Writer-in-Residence, Anmarie Bowler, was on hand all day listening to these snippets of life and feelings.
She took one person’s prompts and turned them into a custom piece of flash fiction written in literally ten minutes:
Hand Stand Hair By Anmarie Bowler
They move to Sandown, keen to strip off their winter mufflements and feel the beach between their toes.Forty years alive, She’s still brave, agile. So when She launches into a sandy hand stand, the lions of Yaverland roar their applause.
She and He are a bridge, a together gathering. A connected ring, like those encircling Saturn, they encompass this perfectly imperfect place.
Here, He can see Her. A wild-haired wonder, not simply swimming but frolicking in the sea.
Sandown Scribe is about uncovering the treasure hidden within our everyday lives, in our shared experiences, our shifting shingle, and the broken shards of our town.
Sandown is an inspiring place, and this is the realisation that it is inspiring not in spite of its edges, but because of them.
Your stories are seeds. When we collect and water them, they will grow and flourish. Isn’t that what we want for our town?
Share your anecdotes, memories and photos of Sandown for the Sandown Scribe project by visiting Boojum and Snark, 105 High St, Sandown PO36 8AF between 11m-4pm on 11th, 18th and 25th July 2026.
