History: A 1920s Holiday in Ventnor

A series of diary entries written by the father of English poet, Philip Larkin, tell of a typical family holiday taken in Ventnor in 1929.

On Monday August 26th 1929 the Larkins travelled from their home in Coventry to the Isle of Wight. Parents Eva and Sidney, 17 year old daughter Kitty and seven year old Philip. For this holiday, Sidney kitted himself out with a khaki tropical suit of jacket, trousers and shorts in order that he should “ be distinguishable while at Ventnor.”

Forty years later Philip Larkin was to write a poem “To the Sea” recalling his childhood holidays.

The Larkins stayed at Cliffholme in Alpine Road, now No 27 and three flats. In the evening Sydney and Eva went to the Golden Lantern Cafe, now a private house, “to drink coffee among the Germans” then home to bed.

On the Tuesday, they were “up betimes after an uncomfortable night.” The afternoon was spent in the children’s pond and then Eva and Kitty played tennis. Each day usually began with a swim. On the Wednesday, in the afternoon he walked Shanklin and back over the downs and in the evening they watched the Ventnor Carnival but “we did nothing but see the procession and catch cold.” Ventnor’s first carnival, in 1889, was a torchlight procession of ladies and gentlemen in fancy dress, followed by a Masquerade Ball. It was such a success that it became an annual event, attracting crowds of thousands and is still held to this day. This is possibly where young Philip heard the Ventnor Comic Jazz Band, which may have stimulated his later love of jazz.

Philip Larkin

On Thursday Kitty and her father walked to Luccombe Chine and the landslip meeting the “whole population of Shanklin taking the same walk in the opposite direction” returning over the downs. Sydney was particularly struck by an epitaph on a grave in St Blasius Churchyard Shanklin which began “Here lies sleeping” and ends “A very lovely woman.” in memory of Sybil Mona Holden of Bramcote, Notts. In the evening to the Golden Lantern again for coffee where he won first prize at “the nets and balls.”

More “lounging and bathing” on Friday morning although “Philip didn’t bathe but reported that he had three fights with different people.” The hot afternoon saw Eva and Sydney walking over the cliffs to St Lawrence where the novelist and dramatist John Oliver Hobbes had lived in Craigie Lodge. Hobbes real name was Pearl Mary Teresa Richards Craigie, an AngloAmerican who lived from 1867 till 1906.

They visited Old St. Lawrence church which he liked very much writing that it “provides a ready answer to the question “is there any particular spot you would like to be buried?’”

The evening saw Sydney struggling with a jigsaw with another guest, Reg Hawkins but without much success. The following morning the rest of his family worked at it but to no avail. Kitty and Mr Hawkins carried on in the afternoon whilst it showered.

The first Sunday of September found them bathing again but in a rough sea, Kitty was bowled over by a wave. Meanwhile Eva and Sydney went to the Golden Lantern. In the afternoon Sydney set off to walk to Saint Catherine’s Point and Blackgang Chine.

He had tea at the Buddle Inn at Niton. The churchyard at Niton contains the splendid grave of Edward Edwards, a pioneer of of public libraries (1812 – 1886) . Philip Larkin started his career as a public librarian in Wellington in Cheshire.

On Monday, September 2nd, a usual sort of morning was followed by a charabanc trip to Arreton Downs and Bembridge, returning via Sandown and Shanklin. In the evening at 8.30 father and Kitty went to a “Shilling Dance” at the Pier Pavilion.

“A blank day is necessary to any holiday.” Their’s was Tuesday. By ‘blank’ he meant swim and lounge. In the evening to the ever popular Golden Lantern. The diary notes the increasing popularity of shorts, mainly worn with blazers. As we know many modern day Isle of Wight men wear shorts all year round.

The second Wednesday was another hot day. Kitty and her father followed their swim with hot roast beef and hot boiled pudding. “Philip said it was too hot to breathe.” Nonetheless they went to Steephill Cove, which Sydney describes as “a putrid place at the best of times – but we found it unbearable and returned to the Golden Lantern and had four ices.” The evening was carnival night with fireworks and new guests had arrive, the Evans couple. He writes that “ Having come to the Isle of Wight, they are determined that they will not leave it until they have visited each place and seen everything that the guidebook says ought to be seen. Their knowledge of the country is encyclopaedic and had certainly been acquired in the post war period. Mr and Mrs Evans are well past middle-age and have possibly just begun to grow up.” Saturday morning was so hot that Sydney removes some clothing Philip persuaded his father to go on a speedboat trip and to his delight was allowed to steer. Afterwards to the Golden Lantern for ginger beer through straws. They read a bit then swam to cool down and in the evening mother and daughter went to see ‘The Farmer’s Wife’ at the Town Hall, a 1928 Alfred Hitchcock silent film.

There were strong winds from the north on Friday but these were soon replaced by another hot day. The water temperature of 64.5 degrees was slightly cooler than the previous day’s 66. In the afternoon father and son went up on the downs enjoying both the climb and blackberries.

Here Sydney notes that as you get older one gets luckier with holidays having been to Copenhagen for a week earlier in the year.

Eva bought a “football bladder to amuse us in the sea.” They also bought some ice creams and books. The women played tennis a lot and the evening was spent at a crowded Golden Lantern. Their second Sunday was hot and they all bathed. The afternoon was spent at a band concert “to get out of the heat”. Earlier Sydney met a women from Lichfield, Nan Waters, who accosted him. “It is a disconcerting fact that I can never go anywhere in England on holiday without meeting someone you know.”

In the evening the parents planned a walk over Boniface Down to go to Shanklin. They were misled by a signpost down a very rough lane where Eva fell and cut her knee and hand. This brought the walk to an end and they took the next bus back to Ventnor. Here Sydney shows his professional expertise by itemising all the costs: bus fares 1/6 , pair of small stockings 1/11 ½, Chemists charge 9d, total 4/2 1/2d In the evening despite the casualty they went to the Golden Lantern.

Since Eva was unable to bathe on the Monday and Sydney being unable to get a motor coach journey to Alum Bay, which was advertised as being at 2.15 daily but did not actually happen, the adults decided on a motor coach trip around the Island which they enjoyed. Sydney notes that there were two Germans on the coach.

They spent 1 ½ hours at Alum Bay including lunch at the Needles Hotel, now demolished. They bought some coloured sand in a glass for 2d, had tea at Ryde and visited Cowes. They bought a telescope for Philip and an incense burner for Kitty. In the evening father and daughter went to the Shilling Dance again on the pier “and further developed our new fox-trot step to perfection.”

The Thursday was the last day “Tomorrow being the end of all things.” Although it was colder they went bathing as usual. Sidney then had his hair cut before lunch and writes “and now I am under the painful necessity of getting my head browned where the hair has been cut away and I only have half a day in which to do it. I fear that I shall prove unequal to the task.” He and Philip go blackberrying on the Downs but he “fears that I am unable even to produce a slight redness at the back of my head and neck.”

Then to their favourite Golden Lantern “a strange and motley crowd there.”

Wednesday Sept 11 was the last day which began with bathing before breakfast. While packing they found it difficult to get all their packing in, as one does, and Sydney noted “The practice of bringing plenty of empty knapsacks and haversacks is to be recommended. The fine weather, of course, rendered many of my clothes unnecessary.” This is despite having bought a new trunk for the holiday.

Acknowledgements to Philip Pullen for Sydney Larkin’s diary for the holiday.