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The isle of wight railways

A reprint of this detailed review of the Isle of Wight’s railways from 1923 up to the mid-2000s. The Southern Railway acquired the island’s railways in 1923 and ran them up until nationalisation in 1948.

Black & White fireworks

last wartime secret

six scenic day walks iow

About our store

All good books have one thing in common

We specialise in selling books, maps, videos and guides about the Isle of Wight. It’s always good to know more about the Island whether you live here or are planning a visit. We aim to have the largest range of items available, but please contact us if you are having trouble finding a particular title.

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Autobiography

Author of the Moment

I never really knew what I wanted to do in life because I was interested in so many different things – but writing has meant that I haven’t had to choose. I haven’t had to stick with just one thing.

What motivates me to write is the ability to share the things that inspire me. Often these are quite niche subjects, as I seem to be drawn to different and unusual stories – but it also means most of my work requires lots of intense research.

For example, my first book – The Isle of Wight’s Missing Chapter – came about from an interest in Black British history and a conviction the Island should have some hidden multi-racial history too. I looked for people of African and Caribbean origin in 19th-century newspapers, biographies and journals and soon found incredible amounts of information about their presence on the Isle of Wight – everything from Ethiopian princes, to Jamaican models and mixed-race Island-born sailors.

Similarly, a love of food and a chance encounter with a one hundred and fifty-year-old doughnut recipe set me on a path that eight months later would lead to my second book: Historic Isle of Wight Food. I didn’t just discover a few forgotten regional specialities, it was more like uncovering snapshots of a completely forgotten local cuisine which the book attempts to rediscover and recreate.

The rest of the world is also a huge inspiration for me. I studied with universities in Scandinavia, undertook fieldwork in the Republic of Georgia and lived for a time in Istanbul, Turkey – but wherever I am or whatever I’m doing, the Isle of Wight is (and always will be) a part of me.

James Rayner

Every book you pick up has its own lesson or lessons

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