When I visited Portsmouth and Southsea
earlier this year, I thought about extending my explorations to another,
nearby, seaside town - Ryde on the Isle of Wight. After walking around Southsea
looking at places of interest, I didn’t have enough energy or inclination left,
so I decided to leave it for another day. I had hoped to go much sooner, but I
have finally made the trip.
Significant dates
Geoffrey Stavert, the author of A Study in
Southsea: The Unrevealed Life of Doctor Arthur Conan Doyle, did some detective
work and was reasonably confident that Conan Doyle arrived at Clarence Pier in
Southsea on Saturday, June 24th 1882.
By coincidence, June 24th 2017 was a Saturday
too, and I first intended to visit the island on that day; it seemed fitting
that I would leave Clarence Pier on the same day and date that Conan Doyle
arrived. However, it was a day when the weather was not very good and I didn’t
feel like going anywhere.
I kept postponing this trip in favour of
other things, until I realised that autumn was upon us. September 22nd was the
day of the Autumn Equinox, so I thought that would be a good day to go.
Journey to Ryde on the Isle of Wight
I returned to Southsea, then travelled by Hovercraft
over the Solent to Ryde.
I have made this journey before, but on those
occasions Kipling and Doyle were not involved. I lived in Ryde for a short time
when I was four years old, and I went back there just for personal reasons.
This time, I was aware of some relevant associations.
Unseen influences on the Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight has a bad reputation. There
are allegations of Satanism, black magic and mysterious goings on. Freemasons
in business and local government are alleged to have inordinate influence on
the island’s affairs. David Icke, who lives in Ryde, is one of the many people
who have written about this.
I will never know why my family moved to Ryde
– and some other places with interesting and sinister connections. I suspect
that someone was following some kind of psychic trail.
