HARRY PRITCHETT ARCHAEOLOGIST AND ARTIST

by T. C. Hudson

THE SECOND OLDEST PROFESSION?

With the cessation of brick-making some years ago, there came to an end the Isle of Wight’s connection with one of its most lucrative products – a connection that six generations of the Pritchett family had done much to maintain.

A NONAGENARIAN REMEMBERS

Mr T.C. Hudson’s personal history of his early life in Northwood 1933 to 1945.

AUGUST HOLIDAY

A short story.
Available as a PDF file.

THEIR APPOINTED PLACES

A novel containing Isle of Wight dialect.
Available as a PDF file.

AN EMPRESS ON HOLIDAY

Empress Elizabeth of Austria.

ELIZABETH SLEPT THERE

An appreciation of Steephill Castle.

SELECTED SOJOURNS ON THE ISLE OF WIGHT

James Macartney, M.D. – Part 1.

SELECTED SOJOURNS ON THE ISLE OF WIGHT

James Macartney, M.D. – Part 2.

SELECTED SOJOURNS ON THE ISLE OF WIGHT

George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans) – Part 1.

SELECTED SOJOURNS ON THE ISLE OF WIGHT

George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans) – Part 2.

SELECTED SOJOURNS ON THE ISLE OF WIGHT

Admiral Lord Jellicoe – Part 1.

SELECTED SOJOURNS ON THE ISLE OF WIGHT

Admiral Lord Jellicoe – Part 2.

SELECTED SOJOURNS ON THE ISLE OF WIGHT

Admiral Lord Jellicoe – Part 3.

SELECTED SOJOURNS ON THE ISLE OF WIGHT

John Boynton Priestley – Part 1.

SELECTED SOJOURNS ON THE ISLE OF WIGHT

John Boynton Priestley – Part 2.

SELECTED SOJOURNS ON THE ISLE OF WIGHT

Albert William Ketelbey – Part 1.

SELECTED SOJOURNS ON THE ISLE OF WIGHT

Albert William Ketelbey – Part 2.

SELECTED SOJOURNS ON THE ISLE OF WIGHT

Lewis Carroll – Part 1.

SELECTED SOJOURNS ON THE ISLE OF WIGHT

Lewis Carroll – Part 2.

THOMAS ARNOLD’S SCHOOLDAYS

Part 1 of an appraisal of the Island-born reforming headmaster of Rugby School.

THOMAS ARNOLD’S SCHOOLDAYS

Part 2 of an appraisal of the Island-born reforming headmaster of Rugby School.

THOMAS ARNOLD’S SCHOOLDAYS

Part 3 of an appraisal of the Island-born reforming headmaster of Rugby School.

THOMAS ARNOLD AT OXFORD

Part 4 of an appraisal of the Island-born reforming headmaster of Rugby School.

THOMAS ARNOLD: THE LALEHAM YEARS

Part 5 of an appraisal of the Island-born reforming headmaster of Rugby School.

THOMAS ARNOLD: FLOREAT RUGBEIA

Part 6 of an appraisal of the Island-born reforming headmaster of Rugby School.

THOMAS ARNOLD: FLOREAT RUGBEIA

Part 7 of an appraisal of the Island-born reforming headmaster of Rugby School.

THOMAS ARNOLD: FLOREAT RUGBEIA

Part 8 of an appraisal of the Island-born reforming headmaster of Rugby School.

THOMAS ARNOLD: THE FINAL ACHIEVEMENT

Part 9 of an appraisal of the Island-born reforming headmaster of Rugby School.

FIT FOR A KING

An appraisal of the Big Yachts of yesteryear.

FETTERED FERRY

How the Cowes to East Cowes Floating Bridge came about.

“THORNBOROUGH” – ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE

Spooks in Chale and Ryde.

THEY DEVELOP THE GASTROCNEMIUS

An appraisal of two-wheeled transport.

SHIELDS AND DEFENDERS

Reflections on aspects of the Cowes Volunteer Training Corps.

A CUTTER FOR COWES WEEK

Reflections on an occasionally sea-going member of the author’s family.

A LANDLUBBER’S GUIDE TO TALL SHIPS

From schooners, topsail-schooners, brigs, brigantines, barques and barquentines to ships.

IN “BLACK AND WHITE”

A look at a pictorial magazine of 1901.

A MAN OF SOME INDEPENDENCE

An appreciation of Reverend Constantine Sinclair, former Rector of St Andrew’s, Chale.

LICENSED FOR DRAMA

The Alexandra Hall in Cowes.

LET’S ALL GO TO A PICTURE-SHOW

When Cowes had three cinemas.

POTTER’S PLAQUE

Harry Pritchett’s puzzling production.

A FORGOTTEN POET

Dr Arthur Thomas Shearman – poet, philosopher and logician.

FROM WOODEN WALLS TO WELDED HULLS

An account of some of the ships built by J. S. White & Co. of Cowes.

SOMERTON WORKS 1936-1966

An account of J. S. White & Co.’s Somerton Works.

HE WIELDED PEN AND SWORD

An account of the life and career of Lionel James, author and war correspondent.

HOW ‘ADRIAN’S GHOST’ CAME ABOUT

Adrian’s Ghost – a book by Mr T. C. Hudson.

AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL NOTES

Born in Cowes 25th August 1910.
Domestic status: Bachelor.
Died in Northwood 13th July 2007.

‘DOWN UNDER’ DUPLICATES

Island place names and their counterparts in Oz.

WHEN BRITANNIA HAD WINGS

Cowes Week long ago.

VETERAN ON HOLIDAY

A chance encounter with a Chelsea Pensioner.

MACHINE-SHOP MEMORIES

Recollections of the author’s apprenticeship.

LOST: THE BARQUE ‘COMMERCE’

The author’s genealogical mystery.

WHO REMEMBERS EDMUND PEEL?

A cousin of Sir Robert Peel, founder of the police service.

IN THE ‘NICK’

“Helping the police with their enquiries”.

LINKS WITH VICTORIAN OSBORNE

Having been throughout my long and not uneventful life a loyal supporter of the Monarchy, it gives me pleasure to recall that in the latter years of Queen Victoria’s reign three members of my family were on the royal payroll and that circa 1910 a fourth was employed at Osborne Cottage in York Avenue, now a home for elderly people, but at that time the residence of Princess Beatrice.

DINNER IS SERVED, M’LORD

It was while watching the activity in Lord Henry Norton’s kitchen, during the first episode of the TV series “The Duchess of Duke Street”, that I recalled witnessing a similar scene at East Cowes Castle some fifty years ago.

PIPES AT PARKHURST

For some people the sound of bagpipes is intolerable. When heard under the right conditions, I find it enjoyable.

THE MASS

Immobile since 1915, the 1910 Mass would have gone for scrap if the late Raymond Porter, a motor enthusiast, had not in 1951 seen it when passing the open door of its garage, and persuaded the late George Marvin, a fellow draughtsman and grandson of the original owner to join him in buying and restoring it. Eventually, discussions between George and his family resulted in the car being obtained for £12.10s.0d.

TURNPIKES

Toll-gates on the Isle of Wight, often by misconception associated with a remote and romantic past, were in fact a 19th century innovation, the establishment of the first being proposed in 1813 during a meeting of the Highway Commission at the Newport Guildhall.