I was very interested to be given your email address as I was a childhood resident of Bembridge.  I am the daughter of Fred Childs (of Hodge & Childs Garage) and my parents and I emigrated to Canada in 1948.  My cousin, Barry Dyer, told me about the Bembridge web site and I was happily surprised to find his picture there.  He is the splitting image of my late father.
With all the publicity surrounding the maiden voyage of the QM2 it has brought back memories for me of an early morning in 1935, I believe it was, when my father took me out to the lifeboat pier to watch the original Queen Mary sail past from France also on her way to Southampton.
My two daughters tell me they have also sent you an email.  Perhaps this is the start of a trend from the Canadian branch of the Childs family!  Wishing all in Bembridge the very best for 2004.

I am sitting here in Vancouver, British Columbia Canada, and I have just logged on to your site. 
My mother, who is Barry Dyer's cousin , and who resides in Ontario, Canada, instructed me to your site in order that I get a glimpse of my 2nd cousin, Barry Dyer.
To my astonishment, I found your site and lo and behold there was my cousin.  I have not seen him since I was about 16 years old, when he paid us a wonderful visit to Canada.  He now looks so much like my grandfather (who passed away 20 years ago) that it brought tears to my eyes. When I saw Barry he was a very sauve, debonair bachelor who dressed very "mod", wore brogues, and all my friends were enchanted with his British accent.  I assume nothing has changed.
With my mother, grandfather, and grandmother, all from the Isle of Wight, I hope to pay a visit to there someday.
In the meantime, I am glad our family is being represented by Barry Dyer's wonderful stories of Bembridge when he was a boy.  Best of the New Year.

Christmas Wishes to all in Bembridge and keep up the good work with Bembridge.com .  You are doing a great service to those who live there and those who have moved away and still wish to keep in touch.  Many Thanks

Like Ted Watson and Barry Dyer I, too, have many memories of Bembridge in the 50's and 60's, and all the venerable gentlemen mentioned by Ted, and I hope Barry can recount the early days of the Youth Club at the Village Hall (then known as the Church Room) when he and I were able assistants to the then PC Ray Rowsell who was our valiant leader. Happy days indeed.
My main reason for this short note is to thank you most sincerely for your excellent site, I left Bembridge in 1967 to drive around the world, hoping it would take up to two years. I arrived half way, in Perth Western Australia and have not yet completed the journey so news from home is always welcome, especially when it comes to getting in touch with old friends.  Thanks again and keep up the good work.