The Arthur Webster Memorial Hospital

Join in the fun at a garden party at the Arthur Webster Memorial Hospital at Shanklin on the Isle of Wight.

There's a languid, carefree feel to these images, probably shot just months before WWI around Shanklin on the Isle of Wight. After a peaceful visit to the Arthur Webster Memorial Hospital, where we meet the nursing staff and one lucky patient with his own garden room, we're whisked off to a lively garden fete at nearby Upper Chine. The occasion is likely May Day, judging by the maypole, but the atmosphere is high summer, with the ladies' white dresses glowing in the bright sun (with a little help from the slightly solarised film).

The fete's attractions include a brief but polished comic performance, led by an unidentified actor (perhaps a local star?), plus an engaging display of maypole dancing by the village girls. The Arthur Webster Memorial Hwospital was previously known as the Children's Surgical Home and is used today as an outpatient clinic.