‘La Ryde’, or Lower Ryde, was recorded as a fishing village, with one of the three ports by which you could access the island. It was burnt by the French in the reign of Edward II and remained relatively insignificant until the 18th century.

Henry Player, a Hampshire brewer, bought the Manor of Ashey and Ryde for £3,000. The subsequent generations of the Player family initiated the growth of Ryde by allowing houses to be built between the farms of Upper Ryde and building a chapel.

Upper and Lower Ryde hamlets were joined by the introduction of Union Street, and land was aside for the building of Church Lane, Union Road, George Street and Cross Street by William Player.

By the early 19th century Ryde was beginning to grow in popularity for wealthy visitors in search of the Picturesque and for travellers who were denied their customary continental visits during the Napoleonic Wars. Keats’ famous first line “A thing of beauty is a joy for ever” helped publicise the island as a beautiful holiday destination.

The Ryde Pier is opened, the first of the great pleasure piers to be built in the UK, costing £12,000 and extending 1740 feet. The pier instigated steady development in Ryde and the rapid growth of the Isle of Wight’s tourism industry due to it being accessible at all tides. From the pier you could regularly travel to Portsmouth or Southampton, or take excursions to Lymington, Bournemouth or Brighton.

Ryde Esplanade was constructed, welcoming a constant and busy flow of promenading passengers arriving daily. Subsequently, Ryde became a popular bathing resort, largely as a result of Queen Victoria’s regular presence and fondness for the island. She is noted to have said: “It is impossible to imagine a prettier spot”.

William and James Woods are listed in William White’s Isle of Wight directory as a commercial blacksmiths and ironmonger at the Cross Street address, with a hatter, tailor and boot maker next door.

On 28th July, the first Ryde Carnival is held in honour of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, which she herself attended. It was the first carnival to take place in the UK and set in motion the longstanding tradition on the island.

Early records of the Packs building suggest that it was operating for nearly 100 years as a manufacturing and furnishing ironmongers, W. & J. Woods. The premises were enlarged over time to accommodate attractive window displays, “spacious saloons” exhibiting useful and ornamental ironmongery, from baths and toilets to lamps and candelabra. Behind the showrooms were extensive works for the production of goods, a suite of offices and a stables.

In 1906 carnivals were temporarily stopped due to the popularity of regattas and the First World War, restarting in 1934. Over 5000 people watched the firework display in the recreation ground, which included a set piece depicting a naval battle.

The Packs building became Woods & Wilkins Ltd., an expansion of the ironmongers into a tool and garden, farm and dairy equipment stockist, and general repairs shop.

Winifred Guy, mother of Elizabeth Barrow, takes over Packs, a valuable clothes shop in Ryde.

Elizabeth Barrow opens Packs on 29-30 Cross Street as a department store, carrying on the fashion business of her parents. She was asked to take on the large building because it needed to remain as one shop for planning purposes.

Shademakers is established in Manchester under the artistic direction of sculptor Paul McLaren, creating large scale carnival art. McLaren later established a second group in Bielefeld, Germany, in 1997.

Ryde Arts is established by Carol Jaye to run the annual Ryde Arts Festival.

Shademakers approach Turner Works with a vision to turn the Packs building into a new cultural centre for making, learning, sharing, interacting, performing and celebrating.

Building work is completed and Department is fully open to the public