In 1945, Mike Jacobs visited the Isle of Wight for the first time, finding himself captivated by a railway system at the time innocently believed to be concentrated just at Ryde. Further visits followed, including trips on the Island line to Ventnor, Bembridge, Newport and Yarmouth. Already addicted to the charm of the Island system, it was fortunate indeed when in 1954 there came a house move to Ventor, after which began a daily trip by train to school, again which was only served to cement his already solid fascination with the railway system. Mike Jacobs' stories of railway life half a century ago and more, seen both as a regular passenger and as an enthusiast are almost certainly unique in the way he both recorded and now recounts the same. Written in a way that can only be described as having a wonderful warmth of feeling, the reader is immediately taken back to those same days: to a time already fast receding into the distance and to a way of life now almost alien.Fortunately not only did he record his memories in word form, but also with copious black and white illustrations, most of which have never been published previously, illustrating the scene both as it was then but also as it began to change. This then is a book that will be cherished, one to sink unto at quieter times; to do otherwise would certainly not do justice to the content.