october 20th 1908 MW or HW to Ernest Charles cole

ventnor, isle of wight to Walworth, london

99 miles

The Message

"13 North Street Ventnor
Dear C
Will you meet me on Thurs evening at Teds not on the bike tho. Am staying with an old sailor don't write as I should not get anything before I leave. I had a decent passage. This place is OK
Yours MW"
 

The Sender

There are no clues as to who MW or HW is.

The Recipient

Ernest Charles Cole (1885-), who appears to be known as Charles, is a bit of a mystery too. He is in the 1911 census listed as a Railway Clerk living with his widowed mother Lizzie Ellen (1863-1936). The electoral roll has him still living with his mother in 1933 at the age of 48. I cannot find a marriage or death for him. Neither can I find a marriage for Lizzie Ellen and Charles' father, John Bishop Cole (1849-1908) which means I don't know her maiden name.
Charles is one of 10 children, 2 of whom had died by the 1911 census. The survivors were Jessie Ellen (1888-?), William John B (1890-), Mabel Mary (1893-), Florence Alice (1895-), Alfred Thomas (1897-), Nellie May (1903-) and Lillian Ethel (1906-). All of them have proved difficult to trace. one point of interest is that in 1911, Jessie and Mabel were Fancy Leather Fitters, whatever that is.

The Places

Ventnor, Isle of Wight

Walworth, London

Hexthorpe Flatts, Yorkshire

What the card says to us

In 1901, 13 North Street, Ventnor is occupied by the Williams family, one of whom, Charles F, is indeed a sailor in the Royal Navy. Why this is called out when there are another 7 family members is confusing. By 1911, 13 North Street Ventor was occupied by a grocer's assistant called Henry Edward Saunders.
There is no suggestion of any reason why MW has gone to the Isle of Wight. Or why Charles shouldn't bring the bike. Or who Ted is. And the use of "OK" is interesting. When did it become a thing?
The picture on the card is of Hexthorpe Flatts in Doncaster and shows a sailing barge of some kind. You would have thought that a card sent from the Isle of Wight would show a scene of the Isle of Wight.