Looking Back: Friday, May 9, 2008

By Emily Pearce - Friday, May 9, 2008
100 Years Ago
May 9, 1908
A private in the Suffolk Regiment, stationed at Parkhurst, was fined 2s 6d and 4s costs after admitting to being drunk and disorderly in East Cowes.
Passengers on the floating bridge had complained about his behaviour but the defendant said he was of good character, and had only been found guilty of public drunkenness twice before.
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Yarmouth was besieged with visitors who flocked to see the stranded HMS Gladiator.
Meanwhile, a service in memory of the men who lost their lives when the ship collided with an American liner was held at Portsmouth’s dockyard church, and the first body of the 23 missing crew members washed ashore at Yarmouth.
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The chief meeting of the IW Golf Union was held at the Needles links, where the championship of the Island was won by Mr J. E. Mellor, a previous holder of the title and a member of the Sandown and Shanklin Club.

75 Years Ago
May 6, 1933
Edgar Cham, of The Bays, Bowcombe, was presented with a silver watch in recognition of his 40 years of service at the Royal Mail.
The postmaster, W. C. Bailey, congratulated Mr Cham on his remarkable reputation for punctuality and his cheery, obliging ways.
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A white-collared flycatcher was spotted at Ryde by a local ornithologist.
The bird, an extremely rare visitor to the Island, was thought to be a straggler on migration.
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Members of the Cowes Unemployed Organisation blasted the government’s social service scheme, claiming it was anti-working class and anti-trade union.
They said welfare committee members showed an interest in helping the unemployed but lacked the knowledge or experience to do so.
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Dr Davies Jones, the medical superintendent at Whitecroft Hospital, gave a talk on medical diseases through the ages. He said the first example of madness could be found in Eve, who was a victim of hallucinations, and Saul, who displayed homicidal tendencies.

50 Years Ago
May 10, 1958
For the first time since it started in 1951, an Island team received a major award at the IW Car Club rally.
Second place went to a team headed by Mr H. C. Gear, of Northwood, a newcomer to rally driving, and his co-navigator, Mr S. Harwood, of Wootton.
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Extra boats and trains were provided by British Railways to bring more than 1,100 members of the Ramblers’ Association to the Island for a day’s outing.
The excursion from London was one of a series of spring trips organised by the association and members declared they were charmed by the beauty of the IW.
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Penelope Morris, of the Channel View Hotel, Ventnor, was named Miss Dairy Maid IW.
The 21-year-old domestic science teacher received a £10 prize and a place in the regional finals.
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Cowes resident Hubert Clifford wrote a Cowes Suite for orchestra and dedicated it to Uffa Fox, after being commissioned by the organisers of the BBC’s light music festival.
The festival was due to be held at the Royal Festival Hall.

25 Years Ago
May 6, 1983
Shanklin businessman Peter Simmonds was appointed the village’s first town crier.
But by the end of his first day, Mr Simmonds, an ex-Army Cadet Force regimental sergeant-major, had lost his voice.
“I overdid the calling,” he whispered.
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The Island’s potato crop was hit by the worst spring weather for several years, prompting fears of higher prices in shops.
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Two yachtsmen had to swim for safety after their craft capsized at Yarmouth.
It was one of the busiest weeks of the year for coastguards, as a spokesman confirmed: “We had the usual amount of trouble with windsurfers and dinghy sailors getting into trouble in adverse weather conditions. Local rescue craft were well worked throughout the region and with their help the weekend passed off without any major casualties.”
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A golden retriever became the Island’s first bionic dog after breaking his leg in a freak accident.
After Shadow’s broken leg was repaired with screws, plates, pins and bolts by a top animal surgeon, his owner, Carrie Fisham, said it had been worth the £500 expense to fly him to Bristol University in a private aircraft for the operation.

10 Years Ago
May 8, 1998
Carisbrooke High School headteacher Carole Whitty bade farewell to the Island to take up the post of principal at a school in Plymouth.
She said: “Carisbrooke is a great school full of great people and I am going to miss them terribly. I am sure I will shed a few tears before I leave.”
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Controversial plans by SP Systems to develop a greenfield site off Forest Road, Newport, were withdrawn.
SP Systems managing director, Paul Ruddling, said the decision was made because the multi-million pound development of the company’s showpiece headquarters, aimed at creating 100 jobs, had been turned into a political issue.
A leading opponent to the plans, Ed Jewett, said: “Faced with this encroachment into the Island’s countryside we set out to send a clear message to councillors, planning officers and the public.”
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Northwood Primary School was nominated for a top award in recognition of its good work.
After receiving a glowing Ofsted report, Northwood was in line to be named one of 170 Beacon Schools by the government.

Looking Back: Friday, May 9, 2008

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