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Looking Back: Friday, April 18, 2008

By Elaine Squire - Friday, April 18, 2008
100 Years Ago
April 18, 1908
More than 1,000 men from the Island were needed for the 8th Battalion of The Hampshire Regiment, which was being formed under the new Territorial Army (TA) scheme.
Many of the men who had previously been members of the volunteers signed up with the TA.
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Horace Rayner, the Whiteley murderer, was sentenced to 14 days’ solitary confinement at Parkhurst Prison after he set fire to the bedding in his cell.
In admitting the charge, Rayner told the judge he had lit the fire because he had been troubled by a letter from his wife.
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Protesting against the cost of the proposed medical inspection of Newport schoolchildren, Mr C. Salter objected to what he called the socialistic tendency of educational legislation.
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Walter George Sibbick, of East Cowes, was fined 1s (5p) with 9s (45p) costs, after pleading guilty to discharging a catapult on the highway.
Police had spotted Sibbick firing missiles from a catapult at nesting rooks.

75 Years Ago
April 15, 1933
Mystery surrounded the dramatic disappearance of PC Arthur Debenham, from Brighstone.
The policeman had not been seen since leaving home on Monday, April 10, at 9pm, to walk a circular beat of ten miles through Calbourne, Chessell, Brook and Mottistone, then back to Brighstone.
PC Winnard, of Yarmouth, who had seen PC Debenham near the Sun Inn, in Calbourne, at 11pm, said he had seemed quite normal in conversation and bade him a cheery goodnight.
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Maj Gen J. Seely entertained members of the Island Sailing Club with a talk about his experiences in the Mediterranean.
Among his stories was an amusing account of a visit, when he was 19, to the Sultan Abdul-Hamid’s harem, where he reported the ladies were fully dressed, all very fat and extremely ugly.
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East Cowes Boys’ Brigades were awarded the G. H. Cook shield after an annual competition involving troops from across the Island.
Boys competed in first aid, drill and physical training.

50 Years Ago
April 19, 1958
Water pollution caused by the Aquila flying boat disaster at Shalcombe, in November 1957, was proving to be a problem to the water board.
When the supply, which had been affected by the aviation fuel, was switched back on, complaints were received from the Shalfleet, Thorley and Ningwood areas and the alternative supply again had to be used.
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A Sandown woman was in a satisfactory condition after being bitten by an adder.
Mrs B. Tyler, of The Mall, Lake Hill, Sandown, who had been in a serious condition following the bite on her ankle, was making a steady recovery.
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An informal meeting was arranged to discuss Air Ministry plans to erect a VHF radio station near the top of St Lawrence Shute.
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Sandown Business Association announced its decision to discontinue the Easter Cycle Rally as a result of hooliganism.
Mr J. Deakin said: “It is a pity a minority of hooligans has stopped it but unfortunately this seems to be the trend of today.”

25 Years Ago
April 15, 1983
Every member of the guide movement on the Island had an opportunity to meet Lady Baden-Powell, chief commissioner, when she paid a four-day visit to the IW.
She kicked off her visit with a trip to Albert Road Primary School, in Shanklin, where she was welcomed by more than 150 members of Ventnor, Sandown and Shanklin districts.
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Members of Lake Ratepayers And Residents’ Association stated their opposition to any proposals or moves that would lead to the expansion of the IW Airport, at Sandown.
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Islanders were invited by the Wild Fowl Trust to help with a census of the country’s mute swan population.
The census was important because numbers of the birds were declining due to poisoning from lead weights discarded or lost by fishermen.
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Ten-year-old Nevena Kalenulk was chosen as Ryde junior carnival queen during a disco organised by the carnival committee.
The reserve queen and maid of honour was Kara Sadler and the second maid of honour was Joanne Crockford.

10 Years Ago
April 17, 1998
One of the Island’s top police officers welcomed an 8.5 per cent fall in offences reported to Hampshire Constabulary in 1997.
Ch Insp Phil Horn said while the figures for the area, which included the IW, were pleasing, there was never room for complacency.
Vehicle crime was down by 19.5 per cent but violent crime was up by 15.5 per cent.
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A Whitwell farmer was appealing for information after a dog herded two of his pedigree sheep over a 100ft cliff.
One of the sheep, owned by farmer James Attrill, of Dean Farm, died as a result of the fall on rocks and trees but the other miraculously survived.
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The launch of a new Island TV station, TV12, which had been planned for the end of May, was put back because of problems with its frequency getting final European approval.
Station managing director, Paul Meade, said: “We are not looking at buying trash TV. We are looking for programmes to enhance the viewing experience, given genuine choice and complement our own Island programming.”
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Management at Churchill’s basement bar, in Ryde, were planning to close membership just a couple of weeks after launching the Island’s first topless bar.