Home / Features / This Island Life
This Island Life
Friday, May 16, 2008
THIS ISLAND LIFE
LOOK closely at this photograph. Hidden in its depths are the saturnine features of a young man rumoured by my fellow columnist, Percy Sutson, to be on the verge of completing his journey across the political spectrum.
Click here for the full story
Friday, May 9, 2008
THIS ISLAND LIFE
BACK in the 70s and early 80s no sport on the Island was more fiercely competitive than village cricket.
When the likes of Arreton, Havenstreet, Godshill, Brading and Westover Park did battle, bails and words flew in all directions.
Click here for the full story
Friday, May 2, 2008
THIS ISLAND LIFE
THE Island said a final farewell to its most exalted son on Saturday and, like the work of the man himself, it was an occasion imbued with charm, dignity, pathos and tender humour.
Click here for the full story
Friday, April 25, 2008
THIS ISLAND LIFE
A FRIEND of mine, Mick Bull, swears he knows somebody who refuses to take any car journey on the Island that involves a right turn.
Apparently, this chap will go out of his way to ...
Click here for the full story
Friday, April 18, 2008
THIS ISLAND LIFE
A COUPLE of weeks back I asked readers to send in pictures guaranteed to embarrass husbands, dads and even granddads from an era best called When We Had Hair.
Click here for the full story
Friday, April 11, 2008
THIS ISLAND LIFE
YOU may recall a couple of weeks ago I lamented the absence of women in our catalogue of Grumpy Old People and in doing so invoked the memory of ‘Grassy’ Field, a biology teacher at the former Sandown...
Click here for the full story
Friday, April 4, 2008
THIS ISLAND LIFE
WE all have our heroes. Mine include, in no particular order, John Betjeman, John Wayne and William Connor.
The first two everyone has heard of; the third is well known to those who take pleasure from seeing the written word deployed by a master.
Click here for the full story
Friday, March 28, 2008
THIS ISLAND LIFE
IT IS ironic that a man who cherished the English language, and caressed it with almost everything he said or wrote, should be universally described by one of its most mundane adjectives.
Anthony Minghella, everyone said, was a nice man.
Click here for the full story
Thursday, March 20, 2008
THIS ISLAND LIFE
WHAT is the point of ties? Until the advent of blessed retirement, I spent more than 50 years wearing them, man and boy, without ever knowing why.
I have only seen them put to positive use once. Every day a former features editor ...
Click here for the full story
Friday, March 14, 2008
THIS ISLAND LIFE
THE evolution of the humble British forename has always held a certain fascination.
When I was at school, the classroom seemed to be filled with Brendas, Angelas, Davids, Nigels, Peters and Margarets. There were quite a few Keiths ...
Click here for the full story