100 Years Ago
August 24, 1912
A Godshill man was charged with being drunk in charge of a pony and cart.
The man was seen going up a hill and then stop and begin to shout. He then fell over in the road and went indoors, where he was said to be “raving like a madman”.
He was fined £1 and 9s costs.
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The Queen of Spain ended her stay on the Island with her mother, Princess Henry of Battenberg, at Osborne Cottage.
Her visit was affected by bad weather, and accompanied by her young daughter, the Infanta Beatrice, she motored to Trinity Pier, East Cowes, and boarded the yacht, Sheila.
She was accompanied by the governor of the Island, Princess Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein, and Prince Maurice of Battenberg.
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Two pedestrians were injured in a crash at Quarr Hill, Binstead.
Three young men were walking down the hill towards Newport, when two of them were hit by an overtaking car.
It was said the driver sounded his horn several times to warn the men but they did not hear him and the car skidded into them.
They were taken to hospital for treatment.
75 Years Ago
August 28, 1937
A race in which competitors had to tow a passenger on a lilo half a length of Sandown Pleasure Pool, was a feature of the town’s gala.
The largest crowd of the season gathered to enjoy a varied sporting programme.
A balloon, beer and biscuit competition for men was an amusing addition to the events, at the pool.
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A smoke bomb was accidentally dropped from an RAF plane while flying over Shanklin.
It fell into the back garden of a house on Hope Road.
The object, shaped like a torpedo, burst into thick columns of smoke when it crashed into the ground.
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The last event in the Newport Carnival programme, the children’s fancy dress ball, was held at the Drill Hall.
It was crowded with children in fancy dress and the carnival king and queen were given a loud welcome.
Children also enjoyed dancing and the event was deemed as a huge success.
50 Years Ago
August 25, 1962
Electricity supplies to various parts of the Island were affected by a huge gale when one of the high voltage wires to a transformer in Whiteley Bank broke.
It caused interference to the main line to which it was connected and played havoc with supplies in Newport, Godshill, Rookley, Arreton, Apse Heath and Chillerton.
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Thousands of people enjoyed the 111th Shanklin Town Regatta, when a packed programme ended with a fireworks display and the regatta ball.
The regatta started in brilliant sunshine and by mid-morning, the Esplanade was congested as crowds packed the bunting-decorated seafront.
Several submarines also made appearances, to the delight of spectators.
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A 62-year-old Newport man pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly in St James’s Square.
A police officer saw the man trying the door of The Red Lion public house. His speech was slurred and he was struggling to stand up. He said some of his shipmates had come to visit and the drinks had got too much for him.
He was conditionally discharged.
25 Years Ago
August 28, 1987
A Hercules from RAF Lyneham became the ballroom for the Men of Wight Morris Men when they danced their way into the Guinness Book of Records during the station’s family day.
The Hercules squad was performing a tactical demonstration display but allowed the dancers to dance up the ramp of the Hercules, then up to 27,000ft and into the record books.
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Firemen were inundated with calls to pump out flooded properties during a spectacular thunderstorm.
The areas heavily affected were Sandown, Lake and Shanklin, after almost an inch of rain fell in a short period, combined with thunder and lightning.
In Atherley Road, Shanklin, a knee-deep wave swirled down the hill, spilling into buildings as it went.
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In the aftermath of the powerboat accident in The Needles Channel, which claimed the lives of three people, around 80 rescue boats were drafted in for the Cowes Classic event.
Between 70 and 80 powerboat crews from all over Europe were set to take part in the 204-mile race from Cowes to Torquay and back.
10 Years Ago
August 23, 2002
A repeat of the loss-making Rock Island concert looked to be on the cards, in the hope it would break even.
Councillors voted to recommend the IW festival, which included Rock Island, should go ahead, even though it lost £299,000.
Councillors also wanted the costs of the 2002 event to be recovered over the next five years.
The recommendation followed a report by Annie Horne, Wight Leisure’s managing director, who said the event was only intended to become self-financing in the third year.
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A remarkable eight A grades in exam results sent a teenager to the top of the class.
Marcus Besley, 18, gained the top marks for his four A-levels — in history, French, maths and further maths.
He also had another four A grades for AS levels in history of art, German, English and general studies.
Marcus, of Newport, a pupil at Carisbrooke High School, said he was lucky.