100 Years Ago
December 2, 1911
A PRISONER at Parkhurst was confined to the criminal lunatic asylum after his escapade on the prison roof.
The convict, named Jackson, was exercising with other prisoners, when he broke away and climbed up a drainpipe to the roof.
Officers attempted to reach the prisoner by climbing a ladder but they were forced back when he started to throw slate tiles at them.
Water was fired at him while officers approached from the other side of the roof, eventually capturing him after an hour-long struggle.
Passers-by watched from the roadside as he was lowered to the ground with ropes.
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A service was held at the Royal National Hospital, St Lawrence, for the unveiling of two tablets in memory of Queen Victoria and King Edward VII.
The Gothic-style tablets, on the wall of the hospital’s chapel, were made from white marble.
The Rev J. A. Alloway praised the “exquisite workmanship” of Messrs Morgan and Sons.
75 Years Ago
December 5, 1936
Training was to be given to doctors and nurses to prepare them for a potential air raid on the Island.
Major Stuart Blackmore, chief medical officer at the Home Office, held a meeting at Newport Town Hall, to warn medical staff about possible air-raids.
He said the country was no longer immune to such an attack, due to the advancement of modern aeroplanes.
Maj Blackmore said London was the most likely target but the Island should still be prepared.
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The British chess master, Mr C. Alexander, took on inmates at Parkhurst Prison.
Mr Alexander was unbeaten after playing 12 matches simultaneously against members of the prison’s chess club.
The champion player won ten and drew two of his 12 matches, making more than 300 moves in the process.
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A new £20,000 school in Freshwater was approved.
It would enable West Wight children to stay at school until the age of 15.
The council was to ask the minister of health to sanction the money so building work could start.
50 Years Ago
December 2, 1961
Cowes councillors met the civil lord of the Admiralty in their bid to divert work from Portmouth’s Royal Dockyard to J. S. White’s shipbuilding yard.
With serious concerns over the lack of orders at J. S. White’s, the councillors were hoping work could be moved to the IW, as Portsmouth had more than it could cope with.
However, they were told work would not be taken away from Portsmouth because the equipment it had was specifically constructed for naval repair work.
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IW motorists were warned about changes to the law, making it illegal to drive a car more than seven years old without a safety test.
Members of the IW branch of the Motor Agents’ Association issued a reminder to motorists about the changes to the laws, which required all vehicles of seven years or older to pass a safety test.
Certificates would be provided as proof a car had passed the test.
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The directors of the County Press treated staff to a dinner party to celebrate the newspaper’s 77th birthday.
Chairman, Lt Col C. W. Brannon, presided at the dinner, at Newport’s Weeks Restaurant, which was attended by staff and their partners.
Proposing a toast, the editor, Ernest Ash, said the newspaper had successfully increased from ten to 16 pages but more space was now required, due to the rise in advertising.
A new printing unit being considered would mean a rise in the number of the newspaper’s pages.
25 Years Ago
December 5, 1986
The first regular holiday air service to the Island was to start in the summer of 1987.
Hundreds of tourists were expected to fly into Bembridge Airport throughout the season, as Warner Holidays was to start operating weekly flights from Birmingham, Luton and Cardiff.
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Medina councillors decided to maintain a cautious interest in a possible multi-million pound marina at Ryde, despite concerns.
After hearing the scheme could include major residential development to make it viable, the majority of members of the policy and resources committee decided not to press ahead immediately.
But it was agreed councillors should be given the chance to examine the proposals in detail and report back at a later date.
10 Years Ago
December 7, 2001
Heavy sleeper, Gary Mabey, was counting his blessings after uncharacteristically waking up in the early hours of the morning.
Gary, of St Thomas’s Street, Ryde, awoke to discover smoke from a downstairs fire pouring into the bedroom.
The fire was in the living room and firefighters stopped it spreading around the house.
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Around 30 staff were to be made redundant at the IW College as it tried to tackle financial problems.
The latest round of job losses was part of a recovery plan for the college, taking the number of people made redundant to around 100 in the previous two years.
The job cuts were expected to save around £500,000, allowing the college to continue providing some skill-based courses.
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Global warming would split the IW into three sections within 80 years unless action was taken, a new report claimed.
It predicted sea levels would rise by nearly a metre and rainfall would go up by 23 per cent by 2080, resulting in land movement in coastal areas.
That meant the Eastern and Western Yars would swell and cut off the tips of the Island.