100 Years Ago - December 4, 1909
LORD and Lady Tennyson were special guests at an annual pantomime performed by officers and cadets at the Royal Naval College, Osborne.
The college’s Nelson Hall was packed for the performance of Robinson Crusoe, featuring starring roles by Lord and Lady Tennyson’s son, Harold, and the Prince Albert of Wales.
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A two-day bazaar was held to raise urgent funds for the Cowes Wesleyan Church.
Around £3,100 was needed to pay off debt and the Rev K Spencer urged the community to come together to support the church.
The bazaar featured a host of competitions, including singing and fancy dress.
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School prizes were presented to children in Newchurch at an annual awards ceremony.
The Newchurch Parish Room was overcrowded with parents, as children from Newchurch schools were recognised for their academic achievements.
75 Years Ago - December 8, 1934
The North Wight District boy scouts and girl guides celebrated the opening of a new headquarters in Cowes.
Months of fundraising was carried out by members of the scouts and guides, and the opening of the headquarters marked the end of a ten-year project for new facilities.
The building, in Union Road, was formerly used by the grammar school.
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Parts of an aeroplane were discovered by a pedestrian at Castle Cove, near Ventnor.
Mr Armiger found two struts, which were later identified as parts from a dummy aeroplane being used as an experiment by HM Ark Royal.
Two weeks before the discovery at Castle Cove, parts of an aeroplane belonging to the Fleet Air Arm were found in Sandown and Shanklin.
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The headteacher at Gassiot Girls’ School, Ryde, introduced a new extra-curricular subject — parenting.
Miss Tyler incorporated what was dubbed baby term, aimed at pupils of 13 years and over, to give them an introduction to the responsibilities of motherhood.
50 Years Ago - December 5,1959
A three-year-old girl escaped with only minor injuries after falling out of a moving car in Cowes.
Katherine Watson was in the car with her father, Victor, in Arctic Road, when the door suddenly opened and she fell out.
She was taken to hospital but later discharged.
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It was another record year for the number of lifeboat callouts on the Island.
At the annual meeting of the IW Lifeboat Board, vice-president Sir Charles Baring read a report, stating 795 launches had been made, with 552 lives saved.
It meant the total number of lives saved since the institution was founded in 1824 was 88,417.
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Damage caused by a fire at Wallsend Farm, Bembridge, was estimated at several thousands of pounds.
The blaze was confined to a 150-year-old 70ft barn in the farmyard, containing 30 tons of baled hay, used to feed cattle.
A limited water supply restricted firefighters, as the fire roared during the evening and into the next morning.
25 Years Ago - December 7, 1984
The government gave the financial go-ahead for the main phase of development at the new low-energy hospital at St Mary’s.
The scheme, expected to cost more than £16 million, would include 56 surgical beds, 56 orthopaedic beds, 48 geriatric assessment beds, 27 paediatric beds and four intensive care places.
Chairman of the IW Health Authority, Mr Naylor, said he was delighted financial approval had been granted.
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Sharply divided over a controversial £2 million scheme to build 96 flats at Medina Yacht Harbour, Medina Planning Committee referred it to the IW Council.
Some members of the committee thought the development would boost the Island’s tourist industry but others were worried the building would not be in keeping with the area.
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A pressure group was formed to examine the way the Island’s authorities dealt with coastal erosion and landslips.
The first target of the IW Coastal Protection Society was the drainage works planned to stop erosion at Small Chine, Compton, one of several schemes it intended to examine.
10 Years Ago - December 3, 1999
Three pounds of flesh was hacked from a young ostrich slaughtered in its sleep with a claw hammer in Chale.
Hobby farmer Stephen Lansley, discovered two of his 20-strong herd with their necks wrung and one missing some flesh.
Mr Lansley offered a cash reward for information on who carried out the attacks.
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The cash-strapped IW College took on a spin doctor to restore its tarnished image after a year which had attracted bad publicity over staffing and financial issues.
London-based public relations company Hill Murray Rogerson was appointed to ensure the college was represented in a professional way, in the same week engineering students walked out in protest at poor equipment.
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A new association of Newport Harbour users was formed in response to the planned developments in the area.
Around 60 users signed up to the association, objecting to the way the harbour was being run by the IW Council.
The group was set to contact County Hall to discuss its intentions.