100 Years Ago - May 25, 1912
Empire Day was celebrated at schools across the Island, while flags flew on public buildings and on many private residences.
The day was specially celebrated at all elementary schools in Newport and in the presence of cheering children, who waved flags, the mayor, Mr Millgate, unveiled the new Empire Flag.
At Barton School, children sang the National Anthem and gave cheers as the Union Jack floated out in the breeze from the flag pole.
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A Shanklin man was charged with being drunk and incapable.
P. C. Shaw said he went to the High Street and found the defendant had been placed in a van and was lying there in a helpless state.
Witnesses accompanied the car to Albert Road, as they did not know his address, and was unable to stand.
He was fined 2s 6d, with 5s costs.
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Two privates of the 1st Worcestershire Regiment, Parkhurst, were charged with stealing two cricket balls, valued at 8s.
The balls belonged to Frederick Percy Spencer, ironmonger and sports outfitter of Lugley Street, Newport.
The soldiers visited the shop and made a purchase but made off with the balls without paying.
The pair were granted bail for a sum of £10 each.
75 Years Ago - May 29, 1937
A party of 29 German ex-servicemen arrived in Shanklin for a week’s visit as guests of the branch of the British Legion.
They disembarked from the Europa at Southampton and were met at Cowes by branch secretary, Mr W. Holloway.
A welcome reception was held at Shanklin and the guests sang the German National Anthem with their arms raised in the Hitler salute. They gave the same salute during God save the King.
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Unusually warm weather for the time of year led to thunderstorms of exceptional severity, which raged over the Island.
Few people around the coasts of the Island, where the storms were at their worst, were able to sleep because of loud thunder and vivid lightning.
Flooding occurred in several parts of the Island, with the worst reported in Cowes.
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Bembridge Lifeboat crew carried out a smart rescue in Sandown Bay when they went to the aid of the 11-ton cutter-rigged Bendilow.
The vessel had moored about 50 yards off Sandown Pier, before partly breaking off in rough sea and high winds, with three people on aboard.
The lifeboat managed to carefully pull alongside the vessel and take the passengers to safety.
50 Years Ago - May 26, 1962
A married couple failed for the third time to sail their 18-ton auxiliary cutter, Kezia, from the UK to New Zealand, and were rescued from The Nab Tower.
The couple, from Birmingham, were 30 miles south of Cornwall when they got into difficulties in 70mph gales, before finding their way to The Nab Tower. Despite a sea and aerial search for their vessel, it could not be located and was thought to have sunk.
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Two young children had to be rescued from a flat fire in Newport.
The dramatic rescue involved firemen smashing through a top floor window, above a shop, to get access to the flat and pull the pair to safety.
Dozens of willing helpers tried saving items from the shop and raised the alarm about the one and two year olds in the flat. The pair escaped unharmed.
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An unmanned booster station was to be built in Ventnor to relay television programmes from Rowridge.
The news was announced in the House of Commons by the postmaster-general, who said a number of television and v.h.f booster stations were to be constructed in various parts of the country to improve reception.
25 Years Ago - May 29, 1987
Thousands of scooterists who descended on the Island left behind a scene of devastation, with the downs scarred by camp fires and under a sea of rubbish.
They also left behind angry residents and hoteliers demanding tougher action to be taken to block any future mass invasions during holiday weekends.
Police anticipated 3,000 scooterists, but in total, around 4,500 arrived for the weekend.
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A further £100,000 was predicted to be spent on coastal protection at Yarmouth, following a landslip at Bouldnor.
Nearly 40 metres of sea wall, by the main Newport to Yarmouth road, slipped into the sea following heavy rain.
Previously, a slip on the same stretch of coast damaged sections of the road, with the county council having to spend £86,000 on repairs.
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A French minesweeper and a Royal Navy helicopter went to the aid of a 30ft yacht with four people aboard, which was in danger of being dragged under water.
On passage from Cherbourg to Lymington, the auxiliary yacht Alicia became trapped when its rudder snagged on pot lines.
A diver was lowered and managed to cut free the yacht so it could carry on its journey.
10 Years Ago - May 31, 2002
A new scheme to pedestrianise Newport, bringing a huge 18-fold increase in traffic to Pyle Street, was to be recommended to the IW Council.
Under the revised scheme — thought to cost around £700,000 — almost all traffic which used the High Street was to be re-directed down Pyle Street, taking peak flows in the morning from 20 vehicles an hour to 350.
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Around 30 people had a miraculous escape when their coach left the road and was left hanging over a sheer 15ft drop at Ventnor.
Terrified passenger on board the coach were left dangling over the garden of a house in Upper Gills Cliff Road.
The 50-seat coach ploughed through a telephone junction box and a fence, before coming to rest.
The passengers were filed out through the emergency exit at the rear of the coach and escaped unharmed.