100 Years Ago - May 4, 1912
THERE was just one day of rainfall during the whole month of April.
There were 261 hours of sunshine for the month, which enticed many visitors to the Island wanting to take advantage of the warm temperatures. The month was deemed one of the driest Aprils on record.
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Ryde lifeboat received an unexpected financial boost.
Capt William Alexander Dobis, of New Lodge, Ryde, left a donation of £10,000 to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution in his will.
He requested the money was put towards funding a new boat and help to maintain the station.
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A Ryde man was charged with stealing three tyres by means of deception.
The man saw the tyres at a garage and asked if they were for sale but was told the owner was not there to discuss the matter. He then proceeded to weigh them and claimed they were only worth a crown. The man later told the garage he spoke to the owner and could buy them, when in fact, he had not.
He was fined £1 or serve 14 days hard labour.
75 Years Ago - May 8, 1937
A decrease of 257 in the number of men out of employment on the Island, compared to the previous month, was recorded in the returns of Island employment exchanges.
The largest decrease occurred in Ryde, with 91, followed by Sandown with 62.
The grand total was 805, against 1,062, in the previous month.
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The discovery of a quantity of valuable jewellery on a Vectis bus on the Newport to Ryde route, landed a woman in trouble.
The defendant, a cook, of no fixed address, was charged with stealing the goods, valued at £8 18s.
She was remanded in custody overnight, to appear in Newport County Court.
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The Egyptian prince, Mohamed Abdul Monein, arrived on the Island for a few days’ relaxation before the coronation.
His highness was accompanied by his private secretary and a Scotland Yard officer for the stay at the Gloster Hotel on Cowes Parade.
The prince was described as an 'exceedingly charming and cultured gentleman’ by members of the district council who had afternoon tea with him.
50 Years Ago - May 5, 1962
An air sea rescue helicopter from the RAF station at Tangemere flew Elizabeth Newberry, from Ryde, to London after she was involved in an accident with a three-wheeler car, outside the Royal IW County Hospital.
The helicopter landed at Pell Lane recreation ground and flew Mrs Newberry to the Atkinson Morley Hospital in Wimbledon.
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A prisoner serving a five-year sentence of preventive detention for larceny at Parkhurst Prison escaped from an outside working party.
He was with a party working on part of the prison estate on the Medina side of the main Newport to Cowes road, when he made a break for it. Within minutes, prison officers and police swamped the area and he was re-captured.
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After considering complaints that Litten Park was being abused, Newport Town Council decided to stop the playing of games in the park.
The question of employing a part-time park keeper was also to be considered at the next meeting of the council, while police were also asked for their co-operation.
The main sports, which were causing concern in the park, were believed to be football and cricket.
25 Years Ago - May 8, 1987
The possibility of the Island’s three local authorities each contributing £20,000 to buy or lease a well-equipped site for open-air events similar to the controversial scooter rallies was to be discussed at a meeting of the public protection committee.
A joint council working group identified an area of farmland in the Forest Road, Betty Haunt Lane area of Newport as the most suitable site for open-air events.
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The French yacht, Droopy, ran aground on Coles Rocks near Bembridge Ledge.
The yacht was spotted by Mr Ebsworth, second coxswain of Bembridge lifeboat, who went alongside in his fishing boat, Lysander, while local coastguards kept watch.
The yacht managed to re-float the following morning.
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The future of closure-threatened Westridge Leisure Centre could be assured following the approval by Medina Borough Council of part of plans to develop the 116-acre site around the complex.
Members gave the go-ahead to plans for a holiday village with 250 log cabins, leisure facilities, a theme park and a golf course.
10 Years Ago - May 10, 2002
Community spirit with a samba beat was the order of the day at the first Celebrate Ventnor Day on Bank Holiday Monday.
The weather stayed dry for an afternoon of stalls, games and activities designed to celebrate the town and the enthusiasm of the residents.
The RAW samba band got proceedings under way, banging drums and blowing whistles, creating a party atmosphere.
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A polished piece of history was the star attraction at Bembridge Heritage Centre when the Pluto pump, which supplied Allied troops in France with petrol after the D-Day landings of 1944, was officially unveiled after restoration.
Mike Davidson, of M. C. Davidson Welding and Fabrications, carried out the work after Bembridge heritage Society obtained a £2,900 lottery grant via the Awards for All scheme.
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The prospect of a tunnel or swing bridge to replace the floating bridge over the River Medina was resurrected in a new vision for Cowes.
A fixed link between the two sides of the north Medina Valley was just one of the positive ideas at a meeting between landowners, the IW Economic Partnership and government agencies.