Ten years ago: Club boss-turned-midwife Mark Watson had an exciting evening when he successfully delivered an employee’s baby at 5am. Troy Griffin worked at Mark’s nightclub, Colonel Bogey’s, in Sandown, and called Mark in a panic when his wife, Helen, went into labour. Mark decided to go and wait with the couple but ended up helping to deliver the baby. Helen and Troy are pictured with baby Amy and Mark Watson.

100 Years Ago
September 8, 1917

A PUBLIC war shrine was proposed at the Yarmouth Town Trust meeting.
Maj C. P. Dean advocated a new public memorial to those who had lost their lives during the war.
There was a plan in place to erect a memorial inside the church, however, the major felt a memorial should be in a public place.
The town committee was left to consider the proposal.

75 Years Ago
September 13, 1942

Rancid butter and overpriced eggs were the topic of conversation at the Ryde Control Committee.
The divisional food officer wrote they were prepared to give credit to suppliers holding a stock of bad margarine after a problem had arisen with a consumer being served rancid butter and refused a refund by the retailer.
Several complaints had also been received of retailers overcharging for eggs due to a misunderstanding of the broadcast announcement.

50 Years Ago
September 9, 1967

Pressure on the county library staff was highlighted this week.
A report stated more than a million books were issued from March 1966 to March 1967, up by 200,000 on the previous year.
Librarians said there was immense pressure to satisfy the day-to-day borrowing needs of the county, with many books being borrowed and not returned.

25 Years Ago
September 11, 1992

There was anger over the publicity for the ‘sensational new dinosaur find’ discovered on the Island.


10 Years Ago
September 7, 2007

The Island has always been famous for its carnivals but ten years ago work began on a new centre which would ‘help to cement the Island’s reputation as the carnival capital of England’.
The Carnival Learning Centre was built on the site of a former nightclub, restaurant and one-time civic pool at Ryde, which is home to the world’s oldest carnival.
Builders began work in mid August.