100 years ago

March 29, 1919

A NEWPORT woman was summoned before the mayor for having no lights on her carriage when travelling through Shide at 7.10pm.

PC Arnold said ‘lighting-up’ time was 6.25pm.

Ruth Bertram said she had driven from Shorwell and had anticipated being home before lighting up, and then found she was out of matches.

She was fined ten shillings.

***

Islanders rushed to Cowes seafront to see several large steamships off the coast.

The four surrendered German merchant ships weighed more than 13,000 tons with one as heavy as 25,000 tons.

One onlooker said they were manned by German crews who were ‘a motley looking crowd in odd clothing’.

75 years ago

March 25, 1944

A husband and wife — who both claimed the other had deserted them — appeared in divorce court.

Albert Brickell petitioned on the basis his wife, Barbara Brickell, had left their home in Harrow and moved to Ryde. Mrs Brickell said she had tried to trace him down but all attempts had been left unanswered.

***

A Ryde nurse was mentioned in despatches.

Miss B. Fitzpatrick was trained at the County Hospital before joining the army nursing service, working in India, Egypt and Tunisia.

She was promoted to assistant matron of a large military hospital of the Central Mediterranean Forces.

50 years ago

March 29, 1969

Furious Brading parents complained to the county’s education committee when they were suddenly informed their children would attend school in Bembridge.

The families had been continuously told they would go to Sandown, but this was switched with no warning.

There were no public transport links between the two villages that were geographically isolated.

***

Allegations were made that Chale Parish Council had been ‘stabbed in the back’ and had received scant official support in its efforts to preserve the controversial footpath at Blackgang.

The parish council had marched along the path and made signs in the area to try to a protect the footpath.

The county council then arranged for a diversion without consulting the parish council at all.

25 years ago

March 31, 1994

New traffic islands in the centre of Rookley caused fury among residents.

The six new islands were ‘at least three too many’ for the villagers, who said the move had urbanised the village.

One resident said the illuminated bollards looked like Piccadilly Circus at night.

***

A campaign for the railway line to be re-opened to Ventnor was launched.

The Ventnor Railway Association predicted an estimated £4 million tourism boost to the town if the easy transport link was reinstated.

The association argued a rail line would allow passengers to travel twice as fast and said the line had been mercilessly axed.

10 years ago

March 27, 2009

A flood of evidence poured into the Office of Fair Trading probe into whether there should be an investigation into IW ferry services.

Island MP Andrew Turner said his campaign had attracted more than 10,000 supporters.

He said: “The overwhelming feeling is that a thorough investigation is long overdue — the last one was more than 20 years ago.”

***

A Shanklin art gallery was burgled twice in as many days, with thieves making off with distinctive artwork.

Island police investigated the alleged burglaries at Shanklin Gallery, in Regent Street.