Ryde Social Heritage Group research the social history of the citizens of Ryde, Isle of Wight. Documenting their lives, businesses and burial transcriptions.
RYDE SOCIAL HERITAGE GROUP
Based at Ryde Cemetery Heritage & Learning Centre. Preserving, documenting and promoting the social history of Ryde on the Isle of Wight.
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December 1912

Isle of Wight Observer:-

Dec 7th 1912: SMITHFIELD CATTLE SHOW – It is advertised, an excursion to London for two or three days to enable Island people to visit the above show, December 10th and 11th.

Dec 7th 1912: RAINBOW ENTERTAINERS – Two most successful entertainments were given by the “Rainbow” Concert Party, a clever little company recently formed by Mr. H. Charley FOWLER. They have a very striking costume, and what is more important, a number of songs and choruses specially written for them.

Dec 7th 1912: WATER SOFTENER – Messrs. W. & J. WOODS are exhibiting in their window in Cross-street an ingenious and interesting apparatus for softening the water supply to a country house. It is capable of treating about 700 gallons per day automatically.

Dec 14th 1912: SEA WALL – The breach in the Sea Wall at Appley has grown considerably bigger, but as a portion of the wall behind, together with a quantity of earth, has also slipped forward, and partially filled the gap, a fairly active person can scramble across.

Dec 14th 1912: ESPLANADE – If a visitor coming from the Pier turns to the westward he loses sight of the sea. From the Pier Gates the Esplanade is for a considerable distance, cut off from the sea by the railway and the attendant hideous railing which have robbed Ryde Esplanade of the handsome appearance it might have.

Dec 14th 1912: RED CROSS – The members of the Ryde detachment of the Red Cross Society were examined this week by Dr. A. BANKS, for certificates and badges.

Dec 21st 1912: CHRISTMAS TRAFFIC – On Tuesday (Christmas Eve) cheap tickets to London for two or three days will be issued from all Island stations, also on Boxing Day.

Dec 28th 1912: A SLIGHT FIRE – An outbreak of fire occurred at “Sunnyside,” High Park, the residence of Lady DUCKWORTH KING, on Thursday afternoon. A telephone call was received at the Police Station, and the Fire Brigade, under Superintendent HAMMOND were quickly in attendance. Live coals had fallen onto a carpet, the floor had also started burning.

Dec 28th 1912: MOONSTONES – It is a long time since local playgoers have had an opportunity of seeing a better or more enjoyable production at the Theatre Royal, Ryde, than “Moonstones,” which was presented on Boxing night. This clever play has been running at the Royalty Theatre, London, for a long while and has been one of the great theatrical successes of the century.

Dec 28th 1912: CHRISTMAS GALES – The most depressing and unpleasant weather prevailed. Rain fell continuously, high wind which developed into a furious gale. Thunder and flashes of lightening close to Ryde, one of which set fire to a rick on Mr. Edward CARTER’s land at Rowlands. Sea flooded the Esplanade Gardens, and the parapet of the sea wall at Cornwall-street slipway was smashed to pieces. The Pier was awash so the electric trams were unable to run.

Dec 28th 1912: RETROSPECT – The career of the year 1912 is fast drawing to a close. In some respects it has been an uneventful period, although a good many of alarming predictions of Old Moore and other sooth-sayers have not been fulfilled. There have been sufficient episodes of a momentous nature, however, to justify the use of perhaps a stronger word than eventful. With a desperate optimism people went about saying that despite the weather the boarding houses were all full. But they weren’t, and later in the year the stagnation in business in Ryde generally showed that the visitors had not been so numerous as in previous years.