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 1976

Isle of Wight County Press

Dec 4th 1976:  GLC GET MORE ISLAND HOMES – More retirement homes are being provided on the Island for elderly tenants of the Greater London Council.  The GLC is taking over a block of 24 two-bedroom flats at the junction of East Hill Road and West Hill Road at Ryde, within yards of the canoe lake and Esplanade.  An earlier GLC development of 40 retirement bungalows at Wootton is nearing completion.

Dec 4th 1976:  TELEPHONE EXCHANGE CLOSURE – The Island could lose yet another of its local services, if plans by the Post Office to close the manual telephone exchange at Ryde go ahead.  At present 30 full and part-time operators are employed at Ryde to handle all the “100” calls made from exchanges throughout the Island.  Quite an intensive programme of improvements has been carried out at Ryde on both local lines and STD equipment in recent years.

Dec 4th 1976:  LEISURE CENTRE PROPOSED – An application is being made to Medina Borough Council for planning permission for a proposed holiday centre at Ryde House, Binstead Road, one of the oldest houses in Ryde.  The application is for camping areas, a swimming pool, squash courts, golf driving range, and archery butts, and also 12 holiday units within a walled garden.  It refers to conversion of farm buildings and the use of the ground floor of Ryde House as a country club.

Dec 11th 1976:  TOYS ON SHOW – An exhibition of toys arranged by Mr. P. DORROW was a popular feature of Ryde United Reformed Church Christmas bazaar at the church hall.  In the old section, one of two veteran solitaire games were more than a century old, and much interest was taken in a doll over 80 years-old.  Also on view were old models of ships and soldiers and children’s books.

Dec 11th 1976:  GARDEN SLIDES SCREENED – More than 60 members attended the monthly meeting of Ryde Horticultural Society at Caversham House saw screened the results of a photographic tour of members’ gardens this year by fellow member Mr. F. JOLLIFFE.  A competition for the best bloom was won by Mr. W. MITCHELL.

Dec 11th 1976:  LONDON TRIP – A party of 135 Townswomen’s Guild members from all over the Island visited London recently on an outing arranged by Mrs. B. JACKSON, entertainments chairman.  They spent the day shopping, and in the evening attended a performance of “A Chorus Line” at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.

Dec 18th 1976:  PAVILION ENTERTAINMENT – A statement issued this week giving details of the weekly programme of lunchtime entertainment at the pavilion next year, would be from 11am to 3pm on weekdays, and from noon to 3pm on Sundays, consisting of entertainment by organist, pianist or children’s entertainer and piped music.  Music will be relayed to the bandstand enclosure.  The doors of the pavilion on the seaward side would be open to enable people to sit in the open air or under the awning.

Dec 18th 1976:  AMBULANCE COVER – Trade Union officials met representatives of the Area Health Authority on Monday and repeated their demand for a 24-hour ambulance cover for the East Wight area, and the re-opening of an ambulation station at Ryde.  The Ryde ambulance centre in Partlands Avenue recently closed for conversion into a dental clinic. Ambulances until then had operated a 16-hours a day cover, but now they are only stationed at the main Island station in Newport and at Shanklin.

Dec 18th 1976:  NO MUGS – Because of the high costs that would be involved the County Education Committee have decided not to provide free souvenir mugs to children to mark the Queen’s Silver Jubilee next year.  Instead, the department have told head teachers that the decision whether to buy and distribute mugs in the schools will rest with them or their parent-teacher associations.  The cost of the mugs would have to be financed from the efforts within the school.

c 18th 1976:  CANOE LAKE PROBLEMS – The 12-inch pipe which connects Ryde canoe lake with the sea has caused a problem, one which will cost an estimated £3,000 to put right.  There was a large dip in the road on the seaward side of the canoe lake, where the outfall or infall from and to the canoe lake ran out on to the beach.