February 1972
Isle of Wight County Press:
Feb 5th 1972: YOUTH FIRE PREVENTION QUIZ – Winners of the Ryde area contest were the Ryde St. John Nursing Cadet team, who scored 48 marks. Second were Ryde Youth Club 42½ and third the 1st Ryde Boys Brigade (42). Binstead Youth Club scored 41, and the 1st Seaview Guides 40½. It was a closely contested round. Question-master was Senior Fire Prevention Officer L. TILLER and assisting him were Station Officer F. HYLAND and Sub-Officer G. DAWSON.
Feb 5th 1972: ISLAND CENTENARIAN – Miss Alice Mary KENYON-HITCHCOCK, of 28 Melville Street, Ryde, recently celebrated her 100th birthday. For 28 years she was headmistress of Portsmouth Southern Grammar School for Girls.
Feb 5th 1972: CHAOS TO ROADS – An overnight snowstorm brought chaos to the Island’s road system on Monday. Treacherous driving conditions caused dozens of minor traffic accidents, and buses became stuck. Many major roads particularly near Ryde and Newport were impassable. County Council staff moved in to grit the roads at 6am, and a spokesman said they encountered snow nine inches deep. The delay in Island train services caused nearly 100 passengers to be stranded at the end of Ryde Pier.
Feb 5th 1972: WINE AND CHEESE PARTY – About £34 was raised in aid of Holy Trinity Church Stonework Fund by a cheese and wine party at Dean House Hotel on Friday week. Mr. B. E. HENNING showed a colour film illustrating the work of repairing the church as it was proceeding and after completion.
Feb 5th 1972: ELDERLY ENTERTAINED – More than 130 disabled and elderly people attended the annual party given by the Royal British Legion women’s section at the Vectis Hall on Tuesday. The guests were transported by coach and minibus and were welcomed by Legion officers.
Feb 5th 1972: HOMES MODERNISATION – The Town Council Housing Committee agreed in principle to a modernisation programme covering 118 pre-war council houses. The borough surveyor suggested that the first improvements at the council houses should be those in Bettesworth Road and Southfield Gardens, Swanmore, all three-bedroomed houses. The committee decided that because of the demand for two-bedroomed houses, only one-third of the homes in those roads should be retained as three-bedroomed dwellings.
Feb 12th 1972: SUNDAY RATIONING – Power cuts affected parts of the Island this week as the national coal dispute continued. As rationing of electricity commenced yesterday to reduce the use of coal at power stations, cuts were expected in many areas.
Feb 12th 1972: BINSTEAD SCHOOL – There was a capacity attendance at Messrs. Way, Riddett and Co’s property saleroom on Monday, when, on the instructions of the Portsmouth Diocesan Education Committee, the school buildings and land were offered for sale by auction. After spirited bidding a bid of £19,500 from a mainland developer purchased this one-acre Binstead site.
Feb 12th 1972: IW WRITERS CIRCLE – The monthly meeting was held on Saturday at Berwick Lodge, Pelham Fields, Ryde, the home of Miss Dorothy WORTH, one of the members. The speaker was Mrs. Pamela POPE, a former member, who spoke about “Writing for the Confession Market.”
Feb 19th 1972: CAP BANDS – From tomorrow, Island police, and those in Hampshire, will wear checkered bands round their caps. There will also be slightly re-designed badges for the helmets. The black and white bands are designed to make policemen more conspicuous and to identify them from others wearing uniform, such as prison officers.
Feb 26th 1972: OPPOSITION TO SEA FRONT PLAN – The Public Works Committee had reported a plan for development on the Hotel Victoria site. The proposed plan for a ten-story block of flats would be too high. The Council were recommended to obtain the views of residents of adjoining properties. The committee were deeply concerned that there was not another building on the Island that height, which would be like a pencil in the sky.