January 1911

Isle of Wight Observer

Jan 7th 1911: PROPERTY – Messrs. S. FOWLER & Co. have purchased nos. 51 and 52 Union-street from the trustees of the late Mr. E. HANDS, and contemplate making considerable alterations in the near future.

Jan 7th 1911: LANTERN SLIDES – Some of the most beautiful lantern slides ever seen in Ryde are those which Mr. C. J. FRANCIS will show in connection with his lecture at the Foresters’ Hall on Monday evening on “Derbyshire and the Peak.” These slides are all hand-painted by well-known artists, and some of them are remarkably fine.

Jan 7th 1911: A RUNAWAY – On Wednesday afternoon a horse attached to a trolley, the property of Mr. HARVEY, of 104 Monkton-street, took fright and bolted whilst the driver, Harry WEST, of Dover Cottage, Dover-street, was delivering goods at the Oaks, St. John’s Park. The runaway collided with a trolley belonging to Joseph FRENCH in Castle-street. Arthur GAWN, of 8 Monkton-street, who was on the trolley at the time, was thrown on to the road, sustaining two severe wounds in the left knee.

Jan 14th 1911: RYDE TOWN COUNCIL – The Public Works Committee reported on Automatic Machines, and that they had received an offer from the Nestlés Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Co., to place twelve machines in positions to be mutually arranged, and to pay £1 per machine for the year 1911. They have no desire to compete with any local tradesmen, and would be willing to place them in charge of a confectioner in the district.

Jan 14th 1911: BUILDERS DISCOVERY – Whilst removing a basement floor of paving stone, to be replaced by one of concrete, during alterations at Surrey Lodge, Barfield-road, the Working Men’s Conservative Club’s new premises, the workmen employed by Messrs. BALL & Son were surprised to discover a deep well beneath one of the stones. The well was recorded as being at least 50ft. There was 2ft of water at the bottom. The room in which the well was found will be a billiard room.

Jan 14th 1911: PHOTOGRAPHS – Photography has become an absorbing interest to many women nowadays. There are few exhibitions of photography where the woman artist is absent, and the work of lady exhibitors has come more and more to the fore of late.

Jan 21st 1911: DISGRACEFUL STATE – The accumulation of refuse has caused an enormous number of rats to assemble in the neighbourhood, many of them find their way into the houses to the alarm of the tenants.

Jan 21st 1911: OLD LANDMARK DISAPPEARS – The old Mill at Upton, which has been a feature of the landscape for several generations, will soon be no more. Workmen are now engaged upon the demolition of the Mill and in the course of a week or two, little will remain of it but a heap of stones and mortar.

Jan 21st 1911: CELEBRATION – Mr. and Mrs. George Robert BRIGSTOCKE entertained upward of 150 old friends at tea at the Foresters’ Hall on Saturday afternoon in order to commemorate the birth of a son and heir to Mr. and Mrs. BRIGSTOCKE. A substantial meal was followed by an entertainment, a feature of which was a series of lantern slides including Isle of Wight views, and most interesting of all, a picture of Master BRIGSTOCKE himself.

Jan 21st 1911: ASHEY PARISH COUNCIL – It was decided to again write to the Rural District Council with reference to several roads at Haylands which need making up. It was reported that owing to the severe frost and subsequent thaw, the wall on the north side of the burial ground had been seriously affected, and the top had gone over so much that it became necessary to have it strutted up at once.

Jan 28th 1911: MILD CLIMATE – Last week Mr. W. BUXEY caught a fine tortoiseshell butterfly in the Esplanade Station, and on Sunday another townsman gathered a nice bunch of primroses during a country walk.