January 1970
Isle of Wight Times:
Jan 1st 1970: SCENES ON TV – Aerial views of Island scenes were shown in John BETJEMAN’s Christmas Day television programme on BBC 2 entitled “Beside The Seaside.” These included the Prince Consort, Ryde (formerly the Royal Victoria Yacht Club headquarters), Osborne House and Cottage, and the Royal National Hospital, St. Lawrence.
Jan 1st 1970: CHURCH CAROLLERS – Led by the Rector, the Rev. Clifford TARGETT, members of Binstead Parish Church held carol outings in the village and in the Fishbourne and Kite Hill districts last week. Providing instrumental accompaniment for the singers were John GOWER (oboe), Andrew HOWES (guitar), David TALLANT (violin) and the church organist, Douglas FRYE (melodica).
Jan 1st 1970: SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS – As usual, the Island’s sick, needy and elderly were not forgotten, and nowhere was the Christmas spirit more alive than the North-East Wight. Staff and visitors at the Royal I.W. County Hospital did everything possible to ensure that the patients—and especially the children—had a happy time. Local church choirs entertained, Ryde Salvation Army band played carols, and each patient was allowed to entertain two visitors to tea.
Jan 1st 1970: WHIZBANG LANDING – Hovertravel passengers had a bumpy landing at the Ryde terminal. As the 3 o’clock craft from Southsea went to slow on the snow-covered landing pad, a powerful tail wind caught it. The hovercraft overshot, cannoned into some barriers (fortunately everyone was sheltering in the waiting room), and then swung sideways towards the terminal building. Mechanics rushed to push it clear of the wall.
Jan 8th 1970: OPERATION CANUTE – A two-day bid to retrieve a £3,000 mechanical digger sunk on Ryde beach and twice covered by the tide—succeeded on Monday night. At 5.30 pm. with waves lapping against it and the prospect of another night under water, the two-ton vehicle began to move. The combined pull of a power winch operated by a heavy lorry plus a lift-heave from another digger, got it out of a 4 ft. deep hole—a last lap effort indeed!
Jab 8th 1970: WORST-HIT – With every beach along the Island’s North-East coastline affected by oil, the worst-hit area is Ryde. First Solent oil alarm came on Friday when the Royal Navy signal station at Calshot sighted a huge slick, 200 yards at its widest point. The pollution was caused by accidental spillage of crude oil from a Norwegian tanker. Esso immediately accepted responsibility for the cost of clearing the beaches.
Jan 15th 1970: WEEKLY MARKET – “Petticoat Lane” is a fairly apt nickname for Ryde’s Vectis Hall on Friday mornings. Here the ladies of the town barter and buy home-produced goods and everyone gets a bargain. It was back in August that the I.W. Federation of Women’s Institutes launched a weekly “market.” The idea was to enable housewives to raise a bit of extra cash, while the organisers pocketed merely a penny from every shilling to cover overheads.
Jan 15th 1970: LATEST GIMMICK – Highbrows’ eyebrows are likely to raise even further than last time when the I.W. Pop Festival is repeated in August. Providing backing on stage for the long-haired tassel-danglers of the pop world is likely to be one of the country’s leading symphony orchestras.
Jan 15th 1970: FUTURE BRIGHT – Ryde Model Yacht Club on Saturday held their second annual meeting since the club was re-formed a year ago. Mr. BEAVIS, hon. secretary, reported a successful year in every respect. Club membership had risen to a total of 24 and there had been regular sailing on the Canoe Lake each Sunday.
Jan 22nd 1970: DEVELOPMENTS – Ryde of the future will include a harbour, a new sea front theatre and a large open-air swimming pool—if the Borough Council gets it way, when on Tuesday night they endorsed the blueprint for these major developments. It will take years and a lot of money, at present not available. The plans in the pipeline would not be allowed to remain a pipe dream.