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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July 1972

Isle of Wight County Press:

July 1st 1972:  GOLDEN WEDDING – All Saints’ Bellringers rang a quarter peal at Ryde Parish Church on Sunday in honour of the golden wedding, the next day, of one of their number, Mr. Alfred Edward REES, and his wife, of Colwell, 11 Victoria Street, Ryde.  Mr. REES has been a keen bellringer at the church for 20 years. He and his wife were married at Freshwater on June 26th 1922, when he was living at Cowes and his bride, formerly Miss Ethel Mary CROUCH, at Freshwater.  Mr. REES is 76 and his wife 77.  About 46 years ago he joined the old Ryde borough fire brigade.

July 1st 1972:  STOLEN – Some 100 gallons of petrol were stolen from the Bellevue Garage, East Street, Ryde, during Saturday night.  The petrol was drawn through the coin-operated automatic pump, but how this was achieved mystified Mr. J. B. W. BROWNSDON (managing director).  Police are investigating the theft.

July 1st 1972:  CHURCHYARDS – After a costing exercise has been carried out, Ryde Town Council General Purposes Committee will again consider the question of granting financial assistance to the Parochial Church Councils of St. John’s, Oakfield, and St. Peter’s, Havenstreet, regarding the maintenance of their churchyards.  It was suggested that this year £100 should be allocated to St. John’s and £60 to Havenstreet, with renewal next year after seeing what progress had been made.

July 1st 1972:  RUBBISH PICKERS – There were complaints to the council about people who came at night from all over the Island with vans, to pick over refuse in the corporation dump at Rink Road.  The bolder pickers, when challenged in daytime by corporation employees, responded with a flow of obscenities before continuing their scufflings.  The dump was intended for household refuse, but they got the residue from jalopy race meetings and all sorts of items. Prosecution could always be considered.

July 8th 1972:  SAVE RYDE CHURCH – In pursuance of their aim to save St. Thomas’s Church, Ryde, from demolition, a group known as the Friends of St. Thomas’s are hoping to win intensified backing for their cause by holding a public meeting at the Town Hall next Thursday.  Articles have for some time focused attention on the church, which closed in 1959.  Townspeople have been made aware of the damage this important link with Ryde history suffered at the hands of vandals, and until recently the neglect was the cause of much criticism.

July 8th 1972:  FOUNDER’S DAY – A commemoration service for the founder of Ryde School, Mr. W. L. MCISAAC, took place at the Parish Church on Sunday.  The large congregation included Mr. and Mrs. DONALD, mayor and mayoress. A collection for children’s charities realised £42.

July 15th 1972:  STUDENTS – Fifty French students are staying with families in Ryde for a month under the auspices of the organisation Scolaire France-Britannique.  They were shown over the Town Hall on Saturday where some of the students tried on the robes of the Mayor and Aldermen.

July 15th 1972:  SWIMMING IN THE RAIN – Despite incessant rain and the non-appearance of the Temperance Seven, who were billed to open the proceedings, the St. John’s County Primary School fete on Saturday was a notable success.  One event which was outside, was a sponsored swim in the school pool.  Twenty children took part, and, equally undeterred by the rain, were Ryde Lifeguards, who supervised the swim.

July 22nd 1972:  WATER COLOURS – A fair proportion of some 60 water colours on exhibition at the Ryde gallery, George Street public library, captures for all time delightful glimpses of fascinating old Island buildings, which are, unfortunately, together with magnificent trees, fast disappearing in the name of progress.

July 29th 1972:  PROTEST – About a dozen banner waving residents of the Oakfield and Quarry Road area demonstrated outside Ryde Town Hall on Tuesday before a meeting of the Town Council. They hope their protest would have some effect in stopping the burning of rubbish at an Oakfield scrap yard.  They were complaining about the smoke and smell of burning car tyres and upholstery and of noise from the yard.