March 1968
Isle of Wight Times:
Mar 7th 1968: CENTENARY SUMMER – 70 representatives from local organisations met at the Town Hall to consider suggestions for celebrating the borough centenary (the Royal Charter was granted on July 23, 1868). Said Ald. CLEAVER: “It is not intended that the celebrations will be confined to July 23. There will be a whole week of events—in fact, it will be a centenary summer.”
Mar 7th 1968: SCOTCH MIST – A hoaxer dialled 999 and brought two appliances from Ryde Fire Brigade to the Scotch Wool Shop in the High Street on Saturday evening. This is one of several recent malicious fire calls which are the subject of police enquiries.
Mar 7th 1968: BELLEVUE PLAYERS – Committee members of the Bellevue Players can enjoy longer runs—in office—in future. At a special meeting on Monday at their Union Street clubroom, members agreed to amend the rules, to enable officers to serve for longer than the previous permitted maximum of two years. It was also agreed that patrons should become patron-members.
Mar 7th 1968: WHIST SESSION – The Silver Chords met last Wednesday at the St. John Ambulance Brigade Hall for a whist session, with Mrs. MILLS in charge. All were welcomed including two new members. Mrs. K. SIEVWRIGHT and Mrs. HERBERT were tea hostesses.
Mar 7th 1968: SNOOKER – Though an exhibition of snooker and billiards staged by Ryde Town Club on Thursday was not well attended, those present gave generously for spastics and were rewarded with a brilliant display of cuemanship by Jackie REA, one of the world’s leading snooker players. He was supported by Miss Joyce GARDNER, seven times women’s billiards champion.
Mar 14th 1968: WESTON HUT – Popular meeting place for many years, and a centre of activity in the area, the future of Oakfield’s Weston Hut is in doubt. In desperate need of adequate accommodation for the Sunday School, the Parochial Church Council of St. John’s Church has decided to sell the site, with a view to using the money to build an extension to the church.
Mar 14th 1968: AFTER-SERVICE COFFEE – By the beginning of May, a new £10,256 hall being built to the south of All Saints’ Parish Church, Ryde, will be completed and ready for use. One of the ideas put forward by the Vicar, Canon Ronald GRANGER, was that the hall could be used to serve after-service coffee in the morning.
Mar 14th 1968: FLIGHTY BIRD – As a preview to his attempt to set the first land speed record for light hovercraft, a Kentish man demonstrated the durability of his craft, Crested Wren, in trials off Ryde seafront on Thursday. Extremely manoeuvrable, with the ability to come to a sudden halt on land, the “Wren” is propelled by a 325cc. engine. It has a top land speed at the moment of 40 knots.
Mar 14th 1968: FASHION SHOW – On Thursday afternoon the lower restaurant of the Prince Consort provided a delightfully comfortable and restful setting for the debut of the Lady Katie Boutique of Union Street which is under new management. At an informal tea party invited guests had a preview of a wide range of fashion—beachwear, casual and rainwear, dresses, evening wear and suits for all occasions.
Mar 14th 1968: BUS STOP MUST GO – When the local authorities agreed the siting of the No. 16 (Ryde-Shanklin) stop in St. Thomas’ Square in 1966 when the town’s one-way traffic system was introduced, they intended this to be a temporary arrangement. Some feel that the Southern Vectis Omnibus Company considers that possession being nine points of the law, by continuing to exercise squatter’s rights on the site.
Mar 14th 1968: COUNCIL BRIEF – In approving 54 taxi licences for the borough (nine to cover the summer season only), Ryde Borough Council is to tell operators that from May 1 next year, they must exhibit taxi meters.