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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May 1963

Isle of Wight Times:-

May 2nd 1963: HIAWATHA – A large and enthusiastic audience attended at the Ryde Town Hall on Thursday to hear the Borough of Ryde Philharmonic Society present “Hiawatha”. It was heard regularly in the years before the war, in fact the Ryde society have given several performances, the first in 1908. The part of Hiawatha was sung by Leslie AUGUR, a baritone from Manchester.

May 9th 1963: DISEASE AMONG DOGS – Ryde is now the centre of one of the worst outbreaks of distemper and hard pad among dogs the Island has known. A veterinary surgeon said “of the last 30 dogs I treated, only one had been inoculated and that is not a complete protection.”

May 9th 1963: “BUCCS” OUTING – Ryde Buccaneers were hosts to a party of 30 residents from the Osborne Old Peoples Guest House on Sunday. They took the old people, among them a former Buccaneer, Mr. Harold HAPGOOD, on a coach tour through Godshill, Sandown, Shanklin and thence to the London Hotel, Ryde, for tea. Afterwards was a programme of music and song.

May 9th 1963: MARATHON – Entries for the annual Isle of Wight Marathon race on Saturday, May 18th, have already equalled the record 1958 entry of 92 runners. Local entries include Jack TAIT, Eddie LEAL, Bob PAWLING, Alan JORDAN, John SYMONDS, Bill ROSS, Jack EGGLETON, Vernon DYER, and Dennis LOVELESS, all members of Ryde Harriers.

May 9th 1963: MOTORS – The Mayor of Ryde, Ald. William SUTTON, officially unveiled two Hillman Imps at Wight Motors (Ryde) Ltd., High-street, Ryde on Thursday. The Imp, price £508 including purchase tax for the standard model, or £532 including purchase tax for the deluxe version.

May 9th 1963: PHILATELISTS – A first day cover series for the National Nature Week special stamps, which will be issued on May 16, will be provided by the Post Office. A philatelic bureau is being set up, to provide a central point, the purpose of which, will be to expand Post Office activities to meet the special needs of philatelists.

May 23rd 1963: 100 YEARS TRADITION – It was May 1863 when the young Mr. Samuel FOWLER, opened his own business at 41 Union-street. In announcing the news in the Isle of Wight Times at that time, he assured customers that S. FOWLER and Co. had “an excellent stock of goods added to an honest determination to sell as good an article at as low a price as can be purchased anywhere.”

May 23rd 1963: CARNIVAL QUEEN – Hardly any of the hundreds of eligible Ryde girls over the age of 17 seem interested in becoming the town’s carnival queen. When entries for the “royal” title of queen of Britain’s oldest carnival closed at the weekend, only one name had been received.

May 23rd 1963: RYDE REPERTORY – Members of the cast of the 1963 season at the Esplanade Pavilion include, Jon FINCH who has completed a tour playing opposite Sarah CHURCHILL, and recently opposite Sylvia SYMS. Two other young personalities are Patricia LEACH who made her first stage appearance at 16 in a Brian RIX production, and Sandy LYLE who has played repertory at Morecombe, York and Bedford.

May 30th 1963: 351 CASUALTIES – Between Whitsun and September, 1962, British Red Cross Society workers dealt with 351 casualties on Ryde Esplanade, the society’s I.W. branch annual meeting at Newport was told on Monday. Even this impressive figure was lower than that for 1961.