October 1918
Isle of Wight Observer:
Oct 5th 1918: WASTE OF LABOUR – We are told that the streets of our town now remain unswept on Saturday nights and Sunday mornings in consequence of the shortage of labour. Why then is it necessary for two men to accompany the dust cart every morning just to collect and empty rubbish boxes from the edge of the kerb? Surely one of these men would be much better employed in sweeping the dirty gutters. His time and labour would not then be wasted as it is at present. Yours Truly, A High Street Tradesman.
Oct 5th 1918: BOOT CLUB – is now in existence in connection with the Soldiers and Sailors Families’ Association for Ryde. This should prove a great boon to those with limited means in these days of advanced prices for everything, and particularly leather. Any information on the subject will be gladly afforded by Mrs. GRANT, Northwood, Queens Road, Ryde, who has kindly undertaken the duties of Hon. Secretary.
Oct 5th 1918: WHITE GLOVES – There were no cases requiring the attention of the Borough Magistrates on Monday, and a similar happy state of affairs has to be recorded of the Island County Bench.
Oct 5th 1918: GIANT MARROW – Mr. TAYLOR, of 111 High Street, is showing in his shop window a giant marrow measuring 2ft. from end to end, and weighing 29½lbs. It is a product of the Island. Now you marrow growers, can you beat it?
Oct 12th 1918: BURIAL PLACE – Not a little mis-apprehension exists respecting the burial-place of the victims of the Royal George catastrophe. The writer is a lineal descendant of an eye-witness of the affair, who also saw many of the bodies that were washed ashore; but as the Duver was equally divided by the little stream separating the ancient parishes of Newchurch and St. Helens, the bodies that came in on the western side of the stream were buried between Cornwall Street and Castle, and those on the eastern side more towards the farther end of the Duver. This only applied to the coloured men, all the white men being buried together in a large pit in St. Thomas’s Churchyard.
Oct 12th 1918: SOLENT TUNNEL – Like the sea-serpent and the enormous gooseberry, the Solent Tunnel comes to the fore again after a more than usually silence. There is no doubt that the tunnel would be an immense advantage to the Island generally, especially in the winter time. In these days when millions of pounds are so lightly spoken of, it should not be a matter of impractibility to forge this “missing link” with the mainland.
Oct 12th 1918: STREET LAMPS – Councillor HANSFORD wished to know whether there was any intention to give the town any light at all during the winter. Alderman SWEETMAN said a number of the lamps should be lighted again now. During last week the darkness was intense, and it was rather dangerous to get about. The same number of lamps to be lighted as during last winter.
Oct 19th 1918: NEWSPAPER – Commencing with next Saturday’s issue of the “Observer”, we propose to introduce a two-page pictorial supplement, containing descriptive pictures and articles of scenes and events in the great war.
Oct 19th 1918: CHARLIE CHAPLIN – is due at the Theatre Royal again next week, in another great roarer, “A Dog’s Life.” And it’s a laugh from start to finish. Charles CHAPLIN has done nothing better, and although the film has been delayed in reaching the public, it is something well worth waiting for.
Oct 26th 1918: SUGGESTED WAR MEMORIAL – The “British Architect” publishes a very fine design for a suggested war memorial for Ryde, the work of Mr. Joseph ELSE, R.B.S. The accompanying article says: “In the interesting war memorial for Ryde, in the Isle of Wight by Mr. Joseph ELSE, we see the work of one of our ablest sculptors. In the motif of the design there is the hand of the sculptor rather than that of the architect.”