September 1972
Isle of Wight County Press:
Sept 2nd 1972: ENTERTAINER’S DEGREE – Comedian and Instrumentalist, Mr. John COOPER, a member of Ryde’s Young Vectis Players, has gained a B.Sc. degree with honours in mathematics, awarded by the University of London after three years’ study at Portsmouth Polytechnic. He is now undertaking a teacher’s training course.
Sept 2nd 1972: NURSES’ DAY – Sunday was nurses’ day at the Norman BALL Transport Collection at Ryde Airport, and £76.50, in the form of all administration charges, was donated to the Royal College of Nursing. The collection includes veteran, vintage, and historic cars and motor cycles, early bicycles and horse-drawn carriages. Among the exhibits is the 1915 Vauxhall used by King George V as a staff car during the 1914-18 war. Of particular interest is the collection of horse-drawn vehicles owned by the late Squire Edward CARTER of East Upton, Haylands.
Sept 2nd 1972: LIFEGUARDS SPONSORED SWIM – Four senior and three cadet members of Ryde Lifeguard Corps took part in a sponsored swim on Monday in aid of funds for the I.W. Indoor Swimming Pool Association. The course was from Bembridge to East Cowes, and back as far as Ryde pier, a distance of about 16 land miles. A team of three entered the water at 12.30 p.m., and were relieved by a second team of three at intervals, the reserve also taking part. Tidal conditions and strong currents at East Cowes were overcome by the swimmers, who completed their efforts off Ryde pier eight and half hours after leaving Bembridge.
Sept 2nd 1972: CLUB BROKEN INTO – Between £70 and £80 in cash and a quantity of cigarettes were stolen from the Conservative Club, 8 Lind Street, on Tuesday. The thief or thieves entered through the unlocked front door and forced the inner door to enter the club, during the temporary absence of the steward.
Sept 2nd 1972: RYDE CARNIVAL – The sun shone on Britain’s oldest carnival, when thousands lined the streets at Ryde for two processions on Thursday. A record number of ten bands took part, and there were 80 tableaux, ten more than last year. The magnificent Borough of Ryde float was fashioned in the shape of one of the impressive coaches used by royalty on State occasions. 13,000 flowers went into the decoration of the coach.
Sept 9th 1972: SEASPEED SERVICE – British Rail’s Seaspeed hovercraft service operating between Ryde and Portsmouth, which, for five years of its existence has carried about 850,000 passengers, closes today. Reasons for its closure were given as permission to build a hover terminal on the Esplanade had been refused by Ryde Borough Council and there had been problems with the pier-head terminal, largely due to its exposed position.
Sept 9th 1972: KICK-OFF – There was a double-twin kick-off at a Sea Cadet charity match at Partlands, Ryde, on Sunday. The game between a Showbiz team and the Reds, was started by the COX twins and their twin wives, who are appearing at Ryde Pavilion.
Sept 9th 1972: SAND CASTLE CONTEST – Eight-year-old Larry WILLETT, of Upper Highland Road, Ryde, won the sand castle competition, organised by the newly-formed Isle of Wight Leo Club, on Appley Beach on Monday. He received his prize of an inflatable dolphin from Mrs. Mark WOODNUTT.
Sept 9th 1972: AIRCRAFT CARRIER – The large aircraft carrier admired by holidaymakers along Ryde front during the weekend was the 32,800-ton U.S.S. support aircraft carrier Intrepid. She was launched in 1943 and is one of the oldest ships in the American fleet. Intrepid moved into Portsmouth Harbour on Monday.
Sept 30th 1972: CHIMES RESTORED – The Town Hall chimes, silent for the last few months after complaints about ringing all through the night, have started again. Experts adjusted the mechanism on Thursday so that now the tones ring out every hour and half-hour between 7 a.m. and 10.30 p.m.