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.
  • MENU

September 1973

Isle of Wight County Press:

Sept 1st 1973:  MOBILE POLICE STATION – This has made its appearance near Ryde pier entrance and may become a regular holiday season fixture on the Esplanade.   The site was selected because visitors to the Island arrive in great numbers in the vicinity, many with problems concerning the location of camping and caravan sites, hotels and boarding houses, lost children and property, accidents on land and in the sea and other holiday hazards.  The caravan obviates the necessity of visitors climbing the hill to the town police station.

Sept 1st 1973:  IW ART CLUB – The latest exhibition, the 37th, at the Vectis Hall, Ryde, has a higher standard and is better displayed than last year’s. It is better hung and does justice to all the artists in a show as large as this is possible.

Sept 1st 1973:  RYDE YOUTH – Ryde Round Table, who in past years have concentrated their community work on the elderly and sick of the borough, are making youth their principal concern next year.  They are providing a “half-shares” incentive aimed at providing a £1000 mini-bus for use by Ryde Youth Centre. To this end, the Round Table has made a challenge to the youngsters: if the youth centre can raise £500, the other half of the target will be guaranteed.

Sept 1st 1973:  BITS & PIECES WANTED – There are dedicated people who spend their spare time re-building old war-time aircraft which have crashed in various places. It is known that several aircraft crashed on the Island during the war.  If anyone has bits and pieces of such items which they consider may be of interest, could they please contact the Hon. Secretary of the Ryde and district branch of the Royal Air Forces Association.

Sept 8th 1973:  CHURCH SITE – I was dismayed to learn there are plans for the present George Street church to be demolished and replaced with car showrooms and flats.  This site would have made a very good concert hall or community centre with adequate car parking already close by.  The Esplanade Pavilion is not the best site for winter theatre-going.  Old Rydean.

 Sept 8th 1973:  RYDE SWIMMING POOLS – In the report of Ryde’s mayor opening the swimming pool was the following disturbing statement, “Water in the pools is drawn from the mains before treatment.  The use of sea water was rejected, because it would have resulted in increased costs of filtration plant and circulatory pipework.”  In view of the Island’s precarious fresh water situation in the summer, and the nearness of Ryde’s new swimming pool to the sea, the above facts are quite astounding.

Sept 8th 1973:  TWO ORGANISTS GIVE RECITAL – A composite organ recital was held at the Baptist Church, Ryde, by two committee members of the I.W. Organists Association, Ernest CARPENTER, the church organist, and Michael GRIFFIN, organist at Wootton Parish Church.

Sept 15th 1973:  BUS COMPANY CUTS – An explanation was being asked for by the Ryde Town Council General Purposes Committee, from the Southern Vectis Omnibus Company as to why a number of bus journeys have had to be cancelled because bus drivers had been asked to drive coaches.  The bus company had been taking buses off and transferring the drivers to coaches.  It was being suggested that seasonal coach services had been run at the expense of public services.

Sept 15th 1973:  RYDE SHOW LOSS – Ryde Parks and Entertainments Committee were undismayed when they heard that the Corporation’s “Show of Shows” at the Esplanade Pavilion lost more than £4000 this season, they decided that, nevertheless, the show was a success, and to continue the same format next year. Everyone that had been spoken to were full of praise for the show.

Sept 29th 1973:  NEW RULES – It was reported that a pedestrian crossing outside Bishop Lovett Middle School, in Easthill Road, Ryde, has been made illegal by new Government regulations. Mr. OCCOMORE, borough surveyor, explained that it made parking illegal on zig-zag lines each side of a crossing, and the ban also applied to a lay-by like the bus stop lay-by adjacent to Bishop Lovett School crossing.  The Department of the Environment engineers were suggesting solutions.