HOLMSEY: A weekend that wiped me out
Isle of Wight ObserverIt’s the repetition you notice. Hour after hour, day after day, the same old routine, and there’s no escape. When…
Read MoreLOOK BACK IN TIME: 3 October 1891
On 3rd October, 1891, the IW Observer reported a mysterious encounter in the Solent, after two Ryde fishermen claimed to…
Read MoreHOLMSEY: ‘We’re all going on a summer holiday’
While many of you were enjoying your holiday, I worked through the summer, although I did manage a four-day ski…
Read MoreLOOK BACK IN TIME: September 16, 1922
From the Isle of Wight Observer published on September 16th, 1922, comes the curious tale of a carnival sideshow, a…
Read MoreGREEN FINGERS: Autumn has arrived
There has certainly been a change in the weather recently, with some welcome rain, but also some very damp and…
Read MoreHOLMSEY: When ‘Stopping the boats’ means sending more boats
Pick a side – any side. Did you support the Island’s two RNLI all-weather lifeboats crossing the Channel last Sunday,…
Read MoreVectis View: Cllr David Llewellyn – Chairman of IW Council’s Policy, Finance and Resources Committee
When I stood for election, I did so as a Reform candidate with a clear mandate: to scrutinise spending, cut…
Read MoreHOLMSEY: Burnham’s bounce will end at the boiler
It’s far harder to use less energy than to cut back on eating out, groceries and holidays. The price of…
Read MoreHOLMSEY: Looking for perfection in imperfect world
I have a gift for spotting flaws, which means I’m never completely content with anything. Of course, none of us…
Read MoreLOOK BACK IN TIME: August 31, 1889
On August 31, 1889, the Isle of Wight Observer’s editor reflected on a long-standing rivalry between different parts of Ryde,…
Read MoreGREEN FINGERS: We all need some rain
The hot and dry summer is continuing with no rainfall as yet, although there may be a little in the…
Read MoreMR CROW: Camp Hill’s crumbling highways
Local authorities often hail large government grants as “victories” for residents, but the inconvenient paper trail behind the IW Council’s…
Read MoreHOLMSEY: A lifetime of sartorial mishaps
In the final months of school, looking sharp was my primary focus; impressing girls was the goal. School uniforms exist…
Read MoreLOOK BACK IN TIME: August 17, 1901
In the Isle of Wight Observer published on 17th August, 1901, changes to charges at Ryde Borough Isolation Hospital were…
Read MoreLOOK BACK IN TIME: 31 July 1880
On 31st July, 1880, Seaview resident W E. Matthews wrote to the Isle of Wight Observer criticising the Island’s drainage…
Read MoreLOOK BACK IN TIME: 26 July 1919
A homeless man accepting an invitation for a cup of tea ended up at the centre of an unusual court…
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