LOOK BACK IN TIME: 26 October 1889
Isle of Wight ObserverThe IW Observer of October 26, 1889, reported that Ryde schoolboys were threatening to strike over excessive homework and corporal…
Read MoreLOOK BACK IN TIME: 19 October 1901
The Isle of Wight Observer published on 19th October, 1901, reported that Northwood House, was to become home to Benedictine…
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 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 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 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…
Read MoreLOOK BACK IN TIME: 16 July 1921
Concerns over railway fares and competition from road transport are nothing new, as this archive report from the Isle of…
Read MoreLOOK BACK IN TIME: 8 July 1922
A century ago, the Isle of Wight’s weather watchers were already keeping a close eye on the skies. This report…
Read MoreLOOK BACK IN TIME: 7 July 1855
The Isle of Wight Observer published on 7th July 1855 contained the following letter from a reader. This Victorian ratepayer,…
Read MoreLOOK BACK IN TIME: 27 June 1914
This cutting from the Isle of Wight Observer published on 27th June, 1914 made us smile this week. More than…
Read MoreLOOK BACK IN TIME: 14 June 1919
This piece, from the Isle of Wight Observer published on 14th June, 1919, showed that, while a Solent squall may…
Read MoreLOOK BACK IN TIME: 9 June 1888
If you ever find yourself worrying that internet doomsayers and self‑appointed ‘experts’ are a curse of modern life, be reassured…
Read MoreLOOK BACK IN TIME: 14 May 1853
This letter to the Isle of Wight Observer published on 14th May, 1853 records James Observer, Jun’s outrage at even…
Read MoreLOOK BACK IN TIME: 3 April 1920
Listening to older Island residents is always interesting – as the editor of the Isle of Wight Observer published on…
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