By Isle of Wight Observer
There was a threat of a kick up the backside made after a “leading inhabitant” of the Island read the IW Observer published on 1st September, 1888, which led to a very fulsome apology two weeks later.
Some of the staff of today’s IW Observer quite admit to be ‘fogeys’ others most certainly are not – but we all enjoyed this extract from the newspaper of 136 years ago.
FOGEYS. – A fortnight ago we recorded a cricket match between some of our leading inhabitants, and in sportive mood used the word “fogeys.” We regret to find that the appellation, which was penned without due reflection, rather nettled some of those who took part in the match, and one of these, meeting the humble individual who conducts this journal, talked about “introducing his bootmaker to our tailor.” He did not, however, respond to the invitation to try the experiment of ascertaining whether he was competent to carry out this threat, so we presume he only jested. On calmer reflection we regret the word was applied, as some recent dictionaries give it an offensive meaning, which we do not believe it originally bore. At all events the Mayor, in inviting our representative to this said cricket match, remarked “We are only a lot of old fogies, you know, and we consider you quite one of us.” It did not occur to us to be offended at the kindly words of His Worship – uttered with a humorous twinkle in his eye – and in the haste necessary in press work, his words slipped from our pen without the slightest intention of hurting any one’s feelings. If we have done so we regret it, and apologies to all and sundry, not because we are afraid of any “introductions,” but because we think right to make the amende, if we have inadvertently caused the `press to be the means of inflicting undeserved pain to the feelings of others.