By Isle of Wight Observer
The Isle of Wight Observer published on 27th October, 1888 details the problems the Island faced due to fog, including the newspapers not arriving until midday. On the same week more than 135 years later, we are apologising to our readers for the same thing (see page 3). Some things never change!
THE FOG.- On Wednesday the Island was enveloped in a dense fog, which effectually stopped all traffic. The steam packets did not run till the afternoon, and as a consequence the letters and newspapers failed to reach Ryde till mid-day. The charge against the Post Office employé, Rabson, had to be postponed till the next day, as the prosecuting solicitor and principal witness were unable to get over here, owing to the same cause. It is on such occasions as these, which of late years have become frequent occurrence, that our residents have fully realised what it is to be denizens of an island. At a recent meeting held at Winchester, to discuss business connected with the new County Council, one of the speakers opined that the Isle of Wight was not more difficult of access than many other parts of the county. But the recurrence of these fogs is a complete answer. They show what an isolated community we really are. Let us suppose that a meeting of the County Council, or of a committee, was to have been held last Wednesday to discuss a question of vital importance. The whole of the representatives from the Isle of Wight would have been prevented attending, and the Island would have been practically disfranchised, as far as the County Council was concerned!