Isle of Wight Heritage

The national press reported on a Polio outbreak on the Isle of Wight with 26 confirmed cases in the late Summer of 1950. 11 of the cases were in Newport. 2 victims of the disease were confined to iron lungs....

Conservative Prime Minister Edward Heath flew from Ottawa in Canada to Cowes on the Isle of Wight to take part in the Fastnet Race 50 years ago today. Heath had been attending the Commonwealth Conference in the Canadian capital. He...

Newspapers reported rapidly dwindling stocks of cigarettes, tobacco and matches in Isle of Wight tobacconists on 9th August 1940. This was a serious problem because, at that time, over half the population - including two-thirds of men - smoked. Desperate...

Sir Richard Worsley - husband of the scandalous Lady Worsley - died at Appuldurcombe House on 8th August 1805. The baronet was a significant figure in Isle of Wight history. He was elected MP for Newport in 1774, then MP...

Southampton statue of Palmerston In the first of our series on Isle of Wight MPs, we examine the sometimes controversial life of Henry Temple (Viscount Palmerston) - twice British Prime Minister and MP for Newport in 1807 and 1809. Palmerston...

Alfred Tennyson The official ceremony to dedicate the Tennyson Memorial on High Down near Freshwater took place on 6th August 1897. The famous poet had died 5 years earlier in 1892, aged 83. The dedication ceremony took place on 6th...

A 'tidal wave' struck West Wight half a century ago, creating devastation in Yarmouth and Norton. The wave swept holidaymakers' belongings from the beach at Norton; the sea broke over the breakwater in Yarmouth harbour and the Yarmouth to Lymington...

Did you know that the Isle of Wight once sent 6 MPs to the House of Commons? At the next General Election, the Island will elect 2 parliamentary representatives. However, if the idea of our Island having 2 MPs appears...

Professor John Milne World-famous scientist John 'Earthquake' Milne - who invented the seismograph - died in Newport on 31st July 1913. Milne was born in Liverpool in 1850 and was educated at King's College London and the Royal School of...

Once upon a time, the County Town of Newport had 3 cinemas - that was before the coming of Cineworld at the start of the present century. But do you remember the movie theatres that came before the cinema giant...