A look back at quirky Isle of Wight stories from the 1920s

If you had money 100 years ago you might well have owned a car, a phone, a fridge, a radio to listen to the BBC, and you could even have gone on holiday by air.

That’s not all we had in common - here’s a selection of 1920s items from the County Press.

In November 1920 there was laughter in court, the County Press reporting: “Robin Jacobs, of Newport, was charged with cycling without a rear-light at Hunnyhill.

“PC Butchers said he told him he should have a rear-light.

"He replied “What for? I don’t ride backwards. (laughter). Fined 10 shillings, or seven days.”

This is Ventnor Carnival procession passing along Belgrave Road in August 1927. (Image: County Press/Alan Stroud) Someone at the County press liked jokes; here are two from 1920: "How many people work in your place, father?"

"About half of them, my dear."

Followed up by: “Landlady: I’m afraid the coffee is exhausted.

Read more from County Press:

• Isle of Wight County Press letters from the 1960s

• Isle of Wight Festival 1970 site featured on BBC's One Show

“Lodger: I’m not surprised – it’s been very weak for a long time.”

In July 1922, under the headline 'Parkhurst Convicts Amused at Song Titles' the County Press reported: “On Sunday afternoon the convicts at Parkhurst Prison were provided with a concert by vocalists from Newport.

“The announcement by the chaplain of the titles of two of the solos appealed to the prisoners’ humour, and an audible titter ran round the audience.

Point-to-Point racing used to take place on a course at the junction of Chale Lane and Pyle Shute. This photograph was taken at a very soggy 1926 meeting. (Image: County Press/Alan Stroud) “They were: “How lovely are thy dwellings” and “entreat me not to leave thee.”

Sadly, otter hunting wasn’t banned in England until 1978, and in 1923 they were still fair game.

“Mr. C. Mustchin, keeper to Colonel Moulton-Barrett of Westover, discovered an otter, a fine specimen, measuring 5ft 1in from nose to tail, caught in one of his traps on the estate.

"Mr Mustchin killed the otter."

And now a bit of déjà vu in a letter to the editor in March 1924: “Sir, East Cowes has no landing place for passengers by steamer.

“Its only means of communication with Cowes is a floating raft – called a bridge – a sort of Robinson Crusoe arrangement not worthy of the present age.”

The Isle of Wight Motorcycle Club enjoyed racing on Compton Sands. In this 1928 photo, the closest of the three bikes machines on the far right is a Dunlelt 500cc - £55 when new in 1925, headlamp extra! (Image: County Press/Alan Stroud)Hmm...

The fun continued in January 1925, under the headline: Missing Bicycle Comedy.

“A Newport motor-lorry, loaded with hay, on which was placed a man's bicycle, left Dodnor one morning this week for a farm several miles away.

“On arrival the bicycle was missing. It was discovered hanging from a branch of a tree in Dodnor Lane.”

In Gurnard, gypsy Stanley Lee lived in a hut on the wooded slopes that ran down to the shore where the Woodvale Hotel now stands on Princes Esplanade.

He was so well known that he received a write-up when he died in September 1926: “A typical gypsy, he had travelled about the Island for a great many years, but some 15 years ago he settled in Cowes.

This is ‘Gypsy Lee’ in his younger days when he used to live in the copse at Woodvale, Gurnard. My wife’s gran told me, when I recorded her in 1983: “Old gypsy Lee, Stanley, used to live in the copse there and he used to make clothes pegs. (Image: County Press/Alan Stroud) “Although in poor circumstances in late years, he rarely applied for Poor Law relief, thanks to kind friends who regularly provided him with food.

“For a long time, he made his home in a shanty in the copse near Woodvale, and although he was persuaded to try a cottage, he returned to the outdoor life to which he had always been accustomed.”

In March 1927: “George Lee, gypsy, of Bartons-village, was summoned for non-payment of arrears in the maintenance of his son.

“Defendant said he would not pay anything and would never do so.

“Alderman Millgate: What does the man do when he is out of prison?

“Superintendent Salter: I had better not say.

“Sentenced to a month’s imprisonment without hard labour.”

The following month William Wynn, of Warwick Street, Ryde, pleaded guilty to keeping a noisy cockerel, thereby causing a nuisance to residents in the neighbourhood.

“The magistrates' clerk: Will you abate the nuisance?

“Yes, sir. I will get rid of the cockerel.

“The Chairman: The case will be adjourned for a week. If during that time the nuisance is abated, you will hear nothing more about it.

“Defendant: Yes, sir, I'll boil it for dinner tomorrow (laughter).”

And finally, from March 1929: “The window display of ‘The Old Curiosity Shop’ in Cowes High Street includes a two-headed calf, a four-legged robin, a calf with six legs, a double-headed pig, a three-eyed kitten and a one-eyed-puppy.”

Who could ask for more?

All the accompanying photographs are taken from glass plate negatives taken by the County Press staff photographer.