ISLE OF WIGHT OBSERVER 10 November, 1866
LOST on the road between Newport and Ryde, on the evening of the 31st October, a GREEN SILK UMBRELLA , with a rhinoceros’ horn stick. – Whoever will bring it to Westfield, Ryde, will receive ONE POUND REWARD.
LOST, this day (Friday), a plain GOLD LOCKET attached to black velvet, by a lady riding from Belvedere-street, through Monkton-street, up St John’s road, to Westridge and St Clare, and back:- Whoever has found the same and will bring it to the “Observer” Office will receive TEN SHILLINGS REWARD.
STREET IMPROVEMENTS
It seems rather strange to us that amidst the numerous street improvements gradually carried into effect, that one street should be entirely neglected; – we allude to that of the Back Strand. There, in one of the principal thoroughfares in Ryde, is not only a total absence of a footpath or proper roadway, but every sort of unsightly nuisance is suffered to accumulate. At the time we write the large piece of land attached to the engine-house is covered over with stagnant water and the footway is entirely impassable. These observations are forced from us by the fact that the nice raised footway opposite round Mr Milligan’s garden is ordered to be torn up and pavement to be put in its place. It is obvious to every one which spot required paving the worst. We are advocates for all streets to be paved; and if a gentleman can afford to have 100 or 1000 feet frontage to his house, we can see no reason why he should not pave, as well as the cottager who can afford only 30 feet. The plea that in the former case the land “is not sufficiently built upon,” is all nonsense; it is built upon as much as the proprietors desire, and that is “sufficient”.We can see no street in the town, where property suffers so much from the state of the roads, and where the roads are in such a filthy state as about this locality. Again, why should not the piece of wall abutting upon the road between Holywell-house and Hampsted-villa be knocked away, and the great hole in the sluice there, be properly arched over, and the road be made decent, or at least passable in wet weather? We have heard strangers frequently express surprise that these things should remain so.