“Curiosities of the Isle of Wight No.3” Wednesday 8th October Defence, Power and Politics Mark Earps, again gave another very interesting talk on a variety of Island Curiosities to a well attended group of 33 members and partners who enjoyed a welcome free hot drink and Cheese Scone on arrival. Here are a few of the interesting facts that Mark informed us of. Fiesler F1 103 and 102 were code German names for V1 Doodle Bugs. In their development women test pilots were used to test and improve the navigation systems on trial flights. A very high percentage were killed in doing so. They flew at 400mph with the last one landing on the IoW in 1944. There were 16 between 1940 - 44 which exploded on the IoW killing just one unfortunate lady at Carisbrooke riding her bicycle. Two landed unexploded off Sandown beach opposite the lifeboat Station, the other off the Royal Yacht Squadron Cowes. Neither were recovered. The V1 was powered by a pulse jet with the V2 rocket powered. In 1943 in an attempt to spoil the Island potato harvest, batches of 10 potatoes filled with disease carrying beetles were strung together and dropped along the Military Road in their hundreds. Fortunately, the local scouts were mobilised to collect the batches at 1/2d each. One enterprising scout said he made a killing, but the harvest was saved from ruination. An IoW rocketeer John Dennet in 1832 designed a rocket line to fire to ships which had foundered on our shores, this was last used in 1961, but still used by Coastguards at Culver to fire a grappling hook for Cliff rescues after 1961. Black Arrow was built at Saunders Roe tested at Highdown and fired from Woomera in Australia and launched our first satellite “Prospero” into space, this is still orbiting the Earth today. Harold Wilson cancelled the satellite projects saying they had no future !!!!!!. A system today we rely on for GPS and Mobile networks. Brighstone Holiday Camp is the oldest Camp in the UK starting life in 1929 and still there today but much smaller due to cliff erosion. IoW prisons represented the largest complex in Europe for a time. Yarmouth Pier is the longest and oldest wooden pier in the UK. The 1970s Pop Festival at Afton Down was the largest gathering of non-political assembly where it was estimated 700,000 people gathered. The Islander Aircraft now again being built at Bembridge is the longest production of the same airframe in the World, beating even Cessna. Blackgang is the oldest Theme Park in Europe. IoW has currently the biggest walking festival in UK. The Isle of Wight County Press once had the largest sales of 79% and read by 95% of the total population, but recently the fastest decline in papers sold. There were many Horse Racecourses on the island at one time, Ashey, Chillerton, Tapnell Farm, Whippingham, Bowcombe and several others. Mark demonstrated that the English language could make for strange reading, when signage is used. Here are just a few. “These Premises are Alarmed”, “Watch Batteries Fitted”, “Slow Children Crossing”, “ Sockets Must Be Switched Off at All Times” and at a Sandown Café “ Senior Citizens & Chips £2.70”. All this and so much more was enjoyed by all who supported this Talk. We will investigate more afternoon talks this winter having had good support for these trial events. We would like to see more of our 276 members attend of course. Big thanks to all who attended on this occasion. Voluntary donations for Mountbatten totalled £47.