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The Cartridge Years: 1975, 1985 and 1996

Richard turns back the clock with the hits and local headlines from 1975, 1985 and 1996.

3 hours

Last on

Sun 18 Aug 2013 14:00

August 1975

  • The UK's newest motorway was opened. Β The M27 opened between Cadnam and Ower.
  • Hampshire Police set up a mock accident on an unopened stretch of the motorway near Burseldon.
  • The grass skiing championships took place on Butser Hill. Β 
  • Consultants and surgeons were unhappy with the conditions at Boscombe hospital.
  • A Spitfire and a Supermarine-5 were seen together over Southampton Water in a demonstration display.
  • German operator TT Lines withdrew their car ferry service between Southampton and St Malo. Β Their ferry, Mary Poppins was turned away from Southampton port by dockers who refused to unload her.
  • Southampton based golfer Guy Hunt was preparing for the Ryder Cup.Β  Β  Β  Β  Β  Β  Β  Β  Β 
  • 20 warships were open to the public at Navy Day in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.
  • A powerboat race and a yachting regatta clashed in Poole. Β The yacht races were postponed to give the powerboats clear waters.
  • Mummers were performing their travelling play in Dorset.
  • AA Patrolmen were on a work to rule.
  • Cat owners on the Isle of Wight were having their pets immunised against a strain of feline enteritus.
  • Ian St John was Portsmouth's manager.
  • The Isle of wight owners of an impounded fishing boat paid their outstanding VAT demands in small change in a protest against the charges.
  • The Bournemouth Railway Museum opened.
  • The British Hang Gliding championships took place in Wiltshire.
  • Stunt woman Mary Connors attempted to be cannoballed across the River Avon.
  • Volcano Predskazany, on the Kamchatka peninsular of Japan erupted.Β 
  • The Royal Navy sent flotilla through the Suez Canal, the first since 1967 as part of a world tour.
  • Six IRA men were found guilty of bombing two Birmingham pubs the year before. Β Their convictions were later overturned.

August 1985

  • Another section of the M3 motorway opened between Bar End and Easton Lane in Winchester.
  • Southampton Football Club said they were determined to keep violence off the terraces this season with the help of the well established Family Centre.Β 
  • The crew of the Virgin Atlantic Challenger, which sunk attempting to break the Blue Riband record arrived in Portsmouth.
  • Customs men in the South joined a national campaign for more government money and jobs to fight drug smuggling.
  • The 50th anniversary of the Dakota was being marked with celebrations at Bournemouth airport.
  • There was a fire at Eastleigh Airport.
  • 150 sheep were stolen from a farm in Whitchurch.
  • "Drum of England" - Simon Le Bon's yacht which capsized in the Fastnet race was in a Swanwick boat yard for repair.
  • Countess Mountbatten unveiled a plaque at Osborne House in East Cowes.
  • The Met Office was optimistic of an improvement to the weather, despite a bad summer so far.
  • The strike on Townsend Thoresen Ferries at Dover ended.Β 
  • The Queen & other members of Royal Family began their annual summer holiday at Balmoral.
  • Annual rate of inflation dropped from 7% to 6.9%. The mortgage rate dropped by 1.25%.
  • Freddie Laker was in court over the collapse of his airline Skytrain.Β 
  • Airliners were carrying out safety checks on their Boeing 747s in light of crashes involving Air India & Japan Airlines planes.
  • Rail guards were on strike over one man operated trains.
  • A TWA jet, hijacked by Shi'ite gunmen in June left Beirut airport.
  • Ayatollah Khomeni made a rare public appearance at Iranian presidential elections.

August 1996

  • Sailors in Cowes were saying that the increase in corporate events is ruining the spirit of Cowes.
  • Radio 1 were in Bournemouth for a beach party.... Police were investigating after drunken youths started fighting on the beach
  • Work began on deepening the main channel in Southampton Water to allow the world's largest container ships to dock.
  • Isle of Wight sailor Andy Cassell was competing in the Paralympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia.
  • Survivors of the Dunblane school massacre were in the New Forest.
  • Cannabis valued at Β£750,000 was found on the ferry Barfleur in Poole.
  • A car that drives itself was being developed by scientists at Southampton University.
  • Southampton City Council wrote off Β£400,000 poll tax debts.
  • Investigations started after a fatal train crash at Watford.
  • A number of dead foxes were found strung up between branches ina secluded Isle of Wight copse.Β 
  • Dorset's first fire boat went into service at Poole.
  • Sections of the Titanic were brought to the surface, despite protests from some survivors.
  • The inventor of the jet engine Sir Frank Whittle died in America aged 89.
  • Construction of the Newbury bypass was underway, despite anti roads protests.
  • Postal workers were on strike.
  • At least 70 people died in a flash flood which swept through a camp site in Northern Spain.Β 
  • Boris Yeltsin was sworn in as Soviet President for the second time at the Kremlin.
  • Michael Schumacher won the Belgian Grand Prix

Broadcast

  • Sun 18 Aug 2013 14:00