Free Republic

Seven children destroyed a couple's six-bedroom home using chainsaws, axes, and sledgehammers to smash their antiques and even ruin the victim's wedding dress, a UK court heard last month. The group took the tools from the owners' garage and embarked on their monthlong vandalism spree in May last year, causing £300,000 ($371,000) in damages to the £1.2 million ($1.5 million) property on the Isle of Wight while the homeowners were away, local news outlet Island Echo reported. The youths, aged as young as 11 years old, destroyed paintings, a stained-glass window, a chandelier, and a grandfather clock and had sprayed...

Isle of Wight eatery defends itself against ‘nasty’ and ‘bullying’ vegans who were furious that their diet was not catered forAn award-winning cafe has at hit out at “holier-than-thou” vegan customers saying they shouldn’t have to adapt their menu to “suit” customers who don’t eat animal products.The Kitchen at London House on the Isle of Wight went online to defend itself against “nasty” and “bullying” vegans who were outraged at their decision to refuse to cater to their diets.Addressing its critics, it said: “If you want vegan food, go to a vegan restaurant.”The popular high street restaurant in Ventnor said...

Dispatches from Cowes, Isle of Wight, at an early hour this morning give unfavorable news from the Queen's bedside. The Queen is said to have been stricken with paralysis last night, and to be lying at death's door. A practical Regency is reported to have been created, the Prince of Wales receiving power to transact state business. Nearly all the members of the Royal Family were gathered at Osborne

A major operation is under way to free a car transporter ship that ran aground in the Solent, off the Isle of Wight. The Hoegh Osaka was heading to Germany when it ran on to the Bramble Bank, in the entrance to Southampton Water, at about 21:30 GMT on Saturday. The coastguard said 25 crew members were rescued from the vessel. Hoegh Autoliners said it was "currently assessing damage and stability issues on board". The ship's owner said one of the crew members was taken to hospital with non life-threatening injuries. Three senior officers stayed on board but have now...

The third phase of the Big Dig at Brading Roman Villa may well have been one of the toughest excavations eminent archaeologist Sir Barry Cunliffe had ever undertaken but it has yielded some treasures and a greater understanding of Brading's history up to its Roman occupation. With the three-week dig ending [Friday], Sir Barry's team has unearthed, over the past two weeks, numerous pottery remains, ranging from pieces of amphorae to a tray for sifting sea water to extract salt. The discovery of a second century BC saucepan became the earliest evidence of occupation on the site, pushing its history...