Isle of Wight Observer: Issue 006

Observer

The Island’s Only Locally Owned Newspaper

Isle of Wight

An awful experience

Rock legend stuns crowd

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Friday 14th September 2018 Issue No.6

Free - please pick up your copy

Bridge over the River Medina

Possible bridge location

Alexander Dabell

An idea of how the park could look

Robin Hill water park to boost jobs and tourism

By Joe Burn Plans for a multi-million pound indoor waterpark, The Springs, have been unveiled for Robin Hill.

Plans will be submitted formally to the Isle of Wight Council as a planning application.

This will have Islandwide and sub-regional impacts benefitting tourism, regeneration and job creation.

Alexander Dabell, managing director of Vectis Ventures Limited said:

“After years of considered planning, we are delighted to unveil our proposals for The Springs, an exhilarating new indoor water park with the most stunning views across the Isle of Wight.

“Tourism is very important

Have your say... email newsdesk@iwobserver.co.uk for the Island and this is designed to extend the tourism season.

“The development will complement our plans for Nesting, creating a fantastic reason to visit the Isle of Wight.

In your Observer...

Jobs

Your life changing career move could start here 32

Going Out

Your guide to Theatre, Cinema, Eating out & more 20

The Springs will be splashing great fun!”

The park could be open as early as 2020 if all the planning applications and legal ramifications are navigated without a hitch.

The Isle of Wight Council cabinet have ambitious plans for a bridge over the River Medina.

The plan to build a bridge in the Stag Lane area between Newport and Cowes is being “actively considered” by cabinet members.

The idea is to effectively join Fairlee Road and Cowes Road over the river in a bid to ease traffic congestion around the Coppins Bridge roundabout - slashing journey times for commuters and tourists.

If built, the bridge could potentially boost the economy of the Medina Valley - bringing jobs and the possibility for developments in the wider valley area.

Cabinet secretary, Councillor Chris Whitehouse (Newport West) said: “A bridge over the Medina is a fantastic idea. It’s being actively considered because it would boost the economy of the entire Medina Valley and at a stroke, slash the traffic jams at Coppins Bridge in Newport.

“There is more than one way to fund this project.

The government wants to deliver regeneration and the leader has a vision for the regeneration of the whole Medina Valley.”

Sport

All the Island’s up to date coverage 35

Inside your Observer...

Current News Cancer patient’s awful trip

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Community News Polish Saturday school opens 12 Features Ethical restaurant to open 5 Lifestyle All aboard for IW Cheese 30 Entertainment Luke’s live and local 26 Jobs Job finding features 32 Services Find all your local services 34 Sport Time is right for Sanders 39

Do you have a story to tell?

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Address: Suite 7, 17 Thomas House, St. Thomas Square, Newport, IW, PO30 1SL Publisher: Isle of Wight Observer Ltd. News Editor: J Burn Online Editor: S Clarke Sport & Features: P White Sales: N Labelle Gardening: M Noyce Production: C Clarke Photography: J Sheath The IW Observer is a member of IMPRESS: The Independent Monitor of the Press. For more information on the IW Observer complaints policy and how to make a complaint visit: iwobserver. co.uk/make-a-complaint/

Fare controversy

By Joe Burn A new scheme offering discounted cross-Solent travel for Island families and other residents on low incomes has caused controversy. Isle of Wight Council (IWC), Wightlink, Red Funnel and Hovertravel have developed the scheme together.

It means lower mainland travel costs for Islanders receiving housing benefit and/or local council tax support.

You will need to book travel seven days in advance to receive the discounts. It is estimated up to 14,000 people will be able to claim it.

The news has been met with backlash from an Island charity and residents as there is already a similar scheme in place and it doesn’t help families with long term illnesses.

Daisy Chains IW are a charity who help Island families with life-limiting conditions or disabilities by providing emergency travel or help with cross Solent travel costs to medical appointments.

Co-founder Mandy Fuller explained that there is already an NHS travel scheme in place for those on benefits and that a lot of their families need to travel within 24 hours notice - not seven days. She said: “If somebody has a premature baby, they can’t say, ‘in seven days I’m going to have a premature baby, please can I book some travel.’

“If a child has been diagnosed with a disability, a long term illness, or life-

limiting illness then they need this discount regardless of income.

“Even if you are earning huge amounts of money, if you’re travelling five days a week, and paying in the summer up to £100 a journey - most people would struggle to afford that.”

Darren Street a businessman and Island resident found out on Tuesday (September 11) that his son, Jacob, will have to travel for treatment on the mainland regularly for the next ten years. On the same day IWC announced the discount scheme.

Mr Street found the timing of Councillor Dave Stewart’s announcement to be “a kick in the balls”.

He said: “I think they should offer concessions for all island residents. As Hovertravel do. Maybe not for second homeowners, I’m talking permanent island residents.

Maybe there should be another secondary concession in place for people who travel over as patients. I think we definitely need it and it will take some of the strain off St Mary’s.”

Julian Critchley, Island Labour chair said: “We’re pleased that the ferry companies have responded to pressure to reduce the costs of travel for some Island families.

“This is, however, addressing some symptoms rather than curing the problem.

“I don’t believe that access to the mainland should be a matter for two private

Have your say... email newsdesk@iwobserver.co.uk

From left: Lisa Street, Jacob Street & Darren Street companies to decide who to favour with reduced fares.”

Vix Lowthion, Green Party parliamentary candidate for the Island said: “The outrage from ordinary working islanders at the announcement of discounted ferry tickets for those on benefits should come as no surprise.

“Are we are expected to all be overjoyed at receiving crumbs from the table of the private ferry companies? Did the council not foresee how angry and isolated this makes the rest of the community feel who don’t earn much and don’t qualify?”

Chris Whitehouse, cabinet secretary for IWC (Newport

West) said: “There is already an existing scheme for travel discounts for people attending NHS appointments and those accompanying them in the case of two children accompanying adults are entitled discounts on Red Funnel, Wightlink and Hovertravel this information is available on the NHS Isle of Wight website.”The existing scheme was put in place following the referral of the cross-Solent ferries to the Office of Fair Trading in 2009.

NHS ferry discounts are available here: http://www. iow.nhs.uk/patients-andvisitors/travel-discounts. htm

Floating Bridge service ‘reliable’ says Cllr Ward

Current News

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News in brief Sandown business association

The inaugural meeting to set up Sandown Business and Residents Association will take place at 7pm on Friday (September 21) in the Methodist Church Hall in York Road. All Sandown residents and business owners, or managers, are invited. It is hoped that the first activity of the Association will be to ensure the annual Christmas Eve Funday takes place this year.

Island film set to document eco tragedy Pictured, Cllr Ian Ward and the Floating Bridge’s latest upgrade

By Joe Burn Councillor Ian Ward has said the Floating Bridge service is “reliable”. After a passionate exchange between councillors at Tuesday night’s (September 11) scrutiny committee meeting, Cllr Ward (Sandown South) said the service “can improve and will improve”.

Cllr Karl Love (East Cowes) and council leader Cllr Dave Stewart (Niton, Chale and Whitwell) traded heated comments about the recent failings of the Floating

Bridge during Cowes Week.

Cllr Love told the committee: “This problem affects 20% of the Island. The communication around the bridge has been a complete and total farce.

“It was totally predictable this bridge would break down during Cowes week.”Cllr Stewart replied by blaming the purchase and design of the bridge on the former Independent administration and suggested Cllr Love point the blame “in their

direction.”

Cllr Love said he was not interested in what has happened, he is interested in what is happening now, and added that Cllr Stewart’s remarks were “irrelevant”.

Cllr Stewart responded in saying Cllr Love’s comments amounted to a “political spat”.

Cllr Love said: “It’s got nothing to do with politics.”

Cllr Ward then handed out an information sheet containing data that was

Have your say... email newsdesk@iwobserver.co.uk supposed to demonstrate the bridge’s annual performance to date.

He said: “This is a reliable craft as it stands. These figures show it is as good as the cross-Solent ferry operators.”

Scrutiny chairman, Cllr Andrew Garratt (Parkhurst) said of the figures: “These are aggregate figures - we need to find a way of actually measuring the performance of the bridge - it’s a bit like saying the Wightlink ferry

was out of service but they put a rowboat on. We need to disaggregate these figures.”

Cllr Lora Peacey-Wilcox (Cowes Medina), also told the committee the recent mesh matting on the slipway had made the Floating Bridge noise worse and not better as intended.

Cllr Love again called for the resignation of Cllr Ward at the meeting.

In 2008 the Isle of Wight Council laid out it’s Eco Island vision.

“We want the Isle of Wight to become a world renowned Eco-Island, with a thriving economy and a real sense of pride, where residents and visitors enjoy healthy lives, feel safe and are treated with respect.”

10 years later this documentary by island filmmaker David George looks at what happened to that vision, how it fell apart and ultimately ended in tragedy. tickets can be purchased at tinyurl.com/yar9phf4

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Cancer patient’s ‘awful’ trip - p4

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Current News

News in brief Classic car show returns The International Classic Car Show returns to the Island tomorrow (Sat) and on Sunday. The event showcases a unique and spectacular collection of hand-picked classic cars from all over the UK across two days at Newport Quay and Ryde Esplanade’s North Walk, near the canoe lake.

Both shows are free to attend with all proceeds going directly to Island charities.

Cancer patient’s ‘awful’ trip

By Joe Burn

Have your say... email newsdesk@iwobserver.co.uk

Jon Benton

Choral music evening

An evening of Choral Music featuring Choras Aidas from Lithuania, Medina Voices and Camerata Chamber Choir takes place at St John’s Church, Newport next Friday (September 21).

A fun evening is promised as the Island welcomes Choras Aidas, who will be singing along with Medina Voices and joined by Camerata Chamber Choir to present a variety of songs from different genres with something for all tastes. The event runs from 7pm until 9pm.

Little Britain challenge

The annual Little Britain Challenge Cup Challenge yacht racing is taking place this weekend (15 & 16). The event attracts over 3,000 participants and spectators and raises a substantial sum of money for charity each year.

Island business owner Jon Benton, claims his wife had to endure an “awful experience” on a Wightlink ferry after she had invasive surgery for cancer.

Jon explained he had to take his wife to the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth for highly invasive cancer treatment, including the removal of 11 lymph nodes in February.

Jon’s wife - Mandy had to be admitted at 7am, so they felt they should go over the night before to ensure she wouldn’t miss her date. After the operation and a period of observation, she was discharged on the provisos that she was driven straight

home.

“She had four operation sites, stitches and three chest drains,” explained Mr Benton.

The businessman called Wightlink 10 days before the operation, and explained the situation that she would be in considerable pain and couldn’t leave the car for the crossing.

An employee for the ferry operator told him that’s fine and to notify the shore staff of the situation upon boarding.

Mr Benton said: “As requested on arrival I notified a member of the crew, he turned to his colleague across the other side of the deck

and shouted, ‘this blokes wife has had an operation and she’s got stitches in her chest and other s*** going on’.”

Jon believes this caused unnecessary stress, and embarrassment to his wife.

He said: “I tried to explain the situation, and had previously arranged for my wife to remain in our vehicle for obvious reasons.“Eventually the Wightlink employee said, ‘the captain said it’s against policy, and if you don’t get your wife out of the car, you’ll have to get off’.

“She couldn’t use her arms and couldn’t manage the stairs so a sympathetic

female member of staff helped us into the lift which smelled strongly of fuel and was filthy.

“By the time we got up to the deck, people seemed to be aware of situation, and consequently made my wife the centre of attention, she was tearful, exhausted and in pain, and had everyone staring at her. It was an awful experience, and only added to her pain and general discomfort.

“The captain attempted to justify his decision to make my wife get out of the car, saying it was policy, but I was so angry I felt I couldn’t talk to him.”

Jon complained to the IOW Chamber of Commerce about the incident.

Wightlink apologised to the couple and gave Mrs Benton a £300 voucher as compensation for her experience - most of this was used for postoperative appointments.

Wightlink have been contacted for comment.

Jon Benton’s full email communication to and the reply from the IOW Chamber of Commerce regarding this matter, can be read fully on this link: http:// solentfreedomtunnel.co.uk/ historical-and-presentday-collusions-to-preventa-fixed-link-coc/

Ethical restaurant set to open in Newport town

Trevor Blaney outside Waste Not Want Not A restaurant with a people first ethos is coming to High Street, Newport.

Trevor Blaney, of the Pop Up Soup Kitchen project has turned his hand to a more permanent premises.

Waste Not Want Not will be a charity restaurant that doesn’t feel like a charity at all.

Trev’s vision for the three storey property starts with a ground floor dining space, featuring upcycled mismatch furniture “that looks like I’ve been down Lynnbottom Tip”, matched up with smart table cloths and fine cuisine - all made with food approaching

its sell by date donated free from supermarkets.

That’s just the first stage of his vision.

“Forget Sunday school, you’re going to soup school,” laughs Trevor the way only a northerner can.

“Young people seem to have forgotten how to cook that’s why we’ll have classes in here, starting with how to make a chicken soup from just the carcass.

“Young people seem to think chicken comes in a bucket with eight legs - I want to change that.”

Trevor wants to educate people and help those in food

poverty, “because everybody needs a leg up”.

The native south Yorkshireman explains he wants to help those who have to make a choice between feeding their child or keeping the house warm.

He gets so much fresh produce, he plans to fill giant freezers with frozen ready meals that he’ll sell at low prices at around 40 pence for a single meal and slightly more for a family sized portion.

He wants to raise the bar, not just for charity shops, but for the High Street as a whole.

He explains: “I think we need it, it’s not that charity shops are bad, I just want to move people away from the stigma around them, we’ve got people that won’t use charity shops even if they need them. I know one lady in a million pound house, all paid for, but she has to sell her own furniture to get by - and she won’t use a charity shop.”

Trevor wants customers to feel like they’re in a restaurant - not a charity cafe - bringing something to the high street that raises the profile of the area, a place people actually want to go to.

Serving dishes made from would-be waste, he smiles when he says they’ll have a “soup of the hour, because you never know what’s going to come through the door”.

The restaurant plans to open in roughly three weeks as a registered charity, with plans for professional debt counselling on the floor above and who knows what else on the third floor.

This is one to watch for Newport and maybe even Ryde if it takes off.

Current News

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News in brief

Celebrate 170 years of Church Ryde Baptist Church, on George Street, has been celebrating its 170th Anniversary with events throughout the year.

These included the unveiling of a wall hanging hand sewn over two years by ‘the Quirky Crafters’ and the building of 170 sandcastles during a worship service and BBQ on Appley Beach.

They are currently writing out The George Street Gospel which will be displayed on Aspire Ryde’s magnificent Eagle Lectern on October 14 during Celebrating Connections.

This worship service coincides with the end of the Literary Festival and will acknowledge the work of Premier Radio, Insight for Living and several island charities such as Foodbank, Street and School pastors.

The Literary Festival takes place from October to 11- 14 at Northwood House in Cowes.

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Current News

News in brief Stag Lane lads clean up beach A commercial fridge abandoned on a beach has turned out to be an industrial hotplate.

Stag Lane Motors retrieved the appliance from Whale Chine Beach on Tuesday (September 11). Concerned Islanders had been planning a dramatic removal attempt using boats and other vehicles.

The hotplate was first seen on the cliffs of Whale Chine as far back as May and had since made its way onto the beach. The appliance was believed to be on land owned by Crown Estates according to Isle of Wight Council and therefore was not removed by them.

Schools get spoiled

Tosser-gate Isle of Wight MP Bob Seely says he should have used “slightly more accurate words” when branding a reporter a “tosser” – but added he doesn’t regret the sentiment behind his comments. Mr Seely called journalist Roshan Salih an “anti-Semitic pro-Corbyn tosser” on Twitter, after he livestreamed a meeting from MP Joan Ryan’s Enfield North constituency where she lost a vote of no-confidence. The MP said publicly: “One can always use words better. If I was going to use strong words at this so-called journalist I should have used slightly more accurate ones but it is what it is and I have strong opinions sometimes. I shall try to express myself more accurately in future, what can I say.”

From left: Isle of Wight Council strategic development officer Jade Kennett, co-chair of governors for The Federation of the Church Schools of Shalfleet and Yarmouth Carla Bradshaw, headteacher Lizzie Grainger and Councillor Paul Brading, Cabinet member for children’s services, education and skills

By Joe Burn More than £4 million has been spent to upgrade and refurbish six Island schools this summer.

Major projects have included a new pre-school, modern classrooms, replacement roofing and windows, heating systems and electrical works.

Five of those benefiting are primary schools: at Shalfleet, Hunnyhill and Nine Acres at Newport, Carisbrooke, and at Nettlestone. The sixth is the Island Learning Centre at Newport.“We are continually

investing in our schools to ensure our children have the best possible learning environment,” said cabinet member for children’s services and education, Councillor Paul Brading.

“Our push on improvements over the summer will help support our young people to achieve their full potential.”

Shalfleet Primary School has undergone a major £1.4million refurbishment project to transform the site, including a new modular

building with two classrooms and a new pre-school.

Nettlestone Primary School and Hunnyhill Primary School, Newport, have both benefited from £450,000 to replace roof parts and windows, while their heating systems have been upgraded.

Hunnyhill will also be establishing a new social emotional mental health unit for primary school students as a pilot programme - this will support students with additional needs to attend a mainstream setting.

Have your say... email newsdesk@iwobserver.co.uk The Island Learning Centre, Newport, which has already had a complete refurbishment following a move due to a fire in 2015, is in the final stages of £400,000-worth of improvements, including to the roof and boiler system.

And Carisbrooke Primary School and Nine Acres Primary, Newport, are both nearing the completion of £380,000 and £120,000 projects upgrading electrical systems, heating and roofing.

Money from the government’s Capital School Improvement Programme was used to fund some of the work.

Vix Lowthion, Green Party candidate said: “I hope that if IWC is spinning credit for projects funded by national government, then they will also take responsibility for the government failed policy of Academisation which led to the closure of Sandown Bay Academy and was investigated by BBC Panorama this week.

Chale fibre broadband stalled for two years

By Joe Burn South Chale residents and business owners are still without fibre broadband after a lengthy waiting period.

BT Openreach have been promising to connect power to a new fibre exchange cabinet in the Church Place area for two years.

Some people in the area are lucky to receive very slow download speeds of 3Mbps at peak times, meaning businesses and residents have to restrict internet use just to carry out basic online tasks.

Isle of Wight Council and BT have been working together to fix the issue and believed it would be resolved this summer - now they say it is “beyond the control of both organisations”.

Andy and Cheryl Greenwood, owners of the Wight Mouse Inn have been repeatedly told for two years that fibre broadband is “just around the corner” - a phrase they’ve begun to take literally as their neighbours already receive a fibre service.

Mrs Greenwood said: “It’s particularly frustrating when you hear from the media on a regular basis promoting ‘even faster internet’ through fibre and we are stuck with a line that’s a max of 2Mbps.

“We’ve been told for a long time that it is just around the corner while our neighbours who live yards away have had fast broadband for a couple of years all because they are

Have your say... email newsdesk@iwobserver.co.uk

on a different exchange.

“Both ourselves and our customers would benefit from a more consistent, faster service.”

Next door to the Wight Mouse is the Chale Service Station whose card machine is often temperamental for customers. They also said that receiving faster, more reliable broadband would make business easier for them.

A BT Openreach spokesman said: “This particular cabinet was put on hold due to issues with gaining permission to lay cables across private land. The good news is that these issues are now resolved, and discussions are underway with our partners at Isle of Wight Council to look at when this cabinet can be fibre enabled.”

A Isle of Wight Council spokesman said: “The broadband cabinet is in position and the fibre optics connected. To complete the work and become operational the cabinet requires an electrical connection.

“This was planned to happen over the summer, however, it was not possible to secure permission for the required road closure to undertake the work safely.

“Both the Isle of Wight Council and BT are working to get this broadband cabinet connected to a power supply as soon as possible, but some aspects of this work are beyond the control of both organisations.”

Current News

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News in brief Fell running

Ryde Harriers, in association with the Ventnor Fell Running Association, will be hosting the 24th annual Isle of Wight Fell Running Series event this weekend. The event takes in two shorter fell races of 3.8 kilometres and 12 kilometres tomorrow (Sat) followed by a longer race of 21 kilometres on Sunday.

MP says invest in rail Isle of Wight MP, Bob Seely says Island Line staff are at risk from electrical faults.

Mr Seely has written to secretary of state for transport, Chris Grayling calling for Network Rail to prioritise renewal of equipment at the three electrical sub-stations along the route.

He is also calling for investment from Network Rail along Ryde Pier between Ryde Esplanade and Ryde Pierhead stations, saying that the structure provides seamless connectivity to the mainland for commuters, patients and visitors. Other proposals include the replacement of the line’s ageing rolling stock. Mr Seely said: “I have no doubt that the scale of lossmaking will reduce if the proposed investment is made.”

Andy and Cheryl Greenwood of The Wight Mouse Inn

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Community News

Holmesy!

The David Holmes Column

‘I slow down for no apparent reason’ I’ve long thought the earth are they doing? They Island’s police could hand can’t all be investigating out bumper stickers saying Islamist extremists, cyber this, so that older drivers, crime and former Radio 1 many of whom do exactly Disc Jockeys. They clearly that on every journey, are doing something; could alert the rest of us we just don’t know what to their hazard. As part of it is. They don’t arrest our daily drive, we all come shoplifters or burglars, and across these dithering drugs are rife. Since 2010 doddery characters don’t the government closed we?

600 UK police stations, Where time allows, I logically this should mean sometimes get out and ask them if they’re ok, in a friendly way “They can’t all of course.

Island be investigating roads are different, or they were, they Islamist extremists, have definitely gotten cyber crime and a lot busier. I’ve lost count of the number former Radio 1 Disc of people who proudly Jockeys.” told me that they can no longer drive “on the mainland”, or that their eyesight is too that coppers who formerly poor for night driving. manned the nick, (like It beggars belief that so my mum used to) are free many older people are still to patrol the streets, but doing this, so it must be they’re definitely not doing good news that the police that are they? I happen to will now be stopping and know that on most days, testing their vision at the we only have one traffic roadside? If you fail to read police car on the Island, a number plate at 65 feet, and that’s now a combined they’ll confiscate your car ARV, armed response and leave you to get the vehicle, so how many half bus home! Well, no, not blind drivers are they likely exactly. to catch?

We have 122,000 police Also in the news this officers in Britain, that’s week, schools are going to 50,000 more than we had close on Friday afternoons, at the end of the sixties. So to save money on heating. where are they all, what on No-one bats an eyelid at

this nonsense, which in my book, comes under the same heading. Even allowing for inflation, we’re paying more council tax, we’re paying more income tax, so where does all the dosh go? Surely not all on pensions for excops and teachers living improbably long lives.

Well much of it does get spent like that; my mum is rightly collecting a police pension, despite being well into her eighties. Thirty years of dedicated police service (at a decent salary) produced 35 years of pension, so far, something that noone forecast. All of our public services have faced “savage cuts” but we’re spending far more on everything, but what is it paying for!?

I have no answers, it has to be a politics and management issue, and our sympathies must be for those at the sharp end, it must be very frustrating for teachers, nurses, firefighters and police officers. I thought this when I also read this week that a murder suspect in Southampton had been jailed for 18 months - for failing to give the police his Facebook password. Jack Regan must be turning in his grave.

Sites host cancer coffee mornings David Wilson Homes and Barratt Homes will be putting the kettle on at developments later this month as they open their doors for The World’s Biggest Coffee Morning.

Selected developments on the Isle of Wight will be hosting a fundraising coffee morning on Friday (September 28) from 10am to 5pm as the housebuilders bid to ensure that this year’s event is bigger and better than ever before.

Sales director Michelle Storer said the Macmillan Cancer Support event is a key date in the fundraising calendar and the five star

housebuilders are delighted to be inviting people to join in with the fundraising efforts.

“Cancer touches so many people’s lives and the coffee morning is a great way for everyone to get involved in the fundraising effort,’’ said Michelle. “Last year more than £27 million was raised through the coffee mornings and we hope to be part of the effort to break that barrier this year.’’

She said the concept of being involved in The World’s Biggest Coffee Morning has captured the imagination of everyone within David

Wilson Homes and Barratt Homes. “Our sales teams are all keen to host events for visitors and those who have already moved into our developments.’’

Staff will be inviting donations for coffee and cake on the day at the Barratt Homes Hawthorn Meadows development in Whippingham and the David Wilson Homes development St George’s Gate in Shide.

For more information about supporting Macmillan, visit https://coffee.macmillan. org.uk.

Current News

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Regen meeting A public consultation event will be held on Saturday (October 6) at The Riverside Centre – 10am - 2pm.

This will be an opportunity for Newport and Carisbrooke residents to understand and give feedback on proposals for additional and increased services to be provided by the parish council over the next three years.

The parish council recognises its key role in the regeneration of the town and providing important discretionary services – such as recreation grounds, play areas, toilets, allotments, community buildings – which are no longer provided by the Isle of Wight Council due to cuts in government funding.

Democracy goes on the road to Brading The Isle of Wight Council’s cabinet is heading out on the road, in an effort for senior councillors to tackle more local issues. Thursday’s (September 13) cabinet meeting in Brading will be the first held at a number of different locations across the Island over the coming

months. In addition to the formal meetings, which are open to the public, members will also privately meet with representatives from nearby town and parish councils.

Council leader Councillor Dave Stewart (Chale, Niton and Whitwell) said: “We’re very keen to make sure

we’re at the heart of our local communities. “This move will help us engage more closely with the public and with those serving on town and parish councils all over the Island. “We’re encouraging people to get in touch about topics they wish us to consider.” September

13’s meeting at St Mary’s the Virgin Church Hall, Brading, starts at 5pm. The agenda can be viewed by visiting their website here. Following the meeting, cabinet members will meet with town and parish representatives from Brading, St Helens and Bembridge.

Fare ferry comment

“There are no plans to regulate ferry prices in England,” the government has said.

This the Department for Transport’s (DfT) response in short to the ferry fares petition on Wednesday (September 12).

The petition has over 17,000 signatures and needed to reach a 100,000 to be considered for debate in parliament.

The DfT wrote: “Ferry companies in the UK operate in a competitive, commercial market, with the operators competing on price, quality, frequency and speed of their services. In locations such as the Isle of Wight there is a provision of frequent crossings, from a selection of locations, and at a range of prices.

“At present such provision does not indicate evidence of a market failure or other

reasons that may justify government regulatory intervention. As such the government has no plans to regulate ferry prices.

However, in circumstances where a commercially provided ferry link is at risk, government would consider options to maintain that link as a lifeline service.

“UK ships and ports operate on a private basis, without public sector support, so the ferry companies concerned are private sector entities. The cost of a service, its quality, and frequency are therefore a commercial decision for the ferry operator, and for the company concerned to determine the commercial viability of differing service and fare levels in their current operating environment.”

Deputy council leader, Councillor Stuart Hutchinson (West Wight) predicted this

outcome from government recently.

The cabinet member for resources said: “It’s received over 16,000 signatures and has already crossed the threshold which guarantees a response from government.

“That response will be that the government has no proposals to bring in subsidy - which is really what the petition seeks to achieve.”

Carl Feeney, chair of the Fixed Link Campaign said: “At last we have an unequivocal decision by the central government that confirms the IOW ferry companies can most certainly not be nationalised, regulated or subsidised at any stage.

“Over 17,000 people in less than one month registered their frustration and dissatisfaction regarding the Isle of Wight ferry companies.

“The Isle of Wight ferry companies will never be anything other than unregulated.

“Next Friday (September 21) I will release a webpage describing the Solent Freedom Tunnel scheme route, with an explanation of how the project can be achieved.

“On September 28 there will be a presentation from international infrastructure specialists - ARUP, about a viability study they will perform.

“Then a crowd funding mechanism will be announced, whereby funds can be achieved to pay for the study. Let’s get this done.”

You can read the full response and sign the petition at https://petition.parliament. uk/petitions/227134 You can visit Carl’s website here: http://solentfreedomtunnel. co.uk/

Mitch wild about motocross - p38

10 Current News

Footpath re-opened

Two MPs proposal The Island could have two MPs in the future if recommendations put forward by the Boundary Commission for England are approved.

The report is separate t0 the local government ward boundaries and suggests the Island be split into two constituencies, Isle of Wight

West and Isle of Wight East.

Isle of Wight West would have 43,459 electorates, whereas Isle of Wight East would be made up of 61,989 electorates. There would be an MP in each constituency.

Initial proposals had seen East Cowes and Wootton Bridge in the Isle of Wight West division but both have

now been moved into the Isle of Wight East constituency.

Whippingham and Osborne will also be in Isle of Wight East.

The recommendations are now with the government and must be voted on by the Commons and Lords before a final decision is made.

Missing codes

Mark Dawson and Cllr Ward at the new boardwalk

Island residents have reported missing voucher codes in their latest Red Funnel discount booklets.

A “small batch” of booklets have been sent out with missing codes to residents.

Anyone with missing codes is being urged to contact Red Funnel so they can mail out a

new booklet.

The ferry company has apologised for the error and any inconvenience caused.

A spokesman for Red Funnel said: “We are aware of a printing error with a small batch of the booklets that have been sent to Island households and apologise for

any inconvenience this has caused.

“We ask that any customer who has received a booklet without codes please contact us so that we can mail them a new booklet direct to their home address.”

Red box to rescue A new Isle of Wight Facebook group has been launched to quietly ensure that no Island child misses school, or lessons, because she has her period.

The group, Red Box Project Isle of Wight was set up this month as a small branch of a much larger national campaign. Working as a nationwide community of women, The Red Box Project seeks to provide free sanitary items for the young women in local schools.

The project involves stocking a red box with

sanitary towels, tampons and spare pants. It’s then kept with the school Nurse, at reception or with an appropriate member of staff.

Posters are also available to be placed in the girls’ toilets to encourage any young woman in need of sanitary items to ask for the red box and take what she needs.

Plain bags are included for discretion. This is a very simple, no frills project and is entirely funded by community kindness.

Isle of Wight organiser, Katharine Spencer-Brown

said: “I’m in the process of organising donation points and will be able to confirm the ones we have so far at the beginning of next week. I have had offers from various places in Newport and Ryde, and I’m in the process of sourcing Red Boxes for the donations.”

For more information on the project, and details about where you can drop off sanitary items, please see https://facebook.com/ groups/RBPIsleofWight/

A popular footpath closed following a major landslip is back in use thanks to a new timber boardwalk constructed by Island Roads.

In May this year, a section of riverbank between Island Harbour and Folly Lane, Whippingham collapsed, leading to the closure of the footpath on safety grounds.

In consultation with the Isle of Wight Council Rights of Way Team, Island Roads designed a new timber boardwalk to span the eroded section of riverbank, meaning the footpath could

be reopened for members of the public to enjoy once more.

Because the new structure is supported by deep piles rather than the constantly eroding riverbank, the new boardwalk is designed to withstand future movement and erosion.

Councillor Ian Ward, cabinet member responsible for the Highways PFI, said: “This footpath provides an important link between East Cowes and Newport for both residents and visitors so I am delighted that Island Roads have

designed a new walkway to keep the route accessible for years to come.”

Mark Dawson, Highway Design Engineer at Island Roads, said: “This section of naturally eroding riverbank presented us with a challenge but we were able to develop a scheme that provides a long term solution, meaning that access will be maintained even if there is further riverbank erosion. We are really pleased that the route is open once more and being enjoyed by members of the public.”

East Cowes co-option

East Cowes Town Council will consider the co-option of a person to serve on the council at a meeting to be held on October 15.

Persons wishing to be considered and who are eligible to serve as a Town/ Parish Councillor should notify the Town Clerk in writing, under their own signature by noon on October 5. Prospective candidates will be asked to make a

short presentation to the town council on how they can contribute to the town council and the community of East Cowes.

A local councillor must be 18 years of age or over and a British subject or qualifying Commonwealth citizen, a citizen of the Republic of Ireland or a citizen of another member state of the European community.

The person should not be

disqualified from being elected by reason of any disqualification set out in Section 80 of the Local Government Act 1972, or any decision made under section 79 of the Local Government Act 2000.

More information on eligibility can be found at the council’s website here: www. eastcowestowncouncil. co.uk/

12

Community News

IW Polish Saturday school opens

By Warren Whitmore A Polish Saturday school— named after the Polish destroyer ORP Blyskawica— was officially opened in Whippingham, on the site of the Priory School on Saturday, (September 8).

The Blyskawica (which means lightning in Polish) was built in the J.S. White shipyard in Cowes and played a vital role in the defence of the town when it was attacked by the German Luftwaffe in 1942.

The Polish school will teach Polish language and culture to children mainly of Polish heritage on the Isle of Wight.

Guests present at the meeting included the Polish consul in London, Radek Gromski, the High Sheriff of the Isle of Wight, Mrs Gioia Minghella-Giddens, and the Polish World War II veteran, 96-year-old Major Otton Hulacki.

The headmaster of the Priory School, Mr Edmund Matyjaszek, emphasised that the Polish school demonstrated the survival and endurance of the Polish people against the odds, despite Poland having being invaded and occupied by— among others—the Nazis and the communists, and despite losing six million of its citizens to Nazi aggression.

Mrs Minghella-Giddens—to some amusement of those present—asked whether it

would be possible for adults also to learn Polish (reputed to be one of the world’s most difficult languages).

There are estimated to be something around two thousand Poles living on the Isle of Wight, who are mainly working either in the hotel trade or in horticulture. The

Polish Consul, Mr Radoslaw Gromski, in conversation with the IW Observer, was keen to emphasise the positive.

He said that the story of the Blyskawica, “celebrated a common fight against a common enemy”. He did not feel that Poles had any

Have your say... email newsdesk@iwobserver.co.uk

particular problems that were different from those of anyone else, and that his people could “feel at home on the Island, which was beautiful and not crowded”.

About Brexit, he added: “No-one knows what will happen—time will tell.”

Polish officers from the ORP Blyskawica, the consul (in a suit) and Commander Walter Janosz of ORP Blyskawica

Krzysztof Magier, President of the ORP Blyskawica society

Island residents raise funds for cancer patients’ bus service Residents from four Southern Housing Group sheltered housing schemes on the Isle of Wight raised £1,738 for a much-needed bus service, which is run by the Wessex Cancer Trust.

The service is provided free of charge to Isle of Wight and Channel Islands residents who need treatment for cancer at Southampton General Hospital and Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth, with the service to Portsmouth run solely on donations.

The money was raised by residents and colleagues in June and July, who held afternoon cream teas, cake sales, raffles and a sponsored dress down day.

The money raised by Southern Housing Group staff and residents was presented to representatives from Wessex Cancer Trust on Thursday (September 6).

Lorraine White, community engagement manager at Wessex Cancer Trust, said:

“We are so very grateful to everyone who did their bit to help raise this amazing total for our Portsmouth Daisy Bus. Donations like these really go a long way in helping to secure the future of a service which is so crucial for Island people affected by cancer. Thanks to the generosity of Islanders like you, the bus is now funded well into 2019, so thank you.”

Columbus House resident Hugh Robinson said: “I used this service in 2011 and 2015 and I am currently using them again. They are great; the continuity of drivers and their friendliness is fantastic.

It’s a special service and we are glad they will be able to continue.”

The Wessex Cancer Trust also run a centre in Newport providing a range of support and therapies for people with cancer, all free of charge.

Every penny raised there stays on the island for Island residents.

The Wessex Cancer Trust Daisy bus

Hospice boss to Cyprus Mountbatten CEO Nigel Hartley has accepted an invitation to become an Honorary Advisor to the Archangel Michael Hospice team in Paphos, Cyprus.

The role will include providing advice, guidance and support on management issues and day to day running of the Hospice, as well as supporting the team to continue to grow and to improve its already high standards of care.

Hospice care is a new concept in Cyprus and the team has asked for advice on new and creative ways

to deliver the message of what the concept is to the larger community in general and, especially, the Cypriot community.

Nigel said: “Sharing knowledge and expertise between hospices is fundamental to the hospice movement. I am really delighted to have been asked to share our experiences here on the Isle of Wight with our colleagues in Cyprus and I know that we will benefit just as much from learning about the way they do things.

“I am so proud that the innovations and leadership

of our team on the Isle of Wight is attracting so much attention from other hospices and that our support and advice is valued so highly by other organisations who are keen to learn ‘the Mountbatten way’.

This certainly paves the way for other partnerships where the sharing of learning and expertise can only be of greater benefit to the communities they support and to people facing death, dying and bereavement.”

Mountbatten CEO Nigel Hartley

Archangel Michael Hospice, Paphos, Cyprus

80% say GP ‘good’ More than eight out of every ten patients questioned rated their experience of their GP practice on the Isle of Wight as “good”.

Island GP practices in general received higher approval ratings from patients than the national average in answers to a number of questions.

The findings are contained in the latest GP Patients Survey undertaken by Ipsos/ MORI during January – March 2018.

Nearly 760,000 people were interviewed nationally

– with 1806 responses (47%) to the 3,832 questionnaires sent out in the Island.

Some 84% of respondents rated their overall experience of their GP practice as good – with just 6% saying it was poor; both figures are the same as the national average. (The other 10% of respondents recorded a “neither good nor poor.”)

Most respondents recorded high satisfaction with specific services including the helpfulness of the receptionists, the ease of finding information on their

practice website, the type of appointment they were offered and the appointment time offered to them.

The scores for ease in getting through to the practice on the phone were not as high – with more than one in four patients not finding this easy - but the Island still performed above many other areas in the country, with 72% satisfaction against the 70% average recorded by other clinical commissioning groups (CCGs).

East Cowes Medical Centre

Community News

13

14

Community News

The Brainy Bunch charity

The Wight Brainy Bunch returned to Ryde Castle on Saturday 1st September, for their 3rd annual black-tie ball “A Great Gatsby Gala”, raising in excess of £3000 for the charity.

With Ryde Castle kindly decorated by “Finishing Touches” with all the glitz and glamour of the roaring 20’s, 110 guests enjoyed a champagne reception, two-course meal and were entertained throughout the evening with live music from local bands; The Outfit Duo, Switch and The Mix! The evening was generously sponsored by

Novum Law and Reynolds & Read, ensuring the maximum amount of money was received by the charity.

The Wight Brainy Bunch was founded by Firefighter Mark Grimes and his wife Kathryn following Marks own diagnosis of a brain tumour in 2015. The charity provides emotional support and financial assistance to Isle of Wight families whose lives have been affected by the devastating disease.

The Wight Brainy Bunch also support The Brain Tumour Charity, who fund much needed research to aid early diagnosis and improve

East Cowes marks women’s vote win A Suffragette parade will take place in East Cowes tomorrow (Saturday) to celebrate the 100 years of women having the vote. More than 100 people will take part, led by The East Cowes Women’s Institute members, dressed as suffragettes and paraders in costume of the last 100 years.

The parade will start at 1.0pm, leaving from the Jubilee Playing Fields in York Avenue in East Cowes and weaving its way through the town, ending for an

afternoon of fun in King’s Square next to Waitrose.

Women were given the vote 100 years ago in part by the work of the suffragettes.

After a speaker from the House of Commons attended an East Cowes WI meeting, the members decided that this was too much of an historical event to pass without screaming out loud in remembrance.

The group crafted over 100 wreaths in the suffragettes colours of purple green and white, each dedicated to a

woman that had inspired them. These works of art were displayed by shops in East Cowes.

Wreaths were also made by Whippingham WI and other members of the community, and wreaths made by Rainbows and Brownies were also displayed. The project will end with the celebration parade, and the event will finish with a rendition of the Suffragette March and the singing of Jerusalem.

the care and quality of life for all those living with a brain tumour and Smile4Wessex (The Wessex Neurological Centre) who provide acute specialist care to population of approximately 3 million people from the Isle of Wight and across the South Coast, not only for brain tumours but conditions such as stroke, brain injury, motor neurone disease and epilepsy.

Founder of Smile4Wessex, Neil Westbrook, attended the event and was presented with a cheque for £5000 as a donation from the charity’s fundraising events from the past year.

Red squirrel open day success An Open Day at the Red Squirrel Hub on Ryde High Street attracted visitors from across the Island and holidaymakers from further afield.

The event was kindly supported by Ryde Town

The Red Squirrel Shop on the High Street, Ryde

Council and people reported sightings of red squirrels from locations including Bembridge, Carisbrooke, Shanklin and Yarmouth.

There was one report of a red squirrel that ventured into someone’s house in

Helen Butler (front)

Ventnor while the owner was watching tennis on TV! Chair of the Wight Squirrel Project and IW Red Squirrel Trust, Helen Butler MBE said: “Red squirrels are like people; they all have very different personalities and some are quite curious!”

Helen was presented with flowers in appreciation of her dedicated work over 25 years since Wight Squirrel Project was established.

The Isle of Wight is unusual, having its own red squirrel population unlike the majority of areas on the mainland which have the American greys. The charity relies on funding to continue its invaluable work in conservation, education and raising awareness.

Volunteers are always required to fill a variety of roles from helping in the information hub to giving talks and woodland monitoring.

For further details please contact Caroline Diamond on 01983 718340 or email cdiamondmarketing@gmail. com.

Community News

15

Alex with the staff of Asda, Newport

Asda rewards Alex An 11-year-old boy who spent his own birthday money on donations to a local foodbank has been rewarded by Asda.

Alex King celebrated his birthday on September 1, just two days later he decided to spend some of his birthday cash on food supplies for the Trussell Trust’s Isle of Wight Foodbank.

The random act of kindness

came as his mum, Lucie McMahon was queuing to pay for a few bits at Cowes Aldi when she remembered she had forgotten something and asked son Alex from Cowes to retrieve the items.

Alex, who attends Lane End Primary School, replied: “That’s alright mum, I’ll pay for it, because I want to get some bits for the food bank as well.”

Clare Jones, Asda community champion said: “I’m feeling overwhelmed with the generosity of my fantastic colleagues who all pulled together and gave Alex a treat for his 11th birthday after he spent his money on the foodbank. I heard about the story and knew Asda could do something for him but didn’t realise how much I could collect. I asked

colleagues if they would like to contribute and we raised £85 within five minutes.

“We bought him a big box of batman Lego and also put money on a store card. It was a marvellous thing that Alex did he should be very proud of himself.

Alex was over the moon as it was the Lego he wanted.”

Grandson’s tribute An Isle of Wight man has recently made a trip to Huntingdon to pay his respects to his grandfather, who was killed in a flying accident exactly 100 years ago, one of the first casualties following the formation of the RAF. Ellison Withe, and his wife Edwina, from St Helens, attended a centennial memorial service to honour grandfather 2LT Adam Howie Thompson, who died at 4pm on September 7, 1918, at RAF Upwood in Huntingdonshire.

At the time of the crash, Ellison’s grandmother, who was just 23 was pregnant with his mother. Ellison said: “My grandmother eventually re-married but not for another 39 years. She always used to say that although she was only married to my grandfather for a short period of time, they were the happiest times of her life.”

He continued: “We were invited by the RAF, Royal British Legion and representatives of Upwood Parish Council to attend this event with relations of my grandfather’s co-pilot 2LT AE Parks who was also killed in the same accident. Both men are buried alongside each other at Upwood

Cemetery. The memorial service took place at precisely 4pm – the time of the crash – at the gravesides of both men, exactly one hundred years to the day and time, and a bugler played the Last Post. We were then invited to a civic reception at Upwood Parish Council Community Centre.

“I discovered he was an officer in the Gordon Highlanders who had been gassed in the killing fields of the Somme and sent to Shanes Park near Antrim, Northern Ireland to recover from his war injuries, and it was here he met, fell in love and married my grandmother.

“But as the First World War was still going on, rather than return to the killing fields of Northern France, he volunteered and joined the newly created RAF at the Royal Air Force at Reading Recruitment Depot, Yeomanry House on 30-041918 just four weeks after the RAF had been formed. At the time Reading was where the Number 1 Aeronautical training Centre was for the RAF. Once his training was completed, he was then assigned to 191 Night Bomber Squadron at RAF Upwood.”

AH Thompson’s grave in Upwood Cemetary with the wreath laid by his grandson Ellison Withe

Whats on at the cinema? p23

16

Community News

Wessex Age with Cancer experience

Trust raises £800,000

Lynda Draper and Fiona Grist If asked to describe an entrepreneur, many people will describe a 20-something founder of a high-tech start-up. This stereotype is underpinned by stories behind companies like Facebook and Apple.

However, youth is not the only secret to success and technology is just one industry amongst many. In fact, across the UK a growing number of people over 50 are capitalising on the skills, experience and contacts built up over long careers to start successful businesses. There are many reasons for wanting to become self-employed later in life, including early redundancy, retirement or simply wanting a better quality of life.

Here on the Island the Over 50s Start Me Up project, delivered through the Isle of Wight Chamber of Commerce, has so far helped many people who’ve taken the plunge and become their own boss.

The programme includes a one-day training course covering the basic information needed to start up a business and ongoing one-to-one mentoring from the project’s two experienced business advisors Fiona Grist and Lynda Draper. There are also regular drop-in sessions, giving start-up business owners the opportunity to chat informally, swap

tips and success stories and extend their business network.

“Sometimes people can be lacking in self-confidence because of what has happened to them in the past, perhaps with redundancy or unemployment.” Fiona explains. “Our job is to help and encourage. Self-belief and self-confidence are hugely important and we find that many people don’t properly value the skills they may already have.

For instance, older people often have an in-depth understanding of how to deliver really good customer service. That is a great asset to any new business and we can help people recognise and make the most of such strengths.”

The Start Me Up project will have a stand at the Business Expo 2019 at the Lakeside Hotel, Wootton on Wednesday 19th September.

The event runs from 10am to 5pm and is free to enter.

If you’ve ever dreamed of becoming your own boss why not pop along to find out about some of the businesses Fiona and Lynda have already helped and chat about your own ideas? It may be the first step towards your new career.

The adverts on this page are from companies that have worked with the 50+ project.

Wessex Cancer Trust has published its latest impact report to show how its services supported people living with cancer throughout Hampshire, Wiltshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight during 2017.

In total, the charity raised £800,532, with 60% comprising community fundraising, events and legacies. £320,000 came from trusts and grants, support from businesses and the charity’s shops.

Volunteers gave 48,000 hours of their time befriending and helping in Wessex Cancer Trust’s six support centres, fundraising and providing retail support - the equivalent of over 130 hours a day.

The charity spent 78% of the total raised on cancer support services, 10% on information and awareness, 6% on patient transport and 6% on outreach support.

Highlights for the year included; supporting 11,000 clients, which is just under half of everyone diagnosed with cancer in the Wessex area.

The trust provided over 2,000 hours of counselling

and 3,000 hours of complementary therapies like reiki, aromatherapy and meditation to help people manage the emotional and physical effects of cancer and improve wellbeing.

And they gave away 20,000 passenger journeys to help people living with cancer on the Isle of Wight and Channel Islands travel to essential medical appointments on the mainland.

They ran 32 different support groups, including coffee mornings, book clubs, crafting and walking.

And welcomed over 100 members to its three Sing for Life groups.

Cait Allen, Wessex Cancer Trust’s Chief Executive, said: “By providing services in our local communities we can ensure that anyone affected by cancer has somewhere to go at a time they most need support.

“These services make a huge difference to people’s lives, and we couldn’t do it without the hard work and dedication of our supporters, fundraisers and volunteers.”

To find out more, visit www.wessexcancer.org.uk

OPENING THURSDAY 20TH SEPTEMBER

SEE OUR EXCITING NEW MENU ON P31

New help centre to open A new centre combining information, advice and guidance services will open in Newport later this year.

Help services provided by Citizens Advice and Age UK (Isle of Wight) will move across the road from the current Isle Help centre in Newport into County Hall.

They will combine with the council-run help centre to create a single hub, making people’s engagement with advice services simpler, easier and more streamlined.

The council has pledged £214,000 to the project.

“By welcoming our partner agencies into the new

Isle Help in County Hall, Islanders will be able to meet with a range of experts under one roof,” said Councillor Stuart Hutchinson, cabinet member for resources.

“It will make the whole process simpler and provide a better experience in accessing the appropriate advice from the right agency, in what can sometimes be challenging individual circumstances.

“We’ve asked existing service users what they would like to see and they were overwhelmingly keen that the centre is informative, accessible and

welcoming.

“They would like to access information on a range of topics, including housing, benefits, debt and welfare, and this new centre can provide that.

“This will not only provide a better service but will result in ongoing savings for the council and its partners.”

Work to renovate the ground floor of County Hall, to create a flexible, confidential and fresh environment, is due to start this month.

Paul Savill, chief executive of Citizens Advice Isle of Wight, and Jo Dare, chief

MP Bob Seely County Hall

executive of Age UK Isle - both Isle Help directors - said: “Our charities are excited about being part of the new Isle Help centre.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to provide bright, comfortable and accessible facilities in one place, enabling us to offer the best service possible.

“Each organisation will still be able to provide an impartial, confidential service, but the centre will be a much better place to visit and a much nicer environment for our volunteers and staff.

“Collaborating more closely with the Isle of Wight Council will ensure we improve our collective offer so people will only have to give their information once, enabling us to help more people, more quickly.”

The current County Hall help centre is expected to be closed to the public for around three weeks, while work is carried out to the ground floor of the building.

Alternative arrangements will be in place during this time for visitors to seek advice from the current Isle Help office.

More details will be provided once works are underway.

The new facility is due to open in November 2018.

New Years Honours launched for Ryde

Ryde Town Council

Ryde Town Council are delighted to invite entries for the Ryde New Year’s Honours Awards, which is running for the first time in 2018/19.

The awards are a fantastic opportunity for residents of Ryde to showcase the work of those worthy for a nomination and how they have made a positive difference within the community. These awards provide Ryde Town Council with the chance to recognise the contribution residents and organisations have made to our local area.

We are looking for nominees who meet one or more of the following criteria: The nominee(s) have significantly benefited the community or town and had a highly positive effect on a member(s) of the community’s life. Or they have contributed, created or achieved a remarkable project or event.

They have demonstrated

innovation and entrepreneurship.

They have been an example of sustained and selfless voluntary service.

They haveserved for a service which benefits/ benefited our community.

And have done any other significant actions worthy of recognition.

To make a nomination, please download the form by visiting www. rydetowncouncil.gov.uk or follow links from our Facebook and Twitter pages @RydeTownCouncil.

Alternatively, you can visit our Lind Street Office and retrieve a form from there.

Nominations must be made confidentially.

Groups and individuals can be nominated. Terms and conditions apply, please see the nomination form for further information.

All nominations must be completed and returned by 2pm on Friday November 9.

Community News

17

Island Soapbox Ferry important

By Andrew Palmer

Since 1998 peak ferry prices on the Portsmouth - Fishbourne route have increased nearly 7 times the rate of inflation as measured by the RPI - 10 times if you use the Consumer Price Index.

It was great to see that Bob Seeley is encouraging public intervention in the sale/operation of the ferry services. The news today, that the Department of Transport says that there is no evidence of market failures is completely at odds with the findings of the Office of Fair Trading in 2009. Heavy lobbying by the banks and investors who own the ferry companies, no doubt.

In 2007/08 I worked with a small group to support the then MP, Andrew Turner to refer the crossSolent ferries to the OFT. In their 2009 report they recognised that there were issues with the market, but the OFT decided to take no action. The OFT said they would keep a watching brief. One of the reasons for no action, was the lack of support from the leadership of the then Conservative Council or the Chamber of Commerce on this critical issue for the Island economy and the wellbeing of all islanders. Island residents and businesses were poorly served by those leaders.

Since that report, Wightlink has reduced the number of

sailings on the PortsmouthFishbourne route between 8.00pm and midnight on a Friday from four to one. This 75% cut in the key services that link families, friends and visitors who work in the London conurbation to the Island affects all residents and all tourism businesses relying on the short-break market.

High prices are justified on the grounds that the ferry companies ran regular lifeline round the clock services to meet the requirements of businesses and residents.

This was one of the key representations made to the Council and the Office of Fair Trading. It is no longer the case and the new investment in larger ferries will mean further cuts in services, and probably higher prices. A further investigation by the Competition Authorities is therefore essential and in the light of the Department of Transport’s inadequate response I trust Bob Seely will be supporting that.

The new algorithms used by the ferry companies discriminate between different parts of the community and we have no idea what the prices are likely to be. If we check with the other company the prices may have changed when we return to the website. How many Islanders know that weekend visitors are often asked for £230 per return journey? The Department of

Transport’s claim today that “we are offered a range of prices” may be true, but if a market is to be fair we must all know what they are.

Those who have invested in businesses and weekend retreats on the Island on the assurance from the ferry companies and their Directors that they would continue to provide the services required by their businesses should feel aggrieved at the predatory and discriminatory pricing as well as the lack of services. If Wightlink told the OFT that they were going to cut the Friday night service by 75% I doubt the outcome would have been the same. Nor I suspect would we have made some of the investments we have. If on the other hand they told the OFT that they provided frequent and regular sailings that met the requirements of businesses and residents for the foreseeable future then we were all misled.

Greater Manchester Council now owns Red Funnel. Surely, the council with the right financial and management support could consider the purchase of Wightlink and ensure that the Island gets a proper service. If excess profits are to be made lets at least keep them on the Island.

Keep going Bob and Sarah, the Island needs you.

Send your letters into us at newsdesk@iwobserver.co.uk or post them to IW Observer, Suite 6, 17 St Thomas Square, Newport, IW, PO30 1SL

Pie in the sky

By Neil Blues

How many of you have read the Isle of Wight Regeneration Strategy, all 72 pages of it? It’s full of many good ideas but to my mind lacks the wherewithal to achieve its aims of prosperity for the Island.

I decided to attend the meeting at the Ryde Castle Hotel last week to find out more. There were plenty of glossy brochures available and members of the public and council staff to talk with.

I started with a couple who had moved down from London to have a safe retirement, their biggest concern was the NHS on the Island and the fact that a treatment the husband needed was no longer available here as it had been outsourced. They now have to pay to go to Southampton or Portsmouth hospitals or pay privately here on the Island, something which they can ill afford.I moved around and overheard a council employee explaining about how close the Nicholson Road estate was to cross Solent transport and that it was a good site for development.

I asked him what was the Rough Order of Magnitude Budget for the Island; his response was about £300 million. I asked how are you going to fund it? The response was that it would be achieved by private investment by companies coming to be here.

I then asked what is the greatest dissentive for companies to manufacture here? I gained no response so I told him, it’s the exorbitant cross Solent transportation costs of getting for materials, finished goods and people on and off the Island. It’s one of the reasons why the Plessey/BAE Systems site has shrunk from 1585 staff down to mid-200s and no longer manufactures on the Island; it’s something that can be seen in other island companies who used to manufacture here.

My parting comment was that the IWC needs to have a serious rethink about its strategy especially resolving the cross Solent transport problem. On my way out I overheard heard comments from the people who had overheard the conversation –

quote “he’s right”.

I have to ask how many of the council staff had careers in private industry where they had to make a profit to survive.

I honestly believe that the IWC does not understand what infrastructure business needs in order to locate here on the Island. Those of a highly educated, skilled and motivated workforce which can only be achieved long term by bringing highly qualified and skilled professionals in medical, teaching, engineering and business development to name but a few, in order to provide the necessary support, training, education and motivation for our children.

You might ask what is preventing this – the answer is surprisingly simple. It is the lack of 24/7/365 allweather transportation on/ off the Island. No one wants to be caught in a future limiting island career because of that and the exorbitant fare structures dictated by the ferry companies.

‘Move to the mainland’

By Mike Gaukroger

A recent article in the Soapbox concluded that the solution to problems of ferry travel to and from the island is a fixed link.

The serious traffic congestion in Cornwall this year during hot weather, particularly towards the Lizard and Kynance Cove, provides a strong indication of what would happen on the Isle of Wight if a fixed link were ever built. Thousands of visitors from the mainland would pour onto the island’s road network, determined to drive their vehicles as close as possible to local attractions.

Between Bournemouth and Brighton, as towns have expanded, coastal road

systems have been developed and roads have been widened in an effort to cope with huge volumes of traffic heading to and from resorts. Large areas of land have been allocated to car parking.

Here on the Isle of Wight, our roads couldn’t possibly cope with the sudden, huge influx of vehicles taking advantage of a fixed link - there are a limited number of places to park and in some cases little or no scope for building large car parks near resorts. Can you imagine the gridlock at the island end of the bridge, on roads approaching Steephill Cove, Ventnor and on the already extremely busy road between Shanklin and Brading during the

summer months?

A significant advantage of having no fixed link is that few people will drive to the Isle of Wight on a whim.

Ferry travel is too expensive for anything other than a worthwhile visit.

Those splashing out on a day return ticket are unlikely to do so very frequently. Not only does a ferry journey add huge cost to a day out but it also adds about three hours to it. In my opinion, those island residents who object strongly to paying high ferry prices and experiencing the delays imposed by ferry travel should move to the mainland, rather than whinging about it and/or campaigning for a fixed link.

NHS frustration

By Hans Bromwich

It must be deeply frustrating for both surgical teams and patients when preplanned operations are cancelled at very short notice for ‘non medical’ reasons, such as the want of a hospital bed, or appropriate gender specific post operative recovery environment.

This can not be in the interests of achieving efficiencies and savings, since you end up with highly trained healthcare

professionals twiddling their thumbs unable to deliver their specialism with then all the additional expense and repercussions associated with having to reschedule these very costly preplanned operation appointments.

Additionally, many medical conditions left untreated are likely to deteriorate and become progressively more serious, possibly requiring lengthier recovery time when eventually addressed.

Healthcare delayed is healthcare denied.

Are taxpayers funding a NHS that, whilst ‘free at the point of delivery’, is increasingly unavailable in a timely fashion as a result of continuous Ministerial indifference to patient suffering? Is this an acceptable model for a government with ultimate responsibility for overseeing the nation’s healthcare provision?

A view from the Needles

By Ivor Perch

Send your letters into us at newsdesk@iwobserver.co.uk or post them to IW Observer, Suite 6, 17 St Thomas Square, Newport, IW, PO30 1SL

Commuter councillor Seeking art for boat ride Residents in Whippingham and Osborne Ward are wondering how long one of their elected representatives, the hyphenated Julia BakerSmith, can continue to represent them on the Island’s council from, er, Manchester?

Ms Baker-Smith, you will recall, was elected to sit as an Independent. But the call of Jeremy Corbyn’s leftwing socialism looks to have proved such a force for good that Julia jumped ship and joined the people’s party and now sits on the Labour benches in Newport.

But earlier this year Ms Baker-Smith shifted off the Island and has settled in the swinging northern powerhouse city of Manchester 250 plus miles from her current political base. It’s not exactly an easy drive for the long distance councillor.

Let’s hope “yooof” being on her side the journey to and fro isn’t too exhausting and she still has a sharp eye and can keep focused on the major topics in the council chamber.

Extortionate Ferry fares perhaps?

Freddy Cooke as Mini Peppi

Kudos to Freddy What an inspiration sixyear-old Freddy Cooke of East Cowes should be to the younger generation of Islanders. Freddy likes to dress up in what some might think as “funny clothes”.

But for Freddy his dream was to become part of Jay Miller’s Circus showbiz extravaganza when it came to town - and he achieved it...getting to open the last day’s performance with his idol Peppi the Clown.

With such ambition at such a young age the future already looks bright for Freddy.

Just shows how some young people are determined to be different and stand out from the crowd. His mum Nicky is to be congratulated for encouraging Freddy. But I expect she doesn’t want him to dream of running away with the circus - at least not yet. Full marks to those in Jay Miller’s popular circus who gave Freddy his big break.

Cllr Julia Baker-Smith

Are Cowes Harbour Commissioners being a bit stingy?

They want to have an “iconic” piece of “art, or sculpture or installation, or something” on the breakwater that will be like a beacon for mariners and the like that will let them know they have “arrived” in classy Cowes.

A great idea. Well, anything is better than looking at a pile of stones! Perhaps whatever is eventually chosen by among others greenfingered Yorkshireman Alan Titchmarsh (hopefully not a

gateway garden! Remember the costly Garden Bridge proposed by ex London Mayor, Bonking Boris!) will become as famous as the bronze Little Mermaid at the entrance to Copenhagen, or even the Statue of Liberty signalling your arrival in New York.

But is really the reward of a trip on a boat around Cowes Harbour enough of an incentive to kick start the gray matter of our young and get them in to top gear? I hope it isn’t in a solo trip in a rowing boat!

Alan Titchmarsh

They think it’s all over...

So it’s all over....the Tory government won’t listen to Islanders’ pleas for action to tackle obscene ferry fares.

But it comes as no surprise.

When you have councillors failing to even sign a petition to get Whitehall’s attention what else did you expect.

Talk about Swimming against the tide of public opinion!

Take the stance of deputy Tory leader of the Island’s council, Stuart Hutchinson, when it comes one of the hottest topics doing the rounds - the price of getting across the water to and from the North Island (mainland to newbies)?

To openly dismiss the

clamour for change and claim that the issue of high ferry fares has been discussed to exhaustion is, frankly, treating Islanders, and visitors, with contempt.

Even given the government has now punched Islanders in the face and hit their pockets with its decision it’s an issue surely still worth fighting for. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try and try again!

What would life be like if the ruling classes had got their way and we still sent boys up chimneys? Here in Newport there is a poignant reminder of cruelty towards a child chimney sweep.

The Chimney Sweepers and Chimneys Regulation Act 1840 - a British Act of Parliament passed to try to stop child labour. Many boys as young as six were being used as chimney sweeps.

One such chimney sweep was Newport’s Valentine Grey, a 10-year-old, who was murdered by his master Benjamin Davis, because he hadn’t cleaned a chimney.

The Chimney Sweepers and Chimneys Regulation Act 1840 - a British Act of Parliament passed to try to stop child labour. Or William Wilberforce had not had the guts and determination to get slavery abolished...

remember against the wishes of the landed gentry some of whom were making fortunes out of this human misery? Or if the Suffragettes had not had the guts to get things changed and enhance the lot of the women folk?

If the Tories on IoW Council think with the latest government pronouncement on the ferry fares issue will suddenly go to Davy Jones’ Locker they may be very disappointed. For Islanders are made of sterner stuff and one more knock will just make us more determined than ever!

20 Entertainment

Mountbatten Osborne Run

Fiona Thorpe with guests at Oktoberfest 2017.

It turned out to be an incredible day for Mountbatten at the Osborne Run last weekend!

Mountbatten have sent out a huge thank you to everyone, those who took part and got involved, all those who helped organise the and volunteered, through to everyone who turned up

to show support and take part as well as all those who went along and cheered on the runners.

They also highlighted the fact that without support for events like this, that they wouldn’t be able to raise the £7m a year that it takes to run and continue their vital services.

The day itself raised £9,000 , but they expect this amount to increase as all the participants start to send in their sponsorship money.

All of the money raised goes to supporting Mountbatten and the services which they offer to Islanders and their familes.

Oktoberfest heads to Bembridge Taking it’s inspiration from the very heart and tradition of German beer festivals (another tradition is to hold Oktoberfest in September!)

– but adding a distinctive Island flavour is Oktoberfest in Bembridge Harbour which will feature a host of locally produced and sourced beers, ales and food.

There’ll be a BBQ with Bratwurst Sausages made

especially for the event by Woodfords Butchers and The Water Horse Box Bar will be sure to offer visitors Island made beers, ales and spirits as well as soft drinks.

With live music in the evenings from bands such as the Jukebox Jazz Trio and All Washed Up, it’s set to be a weekend which is noisy, lively and most of all fun!

There’s also the added

bonus that Oktoberfest is set alongside the Bembridge Harbour Food Festival weekend and Isle of Wight Day, so there is sure to be something for everyone throughout the weekend.

Be sure to visit bembridgeharbour.co.uk for all the information and to find out more about what’s on across the weekend!

Runners warmng up for the run

Calling all punks! Best of Bowie

Medina Theatre, Fairlee Road, Newport, PO30 2EW | T: 01983 823884 | medinatheatre.co.uk

Everyone knows a punk, Doc Marten boots, daft haircuts and serious attitudes!

Maybe you’re a punk, maybe you’ve got a big daft collection of all things punk, including photos from your hey-day, maybe you’re still in your hey-day and eager to share your love for the scene.

Good news; Quay Arts are hosting an exhibition of Punk(ish) art this winter in the West Gallery and are looking for punks past and present to get involved.

If you have posters, pins, photos, artefacts or anything related to punk on the Island and it’s legacy that you would like to loan as part of our punk exhibition, then get in touch!

The exhibition will run from Saturday, December 1st to Saturday, February 9th, with the Exhibition install from Wednesday, November 28th to Friday, November 30th. All works would need to be available for the duration and will be covered under Quay Arts insurance policy.

For more info: g.newman@quayarts.org

Serious Moonlight - David Live The Best of Bowie Friday, 5 October - 20.00 A Sincere and respectful dedication to David Bowie.

With the band having had the present line-up for 10 years, David Live is an honest and insightful musical tribute which looks back over Bowie’s incredible musical legacy.

David Bowie, who died aged just 69 on 10th January 2016, had an immeasurable impact on music and popular culture and this show presents a sincere token of remembrance as frontman Charlie and his band of dedicated aficionados lovingly recreate a selection of Bowie favourites from throughout the years. Their

attention to detail, both musically and visually, is impeccable.

‘The Best of Bowie’ is all about love and respect for the man Rolling Stone Magazine called “the greatest rock star ever”.

See Medina Theatre’s website for ticket info.

Entertainment 21

Earl Slick

Lucy plays

By Anna Mustchin

The Isle of Wight was treated to a visit from America on September 7, by the legendary rock guitarist, Earl Slick, at Quay Arts Centre. Earl last visited the Island in 2004 when he played with David Bowie at the Isle of Wight Festival. He recounted this event with great fondness, commenting on watching the sun go down over the audience and the amazing atmosphere. He talked with candid honesty and a calm and cool demeanor befitting a musician who’s worked in the business over five decades. He also had his Gibson Firebird guitar on stage delighting us with some of his most famous riffs, including the David Bowie track ‘Stay’

which generated a round of applause. His stories were interesting and varied, talking about working with David Bowie and John Lennon in particular, and his failed job as a timeshare salesman in Lake Tahoe!

The audience (including a lot of Island musicians) grilled him with questions for nearly an hour afterwards and Earl wandered around the theatre addressing each question with great thought.

The evening culminated in a meet and greet, with Earl signing copies of a David Bowie booklet ‘Soul Love’ for which he wrote the foreword and having photos taken with a very happy crowd. What a gent, what a legend.

Art from above

Dimbola Museum and Galleries, Freshwater Bay, will host the first major retrospective exhibition of the work of pioneering aerial photographer Captain Alfred G Buckham, aka The Sky Traveller.

Creating spectacular images in the face of technical and physical adversity the madcap daredevil Captain Alfred G Buckham, who lives from 1879 to 1956, was the foremost aerial photographer of his day.

Between 1908 to the early 1930s Buckham risked life and limb to create aerial portraits that are aweinspiring, poetic and works of technical brilliance. His 1923 photograph of London, The Heart of Empire, was voted by The Sunday Times as one of the world’s greatest photographs and more recently it was included in The Royal Photographic Society exhibition and book, Drawn

by Light, highlighting the world’s most important photographers.

The Sky Traveller Exhibition will take place at Dimbola from October 6th to December 16 th.

Brian Hinton, Chairman of Julia Margaret Cameron Trust, said: “Alfred Buckham was courageous, almost recklessly so, insecurely squeezed with his large plate camera into a flimsy aircraft taking photographs nobody before had even dared.

“What he captured was a new world, its atmospherics; lost temples in the jungle, cities framed from the air, the wrecks of war, at considerable personal risk.

The last crash he endured left him virtually speechless.

But his glistening images are things of rare beauty, and Dimbola is proud to be allowed to host the first proper retrospective, and acknowledge Buckham’s genius.”

Free offshore banking film screening A free screening of the award-winning documentary film ‘The Spider’s Web’ with talk by producer John Christensen will take place at Newport Riverside Centre from 8pm on October 8.

The Spider’s Web: Britain’s Second Empire is a documentary film that shows how after World War II Britain transformed from a colonial power into a global financial power. At the demise of empire, the City of London’s financial interests created a web of offshore secrecy and jurisdictions that captured wealth from across the globe

and hid it behind obscure financial structures on offshore islands.

Today, up to half of all global offshore wealth may be hidden in British jurisdictions which together with Britain form the largest global players in the world of international finance.

How did this come about, and what impact does it have on the world today?

This is what the Spider’s Web sets out to investigate.

With contributions from leading experts, academics, former insiders and campaigners for social justice, the use of stylized b-roll and archive

footage, the Spider’s Web reveals how in the world of international finance, corruption and secrecy have prevailed over regulation and transparency - and how the UK is right at the heart of this.

Clement Atlee, the post-war Prime Minister remarked: “Over and over again, we have seen that there is a power in this country, other than that which has its seat at Westminster. The City of London, a convenient term for a collection of financial interests is able to assert itself against the government of the country.

Those who control money, are able to pursue a policy, at home, and abroad, contrary to that which is decided by the people.”

After training as a forensic investigator, John Christensen made tax havens the focus of his research. He worked as an undercover insider for thirteen years, before helping to set up the Tax Justice Network and coproducing this film with director Michael Oswald.The free screening welcomes and cost covering contribution.

Highly accomplished pianist Lucy Parham and renowned actor Simon Russell Beale CBE will be on stage together at Shanklin Theatre later this month to perform ‘Reverie’, highlighting the life and loves of French composer Claude Debussy.

It will be the first time Lucy, a former BBC TV Young Musician of the Year, has appeared on the Isle of Wight, although she did reveal that she came here twice on holiday as a schoolgirl, and is relishing the opportunity to play at Shanklin Theatre.

She said: “Both Simon and I are really looking forward to it. I have never seen Shanklin Theatre, but I have been told by a lot of people what a beautiful theatre it is, as well as being an integral part of the Island.”

She added: “Simon and I will be telling the story of

21

the very complex love life of Claude Debussy, which I have scripted. Debussy had a lot of relationships, most of them illicit, in his life. Simon is the voice of Debussy, and the script is all in the first person, with most of the revelations coming from Debussy’s letters and diaries, right back from childhood, so it is not made up.

“Simon sits in an armchair on stage, and talks to the audience as if he is Debussy.

Between the readings, I play some of his most loved and famous piano pieces, including Clair de Lune, The Girl with The Flaxen Hair and Reverie. But no piece is more than five minutes. So it’s not theatre, nor a recital.

I call it a composer portrait.”

The one-off performance takes place at Shanklin Theatre on Sunday, September 23rd.

Wight collar boxing match A Church Minister, a builder, a demolition worker and a pharmacy assistant will be among a group of people trying to beat each other into submission at Cowes Yacht Haven on Saturday, September 22nd.

But do not despair - they are all volunteers, and it’s in aid of a very good Island cause.

A White Collar Boxing Evening is taking place to raise funds for Wight DASH, formerly the Isle of Wight Women’s Refuge, which supports women, men and children who are experiencing domestic violence.

The evening is being presented by Jay Morris Assassin Events in conjunction with Lisa Noble Aesthetics, and will feature 10 bouts, including a couple of ‘title fights’. Some of the bouts will be two rounds of two minutes, and others three rounds of three minues.

The show gets underway at

6.30pm, and should finish around 10.30pm, although the bar will be open for the ‘after-fight party’ until midnight.

There will also be a charity auction and a raffle, and although tickets are selling fast, there are still some available. They are priced at £35 for a VIP ticket, which includes a glass of prosecco and canapes upon arrival, or £25 for a standard ticket.

Tickets are available from the Assassin Boxing and Performance Centre, 58 Dodnor Lane, Newport, from Redhouse Spa, 97 High Street, Newport or through the Jay Morris Person Training facebook page.

So get yourself glammed up for a fantastic night of boxing, for such a very worthy cause. Wight DASH helps domsetic abuse victims through a wide range of services, including refuge, community outreach programmes, advocacy, the Freedom Programme and Recovery Toolkit.

22 Entertainment

Spot the differences Can you find all eight differences between the pictures of Eklectica?

Your weekly horoscope with Russell Grant ARIES (March 21st - April 20th) A friend will approach you to arrange a special event at short notice. This is a challenge you can handle very easily which is why they have chosen you. No one is ever disappointed when you take charge. Everyone will welcome your leadership ability. A close relationship will allow you to express your natural creativity. The occasional peck on the cheek has never been enough for you to express your warmth and affection.

Sprinkle the week with generous gestures and thoughtful deeds.

TAURUS (April 21st - May 21st) Work and other commitments are heavy.

Your partner or someone close feels neglected and left out. You need to reduce your commitments. A romantic holiday might benefit a relationship that has become just a little tired and uninspiring.

You need more variety in your life now.

Any form of group venture where you can meet up with like-minded people would be perfect. An opportunity to visit places you’ve not been to before could come your way through such activities.

GEMINI (May 22nd - June 21st) The message in the stars is to trust your own judgement in business, financial and other important matters.

This means that you shouldn’t feel obliged to heed the advice coming from colleagues and friends who think they know you better than you. An urge to improve your lifestyle will encourage you to make some changes. You won’t expect wonders and

you are prepared to research all angles before attempting to put theory into practice. You will pride yourself on making good decisions.

CANCER (June 22nd - July 23rd) A joint effort will go reasonably well providing your partner allows you to get on with some of your ideas without interference. There will be times when you will be ready to compromise but you also need to experiment when the fancy takes you. Conversations may take a strange direction when you will be asked for your views on art, music, religion or philosophy. This may inspire you to reach out to someone in your social network even though you haven’t seen them for years.

LEO (July 24th - August 23rd) Taking a creative risk will impress your boss or someone who matters. Experimenting with new work methods will not only be fun but this will help you grow and flourish. You will be offered a new role or position in which you can call the shots. Focusing on your professional and personal goals to the exclusion of all else could cause problems in a close relationship. Your partner needs a role to play in your social life and you both need to do more things together.

VIRGO (August September 23rd)

24th

-

You’re extremely talented and you might jump at an offer to take part in a new group activity. This is your chance to broaden your horizons.

People you meet will introduce you to new opportunities. The more flexible you are, the more popular you will be. A neighbour will loan you some equipment which makes a job you are doing much easier.

They may ask you for a favour in return but you know from experience that this is a person who never gives something for nothing.

LIBRA (September 24th October 23rd) Something has motivated you to make some changes in your life. Before doing anything drastic, talk this over with a close friend or partner. You may feel ready to expand your experiences but this is not such a good time for someone who wants to preserve the status quo.

Joining a club or sports team will lift your spirits. Whether you are a player or a spectator you will get a a surprising amount of pleasure out of enjoyable local neighbourhood activities.

SCORPIO (October 24th November 22nd) Your charm and creativity combines with originality to make this a time to remember for you and all concerned. You’re ready to do anything that will spice up your life. Exchanging ideas with a quick, witty and smart friend will give you lots to think about. A close encounter of the romantic kind will fire your creativity. Your world takes on a rosy hue as romantic developments captivate your imagination. Friendships are warm and your social life positively sparkles.

SAGITTARIUS

(November

23rd

-

December 21st) There’s some slight confusion regarding a team effort or work assignment. This might escalate unless you make an effort to get to the bottom of the problem. Your best hope lies in retracing your steps to work out how and where it all went wrong. Getting involved in an outreach project will be more pleasurable than you thought. Forming a neighbourhood watch scheme, sports club or youth club are great ways to bring neighbours together to create an active, lively community.

CAPRICORN (December 22nd - January 20th) You might step forward to clear things up when things go wrong.

Someone will resent your interference but don’t for one minute think you are wasting your time. Once the air is cleared you will be free to make a daring decision. If you are single a passion packed encounter could give you the chance to explore your romantic fantasies. A new relationship will add a touch of spice to your life but once the initial excitement is over, be willing to take things slowly.

AQUARIUS (January 21st February 19th) People around you are extremely persuasive. Someone will try to abuse their power if you disagree with them. Don’t let anyone bully you into falling in with their ideas. Stand your ground as you will know instinctively how to make the best moves. Long distance travel or connections with people from overseas will be a strong feature of your life now and although communications will

be largely favourable, there is a warning of a potential mix up in information.

PISCES (February 20th March 20th) Schedule a massage, take a day off or spend time on a favourite hobby. You will feel energised and refreshed after a short spell on your own. You need a break from routine and whatever you choose to do it should be different to the usual way you spend your days. Strong rapport with your partner or best friend makes it unnecessary to question their ideas and decisions. You already know why they are making certain choices and they have your full support.

Entertainment 23

What’s On at the cinema 23

Operation Finale | 14th September Predator | 14th September From the outer reaches of space to the small-town streets of suburbia, the hunt comes home in Shane Black’s explosive reinvention of the Predator series. Now, the universe’s most lethal hunters are stronger, smarter and deadlier than ever before,

SuperFly | 14th September having genetically upgraded themselves with DNA from other species. When a young boy accidentally triggers their return to Earth, only a ragtag crew of ex-soldiers and a disgruntled science teacher can prevent the end of the human race.

Cocaine kingpin Youngblood Priest realizes that it’s time to get out of the game after surviving a violent attack from a crazed rival.

Hoping for one last score, Priest and his partner travel

to Mexico to arrange a deal.

The career criminal now finds himself trying to out manoeuvre the cartel, two corrupt police officers and all the double-crossers that threaten his path to freedom.

Fifteen years after the end of World War II, a team of topsecret Israeli agents travel to Argentina to track down Adolf Eichmann, the Nazi officer who masterminded the transportation logistics that brought millions of innocent Jews to their deaths

in concentration camps.

Hoping to sneak him out of the country to stand trial, agent Peter Malkin soon finds himself playing a deadly game of cat and mouse with the notorious war criminal.

Commodore

2 Star Street, Ryde, PO33 2HX | Telephone: 01983 564064 1st 2nd 3rd Hurricane Friday 15.15 20.05 Sat & Sun 12.45 20.05 Monday 20.05 Tues-Thurs 15.15 20.05 The Children Act Fri - Wed 20.05 The Nun Friday 15.00 17.30 20.05 Sat & Sun 17.30 20.05 Monday 17.30 20.05 Tues - Thur 15.00 17.30 20.05 Christopher Robin Friday 17.40 Saturday 12.30 17.30 20.05 Mon - Thurs 17.40 Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again Friday 14.45 17.25 Sat & Sun 14.45 17.25 Monday 17.25 Tues - Weds 14.45 17.25

Crazy Rich Asians | 14th September Rachel Chu is happy to accompany her long time boyfriend, Nick, to his best friend’s wedding in Singapore.

She’s also surprised to learn that Nick’s family is extremely wealthy and he’s considered one of the

country’s most eligible bachelors.

Thrust into the spotlight, Rachel must now contend with jealous socialites, quirky relatives and something far, far worse - Nick’s disapproving mother.

Superfly | 14th September While looking for work in America, a British martial arts expert lands a job working for the mob as a

debt collector. But when a job turns bad, he is forced to fight his way out of trouble.

The Predator Thurs 14.45 17.15 20.05

24 Entertainment

Fun for all at Eklectica 2018

Some of the UK’s best known acts appeared at Robin Hill last weekend for Eklectica’s second year.

Among those performing were Pixie Lott, The Hoosiers and The Fratellis.

The festival was blessed by great weather as the

Island managed to avoid the wind and rain that had been predicted and so party goers could enjoy the full potential of the boutique event.

There were a number of vastly different stages and the whole event catered to almost every musical taste with DJ Sets from people like Reggie Yates.

Would you like us to cover your event?

Please call 01983 216111 (Option 3)

Entertainment 25 25

26 Entertainment

Nunwell house opens for the Rainbow Trust

An evening at Nunwell House and Gardens, Brading, featuring a one-man performance by Charles Dickens’s great-greatgrandson will take place on Saturday (September 15).

This exclusive event, between 6pm and 9pm, is being held to raise funds for Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity, which supports families caring for a seriously ill child, and Brading Community Partnership, with all proceeds going directly to supporting families and youths on the Isle of Wight.

Actor and producer Gerald Dickens will deliver an exclusive performance of Doctor Marigold, with drinks and canapés served before and after the performance at this beautiful, historic house with music by local harpist Theresa Ellis.

The event is sponsored

by NFU Mutual, Classic Cottages, Glanvilles Damant Legal Services and Hose

Rhodes Dickson.

Rainbow Trust enables families who have a child with a life threatening illness to make the most of their time together. The charity pairs each family with an expert Family Support Worker who helps them at home, in hospital and in the community, for as long as it is needed.

Brading Youth Club has provided one of the best youth services on the Island for more than 60 years.

When local government funding came to an end Brading Community Partnership (BCP) was created to continue the provision of this professional service, offering youths opportunities five nights a week, including the Duke of Edinburgh awards scheme.

BCP aims to tackle the effects of deprivation and rural isolation through the provision of educational and leisure activities by creating a community centre

available to all, which needs management and ongoing maintenance.

As well as raising vital funds to support families and youths on the Isle of Wight, the event will help raise much-needed awareness of Rainbow Trust and Brading Community Partnership’s work on the Island. Oonagh Goodman, director of fundraising and marketing at Rainbow Trust, said: “We are very excited to be holding such a fantastic event to help us fund our vital support to families with a seriously ill child. It’s going to be a fantastic evening.

Money raised from the event will enable families with a seriously ill child to make the most of the precious time they have together.”

Entrance is via prepurchased tickets only, which cost £30 and are available online at: www. rainbowtrust.org.uk/ nunwellhouse

More talent than a talent show The popular Quay Arts Folk Club hosts a night centred on virtuoso instrumental music on Sunday (September 23).

This club describes itself as offering the best in folk music on the Island. With two impressive guest spots, the evening promises to be a real treat.

Guests Millicent’s Favourite play their music on mandolin, double bass, guitars, recorders and shruti box.

They blend these instruments with percussion from bodhran and dancing clogs to bring a range of original and traditional melodies to energetic life.

Dave Godby is a wellknown face on the Island music scene with interests in Americana, jazz and dance music. He has a large collection of mainly stringed instruments to choose from, many made or renovated by himself. Expect some interesting sounds and good tunes.

The event is a great opportunity to network with likeminded folk music lovers from around the Island, all skill and interest levels are welcome to attend.

Quay Arts Folk Club is held monthly in the Arts Centre bar and is free to enter. The evening starts at 7.30pm.

Luke’s live and local

By Luke Joynes

Starting this column on an unusually sad note, festival season has finally come to an end, courtesy of the reinvigorated Eklectica Festival. Although there’s always something sad about the last festival of the year, Eklectica has paved the way for a promising future, with growing ticket sales this year after hosting a number of national talents.

Strangely enough though, I’d like to see less Island talent on show next year.

Other than the main headliners, it seemed there were hardly any other acts from across the Solent. Of course, I’m all for supporting local talent, but for me, festivals are largely about seeing acts you wouldn’t normally see down your local pub. In fact, I thought one

of their best bookings was surprisingly Eliza and the Bear, who stepped in at the last minute after Noisettes cancelled due to illness. Just five bands were advertised to be performing on the festival’s main stage with students from Platform One College of Music occupying the first few hours of each day. Why can’t they be hitting closer to ten acts on the main stage each day like the Isle of Wight Festival?

On a lighter note, the end of the festival season does mean we can crack on and look towards the exciting autumn programmes the Island’s music spots have to offer. The Quay Arts Centre open their account on Friday (September 14) with top guitarist Nate Najar. The American-based producer

plays the classical guitar in the jazz tradition, using a mesmerising fingerstyle technique. I can’t begin to imagine how much the intimacy of the Quay Arts will enhance his show.

Another popular music spot gearing up for a busy end of year is The Anchor in Cowes.

Saturday (September 15) sees popular Island blues supremo Damien Paul take to the stage. In fact, you can just about catch a top band at The Anchor every Friday and Saturday night, as well as a wide selection of real ales, cider and beer - what’s not to like?

This weekend sees Strings Bar and Venue in Newport supporting national event Musicians Against Homelessness, with two days of great live, local

Nate Najar music. My top picks across the line-up this Saturday and Sunday (15/16) are the Wolf Alice-inspired JEPH, Mexican-infused Vote Pedro and singer-songwriter Lewis Shepperd. Day tickets are

just £5, with all proceeds going to the Isle of Wight Bus Shelter.

It’s always worth keeping an eye on music-related Facebook pages and groups to keep up-to-date with

the Isle of Wight’s musical offerings. A lot of gigs are now entirely promoted on social media these days, so it may be worth joining them for this reason alone.

Entertainment 27

Puzzles

27

Last weeks answers on our website iwobserver.co.uk

Pathfinder

Sudoku

Beginning with the highlighted square, follow a continuous path to find the words relating to winter clothing. The trail passes through each and every letter once and may twist up, down or sideways but never diagonally.

P O T Y

L O W K C A M

C O A T

L O H

I

E R A

Fill in the grid in such a way that every row and column and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1-9.

EASY

MEDIUM

5

E S T S C A S N P P K V T H G F R O T M A R

ANORAK

MACKINTOSH

CLOAK

PARKA

EARMUFFS

SCARF

S H R M E A E T K E M

FLEECE

SLIPPERS

GALOSHES

THERMALS

O G O A T

GILET

TOPCOAT

GOGGLES

VEST

JACKET

WELLINGTONS

G E S C E S T R S W E

JUMPER

WOOLLY

K A O L

S E E

I

L C K

J U A R

J O R A F U

L G G L S A N P P F S A L E C E N O E L

I

F G N

I

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LOVE Sudoku?

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1 5 7 5 6 9 7 6 9 1 5 2 2 7 3 4 6 7 4 1 5 6 8

Futoshiki Each line across and down is to be filled with the numbers 1 to 5. The same number cannot occur more than once in any line.

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For Killer Sudoku, the normal rules of Sudoku apply. However, in addition, the digits in each inner shape (marked by dotted lines) must add up to the number in the top corner of the shape.

Cryptic Crossword Both sets of clues fit both grids

Totalized 60

EASY

27

MEDIUM

7

HARDER

÷4

+ 10

TREBLE IT

+ 1/3 OF x 4

HALF OF IT

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OF IT

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ANSWER ANSWER ANSWER

Follow the instructions from left to right, starting with the number given to reach an answer at the end.

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Quick Crossword Both sets of clues fit both grids 2

8

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For today’s crossword solutions, visit www.thecourier.co.uk/crossword

ACROSS

1 Large exotic green-skinned fruit (6) 4 Porous volcanic rock used as an abrasive (6) 8 Dove’s soft call (3) 9 Colony of stinging insects (5,4) 11 Always (4) 12 Car’s firing system (8) 15 Without restraint (9) 18 Put too heavy a burden on (8) 19 Hurt (4) 21 Vain, without success (9) 23 Ice-cream holder (3) 24 Time of holding (6) 25 Rocking crib (6)

12

DOWN

13

1 Demanding, like a royal (6)

14 15 17

18

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DOWN

1 Take stealthily (6) 2 Bring a criminal charge against (9) 3 Sleepy intake of breath (4) 5 Leave somewhere permanently and without warning (2,6) 6 Wrath, rage (3) 7 Length, range (6) 10 Set apart, seclude (9) 13 Pointed to (9) 14 Person who makes statues (8) 16 Liquorice ___, torpedo-shaped sweet (6) 17 Weedy, weak (6) 20 Title of the old emperor of Russia (4) 22 Tall vase (3)

22

2 Where in France release mechanism is added to spar (9) 3 500 are finding challenge (4) 5 Tiny page written about African (8)

20 21

24 Annoyed by informant and newspaperman (6) 25 Involuntary reaction of yokel, we hear, with drinks holder (6)

10

16

1

7

23

6 Ale brewed in meadow (3) 7 Type of train from Leeds I vandalised (6) 10 A char isn’t disposed to being an opponent of authority (9)

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ACROSS

12 Kitsch graduate stated anew (3,5)

13 Symbolic form of catechism (9)

15 Turn up uninvited, attendance having impact (9)

14 After army retreats, Crusoe moves furthest from the estuary (2,6)

1 In dispute with barber when outside (2,4) 4 He’d beer inside, made better (6)

18 Drug from squashed carton pronouncedly icy (8)

8 Sports gear is in the rucksack I took (3)

19 Fail to include, so order it (4)

9 Prepared Edam turnover, though not to individual order (5-4)

21 Leader of showgirls, a woman embraced by bloke, good person (9)

11 Slow creature losing head, one getting hammered? (4)

23 Attempt by Terry taking odd letters (3)

16 Joining together, first of September in marriage (6) 17 Keep afloat, but don’t turn in (4,2) 20 Opposed to being in quarantine (4) 22 Hit up and spoil (3)

28

Lifestyle

In the Garden with Matt Noyce

An apple a day keeps the doctor away

I usually notice a moment where the seasons switch and this happened to me the other day. It’s that moment where you feel a ‘nip’ in the air and maybe reach for the thicker duvet at night. No matter how much we hope that the summer will go on, the realisation that cooler temperatures will prevail is acknowledged and the gardeners thoughts are then turned to a different array of tasks.

This said, the air temperature is still mild and the soil temperatures amenable.

This means that crops are still growing, albeit maybe a little slower now, so there are many crops to harvest to use now or to store for the coming months.

One such harvest is the ‘top fruit’ crop. This crop includes

fruit that comes from trees such as apples and pears.

Now is a good time to check whether your tree is ready to give up its tasty yield or not! As there are many varieties of apple and pear they can ripen at different times, care must be taken to determine this. Timing is key. If you know the variety, all well and good as you can find out its traits. If it is an unknown, then a good indicator to tell if the crop is ripening is when you notice edible sized fruits dropping naturally as ‘windfalls’.

Obviously, the other good way to tell is to pull one off of the tree and try a bite but this can sometimes lead to toe curling moments and a grumbly belly later in the day! Apples and pears should come away in your hand, stalk intact, without too much resistance. If it looks as though the branch may snap, leave it a while longer.

Saying this, it is a good plan to harvest some top fruit just a tad early. Apples, more usually, store better this way and also they don’t get damaged in the windfall process and pears also, as they may not keep as long if

left on the tree. In addition, the longer the fruit remains on the tree, the more chance it has of being pecked at by birds or munched by drunk wasps.

Storage of this precious harvest should be undertaken with care.

Undamaged fruits should be spaced out on trays allowing adequate ventilation to reduce the likelihood of mould. Too warm and the fruit may dry out and too damp and the fruit may rot. Remember to check the stored fruits regularly to avoid this. Sounds like a bit of a faff? It will be worth it over the coming months - some varieties will even store well into winter.

If you have lots left over or damaged fruits, then consider stewing, cider or perry making or just go for a good old apple crumble!

Don’t forget to get in touch with any of your gardening stories, queries or with any plant suggestions that have really worked for you in your plot or allotment this year.

Contact me at m.noyce@ iwobserver.co.uk

Can do list this week: - Keep up caring for your hanging baskets for continued displays into the autumn.

- Dig up potatoes and root crops as required, but also to store, to reduce the chance of pest damage.

- Continue to regularly harvest your yield. Crop often to keep your produce fresh and tender.

- Keep on collecting and storing seed that you wish to use or share next year but remember to label them.

- Start to store squashes and pumpkins to protect them from pest damage and damp weather.

Lifestyle

29

Ideal autumn walks for all In association with National Trust

Autumn is fast approaching, but hopefully there is still time for some of you to enjoy one of the fantastic walks the Island has to offer.

In association with the National Trust, the IW Observer highlights two more walks of interest and beauty.

The monk and merchant walk Enjoy the views from St Catherine’s Down over Compton Bay to Tennyson Down and beyond. Spot rare wildlife in Wydcombe valley and learn about the ancient grasslands and monuments on the route.

Start from Blackgang viewpoint car park, grid ref: SZ490767: From the car park, cross the road and go up the steps and through the kissing gate to follow the path diagonally left. After 220 yards turn left onto a cattle track and follow the upper edge of the scrub line. The track bends left after another 220 yards but keep straight ahead over the crest and on the level to follow the line of the hill, bending gradually to the right.

Cross two stiles, the second of which is to the left of a field gate, and follow the path which keeps a fence to its immediate right. Cross the next stile and go across the field, passing through the gate straight ahead marked by a fingerpost onto St Catherine’s Down. Follow the wide, grassy path to the Hoy Monument.

Turn left and go through the gate in the fence by the plinth. Turn immediately right and downhill, then right at the T-junction signed C3. After 45 yards turn right, and go through two more gates. Take a straight

line across the field aiming for the right-most gate in the boundary, leading onto a road. On a clear day you can see Culver Down to the east and Tennyson Down to the west.

Turn right at the road, then left onto the path GL26 by the wall of The Hermitage.

Follow the path round the copse until it reaches a track by a house. Turn left through a metal gate taking path NT78 and then through another metal gate and down a hill until you reach a junction. Turn left for 30 yards, then right through a gate. Keep the fence to your left and follow the path, continuing across a field on the track heading down the valley.

About 50 yards before the field gate leading into a farm/wood yard, take the right-hand path which crosses through the hedge by a footbridge and gate.

Keeping the fence to your left, continue on the path bending above Wydcombe House. Go through the gate and down to the track. Turn left and follow the track bending left.

At the junction by the stream, turn sharp right to skirt Wydcombe House.

Bear right by the ornamental stone arch and after 20 yards follow the path straight ahead for 15 yards. Then take the path which bends

diagonally right down to the banks of a stream. Go over the footbridge and follow the stony tree-lined track straight ahead.

When the path leaves the valley it emerges into a field by a stile. Cross through the gap in the hedges about 20 yards in front, and cross the field to the top right-hand corner and a pair of stiles hidden behind gorse bushes.

Cross the stile on the right and turn right after five yards to join the diagonal path climbing onto Head Down.

Cross the stile at the top of the slope and turn left to reach another stile 20 yards away. Turn right onto a level green track and pass through a gate onto the hillside. The path goes diagonally left towards the radio mast on the skyline, passing between two small mounds before climbing steeply and zig-zagging to the left of an old quarry area.

Go through the gate then head straight uphill towards St Catherine’s Oratory. Look at the unfinished 18thcentury lighthouse base at the base of the radio mast, then go through the kissing gate by the trig point to the Oratory. Head downhill to pass through a kissing gate.

The homeward path aims straight for the start point, clearly visible above the Blackgang Chine car park.

Down south: Luccombe and the Landslip walk In September and October enjoy the autumn colours of heather and bracken on this invigorating walk in the south of the Island, with splendid far-reaching views to Culver Downs.

Start from Luccombe Down car park at the end of Down Road Ventnor, grid ref: SZ573787 Start from the bench and National Trust plinth just beyond the car park. Turn right for 20 yards then bear left along the top of the ridge.

Start to descend and pass through trees. Go through the memorial gate by the interpretation panel and go down the steep and grassy Nansen Hill to the gate onto the main road.

Cross the road and take path V65 towards the back right of the car park by the interpretation panel. When you reach a wall turn right.

Do not descend, but keep to the immediate right of the wall and bearing left at a fork.

The path crosses the lower end of the Smugglers Haven tea-rooms, then returns to the wall. Follow the wall past a stone shelter, then take the steep steps downwards through the Devils Chimney, a narrow cleft in the cliff.

Bear right and continue down two more flights of steps to the remains of a seat. Bear left and up four steps then down many more to reach the coastal path. Handrails are provided where the steps are steepest.

Bear left and follow the twisty path through The Landslip, following the coastal path signs where there is a fork.

Soon after a kissing gate

you reach Rosecliff Lodge.

Carry straight on the track, ignoring all left turns, and follow the coastal path past a few houses in Luccombe, eventually reaching a tarmac road after passing more houses and going through a garden and a gate.

Turn right and cross the stile 65yards after the big house to visit the Haddon’s Pits interpretation panel.

Follow a meandering path parallel to the road through this open area, rejoining the road at the stile at the top left corner. Turn right and follow the road downwards towards Shanklin. Turn left into Priory Road opposite a large white block of apartments.

After 165 yards take footpath SS91 on the left into Vaughan Way. Follow the road into the estate, and after a left hand bend follow the grassy track to its end at the main road. Cross the main road with care and pass through the lych gate of St Blasius church signposted SS10.

Take the tarmac path to the left of the church and cross over the boundary wall.

Continue over two fields and three memorial gates to reach some trees. Climbing all the time, more steeply and with some steps past Holme Copse, cross a stile by a gate, and finally another stile leading into a meadow.

Turn sharp left keeping the fence on your left, pass through a gap at the lower end of the crossing fence and then head diagonally right up the hill to the trig point.

There are fine west-east views from Tennyson Down to Culver Down. Continue onwards crossing a pair of stiles in the hedge in front.

Turn left onto the crossing track, and pass through two gates to reach the Luccombe Down interpretation panel . Follow the wide ridge-top track. When the main track starts to bend right towards the radar station, take the smaller left track to return to the car park.

30

Lifestyle

All aboard for Isle of Wight Cheese

By John Thorpe MBE

Blue cheese from the Island has been tantalising the taste buds of well-heeled diners in one of the finest restaurants at sea.

Queen Mary 2 is the flagship of the Cunard fleet and no stranger to Islanders as she sails gracefully by at the beginning and end of her many Transatlantic crossing between Southampton and New York.

Her exclusive Verandah dining room, normally serves up a fusion of the best French and English cuisine, but recently it became a “pop up” steak house diner in an ambitious experiment.

Trying something new meant a different style of menu and food boffins at Cunard’s Southampton development kitchen had to come up with some mouthwatering recipes.

A staple of any steak house anywhere in the world has to be a burger.

But no bland burger would satisfy the palates of discerning passengers travelling on the only oceangoing liner at sea.

After all they have to stump up a surcharge for the privilege of dining in this speciality restaurant $25 (£20) for lunch and $39 (£30) for dinner and that’s on top of fares that can run into thousands of pounds for a one-way ticket to cross The Pond!

Cunard’s foodies got their thinking caps on and set to work creating an upmarket burger fit for cruising “royalty”. Cheese for any new burger was an important consideration and they were eager to use some locally produced near to the liner’s home port.

After several trials Cunard’s Southampton gastro gnomes hit on a recipe they believed created the poshest and tastiest burger afloat using blue cheese from the Queen Bower Dairy near Alverstone, on the Isle of Wight.

David Lea, food and beverage manager on board explained as the Queen Mary 2 crossed the North Atlantic: “Chefs in our development kitchen were passionate to use a local cheese in our Cunard burger.

After numerous trial tasting sessions it was decided that the blue cheese from the Blue Cheese company on the Isle of Wight was ‘the one’; the perfect cheese for our Cunard burger.

“When it’s young it has a relatively mild, blue, creamy flavour but gets stronger as it matures - the chefs believed it would work extremely well with the taste we were looking for in our up-market burger. They were not wrong!

“It is an added bonus that Queen Mary 2 passes the Isle of Wight while transiting to and from Southampton to New York. So you could say we are also ‘saluting the Island’.”

Mr Lea, a native of Adelaide in South Australia and a Cunard veteran with 25 years service under his belt, said this pop-up restaurant idea was a ‘first’ for Cunard and a learning curve for the company.

The Cunard burger with the Isle of Wight blue cheese has been riding the crest of the wave with passengers, especially Americans who’d sampled it, liked its taste and texture.

Have your say... email newsdesk@iwobserver.co.uk

David Lea proud to show off the cheese

photos by Maggie Thorpe

The Queen Mary 2 Burger Recipe; 8oz Prime US Angus beef patty, Isle of Wight blue cheese, double maple bacon, caramelised onions, Brioche bun, bone marrow mayonnaise & homemade (on board) ketchup.

Queen Mary 2 in the Solent

The Verandah restaurant aboard the Queen Mary 2

Long Island

WE ARE OPENING Thursday 20th September 2018

To Book: 01983 716281 longislandiow

OPEN: WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY/FRIDAY 5pm - 11pm - SATURDAY Midday - 11pm / SUNDAY Midday - 3:30pm 24 HOLYROOD STREET, NEWPORT, ISLE OF WIGHT. PO30 5AZ (Above Newport Ale House)

THE MENU STARTERS

CRISPY DUCK SALAD

CHEF’S SOUP GFA VO 4.75 LOADED NACHOS VO for one 5.95 CHILLI CHICKEN KEBABS (2) VO GF 6.75 LOADED WEDGES GF VO 6.50 CRISPY MUSHROOM DIPPERS V 5.75 FILO CRISPY SHRIMP 6.75 SMOKED HADDOCK FISHCAKES 6.75 BUFFALO STYLE HOTWINGS GFA 6.50 MOZZARELLA DIPPERS V 5.75

CHICKEN CAESAR SALAD

MAINS TRAD SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE L’ ISLAND MAC ‘N’ CHEESE

GFA

GFA

9.95

V

9.25

THE ITALIAN JOB SALAD

SIZZLERS (FAJITAS)

12.95

GF

GF GF

VO V

11.95 8.50

VEGETABLE JAMBALAYA

GF

VG

8.95

SUPER VEGGIE STIR FRY

GF

VG

8.95

VEGETABLE TAGINE

GF

VG

8.95

CHICKEN 12.50 / STEAK 15.00 VEGETABLE 10.50 DESSERTS THICK SHAKES 4.00

GRILL

ULTIMATE BANANA SPLIT

HOUSE BURGER 9.00 SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN BURGER 9.50 VEGETARIAN BURGER V 8.00 THE LONG ISLAND BRAT! 9.00 SLOW COOKED RIBS GF 1/2 RACK 11.50 FULL RACK 15.00 CHICKEN & RIB COMBO GF 15.95

KINDER BUENO WAFFLE STACK 5.25

GF

COOKIE & CREAM SUNDAE

6.25

GFA

5.95

SALTED CARAMEL BROWNIE 5.25 AMERICAN PIE TRIO 6.50 CHEESECAKE OF THE DAY 5.25 L’ISLAND FROZEN MOUNTAIN

GFA

12.00

Happy hour - Wed/Thr/Fri 5pm - 7pm / Small plates available at the bar

SALAD | PASTA | STEAK | BURGERS | RIBS | CHICKEN VEGAN | VEGETARIAN | COCKTAIL BAR | MUSIC

32

Jobs

Help yourself. Volunteer.

CHEF

The Chequers are currently seeking a Chef • You must have experience.

• This is a salaried full time role of 45 hours per week and will include evenings and weekends.

Contact us on info@chequersinn-iow.co.uk.

Tel: 01983 840314

For those wanting to change careers, the long-term unemployed, the return to work community and entry level jobseekers, there is a valuable tool available for learning new skills and a stepping stone to paid employment.

Volunteering is a great way to give back to the local community. With hundreds of charities based here on the Isle of Wight, many relying on a workforce of volunteers – the choices for volunteer services are endless.

If you are seeking employment, but finding it hard to get a foot in the door, should you be considering volunteer roles to improve your chances?

Carol Court founder of local charity Ability Dogs 4 Young People says absolutely yes!

“Our volunteers learn skills right across the charity, from puppy training and customer service to stock management and marketing. Some simply want to ‘give back’, but often volunteers come to us lacking in confidence or looking for a way to meet people, some want to learn skills or establish routine in their lives. The volunteer workforce is so diverse, from school leavers to pensioners and everything inbetween.

We are so proud of our team, who were recognised nationally this year with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary

Service the highest award possible for a volunteer group.”

Skills demonstrated by volunteers, such as a strong work ethic, are hard for employers to ignore in a competitive market.

Whatever your long-term goal, experiences gained as a volunteer can open doors to a wide variety of employment opportunities.

Across the Island, charities are looking for fundraisers, counsellors, drivers, retail assistants, call centre advisors, warehouse workers, companions, administrators, youth workers and the list goes on.

Volunteers also enjoy adventure and international travel, gaining life skills that employers’ value, whether working with orangutans in Borneo or building a well in Kenya, volunteering your time can reward you with life changing experiences.

When competing for that perfect job, volunteer experience can really put you ahead of the pack in the shortlisting stages, so if your voluntary work history section is blank on your CV, isn’t it time you started seeing what you can do to help yourself and others?

For information on volunteering visit https:// do-it.org/ or contact a local charity to see what volunteering opportunities are available near you.

All your eggs in one basket

Seeking work on the Isle of Wight is a challenge, but like everything else, when it comes to jobhunting it is best to shop around to ensure that you don’t miss out.

At national level, the job search industry offers plenty of choice, with market leaders including Indeed, TotalJobs and Monster competing hard to provide the best service to work seekers and employers. With Google Jobs soon to join the heavyweight battle, national

job search is a fast-moving industry.

With record growth in the jobsite and recruitment industry, BlueClaw Media Ltd has found that “most job seekers are in the habit of using multiple sites – this is particularly so for more digitally proficient applicants.

There’s no evidence to suggest UK job seekers will, in the immediate to medium term at least, change their online habits” Locally however, its’s been

a different story with Island jobseekers left frustrated by limited choices. To rectify this, a new online service has launched, aiming to make finding employment simpler, bringing more jobs direct to those looking for work.

IWJobfinder is a new local jobsite, free to jobhunters, offering wider application choices and providing cost-effective solutions to employers looking for staff.

The jobsite is partnering with the IOW Observer to

create a ‘one stop shop’ for finding work – linking traditional job hunting in the local press with online job searches.

With IWJobfinder, users can easily search for jobs using Island locations, job type and industry to quickly access the most suitable opportunities.

Additionally, using clever skills matching technology, when users search for one post on the jobsite, the Jobfinder automatically searches for other relevant roles to suit their skillset, enabling jobhunters to quickly compare jobs and apply immediately.

Anyone can register with IWJobfinder, for free, then upload a CV and cover letter ready to apply when the perfect job goes live. If the right job isn’t there today, users can set up a job alert for free and be notified as soon as a relevant job is advertised.

To register for work on the Isle of Wight visit www. iwjobfinder.co.uk and let IWJobfinder find the ‘wight’ job for you!

Jobs

Curell crazy about tomatoes Getting home grown Isle of Wight tomatoes to menus and shelves all over the country requires a strong marketing / sales presence and Keeleigh Curell is the latest Senior Sales Executive to join the team at The Tomato Stall in the Arreton Valley.

Company - The Tomato Stall Role - Senior Sales Executive When did you join the team?

I’ve been here since February (2018) but I’ve known about the business and eaten the tomatoes from here for much longer!

Why did you apply? I love tomatoes and try to shop local so I’ve bought The Tomato Stall products from my local farm shop for the last 3 years! The company has a strong brand and if you love the product and believe in the company why wouldn’t you apply?

How was the application process? I decided to be proactive and contact them directly. I think it was this motivated/can-do attitude that got me the job. Rather than waiting for a role, I put myself out there. I knew what I wanted and went for it. It’s definitely paid off and I really couldn’t be happier.

How was the first day? I’m very confident but even I had butterflies in my stomach.

That soon disappeared when I was offered a cup of coffee from a new colleague with a friendly smile. I relaxed instantly and found myself right at home with my new team, since then the coffee has been flowing!

What is your working day like? Step one: Coffee (obviously!), Step two: Emails, Step three: I’ve blinked and the day is finished! Fresh produce is a fast-paced industry and very intense! SO many new challenges present themselves to me each day, I’m improving my knowledge on an hourly basis!

What skills do you need to succeed in Sales?

Motivation, creativity, confidence and most importantly perseverance.

What advice do you have for anyone looking for work right now? Don’t be afraid to make the first move. Don’t wait for something to turn up, go and find it!

What has been the biggest challenge in your new job?

Every day is a challenge, that’s what I love. I’m very proud of all the new customers I’ve managed to bring on board since I started.

Working hard to bring local Island produce to customers across the country gives me a great feeling. I love my new job!

Employers hurt in skill shortage Isle of Wight employers are struggling to find staff.

A cry goes up, “That’s crazy!

Everyone knows there are loads of people looking for work on the Island” and that is sadly true, but jobhunters and vacancies do not always match up and on the Island, there is a skills shortage impacting our community.

From the NHS to schools and into the private sector with technology and engineering, the Island needs qualified specialists to fill vital roles. The Isle of Wight College is a fantastic breeding ground for talent, but not enough to cope with the demands of a growing business community crying out for skilled workers. With

Islanders leaving our shores for University, only to settle elsewhere with their new qualifications in health, engineering and technology, how do we address the skills gap?

Some employers are turning to recruitment firms to bring in fresh talent, attracting skills from further afield by promoting the lifestyle the Isle of Wight offers.

Temping agencies offer much needed short term, emergency solutions, providing temporary workers to cover shorter contracts and ensure project deadlines are met, vital for our thriving manufacturing industry.

Employers are also investing in home grown

talent. Business owner and local councillor for Newport North, Matthew Price (and before him his father) has trained hundreds of people into the IOW motor trade and says apprenticeships are bridge the skills gap: “We struggle finding staff in the automotive industry. With firms like GKN competing for similar skills, smaller independent businesses can get left behind.

Apprenticeships have given us enthusiastic, reliable workers who we hope will stay with us as skilled mechanics, panel beaters, body fitters and paint sprayers. We’ve had most success with apprentices of 20+ which is interesting

as they are often left on the shelf, with employers snapping up the school leavers. In fact, there are lots of unskilled workers outside of the 16-24yrs restriction that want to learn a trade and they shouldn’t be overlooked for in-house training” So, there is light at the end of the tunnel and options to explore for employers.

If you are considering apprenticeships, your next hire could be right on your doorstep!

Information on apprenticeship schemes can be found at https://www. getingofar.gov.uk

33

34

Services

Local Services

CONTACT US ON: 01983 216111

MAN & VAN Removals

Any job undertaken From whole house moves to single items Full mainland coverage 10 Years experience Ring Ben for quotes

07500 253334

AQUIUS PLUMBING SERVICES

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Friendly reliable services for installations of bathrooms, boilers & kitchens, repairs to pipework, taps etc.

Team includes electricians, carpenters and plasterers.

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Same day callout.

07500 253334

IW- 282936 07891 703945

JD PROPERTY SERVICES

STEVE COUSINS LICENSED HOUSE CLEARANCE & RUBBISH REMOVAL

Reliable friendly service with competitive prices, items recycled whenever possible.

Tel: 01983 532424 Mob 07967 914038

SPECIALISTS IN BUILDS, EXTENSIONS & RENOVATIONS

- Maintenance - Renovations - Restoration -

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Quality work at affordable prices Friendly reliable service

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LOCAL SERVICE ADVERTISING

½

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Clearance, layout, patios, concrete, bases, fencing, turfing.

07514 045355 KEVINS GARDENING Leylandii, hedge, shrub, grass cutting, tree work, felling, pruning, jungles cleared and removed. Fully insured with free estimates. Tel: 01983 609390 ALAN’S GARDENING Turfing, hedgecutting, small tree work, stump grinding, power washing, fencing.

Mob: 07963 451653, IW: 857499 HOUSE CLEARANCE AND RUBBISH REMOVAL Reliable friendly service with competitive prices, items recycled whenever possible.

Tel: 01983 532424 Mob 07967 914038 ARTEX SMOOTHED OVER - Tape and Jointing. Damaged walls and ceilings repaired. Call Mike on 07783 911 611 ACCOUNTS PREPARED Tax returns completed & submitted for fixed fee. £95. Ring Ashey Associates. 01983 638317 GENERAL HOMEHELP/ CLEANER - Offering a friendly, reliable service at good rates.

Debbie - 07921 921495 DOMESTIC CLEANING - Jenny Wrenn. 25 Years experience. Domestic cleaning services, Islandwide. Call Jenny on 07742 404743

Island Imperial Roofing Ltd For all of your roofing needs.

Where quality and excellent service come as standard.

Call now for a free and immediate quote:

01983 58 00 48

Sport

35

It’s a family affair

Rider Helen Cole

Kingsgate title for Caitlin and Belle Kingsgate Equestrian Centre hosted its Championship Show for the 2018 showjumping series, sponsored by Vectis Equine Vets.

The 2018 overall points champion, an award given to the horse and rider combination who have competed in both the dressage and showjumping series and who have gained the most points overall, was won by Caitlin

Dologhan riding her own pony Belle.

Caitlin Dologhan and Belle took the first two championships of the day with Jo Hardy riding Flash taking reserve.

Kerrie Griffiths went on to take the championship with Rachel in the 18in, while Phoebe Tombleson riding Nellie took reserve.

Sophie Philips riding Cloudie took the 2ft championship and reserve in the

Ryde’s Sue and Gary Cox with the Family Cup It was a family affair at Ryde Golf Club where Sue and Gary Cox emerged winners in the Family Cup competition.

They finished ahead of runners-up Maurice Keat and Matt Bartlett.

Meanwhile, the Lawrie Shield went to Barry Englefield, who shot a net 64, to finish three ahead of Martin Dover, with Jamie Lee picking up third place with a net 68.

2’3, and Keira Harper riding Marley Coaster claimed the championship in the 2’3 & 2’6.

Kirsty Hume on Angus was reserve in the 2’6 & then took the 2’9 championship, and Helen Short riding Misty Elegance took reserve in the 2’9 and went on to take the 3ft championship.

Jenny picks up multiple medals Island swimmer Jenny Ball excelled at the European Master Championships in Slovenia, winning the three-kilometre open water swim, meaning she is now the European Champion in the 80-84 category. Jenny (pictured) also came away with multiple medals, achieving a silver in the 800m and bronze medals in the 100m, 200m and 400m freestyles and 100m backstroke.

Meanwhile, shooter Kath Bright represented England in the Automatic Ball Trap (ABT) Home International in South Wales.

The competition was held over 200 targets and resulted in a clean sweep for England

as they won all the team categories. The ladies team consisted of three members, Mary Rowley (captain), Susan Bate and Kath. The two highest scores counted, and one of those scores was Kath’s. It was Kath’s eighth England cap but the first for this discipline.

Island triathlete Liz Dunlop is hoping for success ‘Down Under’, when she takes part in the World AG sprint triathlon, and the Worlds AG standard triathlon, both being held on Australia’s Gold Coast.

Jenny, Kath and Liz are members of the IW Council’s Talented Athletes Scheme, supported by Wightlink.

Tim Ashwell (Ryde captain) and Barry Englefield

Roger and out from John!

Richard weaves to second spot Isle of Wight based International rally driver Richard Weaver guided his recently acquired Mitsubishi rally car to a secondin-class win at the Wethersfield Stages in Essex, a single venue stage rally located in an active air base.

With support from his newly formed rally team, Wight Rally Sport, the inaugural outing took place with no time for preevent testing. Familiarisation with the car had to take place during the rally and co-driver James Pink only saw the car the night before the event. This rally was a shakedown for both car and team in preparation for their campaign in the Southern England based ACSMC Tarmac Championship in 2019.

With six stages of 10 miles each over concrete runways and side roads, the Wethersfield Stages were extremely fast and technical. Despite pushing the car to its limits and with a couple of spins, Richard and James found the car to be blistering quick and reliable just achieving second in their class and taking sixth overall.

Wight Rally Sport, supported by the Sign Shop Bembridge, are planning to compete at many more rallies across the south coast and with some international forays to Belgium. Their next event is The Challenger stages at Bovington Training Ground in Dorset on November 18th.

Five Scows took part in Yarmouth Sailing Club’s race two of the September Series, held in the Solent in a brisk 16-21 knot wind.

Roger Poerscout-Edgerton led to the first and second buoys, closely followed

by John Smith, but Roger shot himself in the foot by heading for the wrong buoy, letting through John, who kindly told Roger of his mistake once he was past!

Chris Jones worked her way into second place, leaving Melinda Measor and Derek Morris to bring up the rear.

Result: 1st, John Smith; 2nd, Chris Jones; 3rd Roger Poerscout-Edgerton.

The wind was perfect to take 16 young YSC sailors (spies) up the river where they had been tasked with

tracking down the marauding pirates who were planning an invasion of Yarmouth Town!

The pirates’ hideouts were scattered amongst the small inlets, creeks and rushes of the Upper Yar. The young spies had great fun transferring to paddle boards and kayaks in order to locate the 17 pirate hideouts.

They chose many different methods, sometimes abandoning their boards and kayaks to run or swim through the rushes. Then it was back to King’s Manor pontoon for a picnic lunch, before sailing back to the Spy HQ (YSC).

Prizes were given to the children who had located all 17 Pirate HQs and all children who took part received some chocolate gold coins.

36

Sport

Sport Observer

roundup

Terry and Penny Salvers winners

Championships success for Shanklin rowers Shanklin Sandown Rowing club enjoyed a successful end to the season at the South Coast Championships with three crews in the junior event.

In the main event the crew of Andrew Tapsell, Sam Evans-Murray, Riley Horrix, Ethan Walters and Daisy Faithfull (cox), sprung a surprise by winning the Men’s novice fours event.

The crew found themselves in contention with host club Deal, and as they reached the final 250m saw their lead being ebbed away. However, a shipwreck in the Deal crew saw Shanklin snatch the victory.

The Club’s novice Ladies’ crew of Yasmin Wright, Lottie Tapsell, Mia Phelan, Sophie Atkin and Emily Faithfull (cox), had a storming row in their race, leading from the start and

Scarlett Phelan, Lottie Tapsell, Mia Phelan, Rachael Debenham and Daisy Faithfull completely demolishing all before them to win by 10 lengths, the largest winning margin of the day.

The J14 boys’ crew of Owen Denness, Sam EvansMurray, Riley Horrix and Ethan Walters finished

second, while the girls’ J16 A, of Kayleigh Batchelor, Sophie Atkin, Emily Faithfull, Yasmin Wright and Ethan Walters ( cox) also finished in the runners up spot with the club’s B crew of Scarlett Phelan, Lottie

Tapsell, Mia Phelan, Rachael Debenham and Daisy Faithfull finishing third.

The club expressed their thanks to Ryde RC for transporting their boats to the championships.

Ryde come to the four!

The Tetlow Salvers Mixed Greensomes event was held at Shanklin and Sandown Golf Club with a small but exclusive field.

The winners were Terry Harris and Penny Last with a brilliant score of 43 points. Second place went to Stef Brochocki and Chris Gould with 42 points on countback.

Other results: Open Stableford: 1, Dave McToldridge 40; 2,

Lawrence Tolfrey 39; 3, Malcolm Vaughan 38.

Seniors Monthly Stableford: 1, Dave Hodnitt 36; 2, Tony Rossiter 36, 3, ,Trevor Mitchell 36; 4, Christopher Dean 35.

Scovell Cup: 1, Graham Burgess 63; 2, Peter Brooke 64; 3, Jason Kwan 64; 4, Ashley Curzon 65.

V. Aldridge Rosebowl Knockout: Winner, Jon West; runner-up, Lawrence Tolfrey.

Osborne Golf Club Osborne Golf Club’s latest results: Stableford Division 1: 1, John Poingdestre 40 points; 2, Clive Beard 38; 3, Paul Clarkson 37. Division 2: 1, Shane Cates 39; 2, Adrian Newbold 38; 3, Richard

Holmes 35. Division 3: 1, Michael Turner 38; 2, John Cooper 37; 3, Sean Thrippleton 36.

September Stableford All Men: 1, Derek Wright 39 points; 2, Derek R Jones 38; Barry Geary 38

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Ryde’s J16 Boys Coxed Quad/Mens Junior Senior Four, cox to bow, Dan Sanderson, Austin Smith, Ben Sanderson, Tom Starkey, Tye Cameron.

Due to school and other commitments a fairly small team from the Wightlinksponsored Ryde Rowing Club competed at the South Coast Rowing Championships at Deal.

The Club’s Boys J16 Crew of Tye Cameron, Tom Starkey,

Ben Sanderson and Austin Smith with Dan Sanderson coxing first competed in the Bots J16 Coxed Quads, finishing seventh in the final against very strong competition.

They raced much better in their second race, competing

above their status in the Men’s Coastal Junior Senior Invitation event where they finished in fourth place.

Former Ryde member Bryony Reeve, now living in Portsmouth and competing for Southsea Rowing Club, coxed their Club’s Men’s

Coastal Junior Four to victory and another ex-Ryde member, Tim Ash competed for Hastings in the Open Master Fours, and was pipped on the line in the closest race of the day.

Harwoods-Renault Saturday League

Latest results:

Binstead and COB 1 Osbourn Coburg 1 Newport Res 2 Cowes Sports 5 Northwood St Johns 3 Shanklin 1 Pan Sports 3 Ventnor 4 Sandown 1 Brading Town 3 Whitecroft and Barton 4 West Wight 0

Saturday’s fixtures: Division One:

Northwood St Johns v Binstead & COB Osborne Coburg v E.Cowes Sports (1.30pm) Pan Sports v Brading Town Shanklin v West Wight (1.30pm) Ventnor v Newport Reserves

Whitecroft & Barton Sports v Cowes Sports Reserves No Fixture: Sandown

Division Two:

Adgestone v Carisbrooke United Brighstone v Bembridge East Cowes Vics “A” v Ryde Saints Newchurch v Seaview (1.30pm) Niton Cmty v St Helens Blue Star (1.30pm) Oakfield v Wroxall Yarmouth & Calbourne v AFC Wootton

Combination One:

Binstead & COB v Northwood St Johns Brading Town v Ventnor Osborne Coburg v East Cowes Spts (4.0pm) Sandown v Ryde Saints Shanklin v Whitecroft & Barton Spts (4.0pm) West Wight v Oakfield

Combination Two:

AFC Wootton v Ryde Saints “A” Newchurch v Carisbrooke United (4.0pm) Niton Community v Bembridge (4.0pm) Seaview v Yarmouth & Calbourne

Sport

37

IW ease to comfortable win Powell double seals victory for the Port Newport 2 Andover Town 0

IW opened their Hampshire 1 season with a comfortable 51 points to three win after subduing an aggressive Andover 2nd XV. After a Lewis Murray penalty gave them the lead, the home side lost player/ coach Alex Augustus, and Andover came back with a penalty.

Pressurising the visitors in their own 22, quick thinking and actions saw Biffa man of the match Dave Blackman take a quick line-out for Andrew Brown to score. A

chase of a deep kick allowed debutant Luke Blackman to collect the ball and feed Andy Rann. This was quickly offloaded to Dave Blackman to add the second try, Murray adding the kick and a further penalty.

Andover pressurised the home scrum and carried the ball aggressively, but stout and resolute defence held them at bay. Then, from an Island line-out, Tom Marriott sneaked through a gap and added to the score, the kick converted for a 25-3

advantage.

Turning round with a comfortable cushion, the home side went further ahead as George Huish burst through on a 40-metre break for the ball to be recycled for Gary Warvill to score, Murray adding the extras. Next, a Jonty Sweetman break again was recycled and fed out for a James Curran try.

Andover reasserted pressure in the Island 22, leading to a yellow card for Ollie Boulter. The blue line

could not be breached as the home defence stopped Andover in their tracks, then drove them back, turning over the ball with uncompromising defence.

IW finished strongly, as a Murray chip was latched on to by Sweetman to score and a Sam McQueen break led to his touching down. *IWRFC travel to Alton for a fixture this weekend which doubles as a league match and a Hampshire Plate quarter-final.

Alton prove too strong for Ventnor in opener Ventnor Rugby Club’s first league match of the season was a trying one at home to a strong and well prepared Alton team as they went down 25 points to 41.

The visitors took an early lead with a penalty, and after another offside call they added three more points to their tally.

Ventnor tried to respond, and should have cut the lead, but missed a penalty in front of the posts, before Alton stepped through a small hole in the Ventnor defence to score a try, and after converting they went

on to be awarded another penalty, to add three more points. Ventnor were in need of a spark, and found it as Justinas Urbonas crossed for five points, with Todd Riches adding the conversion.

After a long period of excellent defence by Ventnor, with huge tackles being made, Alton eventually managed to break through for their second try, which they converted.

With only a few minutes left of the first half Ross Harris chipped over the top that didn’t go where he’d planned, but he managed

to outpace all of the cover defence and dive on the ball over the line for Ventnor’s second try.

Alton were quick to respond and after turning the ball over shortly after they kicked off, they were in for another converted try.

Ventnor began the second period in style as Todd Riches threw an enormous pass across the pitch, and Lewis Jones offloaded to send captain Jake Babington in at the corner.

Alton hit back with an unconverted try, but Ventnor were not out the game as

season. On September 23rd from 10.30am to 3.0pm the club will hold an Open Day for all bowlers and those of any age interested in taking up the game. For those who have never played before there will be the chance of trying out the game with friendly coaches or if

preferred just go along for a chat to find out what the game and club is all about.

The facility is the largest indoor club on the Island, with regular coaching available for anyone joining the club, and the restaurant and bar will be open. During the main season leagues take

going for Louie Fleming and sub keeper Gary Streeter (pictured) stepping up as an outfield sub in the 92nd minute for George Holmes.

The Sydenhams League Cup match against Whitchurch United, originally arranged for Tuesday (Sept 18th) has now been brought forward to Saturday (Sept 15th) at 3.0pm.

This allows the Hampshire Senior Cup match away to Sholing to be played on Tuesday with a 7.45pm kick off.

Richard on target again

Calvin Edwards touched down with Todd Riches converting. However, the game was topped off with one final try from Alton, which they converted.

AJ Wells Man of the Match: Ross Harris.

Red Funnel Moment of the Match: Ross Harris.

Match day sponsors were John Whitehouse, Yates’ Brewery, Bonchurch Garage, Simon Rodley, SR + L Hall, Broadfields Park and TF Property Solutions.

Bowls Club to hold open day The Isle of Wight Indoor Bowls Club is gearing up for the new season, which runs from the beginning of October until the end of March or beginning of April.

The club which is situated in Brading Road, Ryde, behind Staddlestones and McDonalds, and is in its 51st

Depleted Newport picked up three welcome points in their Wessex League Division one clash at bottom-of-thetable Andover.

It was a much-changed Port line-up with Mitchell Ricketts, Scott Barron, Josh Gwilliam, Harrison Yates and Reece Wren all stepping up from the reserves to make their first team debuts, in place of several regulars who were either injured or unavailable. But that did not deter to the Island side, whose early dominance was rewarded with a goal

by Darren Powell after just seven minutes.

Despite their early advantage, Port struggled to add to their tally, and had to wait until the 74th minute before doubling their lead. Powell was again the marksman, scoring with a clinical header.

With no real threat coming from the home side, Newport made three late substitutions, with Josh Gwilliam replacing Harrison Yates, Reece Wren

place Mondays to Fridays except Wednesday and Friday evenings. There are lots of competitions to take part in plus games against other clubs, and friendly get togethers.

More information can be found at www.iwibc.org.uk or phone (01983) 564336.

Richard Wilson of Shanklin Rifle and Pistol Club, and talented supported athlete, travelled to East Grinstead, Sussex over the weekend to compete in the Sussex County Open match.

Shot over two days against some of Sussex top shooters, Richard produced the top score on the Saturday to secure another win. It was not a range he had been to in the past so that increased the challenge for the former British champion.

Taking advantage of Google Earth and social media and very accurate weather forecasting, Richard had an idea of what the range layout looked like before he turned up.

One quirky aspect of shooting at this range is that the Meridian line runs across it. So a bullet leaves the western hemisphere and punches a whole in your target in the eastern hemisphere.

Hampshire Plate tie 1

38

Sport

Archie bounces back from injury

Archie in action.

Continued from back page... less than a year after suffering a horrendous injury that left him in a coma for four days.

Parents Tim and Tracy Cale feared 12-year-old Archie might never get on a motor cycle again, never mind compete at national level, after he was badly hurt and rushed to hospital while competing in the 2017 national finals last October.

However, after being given the all-clear by doctors to ride again, the determined youngster, a pupil at Christ The King College, Newport, was back on his bike in

January. Since then he has been riding at grasstrack meetings across the country, trying to pick up sufficient ranking points to take him into the top 20 in the country.

His efforts were rewarded when he finished 13th overall in the national rankings to earn his place in the national finals, which were held near Peterborough.

On finals day he had four excellent races to finish ninth overall in the heats, to earn a place in the grand final. Even though he was competing against the best riders in his age group in England, many with lucrative sponsorship

deals from major companies, he rode extremely well to finish a battling 10th, which made him the 10th ranked rider in the entire country in 2018.

Dad Tim said: “We were delighted when Archie qualified for the finals in 18th place last year, but then he had the bad crash, and was rushed to hospital in London.

Tracy and I were very worried because we did not know how he would come out of the coma. “But when he came round, the first thing he said to me was ‘I hope my bike is not broken’. The bike was repaired, and put in the garage, but on January 1st

he asked if he could get back on it, which he did. It was almost as if the accident had never happened. Tracy and I were quite surprised just how quickly he wanted to get going again. From there, he went from strength to strength, and we are very proud that he has done so well this year.”

Tim added: “A lot of the young riders turn up at events in a big van, with maybe four or five machines in the back to choose from, while we just go along with one bike and off he goes. That is what makes it so special for us, and we are very proud of Archie’s efforts.”

• Archie with his certificates and award.

Mitch is just ‘wild’ about motocross Island motocross rider Mitch Young has been placed a magnificent eighth in the country following a successful MX Nationals season in the British Expert Rankings.

It was a welcome result for Mitch who has had a tough year, clawing his way up the rankings following a crash early on in the season where he dislocated his shoulder.

Mitch is currently preparing for the Bridgestone British Masters, for which he has been granted a wildcard entry. The race takes place at Cusses Gorse, near Salisbury on September 15th and 16th.

Mitch said: “I exceeded all expectations by finishing top 10 in the MX Nationals this year, it was a great result and something I am really proud of. I’m really pleased to have been granted a wild card entry for the British Masters, it’s a great opportunity for me and I’m really hoping for a top five finish.”

This winter Mitch will attend training camps in Spain and Belgium to help prepare him for the 2019 British Championship season, where he is aiming for a top five ranking. He is part of the Talented Athlete scheme run by the Isle of Wight Council, supported by Wightlink.

Mitch Young in action.

Sport

39

New Yachtsmen boss Sanders: Referee leaves I feel the time is right for me! Vics fuming Vic Sanders has been appointed the new manager of Cowes Sports, and feels it is the perfect time for him to meet this next challenge in an illustrious career in the game.

Sanders, 50, has ended the managerial uncertainty at the Sydenhams Wessex League Premier Division outfit, following the shock resignation of former boss Steve Hunt. It is third time lucky for him, having unsuccessfully applied for the position twice before, and he is relishing the opportunity to try to move the club forward on the pitch.

His first match in charge is at Portchester tomorrow (Sat), but admits it may take several games to stamp his managerial mark at a club where he spent most of his playing career, making more than 500 appearances.

He said: “The one thing we cannot afford to do is let 90 goals in during the league season, which is what we did last season. John McKee scored 30 goals for us, yet he was in a side that only just avoided relegation. If you score that many as a striker, you would expect to be at least in the top half of the table. So we must not concede so many, and that means building the team from the back, and hopefully

By Warren Whitmore

picking up more points.”

Despite a brief spell with Newport when he first came to the Island, Sanders has always had the Yachtsmen at heart, having played his first game for them 33 years ago.

At one stage he even had a successful stint as playermanager of the club’s A team.

But for many years he sacrificed the chance to join the managerial ranks full time, in favour of watching his son Ed play on the mainland at clubs that included Portsmouth, Stoke City and Sheffield Wednesday.

He said: “I have always said Cowes is the only club I would manage on the Isle of Wight.

To be honest, I think things happen for a reason, and this is now the right time for me.

I have taken over a club that has nine points from five games, which is better than no points at all.

“Realistically, if we can get more than the 33 we achieved last season, that is a modicum of success. I would love to finish in the middle third of the table, somewhere between eighth and 14th, and depending on how quickly the players adapt to the ways I want them to play, a top half finish would be a fantastic success.”

East Cowes Vics 1 Alton 4 East Cowes Vics crashed out of the Wessex League Cup in the first round, thanks, in part, to some dubious decisions by eccentric Romanian referee, Catalin Tanase.

Although Vics began brightly, with Jordan Browne nearly scoring with less than a minute on the clock, Alton also had their chances, with Vics keeper Will Hunt pulling off a great save to deny Gavin Muir. The deadlock was broken by Vics’ leading marksman Jimmi Burton in the 38th minute, when he was put through by Jordan Browne, and raced clear of a defender to shoot into the bottom corner for his ninth goal in just eight games to give Vics a half-time lead.

Alton began the second half brightly, equalising with a Matt Bunyan header in the 48th minute. Three

Vic Sanders

minutes later, Burton was pulled down in the penalty area, but surprisingly no spot kick awarded. Alton capitalised by taking the lead with a magnificent shot from Danny Knee.

Then in the 75th minute, the referee made his second controversial decision of the half, awarding a very soft penalty to Alton, after slight contact between Liam Newbold and Mark Corbett, which Corbett converted.

Fortunately, the referee’s perceived lack of English skills may have prevented his fully understanding the view of the incident from the Vics bench!

Matt Bunyan added a fourth for the visitors with a wellaimed glancing header, ensuring Alton’s advance to the second round, while Vics’ assistant manager Richie Woodburn, standing in for Steve Brougham, declared himself ‘too angry’ after the final whistle to comment on the game.

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Cowes Ladies want to turn on the style!

Cowes Ladies Football Club are looking for a cash boost to help take them up to the next level in their quest for glory. The Club are seeking

sponsorship for the ladies and under 15s girls’ team.

They have a variety of packages available to choose from, including the need for

tracksuits for this season, so they can arrive at their matches in style.

Christina Cave, Cowes Ladies player, and assistant

Preparing for the new season

manager to Cowes Youth Girls U15s, said: “If a company was to get involved and sponsor us for this, then that company will have their logo on our tracksuits, which will be worn to every game we attend, on and off the Island, as well as being displayed on our website and social media.

“The Ladies are up against 12

other teams this season and we are aiming high. With the support of the community and more, we will make Cowes Ladies thrive this season and beyond.”

The club are also welcoming new players to both teams, and are inviting potential members to go along to a training session, which are every Tuesday and Friday

evening at the Isle of Wight Community Club, Park Road, Cowes, PO31 7NP. It’s a hectic start to the new season at the club, with everyone trying to gather sponsorship and also train hard. They are at home to East Cowes Victoria Athletic Ladies in their first league match on Sunday (Sept 16th).

Cowes Ladies warming up.

Sport

40 Current News

Observer

Vic Sanders is the new Yachtsmen manager 39

By Peter White

Brave Archie battles back to reach finals Young Archie Cale from Godshill has finished a magnificent 10th in the ACU National Grasstrack Junior Championship finals, Continues

38

Archie Cale

This weeks highlights...

Rowing

The latest from Ryde and Shanklin

36

Football

Cowes Ladies hope to turn on the style

39

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