Isle of Wight Observer Issue 44

Observer

21st June 2019

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Ker-ching!

PREMIER PARKING Quids in if the Red Jet arrives 5min late!

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Caroline Ross, who won her case in the end

By Warren Whitmore

Have you fallen foul? Give us a call!

Parking at the Red Jet terminal could prove expensive for many Island residents if they fall foul of the strict 15 minute wait time.

As all regular visitors to the terminal must be aware, ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) is now in force, which means that you are photographed going into the terminal and also photographed leaving the terminal. What drivers have to be aware of is that the parking rules now enforce a

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Address: Suite 6, 17 Thomas House , St. Thomas Square, Newport, IW, PO30 1SL Publisher: Isle of Wight Observer Ltd. Sales: Carole Dennett, Emma Harper Email: sales@iwobserver.co.uk Online editor: Sandy Clarke Production: email: productioniw@icloud.com Photography: Chris Cornford

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21st June 2019

Parking ticket at Red Jet just not right! strict 15-minute maximum waiting time, irrespective of the circumstances anyone waiting to pick up passengers may encounter.

So what happens if the Red Jet is delayed? Tough; if you exceed the 15 minutes, you pay a £100 fine. What if you are blocked in? Tough, you pay!

Island resident, Caroline Ross, fell foul of this rule when collecting a friend from the Red Jet. Not only was she blocked in (as pictured on front page), the Red Jet was running late and, sure enough, on her way out she was pictured six minutes over the 15-minute rule, and she was issued with a ticket.

Caroline said: “It felt like a smack in the mouth. You are being penalised for a company not delivering a service.”

Caroline was also angered by the fact that the fines were being imposed on both sides of the Solent. She further claimed that a friend of hers had been in a similar situation, where she had been fined at the Red Jet terminal after being held up in the traffic while waiting to pick someone up.

Furious Caroline called Red Jet, who informed her that the new parking arrangement has nothing to do with them, and they could not, sadly, help her cause, so she was politely pointed towards the parking company, Premier Park.

On speaking to the parking company and explaining the situation, she was informed there was nothing they could do about it and the fine remained in place! So, Caroline decided to go to appeal. Good news, the appeal panel found in her favour on the grounds that you are allowed 10 minutes over the allotted 15 minutes, and, as Caroline exceeded the permitted waiting time by only six minutes, in this case they ruled in her favour.

The big question is, how many motorists have simply paid the fine for an easy life? A member of our staff was caught in exactly the same way and we could not find any way at all of contacting Premier Park.

Also, beware if you call them, as it could be a costly exercise; calls from a BT landline are 10p per minute and 13p from other suppliers, so nearly as expensive as their parking tickets!

Even when you listen to the many options, you still cannot speak to a human!

Red Funnel has been approached for a comment on the parking issues, but at the time of going to print, the IW Observer had not received a response. We feel almost certain that this must be an oversight on the part of the ferry company, and that they will give careful consideration to this issue and the impact it is having on their customers.

Bowel cancer team’s work is recognised Research Nurses at St. Mary’s Hospital have been recognised for their outstanding work on research to support the National Bowel Screening Programme.

Despite being the smallest team in the Wessex region, the nurses managed to recruit the 2nd highest number of patients to the NICE FIT study, funded by NHS England, only just being pipped at the post by the largest research centre in Wessex.

Joy Wilkins, Clinical Research Nurse, said: “We are delighted with the response we’ve had and the support from our colleagues has been fantastic, especially from our Cancer Services team who have worked closely with us on this study to assist in recruiting as many people as possible. We couldn’t have done it alone and the award for collaborative working truly is an NHS team effort.”

The NICE FIT study is the largest study in England investigating whether FIT (faecal immunochemical test) can be used to help rule out bowel cancer and the possibility of not requiring a colonoscopy.

Patients recruited into the study were given a FIT test and asked to collect a stool sample at home which was then sent off for analysis.

Joy Wilkins said: “The FIT kit is a much easier and more accurate test for patients to do themselves, at home, and this research could lead to fewer people having to have invasive tests, such as colonoscopies, so we are so grateful to all our patients that agreed to take part and trial the kit and be part of this important national research.”

Following their success, the team is now participating in the follow on study, looking into how patient friendly the kits are to use. The team are also conducting research studies into breast screening, lung cancer, dementia, parkinson’s disease, inflammatory bowel disease and long term hodgkins lymphoma.

Further information about their research can be found at https://www.nihr.ac.uk/nihr-in-your-area/wessex/

21st June 2019

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Island to be UNESCO Biosphere Reserve

The United Nations Man and Biosphere Co-ordinating Council has designated the Isle of Wight as the UK’s latest UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

On Wednesday, June 19, the Island became only the third place in England to be awarded the prestigious status. This brings recognition that the Island is one of the best places in the world to explore the sustainable way in which people have interacted with their natural environment.

UNESCO Biosphere Reserves are unique areas of environmental significance, in which communities strive to work to protect and support the local environment and the world we all live in. The Isle of Wight Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Partnership has worked on the application for UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status for three years to ensure the Island is recognised for the way people and nature coexist.

Jonathan Bacon, Chair of the IW AONB, welcomed the potential opportunities it

provides, saying: “Achieving Biosphere status is like receiving the biggest gold star on offer anywhere in the world for people’s relationship with the world around them. It shows that, on the Island, we are getting closer to finding the right balance between meeting our needs and our children’s needs, while including the needs of wildlife.”

Dave Stewart, Isle of Wight Council Leader, said: “We know that the unique landscapes, coast and wildlife of the Island bring people here not just as tourists, but also to live, work and do business. We believe that the key to economic success is living and working sustainably on our Island, and we are very proud of the new Biosphere Reserve status and recognition given today by UNESCO.” Will Myles, Managing Director at Visit Isle of Wight added: “This award is incredible, and a testament to the hard work that the Isle of Wight AONB Partnership has done, and continues to do.”

Sandown man arrested on suspicion of rape A 35-year-old Sandown man has been arrested for suspected rape following an incident in broad daylight in Ventnor on Tuesday evening.

Officers had previously sealed off an area of the graveyard at St Catherine’s Church in the town as part of an investigation into a serious sexual assault against a woman.

A spokesperson for Hampshire Constabulary said: “Officers are

investigating following an incident which took place in the church yard on Church Street, Ventnor at around 5.30pm on Tuesday, June 18.”

Police later confirmed that a 35-yearold man from Sandown was arrested on suspicion of rape. He has now been released on bail.

The woman concerned is currently being supported by specialist officers.

Bob backs Boris Isle of Wight MP, Bob Seely, has abandoned his support for Michael Gove in the Tory leadership race and decided to back frontrunner Boris Johnson.

Mr. Seely tweeted his support for the Environment Secretary the same day Theresa May announced her resignation. However, the MP has now withdrawn his support for Gove and backed Johnson.

Mr. Seely attributed his change of heart to the need to draw a line under Brexit as soon as possible, wanting the new leader to just get on with it.

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21st June 2019

New plans to reopen Undercliff Drive A consultation on the reinstatement of Undercliff Drive, between Ventnor and Niton, to traffic has been launched by the Isle of Wight Council. The local authority is seeking the views of residents, businesses and visitors on possible plans to re-open the road.

Undercliff Drive was affected by major ground movement during the very wet winter of 2013-14. The landslides led to the loss of the road at two locations, land-locking nine homes between the two sites. In 2016, access was restored to these properties along with throughaccess for walkers, cyclists and horse riders.

The Council is proposing to work with leading geotechnical consultants to design a scheme to reinstate the A3055 between Ventnor and Niton. A consultation is being launched to gauge public opinion. The cost of producing a design to re-open the road to traffic is estimated to be around £200,000 and

would involve topographic surveys, ground investigation boreholes, a stability analysis and an environmental impact assessment.

Currently, the cost to reinstate the road is estimated to be between £1million and £2million, dependent on whether the scheme allowed one or two-way traffic and if the new route was restricted to vehicles below a certain weight. The Council has acknowledged that ground movement will continue in the future, and any investment in the area will need to take this into account.

Council leader and a local ward member, Cllr Dave Stewart, said: “My view is it cannot be beyond our engineering capability to find a way to remedy a landslip of less than 100 metres. We have houses and business spread along the length of the Undercliff but the economic damage of the closure has spread well beyond these areas with businesses as far away as the West

Cowes Lifeboat rescues unwell yachtswoman An unwell woman, aboard a 28-ft yacht with a broken down engine, led to Cowes RNLI lifeboat racing across the Solent. The yacht was reported to be drifting north-east of Hillhead Buoy, close to the Hampshire shore.

The lifeboat took the woman aboard for a speedy return to Cowes. Then, at Trinity Landing, the woman was helped by Ventnor coastguards and an ambulance crew to a waiting ambulance and taken to St Mary’s Hospital, Newport.

The yacht also arrived at Trinity Landing, having been towed across the Solent by a Rigid Inflatable Boat. The yacht’s three remaining crew members were joined for the crossing by a member of the lifeboat crew.

Wight also noticing a drop in trade and tourism following the closure.

“However, while my personal views and that of the Cabinet are clear, we acknowledge others may take a different view and this consultation seeks to gauge public support for the plans.”

Councillor Ian Ward, Cabinet member for infrastructure and transport, said: “It’s a complex issue that doesn’t lend itself to a quick solution, but my view is the Island needs to have this road open and we should be making every effort to do so despite the obvious challenges.

“However, any decision will only be taken after consultation with Islanders and we are encouraging everyone to get involved.”

A six-week consultation will end on July 26. Isle of Wight residents are encouraged to complete the survey at www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ UndercliffDriveConsultation2019

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Oh Jess, what a mess!

Oh Jess,

what a mess!

By Peter White

Organiser John Giddings has left Jess Glynne in no doubt she will never be welcome at the Isle of Wight Festival again, after the singer let down thousands of people by not appearing on the Main Stage on Sunday evening.

Many young fans, who had patiently waited most of the day to see Ms Glynne perform, were left in tears after Mr. Giddings took to the stage instead to announce she would not be singing.

Festivalgoer Kirsten Mackie from Shanklin was in the crowd when the announcement was made that Glynne would not be taking to the stage. Kirsten said: “I was standing next to a child who was about eight years old, and was on her father’s

shoulders, eagerly waiting to see Jess Glynne.

“When John Giddings came out onto the stage and said she would not be appearing, the little girl just burst into tears. I felt so sorry for her, and for many other young children around me, who were in a similar state. They had waited patiently for Jess to appear, only to be let down by her.”

The announcement came just 10 minutes before the singer was due to appear, leaving Mr. Giddings desperately trying to maintain Main Stage continuity by bringing the appearances of Richard Ashcroft and Biffy Clyro forward.

He was clearly seething that Ms Glynne did not appear. She blamed

her absence on ‘anxiety’ and ‘exhaustion’, but it soon became common knowledge across the Festival site that she had been out until the early hours of Sunday morning, partying with The Spice Girls after their comeback tour ended at Wembley Stadium, London. She had been their support act.

She was seen leaving Wembley at 5am on Sunday with a group of friends and Spice Girl Mel B. It has been reported they continued the party at a nearby hotel until at least 7am, less than 12 hours before her scheduled Festival appearance.

Although she arrived at the Festival, she suddenly announced she would not be performing, leaving Mr

Giddings to pick up the pieces.

Later Mr. Giddings told the Daily Mirror: “It shows no regards for people that bought a ticket. It’s so sad that an artist would do that to their fans. She’s let them down.

She will never be booked to play the Isle of Wight again.”

It is thought that almost immediately after the Festival finished, Mr. Giddings left for a holiday abroad.

Ms Glynne claimed, on social media: “I got ready and was about to head to stage, but I just couldn’t do it. I was incredibly weak and full of anxiety. I can’t help that my body sometimes gives up on me. I am so, so gutted, sorry and upset I couldn’t perform. I’m sure many of

you out there haven’t been well a day in your life and not been able to go to work."

But one person who saw her said: “Jess was sitting in the dressing room and it was quite apparent that she was incapable of getting on stage. It wasn’t because she was ‘exhausted’.”

Many festivalgoers took to social media to vent their frustration. One wrote: "Loads of people and kids upset because you pulled out last minute, not cool.” Another wrote: "Spent all weekend in the wet cold mud and rain, for her not to turn up.

Gutted.”

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21st June 2019

The Party at the Zoo to raise funds for lion pair TV Countryfile presenter and renowned naturalist, Chris Packham, along with the Isle of Wight Zoo team, will be throwing The Party at the Zoo on Friday, July 5.

The Party at the Zoo promises to be a fascinating evening of fundraising and fun with all proceeds going to the Wildheart Trust and the New Lion Enclosure Project.

Readers will recall that in February the Isle of Wight Zoo welcomed two lions, Kumba and Vigo, who were voluntarily given up by a Spanish circus. As circus lions, they had spent their first few years cooped up together in a lorry trailer as they travelled across Europe.

While at the circus, the lions were both neutered and had their claws removed.

Not only is this unkind, it also prevents some of their natural behaviours.

As a further consequence, neither has a mane. The growth of the lions’ mane is controlled by the hormone testosterone, and neutering prevents the production of that hormone, hence no mane. It is also the reason that they have grown so large.

In order to ensure their immediate relocation, the zoo housed them in temporary facilities, while they raise funds for a purpose-built home. Since acquiring them, the zoo has come to realise that this home needs to be supersized due to the enormous stature of the lion brothers.

Wilmott Dixon Construction has chosen the Isle of Wight Zoo as their community partner in 2019 and has offered to help by designing and agreeing to build purpose-built accommodation for these two majestic beasts. However, the Wildheart Trust has to raise the funds to buy the materials.

The Party at the Zoo is an opportunity to launch the fundraising. Chris Packham will be giving a series of animal talks, while fellow trustee and founder of the Wildheart Trust, Charlotte Corney, will be giving talks on the history of the Isle of Wight Zoo, and on the conservation the zoo undertakes both in the UK and abroad.

The Hawk Conservancy will be demonstrating natural behaviours of the raptors they are bringing, along with information on birds in the wild, and the zoo animal team will be offering information and demonstrations on animal welfare and keeping rescued big cats after the terrible abuse they had sustained from their previous circus owners. They will also be demonstrating how the zoo health checks the cats without having to sedate them.

In addition to the extensive talks and demonstrations, the zoo will welcome Derek Sandy, the Island’s most recognisable musical talent and newly appointed Ambassador, who will play an acoustic set whilst those in attendance

can enjoy some street food and a drink.

The Party at the Zoo will be held from 6 to 9pm. As this is an essential fundraiser, tickets are £40 per person and can be purchased from the zoo's website, www.isleofwightzoo.com. If anyone prefers to buy a ticket in person or over the phone, then they can either call (01983) 214462 or drop in to the zoo between 10am and 5pm.

Benches provide reminder

Three beautifully carved benches have been placed in a prime position in Yarmouth as a permanent reminder to the town’s staging of the Old Gaffers Festival for 20 years.

The benches were the idea of former Festival committee members, including Debbie Cotton, the main organiser of the hugely popular event, which ended in 2017.

Debbie said: “I thought it would be a nice reminder of the Old Gaffers if we had a bench placed in Yarmouth.

Initially it started off as just one bench, and everyone thought it would be an ordinary bench with a plaque on it. But I managed to find this amazing wood sculptor, who lives on the Island, and

he carved me these really beautiful benches.

The benches have been placed on the Green, close to the Yarmouth Sailing Club, and Debbie said: “They were only installed earlier this week, but even in that short time so many people have commented on how much they like them. In fact, they have been so well received, that I am now thinking of commissioning three more.”

The benches were carved by renowned wood sculptor Paul Sivell from Shorwell, who has completed many amazing sculptures across the Island. Debbie continued: “All three benches are different, but with the Old Gaffers, and countryside themes. One is a tribute

to the Old Gaffers boats, which also includes a big, rolling wave, and also has ‘Yarmouth Old Gaffers Festival 19972017’ carved on the front of the seat.

“Another is what I call the ‘fox’ bench, made especially for the children in Yarmouth. It shows a fox curled up on the end of the seat; and the third one is a ‘woodland’ bench, with giant leaves carved on it.”

Although the Old Gaffers Festival was a free-to-enter event, it always tried to raise funds for the local community.

When it was decided the Festival was to end, some money that was still in the kitty was handed out to several causes, and the rest was held back to fund the bench sculptures.

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Ex-leadership contender comes to Isle of Wight Ex Conservative leadership contender and former Brexit Secretary, Dominic Raab, has spoken with members of the Isle of Wight Conservative and Unionist Association. The meeting, held at Shanklin Conservative Club, was a sell out, with members of all ages and both sexes in attendance, including a group from the Young Conservatives.

Mr. Raab initially received 28 votes from MPs in the Conservative leadership ballot, coming in sixth place. He was, however, then knocked out of the Tory leadership race in the next ballot of MPs on Tuesday 18.

Yesterday (Thursday 20) the race narrowed down to two candidates, Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt, with Mr Johnson the clear favourite to become the next Prime Minister.

Cllr. Stephen Hastings, who was present at the meeting, said:

“Now that we are down to the last two candidates, I think all members of the party must be supportive of anyone who comes through as leader. However in my opinion Dominic Raab should be made Brexit Secretary; he’s been there before, looked our European negotiating partners in the eye and knows what needs to be done.

He was previously prevented from taking actions he felt were necessary as Brexit Secretary and resigned on principle. Under a new Prime Minister who believes in Brexit clearly that will change and he is the right man for the job.”

On the question as to whether Boris Johnson was certain to succeed Theresa May as Prime Minister, Cllr. Hastings said: “Experience often tells us that favourites do not always come through in internal Conservative Party elections.”

Dominic Raab (left) with Cllr. Stephen Hastings

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21st June 2019

Police appeal after Newport car ‘fireball’

An investigation has been launched after a Renault Megane was reportedly set on fire in Newport in the early hours of last Tuesday.

The owner of the car, Robert Chalk, said his livelihood had been affected by the blaze as his tools and painting equipment were in the boot of the vehicle at the time his car caught alight. The fire also destroyed his personal belongings and those of his children.

Robert said he had been woken up by the sound of banging at around two in

the morning. The police then informed him that his car had caught fire and the blaze had been put out by the fire service. Robert believes the fire had been started deliberately as a petrol can was found near the vehicle. CCTV footage of the incident apparently shows an explosion and fireball.

Anyone with information about this incident, which occurred at Little London in Newport at around 2am on June 11, should call police on 101, quoting reference 44190198519.

Sandown should not be let down by derelict buildings At Monday evenings meeting of Sandown Town Council, Cllr Ian Ward asked the Council to take action on derelict buildings in the town and that this could make a huge difference to Sandown.

He felt that with so much commercial investment going into the town, such as the Sandham Gardens leisure facility, Premier Inn and the Wight City development that the town should not be let down by the owners of a few derelict properties.

Cllr Ward asked that the Council write to the owners of these buildings asking them to explain their plans and timescales and even meet with the town councillors so they could discuss the issues. A couple of other properties were suggested by residents attending the meeting and town councillors who all supported the proposal.

Esplanade Volkswagen owners meet up Who loves their Volkswagen and wants to show it off and meet with VW enthusiasts on the Island? The owners of Vintage, Modified, Classic or Performance Volkswagens are all invited to go along to

show their cars. The forecourt will be cleared to make room for you and your beloved vehicles. This is a free event and all are welcome on June 23, 11am - 2pm at Airfield Way, Cowes.

IW author Wioletta Greg to release second novel Acclaimed Polish author and adopted Islander, Wioletta Greg (Grzegorzewska), is to release her second novel, Accomodations.

Wioletta has written six volumes of poetry and the novel, Swallowing Mercury. She was born in Polish village and has lived in the UK since 2006. One of her poetry collections was shortlisted for the 2015 Griffin Poetry Prize, and Swallowing Mercury was listed for the Main Booker Prize in 2017.

Wioletta has lived on the Isle of Wight for over 10 years and has featured the Island in her writing. One of her poems is called Bezsenność w Ryde (Sleepless in Ryde) and another of her works is entitled, Notatnik z wyspy (Notes from an Island). She was recently featured in the new book, The Isle of Wight’s Missing Chapter, by James Rayner.

When asked by the IW Observer why she had emigrated from Poland to England, Wioletta said: “I’ve read English novels all my life. I was brought

up on Jack London and Charles Dickens.

I was taught to believe the myth of the rich, wonderful west.”

Wioletta describes her first experience of the Isle of Wight as follows: “I remember my first taste of the Isle of Wight. It was Minghella’s ice cream, from a shop on Ryde Esplanade, the ice cream of an immigrant like myself, who had come to you from Italy.”

When asked how long she would like to stay on the Island, Wioletta said: “I would love to stay here for the rest of my life. My daughter, Julia, was born in the hospital in Newport. I have seen many world cities, including San Francisco and New York; I spent three years living on the Thames Estuary, but the Isle of Wight always struck me as being the most beautiful. There is something magical here; we can see robins, red squirrels and many different kinds of wild birds; we can also come across traces of ancient Rome, when the Island was called ‘Vectis’.”

New restaurant to open in Yarmouth A new restaurant in Yarmouth will be run by the owners of one of the Island’s top hotels, William and Greg Bailey. The Royal Hotel, Ventnor, has taken over the lease of the former Yarmouth Spice restaurant, which closed at the start of the year. The new restaurant, situated above the Wightlink office, will be called the Terrace.

The Terrace will have a relaxed, family-friendly dining atmosphere serving breakfast, lunch and dinner with a refurbished New England style theme. It will also be

blessed with sunset views over Yarmouth harbour and the Solent, and boat owners will be able to moor up and walk 20 yards to their table.

The Terrace will feature local produce and fish from the Island and Solent region, combined with dishes inspired from award winning restaurants along the South Coast.

The team from the new hotel are currently recruiting local Island-based team members, including a General Manager and Head Chef.

Wioletta’s new novel, Accommodations, follows its heroine, Wiola, in her new independence in the city of Czestochowa. She moves between a hostel and a nuns' convent brimming with secrets, taking in the stories of those around her. In the same striking prose that drew readers to her critically acclaimed debut, Accommodations navigates Wiola’s winding path to self-discovery.

Her first novel, Swallowing Mercury, was published to great critical acclaim.

The Financial Times wrote: “Wioletta Greg's first novella shines with a surreal and unsettling vigour”. The New York Times said of her work that it: "Achieves a form of literary alchemy that mesmerizes."

Wioletta’s Swallowing Mercury is available to buy online at Amazon, Waterstones and W H Smiths.

Accommodations will be available to purchase on Amazon from July 2.

21st June 2019

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Battle to beat the scammers

Join the Biosphere Island Mardi Gras celebration More than 1,000 participants will take to the streets of Ryde for New Carnival Company’s spectacular IW Mardi Gras on Saturday, June 29. The local Biosphere Island theme supports IW Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’s bid for the IW to become a UNESCO Global Biosphere. Everyone is invited to watch this colourful parade, filled with music and dance, and join the party to celebrate everything that makes our incredible Island so special.

Participating local schools and community groups have been working under headings, including wildlife, landscape and recreation, with schools

selecting subjects they can link to the National Curriculum. All have been partnered with a local heritage, cultural or environmental organisation such as Dinosaur Isle, iWatch Wildlife, Briddlesford Lodge Farm or the Shipwreck Centre to learn about their topic from the experts, and receive support and information to inspire their creative costume designs.

Frankie Goldspink, creative director at the New Carnival Company, said: “Everyone has been working hard to create a parade that celebrates the best the Island has to offer.

Schools, community groups and

partner organisations have been really embracing the concept of Biosphere, and getting everyone to feel a part of it. We can’t wait to showcase this creativity to the public on June 29.”

This vibrant parade will be representing the many elements that make our beautiful Island unique, from wall lizards and fossils to Carisbrooke Castle and Bouldnor Forest. The NCC’s 2019 Mardi Gras work is supported by IW AONB, Arts Council England, East Wight Landscape Partnership 'Down to the Coast' and Ryde Town Council.

Isle of Wight man’s MBE for combating extremism A Shanklin man has been awarded an MBE for his work in preventing extremism and hate crime in Portsmouth.

Charlie Pericleous, 39, who went to Sandown High School, has been honoured in the Queen's Birthday Honours List. Charlie has been the coordinator tackling violent extremism for Portsmouth City Council since 2015.

As part of his work, he was responsible for the response to six Portsmouth residents leaving the city to fight for Isis in Syria. Five of the six men are believed dead, and the one who returned was imprisoned under counter-terrorism laws.

Before working at the Council,

Charlie spent five years at Hampshire Constabulary, coordinating police responses to missing people, hate crime and supporting vulnerable adults, and was awarded police staff member of the year for his work.

In 2015, he was invited to join the EU's radicalisation awareness network and since then has travelled to Berlin, Vienna, and Barcelona to represent Portsmouth and share expertise. He also formed part of an EU delegation to Ankara, Turkey, in 2018, to discuss city responses to extremism.

Charlie has secured EU funding to begin a three-year project with European partners to combat violent extremism and has welcomed visits

from UK government ministers and the US Congress to discuss radicalisation.

As well as being a contributory author to published works on international territorial disputes and world political parties, Charlie is currently a NSPCC volunteer in the schools service, and has a passion for community engagement and environmental protection.

Charlie said: "It's an unexpected honour and privilege to receive this award, I've been hugely proud to work in Portsmouth for 15 years.

“It's a great city and this award is a recognition of all the fantastic work that our organisations and communities do every day to support and keep people in Portsmouth safe.”

Citizens Advice and Trading Standards have been running a Scam Awareness fortnight over the past two weeks, under the slogan: “Stop, report, talk: Be #scamaware”.

The Isle of Wight Against Scams Partnership (IWASP) encouraging people to talk about their experiences and look out for others, particularly more vulnerable people, after the fortnight comes to an end on June 23. Citizen’s Advice, Isle of Wight, has trained three specialist Scam Awareness Advisers to continue to raise the awareness of scams.

Citizen’s Advice claim that six in 10 people have been approached by a scammer in the last two years. Worryingly, of those targeted, only 30 per cent of people spoke to anyone about it. Furthermore, only four in 10 people report scams.

More than half of all scams reported to the Citizen’s Advice consumer service in the last year used well-established, offline methods. These classic tactics from the scammers’ playbook include unsolicited doorstep selling, mail and cold calling, and saw people lose an average of almost £3,000.

Fraudsters using these methods are known to overwhelmingly target older, more vulnerable people, who are less likely to report the scam. However, ‘life established’ (people in the mid 40s-60s age range) are also likely to fall victim.

Paul Savill, Chief Officer of Citizen’s Advice, Isle of Wight, said: “Our message to people on the Isle of Wight is 'Stop report, talk: Be #scamaware’ .

“We’re finding that although many people have come into contact with scammers, very few people are speaking up about this issue.

“People can sometimes feel foolish or embarrassed reporting their experiences, but sadly this means perpetrators are getting away scot-free.

“In reality, all of us can have the bad luck of being targeted with a scam. We hope this Scams Awareness campaign, and our continued support with our Specialist Scam Awareness Advisers, will encourage people to share their stories and learn tips to stop scammers from running off with people’s money.”

Other scams come in emails. One resident reported receiving two scam emails from 'Service Support' at email address aquarius26250@hotmail.com regarding annual tax refunds and TV licence refunds. The HMRC is urging any recipients to forward the scam email, without fully opening any of its content to them at phishing@hmrc.gov.uk and they will acknowledge your email.

Isle of Wight residents can also use the IWASP website at www. iow.gov.uk/Council/OtherServices/IWASP/Introductio14/ to check on the current crop of scams.

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21st June 2019

RNLI rescue speedboat Cowes RNLI lifeboat was launched into the Solent on Monday evening, following reports of a speedboat going around in circles because of a steering problem.

The 14-ft boat, with two young men on board, was reported to be in trouble in Thorness Bay. When the lifeboat arrived, it found the small open craft had not only lost its steering but was also filling with water. The speedboat was towed back to Cowes.

Christ the King College wins award for exchange study

Carisbrooke College clamps down on too short skirts Several Carisbrooke College students have been put into isolation this week for wearing school skirts which were considered by the school to be too short. Students who had acceptablelength skirts at home were sent home to change, but those who did not were continuing to do their school work in isolation.

Around 35 students were identified for not wearing the correct uniform. Others were wearing nail varnish, which they were requested to remove, and some were wearing black jeans instead of trousers.

Carisbrooke College Head, Matthew Parr-Burnam, claimed that nothing had changed with regard to the school’s uniform policy, which had been in

operation since 2011, when the school system was reorganised.

Mr Parr-Burnam said: “We took our eye off the ball with regard to uniforms when we moved into our new building in spring. We then became conscious that uniform standards had dropped.

Therefore, we had to remind parents and students of our expectations.

“On Monday, we spoke to just over 30 students, which is just five per cent of the 600 students in the college.

The numbers wearing unacceptable uniforms has now been reduced to single figures. No one has been excluded, although some students have been put into isolation. We wouldn’t exclude students over this. Anyone who was asked to go home did so with the

agreement of their parents to pick up the correct uniform.

“The vast majority of comments by parents over the uniform issue have been positive. Part of education is insisting on high standards of presentation.”

The short skirt issue is nothing new at the Carisbrooke site even if the response now differs. A former pupil, who attended Carisbrooke over 50 years ago, from 1958 to 63, said that in those days the girls’ Deputy Head, Mrs. Wilkinson, would have the girls remain after assembly and kneel on the hall floor. Any girl whose skirt did not touch the floor was sent to the Home Economics classroom to take down their hems themselves.

An award has been presented to Christ the King College Sixth Form for Global Education Excellence by EF for their provision to International students on a High School Exchange Year.

Annually, the sixth form hosts between six and 16 international students for a year’s study in the UK. The sixth form college have now been formally recognised for their contribution to global education. EF were particularly impressed by the pastoral care provided to their students, and the communication they receive from the team in the sixth form at Christ the King College.

Mrs Conway-Hughes, the

head of sixth form, said: “We are delighted to receive this award. We try to provide very high standards of care to all of our students, and this is especially important to those living, often for the first time, many miles away from their homes and families.

It is always our privilege to host International students, they add a certain cosmopolitan diversity to our sixth form family. Long may it continue.”

Arts Cafe Asda grant Independent Arts Creative Cafe received an Asda Foundation grant of £852.90. The money was spent on buying three new sewing machines for the ladies in the creative group to use on sewing projects.

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Open day at Vectis Radio Vectis Radio’s next regular monthly Coffee morning/ Open Day is on Saturday July 6 from 10am to 12 midday.

Come along to the Vectis Radio studio at the Riverside Centre and see behind the scenes how it all works, chat to some of the presenters and each other. You may even go

Hovertravel helps clean up beach A team of volunteer litterpickers from Hovertravel mucked in to help rid Ryde beach of rubbish, in their third consecutive month of beach cleans.

Hovertravel’s HoverGreen approach is a staff-led initiative which identifies ways in which the business can use its resources to help the local environment. One of the first suggestions from the teams was to ask for volunteers for a monthly

beach clean.

The latest beach clean collected some of the biggest items so far, with a car tyre and a random piece of glass fibre being retrieved from the shore near Hovertravel’s Ryde terminal. The team also found nappies, tea bags and a random silicon-filled pouch alongside the usual sweet wrappers and cans.

HoverGreen Ambassador at Hovertravel, Chris Davis, said: “The beach is such a

lovely scenic location and we found we made a difference in just over an hour. Bringing people together from across the 85 staff in the business meant involving people from both terminals and across all departments. We even had staff come in on their day off. It was so satisfying to know that our efforts are improving the environment for both residents and visitors.”

Hovercraft Museum free entry to Island residents

The world’s only hovercraft museum is throwing open its doors to Isle of Wight residents. Hovertravel will fly you from Ryde over to Lee-on-Solent in the morning and then back to Ryde in the afternoon, giving you over four hours in the Hovercraft Museum for £10 return.

Tomorrow (Saturday), Hovertravel will operate a departure from Ryde at 10.30am, arriving in Lee-On-Solent at 10.45.

The Hovercraft Museum is directly opposite where the hovercraft lands, so customers can cross the road and start looking around immediately. There are over 50 hovercraft and exhibits, four of which are listed on the National Historic Ships Register, and visitors will be guided through the story of the evolution of the hovercraft, from its original tin-can beginnings to the behemoths, which

carried cars and customers across the English Channel, through to the current craft which operate today.

Along the way, the military and movie applications of hovercraft are explained, as is their part in exploring and safeguarding some of the most inaccessible coastlines on the planet.

This year, the museum is also celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the Hovercraft and the 50th Anniversary of the naming and launching of the giant SR-N4, The Princess Anne.

Run and supported entirely by volunteers, the purpose of the museum centres around enjoyment, education and inspiration by sight, sound, touch and understanding. For further details, please visit the museum’s website: www.hovercraft-museum.org/

live on air.

Find out more about the multi award winning 4Ps Training School and the successes of the young people who have taken part.

Much better than shopping!

See some of the 4Ps students in action.

Enjoy a cuppa and some

biscuits. All we ask is for a minimum £1 donation to keep your community radio station running.

Plus you can now buy a Vectis Radio lanyard for only £2 with a free car sticker.

There is free parking too. See you there.

Do you need cash?

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Interested? Call 01983 214264

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Support Open Day to help Freshwater ILS stay afloat Freshwater Independent Lifeboat Station will be holding its first Open Day of the year at The Boathouse in Freshwater Bay, on Sunday (June 23) from 10.30am.

The event gives people the opportunity to have a look around the station and the lifeboat - provided it is not called out on an emergency. The crew will also be on hand to give information about the work they do.

The Open Day runs until 4.30pm, and other attractions include a Teddy Tombola, Hook a Duck, Treasure Hunt, and sales of books, pottery and driftwood. There will also be homemade cakes for sale, along with tea, coffee, squash and ice creams.

Freshwater Independent Lifeboat is one of only three such voluntary organisations on the Island, along with Ryde Independent and Sandown and Shanklin Independent, not to be confused with RNLI lifeboats.

The service does not receive funding from the RNLI or the Government.

The operations are entirely funded by the local community through a mix of donations, local business sponsorship, and local community grants.

The Freshwater organisation operates two lifeboats and two fast rescue craft, and is on call to the Coast Guard 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The FILB station covers an area up to 30 miles off shore from Hurst Point to St Catherine’s

point.

The station deals with around 20 emergencies each year, often saving lives at sea. But their efforts do not come cheaply, even though their crew and staff are all volunteers.

The replacement cost of the offshore lifeboat is £300,000; the D-Class is £50,000; and each jet ski is £15,000.

On top of that each crew members needs to be fitted out with a lifejacket, helmet, foul weather jacket, trousers and protective boots, at an overall cost approaching £2,000.

So it costs around £100,000 a year to keep all four lifeboats in prime condition, and ready to go out and save lives at a moment’s notice.

Bookstall raises £500 Waterproofs sell well for Brainy Bunch over Festival weekend The Wight Brainy Bunch Bookstall at Ryde Tesco’s ran for two weeks, raising £501.56 for the charity, which s u p p o r t s f a m i l i e s affected by brain tumours across the Isle of Wight.

Founder of the charity, Kathryn Grimes, said: “We put out a plea for good quality books several weeks ago, and we were inundated with donations, many of which were brand new. I think the quality of books has been reflected in the amazing amount raised, and we would like to thank everyone who

donated or purchased a book and in particular, Jan Gibson, Community Champion, who works tirelessly to support dozens of small charities like ours.”

To find out more about the charity, visit: www. thewightbrainybunch.org.uk

The torrential downpours that preceded the IW Festival at the weekend had a silver lining for one group of Island residents – shop owners with waterproof boots and jackets for sale in their businesses.

Ruby Holbrook, a shop assistant at Shoe Zone in Ryde, said that on Friday her shop had taken nearly £3,000 in sales from festivalgoers, whose first purchase after stepping on to the Island was a pair of wellington boots.

Dorian Holmes, Manager of Skintrade in St Thomas’ Square in Newport, said he had sold between 50 and 75 pairs of Hunter boots, costing around £100 each. He had also managed to sell 20 or so Hunter jackets. He said that the bulk of the business in waterproof items was on the Thursday of the festival.

A shop assistant at Bernards Shoes, of Upper St James’ Street, Newport, said their shop had sold over 30 pairs of wellingtons by Saturday lunchtime, and that they had run out of sizes 9 and 12.

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Tit-bits are barking mad!

Research by pet food manufacturer, Royal Canin, has indicated that dinner table titbits are fuelling doggy obesity, with dogs on the Island munching their way through 54,000 calories in extra treats every year.

Royal Canin analysed the feeding habits of 2,000 dog owners. The research found that the extra calories an average dog on the Island is being fed in titbits adds up to a staggering 54,000 calories each year.

If a medium-sized dog were to overeat at this rate, it would be the equivalent of a human eating 340 cheeseburgers, 1,310 chocolate chip cookies or 360 ice creams every year, in addition to their regular meals. Small dogs are worse off still, with their yearly overeating equating to 1362 hash browns, 1065 sugar doughnuts or 717 slices of pizza, in human food terms.

As well as an astonishing amount of overeating, the study also revealed some of the more calorific foods owners admitted to feeding their dogs.

Just some of the foods dog owners have admitted to feeding their pet in the past six months includes crisps, sausage rolls, hot dogs, cake, ice cream, shepherd’s pie, burgers and Chinese takeaways.

When it comes to what foods dogs are eating, different foods can affect dogs’ health in different ways.

Dairy, for example, is amongst the top food allergens for dogs, so feeding ice-cream, milk or yoghurt could lead to diarrhoea or other digestive issues.

Hannah Poile, Scientific Communications Manager for Royal Canin Canine Care Nutrition, said: “The research has brought to light some shocking results and shows that we could be loving our dogs a little bit too much. By highlighting the differences between a human’s nutritional needs and their pet’s, we hope to enable owners to better understand the needs of their animal. The four most commonly fed titbits are different varieties of meat, which you could assume are the healthy choice. However, these foods could easily lead to digestive upset, weight gain, or even skin issues.

“Portion size is also really important.

A medium-sized dog needs almost 50% fewer calories than its owner to maintain a healthy weight and shape.

Giving this size dog just one sausage roll could amount to over a third of its daily calorie requirements, so it’s really easy for this to quickly add up and result in a pet becoming overweight in a relatively short space of time.

“As well as the obvious dangers of obesity such as heart disease and joint conditions, these foods can also be linked to many other health problems including digestive issues, skin problems and tooth decay.”

Isle of Wight Pearl Nurdle Hunt, but what’s a Nurdle?

Isle of Wight Pearl, in partnership with Planet Aware IOW, undertook a Nurdle Hunt along the beach at Chilton Chine.

23 people took part on the afternoon of Saturday, June 16, collecting rubbish and helping to find nurdles But what are nurdles? Nurdles are small pellets measuring about 2-5mm. They are used to create new plastic products. The Great Nurdle Hunt helps monitor their spread within our oceans and their effects.

Nurdles are easily mistaken for food and ingested by sea birds and animals. They get trapped in the animals’ stomach, which prevents them from eating real food. They are toxic, and a worryingly large amount of them are being found in sea birds, fish and other animals.

The nurdle hunt was a success, with four types of nurdles found, which have been logged on the Great British Nurdle Hunt map to aid the research.

Isle of Wight Pearl said: “We shall continue to strive to work with our beautiful landscape to protect the environment. We are lucky to be part of such a wonderful and beautiful island and if we all can do our bit to help, we will succeed.”

Further information about nurdles can be found by contacting Planet Aware IOW and on the Great British Nurdle Hunt website.

The Isle of Wight organisation, Planet Aware, will be sending out volunteers to spend the entire day on June 27, walking and collecting beach rubbish from 10 miles of the south coast of the Island to raise money for WasteAid.

Support your local businesses. Shop local if you can!

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‘One of the best years’

‘I would love to come back’

John Giddings

Fat Boy Slim

What a great weekend...

They arrived on the Isle of Wight in their tens of thousands, many clad in short and wellies, not knowing what to expect weather-wise. But they all knew that come rain or shine, they were at this year’s Isle of Wight Festival to enjoy themselves - and how they did!

A few showers on Thursday afternoon and evening did not dampen the spirits of the revellers, who travelled from all across Britain and beyond to join Island music fans at the annual bonanza.

The muddy areas on site quickly dried up, and it didn’t matter whether you were a Main Stage addict, or preferred the sights and sounds of the Big Top, Electro Love, and the rest, there was something for all tastes.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Bob Dylan’s appearance at the second Isle of Wight Festival, hundreds wore fancy dress costumes depicting 1969 styles, and many artists paid tribute to

Dylan, while on stage. Tom Chaplin, lead singer of Keane, even gave a short rendition of the Dylan classic ‘Blowing in the Wind’ during the group’s captivating performance in the Big Top. The top of the ferris wheel provided the perfect viewing point across the Festival acres at Seaclose Park, Newport, while the more daring ventured onto the spinning pod-like contraption that left their heads spinning just as fast.

Music from the likes of Fat Boy Slim, George Ezra, Biffy Clyro, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and Madness perfectly complemented to the spectacle, along with many other quality acts. At the end of it all, who really cared whether Jess Glynne threw a backstage tantrum?

John Giddings and his team, Festival organisers since its re-birth in 2002, pulled it off again, with a spectacular event that will live long in the memory.

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21st June 2019

‘Please find me some salt’

‘I didn’t think I’d ever get invited’

Tom Walker

Rick Astley

‘I thought today feels good’ George Ezra

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Festival photos by: Chris Cornford Words by: Peter White

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Noel Gallagher takes the helm on Wightlink ferry Former Oasis frontman, Noel Gallagher, took the helm on the bridge of a Wightlink ferry as he sailed across the Solent ahead of the Isle of Wight Festival, where he performed with his band, ‘Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds’, on Friday night.

The singer-songwriter, and author of hits such as Don’t Look Back in Anger and Wonderwall, chatted to passengers on board, including a certain Jim Gallagher, who reportedly told the singer he thought they could be distant relatives.

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IW County Show SUNDAY JUNE 30, 2019 Entry fee £10.00 on the day (under 16s - Free!*) *With a paying adult

see the Join Today and benefits The RIWAS is a registered charity supporting Island agriculture and the conservation of the natural environment. Joining the society helps them continue their work which includes supporting Island students who study agriculture. You can join at the County Show, to gain access to the Members’ Pavilion, a great spot to watch events in the main ring in comfort.

Membership benefits include : • Discounted Wightlink tickets for car and foot passengers. 50% discount on freight bookings.

• Free entry to the County Show with forward car parking, access to the Members’ Pavilion and the chance to book a table for lunch.

• Reduced entrance fees for Equine and Livestock classes at the Show.

• Invitations to other events throughout the year.

• Full membership is £30, joint membership is £50 with youth membership (21 and under) £17.

• Memberships paid by standing order will receive a £2 discount.

A rural day out for the family The Royal Isle of Wight County Show promises to be a right rural day out, with animal parades, falconry displays, and lots of activities, including clay pigeon shooting and tractor rides. It’s headlined by the Household Cavalry, who are currently starring in the ITV series, Her Majesty’s Cavalry. But there’s plenty to see and do aside from the main acts. The event timetable and map are printed overleaf so you can plan your day in advance.

Chairman of the Royal Isle of Wight County Show, Graham Biss, promises the show of the summer on Sunday, June 30.

Graham said: “Get here early to make the most of the day. The gates open at 9am and there’s a lot to pack in before the cows go home at 5pm.”

Visitors should also make a point of getting around the trade stands to find some interesting displays and delicious food. The Island Art Area should not be missed; this year it has a nautical theme.

There is a preview drinks reception on

June 29 at 6pm. Tickets are £5 a head; no booking is needed; just turn up and enjoy the work of the exceptionally talented Island artists. The ‘I Love Wight’ Makers Market will also be showcasing the work of the Island’s best makers and designers, with everything created on the Isle of Wight.

If all this enjoyment is making you feel peckish then pop along to the Isle of Wight Federation of Women’s Institutes marquee and enjoy a cream tea or a slice of one (or perhaps more) of their wonderful range of homemade delicious cakes. Last year they ran out of cakes, so make sure you get there before that happens.

Organisers suggest that, if visitors are either bikers or walkers, they should head for the Red Squirrel trail that runs between Cowes and Newport, and turn off at Medham and follow the designated paths.

There’s a special entrance for everyone who walks or uses sustainable transport. Non-motorised visitors should

head for the White Entrance to beat the queues. There’s also bike parking at the Showground next to the White Entrance.

For those coming by car, there’s a free car park with designated disabled parking. However, it is easier for visitors to use the park and ride at Somerton (off the Aldi Roundabout at Cowes) or at the Isle of Wight College in Newport. The No 1 bus will drop visitors right outside the Showground.

Southern Vectis is offering a deal for the day: a County Show Group Rover, which will take groups of up to five all over the Island for just £15 for 24 hours unlimited travel. Group tickets may be booked through the clickit2ride App from Monday, June 17.

Tickets are available online now from iwcountyshow.co.uk for £9 for adults (or £10 on the gate), and it’s free for U16s with a paying adult. Well behaved dogs are also welcome as long as they remain on a lead at all times.

Graham Biss, Chairman with Hazel Moody’s sheep, Judith and Lamb Chop

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Fun for all at County Show There is something for all the family to enjoy at the County Show. The Household Cavalry will be the headliners this year, but as this timetable shows, the day is full of activity.

Animals and livestock will always be right at the heart of the show, so you can see how a cow is milked, a sheep shorn or even practice calf handling yourself. And if you want to keep chickens in the garden there is expert help at hand. The falconry display is always worth watching, even if sometimes an un-cooperative bird fails to return. Showjumping and pony club classes show off the skills of horse-loving Islanders.

The chainsaw carving and tractor parade provide some non-animal related entertainment. But most of all just come along to meet old friends, make new ones, and have fun.

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Queen’s Cavalry: beyond wildest dreams The County Show has improved greatly over the last few years as we seek to restore it to its former glory. With limited resources we have looked to improve all aspects of the Show and this year we wanted to have a headline act in the Main Ring. Something new to the Island, something exciting, and something Islanders would really want to see. We hit the jackpot when the Household Cavalry said yes to our invitation.

Inviting them was the easy bit.

Immediately we received a lengthy list of their requirements, understandable as they normally perform at national and international events. Many of their needs we simply do not have, or could not afford, however undeterred we spoke to Wightfibre, who immediately agreed to help. Without their support we wouldn’t have been able to bring them to the Island. Bit by bit we

put together a proposal. The Island Riding Centre offered us stabling, no mean feat when accommodation for 27 horses is needed with a double stable for the drum horse, plus the whole troop. Seaview Services agreed together with Wightlink to bring the men across the Solent. Last but not least the WI stepped forward and offered to feed the troop during their visit to the Show.

Initially I think the Household Cavalry were

slightly bemused by our approach, but they now appreciate that their visit to the Island is going to be different, and have embraced the idea that we want them to become fully involved with all aspects of the Show.

In addition to their two performances in the Main Ring at 11.00 and 2pm, they have agreed to enter the Rural Careers Fund Big Bale Challenge, speak in the Theatre about life in the Household Cavalry, pose for photographs

throughout the day and generally be part of the Show.

We therefore hope the commitment and hard work of the Show Committee and our partners will be rewarded by everyone turning up at the County Show on June 30 to show our visitors what a right royal day out on the Isle of Wight looks like.

Tickets can be purchased in advance at www. iwcountyshow.co.uk

A brief history of the County New Island law office offering Show - 145 years old 2019 Isle of Wight County Show - Headline Sponsors

Islanders free legal advice Lawdit Solicitors, headline sponsor of the County Show, is opening a new office in the heart of Newport. Principal Michael Coyle lives in Wootton and a conversation on the Red Jet with Newport-based trainee solicitor Mark Reed led to a decision that time and money spent commuting to Lawdit’s Southampton offices could be put to better use.

They bring impressive credentials. Michael is a Solicitor Advocate, one of a select group of legal experts qualified to represent clients as an advocate in the higher courts. He holds a Masters of Law degree, guest lectures at Solent University and has taught at the Academy of Music in Guildford.

Mark is Island born and bred and is Lawdit’s first Island trainee solicitor. He blends an interest in technology with his passion for the law, conducting research projects and giving talks on Blockchain technology. He represented Solent University at Oxford University in a national mooting competition (presenting legal arguments in court).

Michael said: “Like many successful law firms Lawdit found a niche in specialist areas, including trade marks, music law, copyright and intellectual property law. However, I really miss everyday legal work such as litigation, family law, property transactions and wills. We are friendly and approachable but don’t just take my word for it, we are offering Island residents an introductory free one-hour

consultation on any legal matter and if you take things further, there’s a special hourly rate of £125 for myself and £75 for Mark.”

Mark, whose legal knowledge is bang up to date, added: “The Island office is an exciting project. We have access to our team of lawyers in Southampton, so will be able to advise Islanders on practically any issue. And our expertise in copyright and intellectual property may prove useful to the Island’s creative community. The whole Lawdit team will be at the show helping out in Lawdit t-shirts; don’t be shy, stop them and have a chat.”

Lawdit’s new office will open in July in St Thomas’ Square, Newport. In the meantime you can contact Lawdit on (02380) 235979 or speak directly to Michael on 07976 724258.

The Royal Isle of Wight Agricultural Society, which organises the County Show, has been in existence since 1874. Queen Victoria was the first patron of the Society, and visited the Society’s annual show regularly, where she exhibited livestock from her Osborne Estate.

Queen Victoria donated the silver cups for livestock which are still in use today. On her death, her son, Edward VII, followed his mother as patron of the society Historically, the Royal Family always took a keen interest in the affairs of the Society.

On the death of Lord Eversly, Governor of the Isle of Wight, Prince Henry of Battenburg succeeded as president. In 1885, the date of the Show had to be altered as it clashed with the wedding of Prince Henry and Princess Beatrice.

The Show had always taken place in or around Newport, with the exception of the years 1888

and 1897, when the venue was Ryde. For many years, the site for the Show presented a problem, as it was held first on one field, then another. Eventually, it came to rest on the Nine Acres field in Newport, where it was able to purchase the ground securing a regular flat area with plenty of room for the Show to grow. Following this, the Society decided to purchase its present day site, the Northwood showground. The site was formally opened by Earl Mountbatten of Burma, Governor of the Isle of Wight, in 1967.

In more recent times, the annual event has had its ups and downs. There was a period when it fell into the doldrums and was nearly ended. Then, Amy Willcock together with Graham Biss came on board and, through determination and dedication and the hard work of everyone on the committee, the Show was totally revived.

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Madness break out into song on bridge of Red Funnel ferry

Madness broke out into song on the bridge of Red Funnel vessel, the Red Falcon, as frontman Suggs serenaded Captain Alice Duncan on her birthday.

Crew onboard the ferry were treated to a surprise rendition of 'Happy Birthday' as the Madness front man Suggs, and the rest of the band performed on board while they crossed the Solent from Southampton to play the main stage at the IW Festival.

Captain Alice Duncan, who has worked for Red Funnel for almost seven years and is a big fan of Madness, marked

Tom Walker with Sarah Sturrock Main Stage act Tom Walker, an ever-rising star, found himself a carton of chips to celebrate afterwards. He asked festivalgoer Sarah Sturrock if she could find some salt to go on them. Sarah replied: “With a name like yours, I thought you would have Walker’s Ready Salted!”

Annabel Giles (Right) Annabel Giles, TV and radio presenter, novelist, actress and former model, was showing her true blue colours in the VIP area.

Annabel formerly married to singer Midge Ure, was at the IW Festival to support her daughter Molly, who was organiser of the Cirque de la Quirk Tent.

her 28th birthday during the Festival.

Unfortunately, Alice didn’t manage to see the 80s band perform, but was instead surprised with a front row performance as Suggs and the band joined Alice on the ferry’s bridge.

Alice said: “My dad and I are huge fans of Madness and I’m shocked and surprised that the band came up to join the crew on the bridge to sing 'Happy Birthday' to me.

It was an amazing moment and it made up for not seeing them at this year’s festival.

This will be a birthday I won’t forget!”

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Fat Boy Slim and sheer Madness make it Festival to remember

By Peter White Fat Boy Slim, aka Norman Cook, was undoubtedly one of the sensations at this year’s Isle of Wight Festival. Norman, pioneer of the '90s big beat movement and one of the most in-demand DJs in Europe, set the Main Stage alight with his stunning light, laser and sound show.

Ahead of his breathtaking performance, I caught up with him back stage, and he told me why he had never appeared at the IW Festival before - but hopes to be back again in the future.

He said: “This is my first time here because I am friends with Rob Da Bank, who organised the Bestival, and the Isle of Wight for me has always been Bestival. I thought it would be disloyal to Robbie to do this event, but of course now Bestival is not here anymore this wasn’t a difficult decision.”

Norman also admitted he had a great slot at the Festival - the final Main Stage act on Saturday evening - following Bastille and George Ezra. He smiled: “It was worth waiting until they offered me that real peachy spot. I am delighted, but don’t know how it worked out like that.

“It is probably because mine is a lot more to do with a light show, and bands can play in daylight. To play to a crowd as big as the one here, I need the lights and lasers, which just don’t work in daylight. At a lot of festivals, I have to say ‘no offence, but unless you can get me on after dark there is no point in doing it’. So I can only assume that is why they gave me the prime position after George Ezra.”

He added: “I would love to come back. It is a really nice set-up, and because I only live just over the water in Brighton, I will make any excuse to come over to the Isle of Wight.”

After his show, he said: “I really enjoyed

that so much. What an absolutely fabulous audience they were.”

Madness, the ever-popular band headed

by Suggs, took to the Main Stage on Sunday evening, and took the place by storm exactly 40 years to the day after making their first appearance on TV’s Top of the Pops. They stole the show as they had the crowds jumping up and down to the likes of ‘Baggy Trousers’, ‘It Must Be Love’ and of course ‘Our House (in the middle of our street)’.

Unfortunately, for many young fans in particular, Jess Glynne pulled out of her scheduled appearance. It was just a pity she didn't give frustrated Festival organiser John Giddings and his team more notice.

Then, surely, John would have switched re-formed band Keane from their Big Top slot late on Sunday evening, to the Main Stage.

Formed way back in 1995, Keane announced earlier this year they were back together again after five years in the wilderness. And how they smashed it at the Festival. The band, comprising singer Tom Chaplin, Tim Rice-Oxley, Richard Hughes and Jesse Quin, entertained the packed-to-the-rafters Big Top audience with a night to remember.

The unmistakeable voice of Chaplin captivated the crowd as he sang all the Keane hits, as well as material from their new album. His renditions of 'Somewhere Only We Know' and 'Everybody's Changing', both of which reached the top four in the UK singles charts, were inevitably mesmerisingly brilliant.

Let’s hope Keane are back at the Festival again next year, and if they are, I’m sure they would be delighted to be on the Main Stage, and would not disappoint their followers by pulling out at the last minute because of fatigue!

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Bang Bang Romeo Festival organiser John Giddings was a very busy man throughout the Festival, but still found time to relax, albeit briefly, backstage with the highly impressive group Bang Bang Romeo, who entertained the Big Top audience as part of their current British and European tour. Definitely a name to remember.

Broadcaster, writer and adventurer, Ben Fogle, gave Festival campers a reminder not to leave their tents behind on site once the event was over. Clearly, the message didn’t get through to everyone.

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Former Bestival curator Rob Da Bank, wearing some quirky guitar sunglasses, was at the Festival to enjoy the Main Stage acts, which included one of his best pals, Fat Boy Slim, aka Norman Cook.

21st June 2019

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The Isle of Wight celebrates National Cream Tea Day - 2019

The many delightful tea-rooms on the Isle of Wight are celebrating ‘National Cream Tea Day’ on Friday, June 28 with a special cream tea offer. Here are some:

Browns Family Golf and Cafe: Browns Family Golf and Cafe in Sandown is a family run business in its sixth season. The cafe staff pride themselves on making all of their own cakes. They have a varied selection of scones, from chocolate to cinnamon, offered at a special price of £6 for two people for this special occasion. Browns caters for all dietary requirements offering a selection of gluten and dairy free scones.

Open until the end of October, Browns has spectacular views of the sea and while there why not enjoy a round of golf, priced at a very reasonable £6 per head?

Dimbola Tea Rooms: Once the home of the pioneer photographer Julia Margaret Cameron, Dimbola Tea Rooms offer homemade

cream teas and cakes in the beautiful Freshwater Bay. Lunches are served from 12noon and there is a special Afternoon Tea priced at £20 for two or a deluxe Afternoon Tea package which includes an alcoholic beverage for £27. They are open from 10am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

Laburnum Cottage Tearoom: Laburnum Cottage in Shanklin is renowned for its magical themed, ‘Alice in Wonderland Afternoon Teas’. They are priced at £17 per person and include sandwiches, scones, meringues, and a selection of homemade cakes.

Donna and John have successfully run the tearoom for 19 years and are passionate about delivering a memorable and magical dining experience. They also offer a cream tea for two, priced at £4.75 and cream tea for four priced at £9.00.

They cater for all dietary requirements, offering gluten and dairy free options.

Laburnum Cottage is open 10am until 4pm until October.

Calbourne Water Mill: Calbourne Water Mill is the only working mill on the Isle of Wight, and offers a delicious menu of sandwiches, pancakes, homemade soup and daily specials. They also offer a children’s menu, tea, coffee, scones and also a delicious Sunday Roast.

You can explore both the ancient oak woodlands and around the ponds.

There is also the opportunity to play golf, croquet on the lawn or feed the peacocks, doves and ducks. Family fun for all!

Smuggler’s Gardens:

Haven

Tea

Smuggler’s Haven once appeared in the Observer (the national version!) as one of the best places to visit on the Island.

The views are amazing and everything is homemade by Sandra, who has owned this hidden treasure for more than 20 years. An afternoon tea here is a real treat and you can work off the calories with a scenic coastal walk afterwards.

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21st June 2019

Hair-raising Ben earns £500 for Homes-Star There was a bit of pain but plenty of gain in a hair-raising charity effort by Island Roads traffic management operative Ben Meakin.

Ben agreed to have a full back and chest (and nostril) wax as part of a programme of events to raise cash for Isle of Wight Homes-Start, the good cause chosen by Island Roads staff as their charity of the year.

Isle of Wight HomeStart, is a charity supporting local families on the Island who are experiencing difficulties.

Ben’s colleagues Elbie Todd and Maria Escandell were quick to offer Ben their help and eagerly, and literally, tore strips off him as staff looked on.

Ben said: “It did hurt a bit. And when the hot wax went up my nostrils it made my eyes water, I must admit.

“But with a bit of soothing cream it wasn’t too bad. In fact I will be getting Elbie to wax my chest again shortly.

Greens win Town Council election

“It was all a bit of fun and I was delighted to be able to raise money for the local Homestart.”

Ben’s waxing raised over £500 for Isle of Wight Home-Start.

Joe Lever, a young father and technology designer from Newport, won the Parish byelection in Newport West for the Green Party, gaining 65.8 per cent of the votes cast.

Cllr Lever said: “I am so grateful to voters for giving me this opportunity to prove I’m worthy of their vote. I’d like to say a massive thank you to local Green Party members for their help leading up to the election.

“The local Party is full of vision and enthusiasm with Town and Parish Councillors working hard in communities all over the Island, and now I’m so proud to be one of them. Can’t wait to get started now!”

IW Green Party chair, Cllr Daniel James (Freshwater) said: “Joe can offer his firsthand experience of raising a young family

as an input to local decision-making. We are sure that he’ll be an excellent councillor and an asset to Newport.”

The final result was: Joe Lever 224, Sam Pascoe 114. With a turnout of 13 per cent, 340 votes were cast. The Isle of Wight Councillor for the area Chris Whitehouse said “Congratulations to the Green candidate who has just been elected to serve my ward of Newport West on the Newport and Carisbrooke Parish Council. I look forward to working closely with him, whatever his politics, to continue to promote the interests of my local residents as their member of the Isle of Wight Council, as I have now done diligently for over six years.”

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Round the Island under orders

Entries for this year’s Round the Island race close on Wednesday (June 26). For anyone wishing to make a late entry for the popular event, which takes place next Saturday (June 29), can still do so by visiting the official website roundtheisland.org.uk.

Earlier this week entries had already reached more than 1,200, and late entries are expected to push the overall total up to around 1,400, making it one of the most amazing sailing spectacles in the world, with yachts of all sizes either racing, or taking their time, and making a day of it.

The boats will cross the start line at Cowes in 11 separate groups, starting every 10 minutes from 7.30am until 9.10am, heading in a westerly direction towards Yarmouth. The boats pass

round the Needles Lighthouse, along the south-west coast of the Island to St. Catherine's Point and then up across Sandown Bay to round the Bembridge Ledge Buoy. The fleet then makes its way either side of No Man's Land Fort and across Osborne Bay to the finish line back at Cowes.

There are many vantage points for viewing all around the Island, with the best ones including Sconce Point, The Needles, Chilton Chine, St Catherine’s Point, Ventnor, Bonchurch, Culver Down and Ryde Pier.

There will be plenty of entertainment for on-shore spectators, with the introduction of a bigger and better Official Race Village for the Race, located on the Parade in Cowes.

There will be a jam-packed

entertainment schedule, featuring live music every day in the lead-up to the race, as well as a large bar that boasts popular beer and spirit brands. The live music line-up will include performances from Essence of Motown and Britain’s Got Talent singer Derek Sandy.

A smorgasbord of delicious food will be available from food stands in the Village.

The new Race Village will also host the popular Raymarine Weather Briefing at 6pm on Friday, June 28, as well as the official prize giving ceremony on Sunday, June 30 at 12 noon. With free entry throughout the weekend, it’s definitely the place to be in Cowes, before and after your race.

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Jay Chapman wins Bembridge North byelection by 64 votes Local Bembridge resident, Jay Chapman, has won a by-election for the local Parish Council, against someone he described as 'a worthy opponent', Mark Watkins, by 294 votes to 230, in a closely fought contest, which attracted a turnout of 36 per cent.

Cllr.

Chapman declared himself concerned with village harmony, and wanted to go forward positively and overcome what he regarded as ‘negativity’; this both Mark and he agreed upon during the rainy day of the election.

Newly elected Cllr.

Chapman said: “Mark was concentrating on past issues, that the council has already decided upon, before my elected post. My focus was on openness in the community, and a greater understanding towards what is needed positively with in the village.

I was pleased to see a lot of new voters, particularly younger people, casting their

votes.”

When asked what his priorities as a new councillor were, Cllr. Chapman said: “I want to make sure that any infrastructure and services are expanded along with any new developments in the village. These must be expanded to reflect any increase in the population.

I’m not opposed to positive development, but we must have the police, roads and fire service to go with this.”

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21st June 2019

BUSINESS ADVERTORIAL

Defeating your dieting demons

Andrea’s weight had been up and down since having children, and she would yo-yo between nine-and-a-half stone and over 13-and-a-half stone. Whenever something went wrong, she would reach for the chocolate, cakes or anything else that made her feel happy, but didn’t help her waistline.

That was the cycle she lived in.

While she was happy, she made the effort and lost the weight.

When things did not go the way she had hoped, and life felt hard, she would attack the chocolate.

Her clothes kept getting tighter, so she kept buying bigger and baggier to hide herself away.

After looking for a dress for a special occasion, she felt even worse about the fact that she was a lot bigger than she liked to think she was. She knew she had to do

something as she was struggling on her own. She had a year in which to lose the weight before the occasion, and knew she could not do it without support.

When shopping in her local supermarket, she was looking for a magazine to read and saw the Slimming World magazine. She picked it up and flicked through it. There were lots of stories about how people had lost stones and featuring their favourite recipes, so she bought it to have a better look. It inspired her to go online to find her local group.

She found a few that were local she could go to but did not want to bump into someone she might know, so after a few weeks of trying to pluck up courage, she went along to Rachel’s group in Ryde. Rachel made her feel welcome and put her at ease.

The support given was amazing.

In her first week, she lost 5lb.

Andrea lost one-and-a-half stone in six months, and six months later was still at her target weight and had set a slightly lower target.

She found a dress she loved and stayed at target until life took a turn for the worse.

Instead of talking to her Slimming World friends and her consultant, who would have understood how she was feeling and supported her, she let old habits return. She stopped going to the group and started to gain weight. Andrea felt like she was letting everyone down and withdrew into herself.

Andrea decided to go back to Slimming World, as she knew they would understand how she was feeling. When she walked through the door, she was given a big hug from Rachel, who had

supported her through her first weight loss. Rachel believed in Andrea, along with her friends at the group. Quickly, she got back onto the plan and often saw some 4lb weekly weight losses.

Andrea has enjoyed getting back on the plan, and this time says she’s more focused. In just 11 weeks, she has lost one-anda-half stone and now has only got a stone to lose to reach her interim target. Andrea has found positive emotional support to be as important as diet and exercise.

Islanders have their say on future planning blueprint Around 1,800 Islanders took the opportunity to have their say on the Island’s planning blueprint.

The draft Island Planning Strategy sets out the proposed approach towards housing, employment, transport, commercial and leisure land use on the Isle of Wight in the future.

During a 12-week consultation, the Isle of Wight Council received 3,736 comments. Of these, around 1,400 related to housing, either the overall housing number or the proposed allocation sites.

Councillor Barry Abraham, the Council’s Cabinet member responsible for planning and housing, said: “It is clear there are strong feelings around how we plan for housing on the Island.

We will need to think carefully how we balance this within the context of national planning policy and relevant legislation.”

The Island Planning Strategy, created in 2018, will replace the ‘Core Strategy’ in place since 2012. The document reflects the needs of Island people, particularly housing, and draws from a whole range of evidence from bodies

Pro-Am golf event There are 25 teams already signed up for this year’s Shanklin and Sandown Golf Club Pro-Am tournament on Wednesday, July 10, and the figure is likely to reach around 30. Each Pro will have two teams, morning and afternoon, and the Pros will play 36 holes. The sponsors this year are Island Ales, Snows BMW, who will also be sponsoring hole in one cash prizes, and The Needles Landmark Attraction.

such as the Office for National Statistics.

The consultation responses will now help officers finalise a plan that complies with national requirements and reflects, as far as it possibly can, the views of the Island’s communities.

There will be further opportunities for people to comment on the draft strategy later in the process.

Councillor Abraham said: “We must make sure the plan is current and relevant to the short and long-term future and reflects the needs of people

living on the Island. It’s important because the plan will be the starting point for assessing the merits of individual planning applications. The council will be undertaking further work to understand what the real level of need is, and some of the practical difficulties building new housing that is impacting on rates of delivery.

“In particular, there is further work taking place to ensure we plan for the right housing in the right places on the Island.”

Nightingale ‘sings’ in Village Hall!

Bembridge Horticultural Society held its annual Members’ Show at the Village Hall, which attracted 178 entries.

Andrew Nightingale won numerous awards at the show, including the overall trophy, the Couldrey Cup. The Cookery Cup was won

by Chris Pay and Jan Yeats

won the Preserves Cup. Jan Box won the first prize for a single, flowering rose.

Hazel Ransome, Secretary of the Society, said: “The weather didn’t help, but we still managed to put on a good show. I would like to give a big thank you to everyone who took part and set it up and took it all down again.”

Pupils celebrate opening of new school library Oakfield Primary Key Stage 1 and Early Years children celebrated the opening of their new school library.

Cllr. Michael Lilley, Mayor of Ryde, cut the ribbon to unveil the new library. Mr Lilley brought a signed copy of his latest children’s book, Papa Owl goes to Rocket Island, which he read to a group of pupils.

The children were astonished to discover that the landmarks that

feature in his latest book, such as Appley Tower, were to be found on the new library wall.

The backdrop for the new library features artwork by Mike Smith, a parent at Oakfield. The paint was donated by Travis Perkins, who sponsored the new library.

Mike’s work celebrated the local area of Oakfield Primary, as well as capturing some much loved story

characters.

The children came into school in their pyjamas, where they had a day dedicated to stories and the importance of a bedtime story.

Children designed their own pyjamas, created a front cover of their favourite stories, enjoyed a story character treasure hunt around the school and took part in a Big Story Write, where each class

wrote a small part of the story, and the children came together to hear the finished piece.

Children starting in September 2019 were invited to a special storytime with Diane Pocock from Ryde Library, who read a story all about an unloved library book to share the important message of visiting local libraries.

21st June 2019

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Pupils experience WWII evacuation Children from six Isle of Wight schools had first-hand experience of what it was like to be evacuated during the Second World War. One of the most, if not the most, emotionally wrenching decisions made by the British Government during World War II was its decision to relocate its children out of urban centres to locations where the risk of bombing attacks was low or non-existent. Called Operation Pied Piper, millions of people, most of them children, were shipped to rural areas in Britain as well as overseas to Canada, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. Almost three million people were evacuated during the first four days of the operation, making it the biggest and most concentrated population movement in British history.

Plans for such a move began during the summer of 1938, in which the country was divided into risk zones identified as ‘evacuation’, ‘neutral’, or ‘reception’, and lists of available housing were compiled In the autumn of 1939, Operation Pied Piper saw 5,000 Portsmouth evacuees cross the Solent for the relative safety of the rural Isle of Wight. The evacuees left the paddle steamer and were distributed

throughout the length and breadth of the Island.

Pupils and staff from the schools taking part in the re-enactment event all dressed up in Second World War clothes and arrived at the steam railway, complete with gas masks, ahead of a ride on the steam train, mirroring the experience of thousands of children from the war years.

Pupils tasted authentic wartime recipes, such as eggless cake and learned about rationing and make-do-and-mend toys. As during the war, there was every chance of the lessons being interrupted at any time by an air raid siren. When this happened, the pupils had to cram into an air raid shelter.

As they boarded their train, the children were waved off from the platform, giving them an insight into how it might have felt to be evacuated all those years ago.

The activities had been put together by the Heritage Education Service to support the learning of students as part of their local history programme.

The images feature Year 4 pupils from Queensgate Foundation Primary School in East Cowes taking part in the event, which took place at Havenstreet’s Isle of Wight Steam Railway between June 17 to 20.

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Holmesy!

The David Holmes Column

21st June 2019

Island Soapbox Send your letters into us newsdesk@iwobserver.co.uk or post them to us IW Observer, Suite 6, 17 St.Thomas Square, Newport, IW, PO30 1SL Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in these letters are not those held by the IW Observer or its staff.

They belong to the author and the author alone - Letters must be no longer than 250 words please.

Pollution impacts on our wildlife

In Boris we trust!

“If Boris doesn’t lead the party, there won’t be a party to lead,” says Jacob ReesMogg. He’s right, the Tories could soon be extinct, an ex-party, as deceased as Monty Python’s famous parrot. Norway Plus is a distant memory, the Tories are fast becoming a Norwegian Blue.

So convincing is BoJo’s margin of victory, the others in the race may as well have conceded. Our own MP initially backed ‘Coke-shame-Gove,’ who is now firmly out of the race. Even the revelations of Gove’s coke fuelled 30s didn’t dent Bob’s enthusiasm, only changing tack when he realised he was going to lose. Quite what backing the wrong horse means for Bob’s ministerial aspirations when Boris does take charge is hard to say. Clearly he hopes his late change of heart will put him back in the running, but with BoJo’s many loyal supporters and only 90 odd ministerial posts (most of them junior) up for grabs the odds can’t be good. Coincidentally, Bob popped-up on Radio 4 again this week, outlining his grand Foreign Aid ideas, rather than the Island’s problems.

Oh well, we’ve got used to it, eh.

The left really fears Boris, so the race for No 10 has turned nasty, which means his enemies focus on his private life, it’s desperate stuff.

Does it really matter how many children he has? Churchill was a manic depressive, flip-flopping between political parties (a bit like Bob and his choice of candidates).

It made him unpopular with Tory MPs, but the country loved him regardless. Boris studied Winston, even wrote a book about him: his strengths, weaknesses, defeats and victories.

Choosing a party Leader should be effortless. Just decide who your opponents fear most and give them the job. Would Labour or the Liberals really fear Jeremy Hunt? Boris is easily the strongest candidate; he was a good Mayor of London and managed to win twice. Believe me,

that’s no mean feat for the Tories in a Labour heartland, just ask Zak Goldsmith.

Boris did well in the Foreign Office too, and that’s the third biggest job in Government.

Everyone in the country knows who Boris is, he’s box office, and importantly, alongside character, he has a much-needed sense of humour. He inspires and motivates and hopefully will restore public faith in our great nation. Provided, of course, he improves our NHS, builds more homes for young families and finds that extra cash for schools. As for Brexit, Boris knows that if we don’t leave this year, it really will be all over, for him and his party.

Max Hastings, his former Telegraph employer, says he’s not a details man.

Well, so what? Most successful people are not good with minutia, it bores them to tears. Leaders and entrepreneurs, people like Richard Branson,don’t run businesses, they start them. A PM can’t micro-manage every department, they must build a strong team around them. With the right people in post, Boris will focus on the bigger picture, to all our benefit.

The Tory party still seems a relic of a bygone age.

It’s an old boys club, and I have no faith in the IW association either.

Certainly not their shoe-in, now allegedly, mostly absent MP. I don’t believe that people who’ve never had what most of us might call ‘a proper-job’ should represent the rest of us in Parliament. Eton and Harrow are incredibly privileged establishments, and the men who attend seem to leave with a sense of entitlement.

As a nation, we should look further than their alumni. Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is not the Messiah, he’s a very naughty boy, yet without doubt, he’s our best hope for the country now if the alternative is Jeremy Corbyn. Tory remainers, along with everyone else, had better get used to it.

“He’s not the Messiah, he’s a very naughty boy”

Isle of Wight surfers are kicking up a stink over sewage spoiling their fun (June 14 issue) but it causes problems for our wildlife too.

At the time of writing, the National Trust noticeboard at Newtown, the Island’s sole National Nature Reserve, confidently states the estuary has the cleanest water in the Solent. This may be so, except that raw sewage can be seen from the footbridge, where the Caul Bourne brook empties into the Newtown river.

Also, the IOW Biodiversity Action Plan identifies increasing recreational pressure on the coast as having probably the greatest impact on wildlife, with discharge from boats, including sewage and ‘grey’ water containing detergents, being cited.

It’s not just the birds that suffer. Estuaries are mostly soft, muddy places, where rocks and stable boulders are rare and where these are found, as at Newtown, they provide a home for large seaweeds, wracks, kelps,

sponges and sea squirts, while below the low water mark, anemones and sea mats flourish.

Threats to these rocky habitats include pollution, so for that reason alone the fewer marine craft coming in the better.

Yet the National Trust continues to actively promote the place as a visitor attraction.

Debbie Tann, CEO of the Hampshire and IOW Wildlife Trust, wrote to us saying the NT had, ‘a responsibility to ensure that any development does not impact on wildlife’, and suggested a new Conservation Management Plan be developed, which took into account increases in recreational boating.

Meanwhile, the attitude of its current administration at Mottistone might be summed up in the comment by one senior member of staff, that all visitors to Newtown needed was: ‘a view, a brew and a loo’.

James Allaway Keep Newtown for the birds

Kind hearted Festivalgoers Dear Editor, Having just spent three long days fundraising at the IW Festival for Mountbatten, our only provider of end of life care on the Island, can I confirm what a fantastic weekend it has been.

The public, from far and wide, have all been so kind and generous in purchasing the famous Mountbatten Sunflower, and I very quickly lost count of the number of times I was told to keep the change and keep up the good work or simply handed cash with a generous smile.

Working alongside two Mountbatten nurses, there were many many stories told.

There were tears and hugs and a genuine appreciation for the good work that they do in house and across the whole Island.

There will undoubtedly be the complaints about noise, traffic and a few minor police offences, but my first hand experience was that the Festival attracted a mass of beautiful people of all ages, all intent on having a good

time together, which I believe that they certainly did.

Long may it continue.

Macmillan Cancer Support, were chosen to be the Festival’s charity partner for 2019. A worthy and noble charity deserving of such an accolade, but what many people fail to realise is the fact that they do not service the Island; that is solely down to Mountbatten.

You recently reported, May 24 edition, on the Queen’s Nurse award to Dee Curless of Mountbatten, in recognition of her services to end of life care, and she expressed her appreciation of the whole team that she works with in her role within Mountbatten.

So, as plans are being made for next year's IW Festival, can we show our appreciation and push for an Island charity, such as Mountbatten, to be the next ‘Charity Partner’.

Petitions at the ready.

Stephen Holmes Ventnor

Practice what you preach Red Funnel To the Editor, Never before has a newspaper article incensed me so much as to motivate putting ones fingers to keyboard; but your recent one entitled, Red Funnel helping to rid beaches of plastic, has achieved just that.

As a daily dogwalker on East Cowes beach, I regularly pick up Red Funnels detritus; most of it blown off the tables on their decks.

The simple act of filling in the space between the handrail and the deck with a suitably sized mesh would retain most of

their rubbish on ship. If Red Funnel really cared about the environment, surely they would have implemented such a simple measure by now.

Plus ensure that after every crossing ALL tables are cleared of rubbish that could blow away. As a regular customer, I know that this does not always happen.

Oh! and when did Red Funnel staff last do a beach clean at Cowes, Gurnard or East Cowes?

Trevor Pointon

We love receiving your letters, but please keep them to a maximum of 250 words - Thank you

21st June 2019

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Island Soapbox Brilliant team helps mental health Dear Editor, With reference to an article written in the David Holmes column in issue 41 of the Isle of Wight Observer, I would like to make some comments.

As a lady who has a mental illness (bipolar) and has recently been cared for in the community by a brilliant team of nurses, I have to say that they were all extremely professional and caring.

I believe they prevented my mental health from declining and needing time in hospital.

I cannot speak highly enough of them as they were all kind, friendly, polite and nonjudgemental. I am well now, but I have been given a crisis number should I become ill again and know that someone will be there on the end of the line to talk to and to help me.

Mental illness is not such a taboo subject as it was, but still needs more education and understanding. Lucky people who are fortunate to never suffer are afraid if they have no in-depth knowledge or understanding.

Name and address witheld.

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Bonchurch Flower Festival Bonchurch Parish Church was blooming over the weekend, filled with flower arrangements in a display entitled ‘From Beatrix to Harry’, with each display depicting a scene from children’s literature.

This is the third flower festival that has been held in the church over recent years.

The first was ‘A Village Affair’, on the theme of village life, and the second was ‘The Story of Willow Pattern’, depicting a love story.

Sally Fitzgerald, Chair of the Fund Raising Committee of Bonchurch Church, described the Flower Festival as being akin to a ballet, in that it described a story without the use of words. She said that the festival had caught the imagination of the participants and that she had been blown away by the dedication that had been put into its preparation.

One display, ‘The Selfish Giant’, included the names of the deceased that the people of Bonchurch would liked to see remembered. Other displays included Sleeping Beauty, Thomas the Tank Engine, the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and the Very Hungry Caterpillar.

A total of 25 per cent of the money raised from the Flower Festival will go towards Dementia UK’s Isle of Wight Admiral Nurses Appeal. The remainder will be spent on repairing two stained glass windows in the church.

Children’s Services team invited to Westminster

Youth Trust expands to provide new services The Isle of Wight Youth Trust has announced it is expanding its services to include group work in an attempt to tackle the increasing demand for its one-to-one counselling service.

The move comes following over 1,000 young people reaching out to the Youth Trust for support last year, with many of them requiring longer-term support for complex emotional difficulties.

Youth Trust Chief Executive, Mairead Healy, believes the Youth Trust’s priority is to provide timely and relevant support for young Islanders.

Mairead said: “Early intervention is vital, and we want to make sure that our young Islanders can access support as quickly as possible in order to achieve the best mental health outcomes. This has been the driving factor in setting up our new group programmes. We are currently running four group sessions each week and have received overwhelmingly positive feedback so far.

Based on the success of these groups, group work is becoming part of our core offer, as we look at new ways to best support young Islanders.

“Over the past six months, the Youth Trust has transformed the way we work. Following clear and strong feedback from our young people, we moved away from the six-session model in November last year, and now offer a much more flexible and individualised approach to counselling. We are proud of this new clinical model and firmly believe that this change was necessary to provide the best quality support to our young people.

“We prepared for the changes by moving to a new premises, which is 4½ times the size of our previous headquarters, and have taken on more counsellors to try and keep up with growing demand. Despite our best efforts, the new clinical model has meant that counselling appointments do not become available as often and this, paired with a steep increase in demand, has seen our waiting list increase.

“In expanding our services, we hope that young people can see that we are listening, we are responding, and we are working hard to get them the support they need and deserve. This is an ongoing challenge, but a challenge we meet with enthusiasm.”

Children’s services on the Isle of Wight have been praised for being at the cutting edge nationally in the development of early help and family hubs. A delegation from the Isle of Wight Council and Barnardo’s was invited to Westminster to brief ministers on the Island’s early help offer and its approach to supporting families through its family hubs.

Simon Dear and Carol Attrill, from Children’s Services, together with Rachel McKernan, from Barnardo’s, delivered a wellreceived presentation to MPs and other local authorities. It focussed on the innovative approach to early help on the Island, including how the council supports families with complex issues in disadvantaged areas.

This was the second time the team had been invited to present at Westminster. Mr. Dear said: “The Isle of Wight continues to be at the forefront of delivering innovative services that support families and promotes better outcomes for children locally.

“We have received requests for copies of the presentation, invites to visit other local authorities to share what we do and a request

for a local visit by another member of the House of Lords.”

More than 50 MPs joined throughout the day as well as representatives from the House of Lords, leading national charities and other local authorities from around the country.

Lord Farmer praised the council’s partnership with Hampshire County Council and welcomed Ofsted’s recent ‘good’ rating of children’s services on the Island. He said the Isle of Wight continued to be at the cutting edge in the development of early help and family hubs.

Councillor Paul Brading, Cabinet member for children’s services, said: “It’s a great credit to the team and a result of our ‘Good’ Ofsted that we are now being invited to share our success stories at national level.

My thanks to Simon and all the team that delivered the presentation, which I know went down very well.”

The family hub model, designed by the council and delivered by Barnardo’s, provides early support and intervention to children and families aged up to 19.

34 Entertainment

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21st June 2019

THE OBSERVER GUIDE

Rhythmtree returns!

2019 will be the 9th consecutive Rhythmtree amidst the oak trees on our beautiful home at Three Gates Farm and with 5 live stages across the site this year we’ll have more artists appearing than ever before.

Headliners include The Orb, Alabama 3, Cast and Saving Grace, Robert Plant & Suzi Dian’s latest band, in addition to the 120+ musical acts on offer over the weekend,

including the best of the Island’s own talent. There will also be a full programme of spoken word, circus acts, comedy, DJ’s, a silent disco and a grand carnival procession on Sunday afternoon.

Rhythmtree is an independently produced weekend which has an enviable reputation as a very relaxed, easily accessible, fairly priced and family friendly event and

this year we have an even greater range of activities and entertainment for kids throughout the site. The festival uses as much local produce as possible including from the farm itself and many of the traders are local businesses.

For tickets and more information visit www.rhythmtree.co.uk.

Allo, Allo Again! at the Riverside The amazing Sue Hodge is coming to the Island for a hilarious musical celebration of the TV series, Allo, Allo, at the Riverside centre in Newport. The show promises to provide its audience with a unique backstage glimpse of life behind the camera, commemorating 25 years of the hit BBC TV series and stage show. The pint-sized blonde hurricane Sue will be supported by Keith Paddington Richards from behind the piano.

The show has been described as “A witty insight into the making of one of the most successful British TV series ever.”

Challenge & Adventure will be

one of the benefactors for this afternoon of entertainment, along with The Vectis Radio 4ps training school. There will be books and DVDs available as well as signed souvenirs. There will also be an opportunity to meet Sue Hodge after the show.

Allo, Allo Again! will be staged on July 13 at the Riverside centre in Newport. The doors for the event open at 3pm, with a 3.30pm start.

The price of admission is £13.50, including a cream tea.

Tickets for the event are available from Merriebank Lettings, the Isle of Wight Letting Agency and at paddyiwevents@gmail.com.

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THEATRE AND EVENTS EVENTS ACROSS THE ISLAND Ready to Race the Sun? Are you ready to Race the Sun? Get set for a three-activity team challenge across the Island and help save children’s lives.

Pull together a team of four and rise at dawn for an all-day challenge.

Race the Sun Isle of Wight challenges you to cycle 44 miles, trek the Tennyson Trail and canoe down the River Medina, enjoying the island’s breathtaking

scenery and sea views along the way.

Tuesday, July 6 Start in Medina centre, Fairlee Road, Newport PO30 2DX

Arts Open Studios Isle of Wight Arts Open Studios is the major art event on the Island. Visit over 140 artists in studios and venues across the Island. Artists, craft designers and makers of many disciplines are open to talk about their work. Many artists offer courses, and all will give you a warm Island welcome.

Entry is free to all venues.

Friday, July 12 to Monday, July 22 10am- 5pm Across the Island event.

Chris Packham’s IW Zoo Party An evening of fun and fascination with Wildheart Trust trustee Chris Packham.

The evening will include animal talks with Chris, as well as musical entertainment from Derek Sandy, big cat training, a bird encounter in the fort, animal enrichment and a charity auction. The admission price includes street food, with vegetarian and

vegan options, and there will also be a licensed bar.

Friday July 5 6pm, Yaverland Road Yaverland, Sandown PO36 8QB

Hamo...Unmistakably Hamo..Unmistakably is an exhibition of work by world-renowned marine photographer, Hamo Thornycroft. The exhibition will feature many unseen photographs of the iconic 2001 America’s Cup Jubilee and there will be a chance to meet Hamo and hear the stories behind the photos. There will also be an opportunity to buy a selection of

competitively priced canvases.

Friday, July 12 to Sunday, July 14 10am - 5pm, Catholic Church Hall, St Thomas of Canterbury, 22 Terminus Road, Cowes PO31 7T

Men of Wight Morris dancers to celebrate 50th anniversary In preparation for the celebration of the 50th anniversary of their formation in 2020, the Men of Wight Morris team arranged a ‘dry run’, with nearly 100 Morris dancers from the Island and the mainland taking part.

The teams toured from Totland Bay to Ryde over two days, with evening entertainment provided by the Morris musicians at a barndance at Wootton Community Centre.

The dance teams visiting the Island included Wyvere Jubilee Morris from Yeovil, East Suffolk Morris from Ipswich, Ewel St Mary Morris from Epsom and Trigg Morris from Bodmin. Local dance teams Moonshine, the Oyster Girls and, of course, the Men of Wight, also took part. The evening entertainment was provided by the Morris musicians at a

barn dance at Wootton Community Centre.

Despite the name, Men of Wight are a mixed gender team and welcome anyone who wants to give traditional Morris dancing a go.

Emerging from a combination of The Sloop Inn Folk Club of the 1960s and the Circle Wight country dance group, that fledgling Morris dance team has progressed to being a staple of the Island’s summertime scene and have appeared throughout the UK and Europe.

Next year, the Men of Wight are inviting many of the European teams that they have been associated with to their anniversary, as well as teams from all over the UK. Further details of the Men of Wight Morris team can be found on their web site: menofwight.org.uk

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THE OBSERVER GUIDE

Blooming gardens

The 1940s Experience Experience 1940s train travel and relive the hustle and bustle of a country railway station. Try the hairstyles and fashions of the day, tuck into 1940s food,and sample an ale from the Spitfire Bar! Get up close to civilian and military vehicles, and marvel at the farmyard threshing machine working in the shadow of a magnificent Spitfire.

July 6 - 7 IW Steam Railway, Havenstreet PO33 4DS

Shorwell Village Fair

The Blooming Gardens of Osborne are a weekend dedicated to the colourful terraces of Osborne Gardens. Take in the art and craft of the team of gardeners and volunteers with tours, demonstrations and stalls. The team will be on hand throughout the day to share their tips, and listen to live music as you soak up the sights and scents.

Died Blondes at Ventnor Fringe The famous last words of movie star, Marilyn Monroe, and the murderer, Ruth Ellis, have been re-imagined by award-winning writer and performer, Joan Ellis. Died Blondes pieces together the latest theories to give these two so-called dumb blondes a voice moments before they die. What was going on in their hearts and minds?

The women had more in common than a bottle of peroxide. They were ambitious, not afraid to use their charms on men to get what they wanted, but found themselves abused by men too. When they fell in love, it was with the wrong people, who ultimately attributed to their demise.

Joan Ellis, as Marilyn Monroe, President John Kennedy’s ex-mistress, whispers secrets about the Kennedy clan to ex-husband, Joe DiMaggio, in her final paranoid phone call. In fear

for her life, she begs him to help as she relives her past and fends off threats from intruders. Are they real or imagined by a drug-addled mind?

Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be hanged in Britain, alone in her cell minutes before her execution, reads her letter to lover, David Blakely, justifying why she shot him. Making no attempt to atone, her aim is to have her say. For once. Driven to the brink by Blakely’s infidelities and abuse, by the time Ellis pulled the trigger, she had been humiliated and beaten for the last time and took the ultimate revenge.

Died Blondes will be performed on Tuesday, July 23, at 7pm at Hygeia House, 64 High Street, Ventnor.

Tickets £10, Booking and further information at https:// vfringe.co.uk or contact Jack at Ventnor Exchange (01983) 716767.

The Shorwell traditional village fair is held in the grounds of Northcourt, Shorwell and will be held for the 59th consecutive year.

The many attractions and stalls are run by local people and organisations.

There is a Tea Tent and arena events, including a dog demonstration and a Folk group.

June 22 1.30pm - 5.00pm Northcourt Manor, Shorwell PO30 3JG

IW Mardi Gras The Mardi Gras is a carnival with a fantastic parade. This year’s event is focused on the Biosphere which is linked to the AONB’s application for the IOW to be a Biosphere Island. The carnival will be created by local schools and community groups on themes that celebrate the environment, history and culture of the Island.

June 29 2.50pm - 5.30pm Ryde

Open Classic show The third Open Classic Car and Bike show is being held at the Chale Recreation Ground on Sunday, July 7, with show time from 10am to 4pm.

There is no charge for any of the show vehicles. There are extensive parking facilities nearby for spectators. For further information and details visit: www.iowamerican.wixsite.com/chale.

July 7 10.00am Military Road, Junction of B3399 and A3055 Chale

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Hovertravel provide staff with refillable bottles

SERVICES

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01983 214261

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ISLE OF WIGHT COMPOST All of our soil are delivered in bulk bags. Our prices are including VAT and delivery is always free

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As part of National Refill Day, held on Wednesday, Hovertravel helped its staff get involved in its efforts to reduce the use of singleuse plastic by giving them free refillable water bottles.

Across Hovertravel, the 85 staff on both sides of the Solent, from pilots to engineers and handling agents to cashiers, were encouraged to use one of the bottles.

Chris Davis, one of Hovertravel’s HoverGreen Ambassadors, said: “Thanks to programmes such as the BBC’s Blue Planet, there is much more awareness of single-use plastics and the devastating effects they are

having on our environment and oceans. At the same time, we are always encouraging our staff to stay hydrated with the consequence that across our business we consume over 20,000 bottles of water each year.”

Hovertravel has supplemented this HoverGreen initiative for their staff with a commitment to involve their customers too. Chris said: “As a responsible business, we are committed to reducing our environmental impact wherever we can, and we are improving the choice for our customers by offering free tapwater refills for any customers who bring in their own reusable water bottles.”

The symphony of colour in Shanklin CGM Landscaping Quality Islandwide Service Patios - Fencing - Decking - Driveways -

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01983 718213 cgmlandscapingiow@gmail.com

To advertise please call 214264

The medieval church of St Blasius in Shanklin, also known as Shanklin Old Church, held a Symphony of Colour Flower Festival over the weekend. More than 30 displays of flowers were created, on themes of classical music, hymns and psalms, attracting a steady stream of visitors. The event was concluded with a Choral Evensong on Sunday evening, featuring the St Blasius Choir.

Revd. Jonathan Hall, the priest in charge of St Blasius, Shanklin, said: “Our Symphony of Colour Flower Festival was a great community event, involving many people in creating the fantastic displays and welcoming so many from the wider community to come and enjoy them. Everyone was very imaginative and creative in the way they interpreted the theme, turning well known pieces of music into floral creations. There were favourite songs, flowing colours and dancing in the aisles: the rainbow of colour was a joy to behold!

“The grand finale to our festival was Choral Evensong, led by members of the St Blasius Church Choir. A huge thank you to everyone who supported us and made our Festival so enjoyable.”

21st June 2019

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Sport Observer

By Peter White

Latest results from Shanklin and Sandown Golf Club Ladies BHF Medal: 1, Chris Gould 71; 2, Joanne Wright 74; 3, Brenda Keyte 75; 4, Lillian Bushby 75; 5, Connie Huntington 75.

Midweek Open Stableford: 1, Jonathan West 41 points; 2, Steve Barnes 41; 3, Terry Jarman 39.

Open Stableford: Division 1: 1, Mike Jones 39 points; 2, James Fosker 39; 3, Shawn Ford 39. Division 2: 1, Keith Wickham 36; 2, Paul Cavaciuti 35; 3, Nigel Bishop 35.

Latest results from Newport Golf Club Nine-hole Stableford: 1, Mark Deacon (12) 17 points.

Thursday Medal: 1, Paul Rassmussen (9) 69 net; 2, James Cheek (6) 72.

Saturday Medal: 1, Rex Ringer (11) 67net; 2, Mark Hancott (5) 69; 3 James Cheek (6) 70ocb; 4, Matt Brailsford (8) 70.

Latest results from Osborne Golf Club Stableford: Division 1: 1, Matthew Purser 41 points; 2, Brian Wright 38; 3, Derek Wright 35. Division 2: 1, Shane Cates 42; 2, Sean Thrippleton 36; 3, David Geddes 34. Division 3: 1, Mike Spall 40; 2, Bob Kennovin 38; 3, Barry Geary 36.

Saturday Medal: Division 1: 1, Grant Hesse net 69; 2, Mark West 70; 3, Lee Danson 71. Division 2: 1, Tim Eldridge 66; 2, Alan Bayes 67; 3, Robert Holloway 70. Division 3: 1, Nick Luciano 68; 2, Richard Highmore 71; 3, Peter Spreadbury 72.

Sunday Medal: Division 1: 1, Paul Woolford net 67 cb; 2, Roger Cook 67; 3, Peter Wright 68.

Best Pairs new date The Isle of Wight Warriors speedway Best Pairs meeting, due to take place on Tuesday, was postponed early because of the threat of bad weather. The Warriors management have rescheduled it for Thursday, July 18.

Warriors go West The Isle of Wight Wightlink Warriors speedway team head west for the second time this season when they visit Plymouth’s ‘Coliseum Stadium’ for more National League action tonight (Friday).

Warriors’ first visit to Devon delivered a highly entertaining 45-45 draw and they will be looking for a similar battling performance as they seek revenge for the recent home reverse delivered by the Gladiators.

The Island outfit will track their usual seven riders while the home outfit have a slight fitness doubt over the influential Nathan Stoneman, who suffered a knee injury while riding earlier this week.

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Joel steps up to win Coastal Junior Sculls title the hard way A much-depleted Ryde Rowing Club team, heavily affected by the exam schedules and the IW Festival, competed at Swanage Regatta.

The event is a Hants & Dorset ARA event held over a 1,600m course in Swanage Bay, Dorset, and with no local Club to host the event it relies on the Association Clubs to organise the event. Ryde Rowing Club, sponsored by Wightlink, played their part, providing race officials, the event coordinator and safety adviser, and the Race Officials’ lunches.

The Club were also able to provide assistance to their fellow Island clubs, Newport and Shanklin, following the breakdown of Newport minibus which was towing the boat trailer carrying theirs and Shanklin’s boats. Ryde, with their depleted team, had only taken their minibus to the event with their two boats on the roof and so were able to tow the Newport trailer back from the event.

On the water Ryde’s Joel Smith won his Coastal Junior Sculls event, although he did it the hard way, having won the first race the umpires decided to re-row it because two of the scullers had been impeded by a passing pleasure craft. But Joel stepped-up and won the re-row even more convincingly to take his first Junior Sculling point of the season. He then teamed up with Ben Sanderson to compete in the Men’s Coastal Junior Pairs event where they finished third in their heat to gain a place in the final where they finished in fourth place.

Ventnor still can’t find that winning feeling Ventnor Cricket Club continue to struggle in their fight to move away from the bottom of the table in Division One of the Southern Premier Cricket League.

Their latest setback came against league leaders Hook and Newnham Basics. When chasing a reduced target of 210 because of weather hold-ups, they were skittled out for just 61.

Hook and Newnham were put into bat by the Island side, and reached 246 all out in 43.5 overs. Zeph Wells (pictured) was the pick of the Ventnor bowlers, taking four wickets for 46 in his 10 overs. Hugh Calloway weighed in with three for 45, and Henry Bartlett took two for 48, as Matthew Buckingham led the Hook and Newnham run spree with 75, including 12 boundaries.

Ventnor were set a revised target of

210 for their first win of the season, but never really looked like getting anywhere near. Charlie Calloway (12no) and Neil Westhorpe (12) were their leading scorers, with Hugh Calloway (11) the only other batsman to reach double figures. As four tailend wickets fell on the same total, Ventnor were finally all out for 61, picking up just five bowling bonus points from the match.

The defeat means Ventnor have lost all seven of their matches so far, and are well adrift at the bottom of the table, with an average of just 4.286 points per game.

At the other end of the table, Hook and Newnham are in a commanding position. They are unbeaten in six outings and have an average of 21.833 points per match.

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21st June 2019

Shanklin Rifle Club pair on target for GB

Three members of Shanklin Rifle Club competed in the Great Britain Dewar Trial match, at Warrington, near Manchester, with two of them going through to represent their country in an international postal event against several other nations.

Richard Wilson, Dom Cowen and Andy Whittall were among the top 49 prone shooters in the country who took part in

the morning trial, which comprised taking 40 shots from 50 metres, and 40 more from 100 yards. Richard and Andy were among the top 20 competitors, and were subsequently selected to shoot for GB in the match later in the day, a competition which comprised 20 shots from both 50m and 100 yards.

Unfortunately, Dom suffered a back problem in the morning session, so did not make the

final 20.

Richard explained: “As it is a postal match, we shoot as a GB team on our home range, and throughout the year, teams from The United States, South Africa, Canada, Australia and New Zealand will also be shooting in the same format.

“Then towards the end of the year, everyone will have taken part, and the overall result

will be revealed. I can’t say too much at the moment, but potentially we seemed to have a fairly successful venture!”

It was Andy’s first time at the trial, and then to shoot for GB, and he and Dom are now looking forward to representing the Isle of Wight at the Island Games, being held in Gibraltar next month, where they hope to be among the medals.

Westridge Juniors boosted

by Buywise sponsorship

Super Vet Mary hits top spot in Wales Westridge Junior Golf Academy are thrilled to be sponsored by Isle of Wight-based Buywise, and appliance manufacture Blomberg UK for the 2019 golfing season.

The team showed off their new kit at the latest Order of Merit event held at Westridge Golf Centre. This year’s Junior Captain, Joel Tarry, said: “There are some really great players here at the Academy and this kit means that we all feel we’re part of a really special team. We all love the game, and this is a fantastic team that’s determined to show off our skills in the best possible way.”

Westridge Golf Centre proprietor, Mark Wright, commented: “I’m really proud of everything the squad have achieved over the past few years, and the new kit looks absolutely brilliant.

“Westridge has always had a strong record

of introducing young players into golf, and I’m delighted to see so many of the current team playing well, getting their handicaps down, but most importantly really enjoying playing this great game.”

Matt and Sharron Lake from Buywise in Newport were thrilled to be able to help. They said: “As soon as we heard there was a chance to support these talented young people, we jumped at the opportunity to get involved.

“It’s so important to encourage young people playing any sport, but golf is such a great game to play, teaching not only the various skills needed, but also other important areas such as integrity, truth, honesty, respect and dignity which are all massively important elements of life as well.

We’re thrilled at how the team look and really delighted to be involved.”

Three members of Wight Tri, Mary Norman, Joe Norman and Grant Philbrick took on the Wales Middle Distance Triathlon, an award winning middle distance race in Fishguard on the west coast of Pembrokeshire.

Mary had another fantastic race to take the top spot of the podium to finish first in the Super Vet Female category in 6:42:33.

Joe finished the event first of the three in a super fast time of 5:42:48 and sixth out of 32 in the Super Vet Male category, with Grant 10th in the same category in 6:08:12.

They took on the race because it fitted in with their training schedule for their upcoming full Ironman in Copenhagen in August. The 1,900mt swim was a sea swim, and the water was very cold. Joe was out first and into transition in 40:04 secs, Grant in 44:08 and Mary in 49:28.

The bike was an out and back route on rolling roads into St.David’s. The route to St David’s

was against an aggressive headwind and then the competitors had the wind on their backs when they had to keep the speed in check when they were navigating blind bends and very steep ‘slalom’ downhills. Joe completed the slightly short bike course of 54 miles in 3:07:29; Grant in 3:25:17. Mary successfully extended the course to its full 56 miles by taking a wrong turn and adding the missing miles to her journey to finish in 3:52:24.

Back in Fishguard for the run, four laps of a diverse course around the bay. Like the bike, it was not a fast run course due to the hills and the wind, but they all finished the triathlon strongly with good half marathon times; 1:49:38 for Joe, 1:54:11 for Mary and 1:54:43 for Grant.

Result: Joe – 5:42:48. 53/271 overall, 6/32 Super Vet (M); Grant – 6:08:12, 105/271 overall, 10/32 Super Vet (M); Mary – 6:42:33, 187/271 overall; 1/4 Super Vet (F)

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Hayley is reaching the heights with new pair Local showjumper Hayley Webster and her team of four horses have had a really successful start to the summer season, racking up numerous placings and wins in very competitive classes across the South of England.

Hayley has produced two young horses, Cachento and Cassilanda HZ, owned by Caroline Ross, to a high standard, with both now confident at heights of 1.20m and 1.30m.

Recent achievements include qualification for Newcomers and Foxhunter Second Rounds. Her homebred LK Rocky has jumped a number of Area Trials at 1.50m securing places in the top 10, an amazing achievement.

He has stepped into the shoes of Hayley’s older horse, Trevoulter Lady Utah, also produced by Hayley, who has stepped down a level, but is still consistently winning at 1.20m.

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21st June 2019

Brading sailors have fun from the outset Brading Haven Yacht Club’s Evening Series 3 saw a relatively ambitious course set. Five Scows and four Handicap class dinghies started together, which created some fun on the start line.

Duncan Bates, single-handed in his Wayfarer, caught the best of the breeze and took the lead, making good progress down the harbour, but slowing down in the calm conditions. Following Duncan, the two Lasers finished just 26 seconds apart, with Ben Donald crossing the line ahead of Sam Steward.

Sam took the higher position on handicap as he was sailing with a radial rig and Ben had the full rig.

Grainne Andrews had problems at no.13 but kept her cool to finish the race and slip into third place on handicap.

Handicap Results: 1, Duncan Bates (Wayfarer); 2, Sam Steward (Laser radial); 3, Grainne Andrews (Pico); 4, Ben Donald (Laser full).

In the Scow fleet, Anne Barlow had a good start before Peter Hayward crept ahead. Jon Mills kept his boat moving well, although he had a struggle to get round No13, while Chris Girling and Ian Thomson retired, frustrated in the light conditions. Scow results: 1, Peter Hayward; 2, Anne Barlow; 3, Jon Mills.

Rain thwarts Ryde hopes of victory over leaders Sway It was a frustrating day for Ryde Cricket Club in their Hants Division One game at home to Sway. The unbeaten league leaders arrived on the Island full of confidence and could have been forgiven for thinking that second to bottom Ryde would be a pushover. But with probably their strongest XI of the season on the pitch for Ryde, Sway were in for a surprise.

Rain delayed the start before Ryde took to the field, and then put in a very tight bowling performance, restricting Sway to a below par 172-9. Ben Gregory took 3-14 and Ashley Goldsmith 3-43 to restrict the visitors. In

Robin sails in to win Evert de Kort Cup There were reasonable numbers of Bembridge Sailing Club boats out for two days of racing, with six Redwings and nine One-Designs on the first day, but only three Redwings and one One-Design the following day.

John Raymond in Harlequin, Colin Samuelson in Toucan and James Tate in Rosetta led the fleet on day one. On the first round Harlequin and Toucan were neck and neck on the run to Derrick. On the second round, Toucan and Rosetta managed to get past Harlequin with Robin Ebsworth in Quintessence fourth. Toucan took an early lead ahead of Quintessence in the second race, but the order was reversed by the time they reached the finish line with Quintessence crossing the line a nose ahead of Toucan.

The One-Designs had a different course for their first race as Suzie Beart in No 5 and Norman Marshall in No 7 got into an early lead. Hugh Doherty in No 10 and Robin Joy in No 8 tacked too early, so had to be content

with rounding just behind No 5. But it was No 10 who managed to just do enough to finish first ahead of No 5 with No 8 a close third.

In the second race Suzie in No 5 and Hugh in No 10 made it a two-boat race, but Suzie was so far ahead it was really a one boat race.

However, Hugh crossed the line just in front, with Tim Bonham third.

With only a singleton One-Design racing the second day, Hugh Doherty in No 10, crewed

by Jeremy Hine, started with the Redwings.

James Tate in Rosetta was first round, ahead of Colin Samuelson in Toucan and Robin Ebsworth in Quintessence. Placings changed as Robin in Quintessence with Mark Downer and Jonathan Nainby-Luxmoore crewing, held his nerve to finish six seconds ahead of James in Rosetta with Colin in Toucan crossing the line five seconds later. So Robin won the Evert de Kort Cup after a count back with Colin, and also to Hugh who won all three One-Design races.

return, Ryde were cruising at 56-1 off 10 overs when the rain returned and the game was abandoned.

Ryde Seconds continued their 100 per cent start to the season, beating the previously unbeaten Fareham and Crofton at Bath Road. The hosts batted first and recorded a score of 196-5, Angus Southon hitting 82 not out. Tom Morgan was the pick of the Ryde bowlers, returning figures of 3-27. In reply, Ryde knocked off the runs for the loss of seven wickets with just four balls to spare.

Ben Wadmore top scored with 72, and Mark Oatley supporting him with 41.

President’s Day at Sandown Bowls Club huge success John Attrill, the President of Sandown Bowls Club recently held his Annual President’s Day at the Club’s Bowling Green in Sandham Gardens.

In glorious sunny weather a

large group of bowlers and guests enjoyed a fantastic day.

The day consisted of a spider and then a successful spoon drive. After the bowls a buffet

was enjoyed by all. Money raised by the bowling and raffle went to the President’s charity, Care in the Garden.

S&S Pro-Am golf event There are 25 teams already signed up for this year’s Shanklin and Sandown Golf Club Pro-Am tournament on Wednesday, July 10, and the figure is likely to reach around 30.

Each Pro will have two teams, morning and

afternoon, and the Pros will play 36 holes.

The sponsors this year are Island Ales, and Snows BMW, who will also be sponsoring hole in one cash prizes, and The Needles Landmark Attraction.

Have you got sports news for us? email:sport@iwobserver.co.uk

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Trials riders excel – and raise £500 funds for Island charity

The Isle of Wight Motorcycle Club held the second round of the Pat Death Summer Series Trials Championship at Limerstone Farm.

The Club supports a different charity every year, raising funds at the Annual Awards night and at the popular Wight Two Day Trial.

This year’s adopted charity is Home-Start, IOW, which supports Island families with children under five years of age who are either vulnerable or experiencing difficulties – or both!

Prior to the start of the trial some of the younger riders presented a cheque for £500 to Home-Start, Specialist Support Worker, Rachael Brodie.

Alfie Haydon is the only Youth Intermediate rider in the club this year, but despite the lack of competition he always manages to post very competitive scores.

He ended the day with a loss of just 31 points. Dan Locke and Alfie Gaskin were head to head in the Youth Novices, with Dan the clear

winner from Alfie. Bertie Grieve is currently the youngest member of the club and was rewarded with the maximum 10 Championship points in the Youth Beginner class.

In the Expert class Rob Howard fought off a determined effort from James Stay. Rob just took the win with 11, and James was on 14. The Intermediate class proved close with only six marks separating the first three. Tom Richards took the win with a loss of 29 from Jos Wright, only one behind. Shaun

Harris was five more adrift to take the third spot, while Rory Stephens was all on his own in the Over Fifty class, completing the trial on 35.

Colin Brodie who finished 14 ahead of Phil Chase in the Clubman class.

The Novice class went to Joe Taylor with an eight mark cushion from Paul West. Steve Chase finished third. Nick Symes, another lone rider, completed the trial with the lowest score of the day, with just seven dropped marks.

John Townsend (British Bike class)

managed to get around with a total of 37. Mike True took the spoils in the Adult Beginners, finishing on 11, and Geoff Taylor proved to be the pick of the bunch in the Sportsman class.

The Club next meet for the third and final Summer Series Round on Sunday, July 21. Club website: www.iowmcc.co.uk will have all the details once finalised.

Bembridge Ladies bowl smart double to go top Bembridge Bowling Club’s Ladies A team took top position in Division One with two solid home performances. Against Totland A, Anne Bernard, Judy Eynon, Ruth Emms and Peggy Evans won 29-5, and Val Newton, Judy Silvester, Ronnie Berry and Gay Allen won 20-14. Result: Bembridge 6 points, Totland 0.

Against Shanklin B, Val Newton, Ronnie Berry, Ruth Emms and Judy Silvester lost 1419; Anne Bernard, Judy Eynon, Daphne Lacey and Peggy Evans won 33 - 15. Final result: Bembridge 4 points, Shanklin 2.

The Men’s A team were in action at home against Sandown A and emerged from a tight encounter with four points, due largely to the efforts of John Pearce, Clive Wade, Brian Sewell and Alan Scovell who won 29 - 11.

Colin Vines, David Brown, Colin Brown and Alan Coleman fought hard but lost 13 - 21 and Chris Emms, Norman Cooper, Gerald Rees and Alan Cox battled over the closing ends to restrict their loss to 14-24, for an overall shot score of 56-56. Result: Bembridge 4 points, Sandown 6.

The Men’s E team had an encouraging win against Shanklin F. Walter Heinrich, Ian Vallender, Anthony Hill and Steve Eynon won 24-17 and Nick Clement, Colin Greer, Bill Silvester and Kev Levonian who won 23-

18. Peter Swinfield, James Cox, Terry Curtis and Paul Martin struggled 11-21 but every score proved vital as Bembridge edged the overall shot score 58-56. Result: Bembridge 8 points, Shanklin 2.

There were two home matches for the Ladies C team. Against Warner B, Loraine Whelan, Wendy Thipthorp, Jenny Juby and Jane Swinfield won 29-11 but Freda Lambourne, Irene Rogers, Rose Leal and Pat Bugby lost 4-27. Result Bembridge 2 points, Warner 4.

Against Shanklin C, the Ladies C team returned to top form and returned to top spot in the league. Loraine Whelan, Wendy Thipthorp, Rose Leal and Jane Swinfield won 25-15 and Freda Lambourne, Irene Rogers, Pat Bugby and Sue Simpson won 24-19.

Result: Bembridge 6 points, Shanklin 0.

The Men’s B team secured its position in second place in their league with a strong performance at home to Newport B. Keith Watford, Vince Whelan, Ken Davis and Derek Selway 26-13, while in a game of changing fortunes, Geoff Clement, Alan Bugby, Peter Hudson and Mike Davidson lost on the last end 19-20. Peter Swinfield, Gordon Holmes, Alan Coleman and Bernie Allen had a crushing 31-10 win. Result: Bembridge 8 points, Newport 2.

Seven Harriers jet across the Solent Seven Ryde Harriers crossed the Solent to take part in the 12th Annual Alresford Rotary 10k Road Race.

A new addition for this season’s Hampshire Road Race League, the hilly course is set in the market town of Alresford, Hampshire and takes in the famous Watercress Beds

and surrounding countryside. Travel was sponsored by Wightlink, and the Harriers’ runners times were: Trevor McAlister 0:41:01; Sam Cleare 0:45:22; Natalie Rose 0:52:32; Keith Ruth 0:55:41; Carolyn Ward 0:59:11; Beth Holloway 1:15:14; Sue Clerkin 1:19:02 (third female in Vet 70 category).

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Sport News

Observer

www.iwobserver.co.uk

This weeks highlights...

By Peter White

Equestrian Hayley reaches new heights

21st June 2019

Sailing

Brading sailing fun from outset

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Martin has the rest in the Palm of his hand!

Brougham is looking for more Vics consistency East Cowes Vics returned to pre-season training last night, with manager Steve Brougham delighted all the squad members who played last year have signed up again for the new campaign.

Vics finished a creditable 10th in the Sydenhams Wessex League, Division One, and Brougham (above) is hoping his players can build on the experience and confidence they displayed towards the end of a tough campaign.

He said: “I’m really pleased everyone has signed up again, and I am still hopeful a few more young players will also be coming in. They are all a year wiser when it comes to playing in this division, as well as knitting together as a team. It is giving me the enthusiasm to try to move us forward.”

Vics will step up their preparations for the 2019-20 programme with pre-season friendlies against Sandown, West Wight and Whitecroft and Barton, as well as two matches against mainland opposition.

Brougham (pictured) said: “The goal is always to try to improve each season. I’m not saying we can win the league, but I will be pleased if the lads continue to learn how to hold onto leads, and even come from behind to win games. We were a bit inconsistent last season, so that is something we need to improve on.”

Vics begin their Wessex League, Division One campaign away to Ringwood on August third.

Mathew and Bea Wishaw on their way to victory in the mixed fleet at Yarmouth sailing club Yarmouth Sailing Club members took part in the Top of the River Race, with eight Scows and three mixed fleet taking to the start lines. First Scow off was John Smith but closely followed by Roger P-E, Martin Palmer and Graeme Bowen.

In the tight tacking Roger soon passed John, but by Kings Manor it was Martin leading. The intense tacking dual continued to the top of the river.

Downwind the race changed to a gybing contest with Martin caught.

The intensity of downwind racing dramatically increased to the finish line with Martin, Graeme and Roger

finishing in that order, but with only half a second between them across the line.

In the Mixed fleet Joy Moles finished first on corrected time in a Feva with Bryan Locke in a laser second.

The following day four Scows and two mixed fleet started. Niall Wallace got a great start and led the beat for a while, before Martin Palmer and Roger P-E managed the wind shifts better and rounded first and second.

Martin maintained his lead to the finish but Roger and Niall chased hard with seven position swaps over the eight mark race. On the final leg, Alan

Toms entered the tacking dual between Roger and Niall. Alan forced Niall to tack into a blustery header which caused a loss of momentum and a dipped gunwhale – game over for Niall. Alan went on to third place with Roger second and Martin first.

In the mixed fleet Mathew and young Bea Wishaw in the Wanderer put up a great show to complete the course and finish first. Mathew Tate, solo in his Feva, again found the conditions too tough and retired, but a good effort by both boats.