Isle of Wight Observer Issue 42

Observer

7th June 2019

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Silverback arrives on Island 7

75 years on 3

End of our High Street?

Friday 7th June 2019 Issue No.42

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Win tickets to this year’s County Show IW Observer readers have the chance to win a free ticket for the Royal Agricultural Show by submitting a question to Gardeners’ Question Time, which will be held at the show.

Questions selected for the question time earn the writer a free ticket for the show, held on June 30.

Questions should be sent either to the Isle of Wight Observer (see our contact details left) or to the Royal Isle of Wight Agricultural Society, Shide Meadows, Shide, Newport PO30 1HR. Closing date for questions is June 21.

Gardeners Question Time at the Royal Agricultural will be held in the Show Theatre, positioned on the Village Green, at 1pm. The event will be open to all, and questions can also be asked on the day.

Graham Biss, County Show Chairman, said: “The Gardeners’ Question Time slot in the Show Theatre timetable is rapidly becoming a favourite at the show. It allows all types of gardeners to ask those puzzling or difficult questions.

The panel has been drawn from right across the horticultural sector, so hopefully all aspects will be covered.”

Man charged with murder A Sandown man has been charged with the murder of a former Isle of Wight councillor and publican.

Jonathan Christopher Stasiuk, aged 60, was accused of the murder of 73-year-old Gerry White at Winchester Crown Court on Monday. Stasiuk is set to enter a plea in August and will be remanded in custody until that date. A provisional date for the trial has been set for November 4.

Crossword Answers Answers for crossword page 33

28 vehicles seized on Island A total of 28 vehicles were seized on Thursday, May 30, for licence, insurance and tax offences, during a police clamp-down on vehicle and traffic offences on the Island.

There were 21 fixed penalty notices also issued for mobile phone use, not using a seat belt and a range of other offences.

Overnight parking fees are coming

By Megan Baynes - Local Democracy Reporter & IW Observer

Islanders will have to pay a £1 fee to park overnight in the near future, both on and off-street in some areas, as controversial parking plans are rolled out over this month.

Throughout June, the Isle of Wight Council will be updating their signs and ticket machine software to accommodate the new charge.

The overnight parking fee will generate the local authority around £147,500, which it claims will help fund services. The council further claim that the introduction of a night-time fee is not unique to the Isle of Wight, as many other local authorities operate an overnight tariff.

The Council has reminded residents who live within 200 metres of a pay and display car park, that they can purchase a discounted permit to park there for £165 per year.

Motorists are advised to check the tariff board or ticket machine signage, as these will be changed to show overnight charging has already started.

Lora Peacey-Wilcox, Mayor of Cowes, said “this is so short sighted. There are lots of clubs and voluntary groups that meet in the evenings, they help so many people that it would be impossible for the Council to pay to deliver the same services.

“Once the admin and staffing costs have been taken into account is it really worth it?

“I am gutted for those people who give up so much of their time for their local community and are now going to lose out.”

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D-Day ceremony in St Thomas’ Square The 75th anniversary of D-Day was commemorated in a moving ceremony at St Thomas’ Square, in the Island’s county town, Newport.

It was a great day weather wise as the sun shone on the war memorial and the last post was played to bring in a two minute silence. Present at the commemoration was a 96-year-old veteran, Mr Killeen, who served as a navigator on Lancaster bombers during the war.

Mr Killeen was Island born and bred, although he did spend 16 years of his life in London. He was born in Newport, a mile from St Thomas’ Square where the commemoration was being held.

According to Mr Killeen, however, the D-Day landings were a disappointing day for him personally.

He said: “The bombers went in half an hour before the troops landed. We bombed at seven o’clock and never saw a thing.

We were told that their was going to be more activity in the English Channel but the fog came in and I never saw a thing.”

When asked what the D-Day commemoration meant to him personally, Mr Killeen said, jokingly: “I should get a decent lunch where I live”, but then added “it’s good to get through another day, that’s sometimes a little difficult.”

Around 50 people attended the commemoration service.

The standard bearers at the service were Dave Ramsey, Ernie Howard and Alan Lovewell, representing the Royal Artillery Association, Isle of Wight, the Royal British Legion, Newport and Carisbrooke, and The Royal Hampshires respectively.

Wreaths were also laid by Newport and Carisbrooke Parish Council and the Island branch of the Air Crew Association.

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Keeping congestion to a minimum The Island is preparing to welcome thousands to the Isle of Wight Festival, and the Isle of Wight Council, Island Roads and the Police are working closely with the organisers to ensure traffic flows smoothly and disruption is kept to a minimum.

The Council is asking residents to plan their routes carefully, to avoid the designated festival traffic routes on the Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Monday of the event, when traffic volumes will be their highest. The Festival runs from June 13 to 16.

The main route for festival traffic from the Red Funnel terminal at East Cowes will be up York Avenue and along Whippingham Road, where it will turn right onto East Cowes Road and into the festival car park. Festival-bound vehicles travelling from the Wightlink terminal at Fishbourne will be directed to the right on to Kite Hill, through Wootton, down Lushington Hill and right at the Racecourse roundabout, and then left onto East Cowes Road and into the festival car park.

The replacement bridge at the Sea Street entrance to Newport Quay has been put in place. People requiring access to the quay in vehicles will be required to use the bridge and avoid going through Seaclose Park. There will be restricted public access through Seaclose from Wednesday, June 12.

The Council is reminding people that the one way system along Fairlee Road, Newport, will be put in place from

Doubts over future of Ryde’s Royal Arcade

lunchtime on Wednesday, June 12. All outbound traffic from Newport will be directed up Staplers Road.

Councillor Ian Ward, cabinet member for infrastructure and transport, said: “Once again, on behalf of the Council, I would like to welcome festival-goers to our beautiful Island.

As usual, there has been a lot of hard work behind the scenes to ensure that this year’s festival runs smoothly and has the least amount of disruption for residents.”

Teenage girl arrested on suspicion of robbery A 14-year-old girl was arrested on suspicion of attempted robbery, after a bizarre incident at a Ryde convenience store at lunchtime on Monday.

Police were called to reports of a teenager attempting to rob Duffetts Store on John Street at knifepoint. A girl, apparently dressed in school uniform, entered the store and asked the woman serving at the till to hand over some money. When the the woman refused, the girl then allegedly brandished a large kitchen knife.

When the woman informed the would-be robber that she was unable to open the till, the girl in question said she would return in five minutes. The girl returned, but no money was handed over, and she left empty-handed. The shop staff then telephoned the police.

The shopkeeper said he had been working in the trade for ten years, including in London, but had never experienced a similar incident before. The attempted robbery was recorded on the store’s close-circuit television system.

The Royal Victoria Arcade at Ryde, reputed to be Britain’s first undercover shopping mall, has been put up for sale for £750,000 amid fears its future could be in doubt.

The ornate building in Union Street was first opened in 1836 and named after the then Princess Victoria before she had become Queen. In the early 1970s, it was left derelict for several years and survived at least one attempt to have it demolished.

The iconic building was fully restored in 2011. Today, it is home to 14 commercial outlets, including antiques and collectables specialists, a café and the Underground History Museum of Ryde, which includes the world famous Donald McGill Saucy Seaside Postcard Museum.

However, the current owner, Roy Cartwright, who has maintained the arcade for the last 45 years, is now retiring.

Mr. Cartwright, who lives in the Midlands but checks on the building regularly, said he would like to see the arcade in Ryde Town Council hands and that he wouldn’t want it to end up as the property of a speculator.

The question of the arcade was raised at Monday’s meeting of Ryde Town Council and will be discussed in a future meeting of the Planning Committee.

Ryde Town Mayor, Michael Lilley, said about the arcade: “It’s an important community asset, iconic to the town, that includes the Underground History Museum of Ryde.

“I would like to see the community have the opportunity to purchase the arcade for the town. It shouldn’t be bought by a private concern with no connection to the town."

Cllr Lilley emphasised that Ryde Town Council had no formal plans to purchase Royal Victoria Arcade. He said: “Ryde Historical Society could buy the arcade. It could also be bought by a Community Interest Company (CIC), as has happened with Aspire and the building used by the New Carnival Company. Any talk of the Town Council buying the arcade is in its very early stages at the moment.”

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Yarmouth Councillors fear Bouldnor Road is accident just waiting to happen

By Megan Baynes - Local Democracy Reporter & IW Observer

Remove your name or no deal said IW Council Local councillors have expressed concern following reports that emergency service vehicles have been unable to squeeze past cars parked on the main road into Yarmouth.

In one alarming incident on Saturday, an ambulance service staff member was forced to get out his vehicle and redirect traffic for the ambulance to be able to travel along the highway.

The very next day, a Sunday, a police car on a blue light call had no alternative but to mount the pavement to avoid a caravan coming the other way.

Local Yarmouth town councillor, Rodney Corbett, has said that the issue of dangerous parking along Bouldnor Road has been brought up time and time again at Town Council meetings.

Yarmouth town council see the solution to the problem as being to extend the double yellow lines as far as Tollgate corner, the turning to Thorley. However, Cllr Corbett fears that such a solution might only

force the problem further down the road.

Furthermore, the IW Council, in the opinion of town councillors, have appeared unwilling to spend the £4,000 necessary for the Traffic Regulation Order to make such a change.

On the dangers of the road at Bouldnor, Cllr Corbett said: “Whenever a ferry comes into the port of Yarmouth, this creates a large stream of traffic along the main road. Will it take an accident such as the one in Forest Road (where a bus collided with a car) for a solution to this problem to be found?”

Yarmouth Mayor, Steve Cowley, said that the issue had been ongoing for twelve months, and that the IW Council regarded the matter as a “small inconvenience”, as the congestion had so far not led to any fatalities.

The Mayor believed cheaper parking permits at the River Road car park next to Yarmouth school, might be a solution to the problem, and recommended that the price of a yearly permit be reduced to £150 to get the cars off Bouldnor Road.

A COUNCILLOR who blocked an Isle of Wight skateboarding group from giving free lessons to children has apologised, and agreed to help reverse the council’s motion at the next meeting.

Yesterday, John Cattle — whose non-profit group provides free skate lessons at local parks during the summer holidays — revealed the group had been blocked from running sessions in East Cowes, because the council objected to the name of the parent company Wight Trash.

East Cowes Town Council had told the group they could only run the sessions if the name Wight Trash was removed from the branding.

However, John said this would not be possible as the name appears on all their skateboards.

Now, Cllr Karl Love, who branded the name ‘inappropriate in this day and age’ has made a u-turn on his decision.

He said today: “I humbly apologise for misjudging this situation.”

He said at the meeting he had agreed with the service provided

by Wight Trash, but disagreed with the name.

“The full funding was agreed by the East Cowes Council to enable the activity to progress and I will support a rescinding of the motion at the next meeting.

“I had not realised the town council vote would effectively block the activity and for this I also apologise for my part.

“It was never my intention to cause harm to young people or our community which I deeply care for and work for the better good.

“We all make mistakes and I did on this occasion.”

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Isle of Wight athletes set for Island Games

The Isle of Wight athletes who will be competing in this year’s Island Games have all been kitted out and are ready to travel to Gibraltar, hopefully in their quest for medals galore.

The Isle of Wight is one of 22 Islands taking part in the Games, some from as far away as the Falklands, the Caymans, Bermuda and Greenland.

They will be competing in 14 different sports ranging from athletics, sailing and cycling to judo, beach volleyball and tenpin bowling, between July 6 and 12. This will be the second time that Gibraltar has hosted the Games

the first being in 1995.

Controversially, these Games will not include cycling, football, or volleyball, which have been in all previous Games since 1985, due to the lack of venues. Instead they have been replaced by tenpin bowling, judo, and squash.

The Isle of Wight athletes met up at Northwood House this week for a photo shoot, to pick up their kit, and to be wished good luck by Olympic gold medal winning sailor Shirley Robertson, who lives here. She was representing the Lord Lieutenant of the Isle of Wight, Susie Sheldon.

Red Funnel helping to rid beaches of plastic

Nine months after launching its new three-year environment strategy, Red Goes Green, Red Funnel has already implemented many of the changes set out in its strategy.

Red Funnel staff took part in an Islandwide beach clean last September as part of Isle of Wight Day. Red Funnel also pledged £15,000 to support the clean-up of the Island’s entire coastline, while more than 30 members from the Red Funnel team rolled up their sleeves to help remove plastic and litter from the beach at Ventnor and Steephill Cove.

The team will be out in force again this year and will be calling on customers

and residents to join in to help rid the Island’s beautiful beaches of unwanted plastic waste.

Fran Collins, CEO of Red Funnel, said: “Our environmental strategy, Red Goes Green, continues to be an important focus for us as a company. We’ve already made big strides with our initiatives over the last nine months, but there is much more to be done as part of our three-year plan, from continuing to reduce our total waste and energy consumption, to simply incorporating our green ethos into our day-to-day decision making.

“Some recent wins include the

continued rollout of LED lighting across the business, and we’ve just completed replacing the double glazing at our Head Office in Southampton to improve our energy efficiency.

“It’s a cultural shift to ‘go green’ and it doesn’t happen overnight. It will take time and we’re going to keep doing the best we can bit-by-bit, because it all adds up. We’d also love to hear of other initiatives that we may not yet have considered.”

For further information about Red Funnel’s Red Goes Green environment strategy, visit: https://www.redfunnel. co.uk/en/corporate-info/environment/

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Big new arrival at Monkey Haven The keepers at Monkey Haven have taken delivery of a massive new silverback gorilla!

The gorilla arrived by lorry, and is now settling into his new home. Seated, he’s a whopping 8ft tall, or 2.5m, which is much bigger than all the rescued monkeys and apes at the animal sanctuary. But the friendly giant doesn’t mind being kissed and cuddled and you can even sit on his huge hand!

The Silverback Gorilla is made from tough fibreglass and can be found near the picnic area of the award winning attraction.

He’s already causing quite a stir, and visitors are taking some great gorilla selfies.

The idea of the silverback gorilla is to draw attention to the plight of gorillas in the wild, as all species face extinction due to the trade in bushmeat and the destruction of the rainforests where they live in Africa.

Don Walser, Founder of Monkey Haven, said: “This is the biggest beast you’ve ever seen, and we hope you’ll come and meet him. We’re looking for a name and will be running a competition on Facebook to win a family day out. For now, he’s called Big Don. Apparently that’s a tribute to me, so I’ll take it as a compliment!”

Swim safe with skill sessions in Sandown

Children aged from seven to 14 will be able to learn vital water safety skills for free, as Swim England and the RNLI’s Swim Safe programme returns to Sandown on weekdays from July 29 until August 16. The programme aims to support the UK’s Drowning Prevention Strategy’s aim of reducing accidental drowning by 50 per cent by 2026.

Swim England and the RNLI have again partnered with the Isle of Wight RNLI Lifeboat Board and the Isle of Wight Council to run Swim Safe at Culver Parade, Sandown. The fun, hour-long sessions teach young people how to swim safely outdoors, and what to do if they, or someone else, get into difficulty in the water. Children must be aged between 7 and 14 and able to swim 25 metres unaided to take part.

The sessions are run by qualified swimming instructors and lifeguards, supported by a team of volunteers. All the kit to take part, including wetsuits, swim hats and flotation equipment, is provided for the sessions. Children only need to bring their swim suit and a towel.

Roger Matthews, partnership co-ordinator for the Isle of Wight RNLI Lifeboat Board said: “Children love swimming outdoors, but it’s very different to swimming in a pool, where most children learn to swim. It’s essential that children learn where it is safe to swim, how to stay safe and what to do if they get into trouble.

“We want all children to have access to this training, so all Swim Safe sessions are free.”

Parents and carers can book their child’s free place now by going to www.swimsafe.org.uk and Location: Isle of Wight Sandown

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Possible High Street carnage

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Another possible big hole in the High Street looming At the time of going to press Phillip Green’s Arcadia Group was battling with UK landlords to see if they can reduce rents in order to keep his empire afloat and away from the hands of the receivers.

If the landlords reject his offer this will be simply one

more High Street shop to fall by the wayside and will leave a huge hole in St James’ Square.

If this does happen you can probably see a change of use from A1 retail to A3 Food and perhaps Burger King will finally come to the High Street.

2030:dead end for the High Street?

“In the retail sector online spend is almost breaching 20%, with 1-in-every-5 pounds spent coming through internet sales, which has affected the true value of physical retail stores.”

The High Street is slowly disappearing as we all know and love it. Large shops which fall foul of closure carry a 75 per cent risk of not being re-let due to the extortionate costs of rent and rates, which are set by greedy landlords who still live in the 80s and an outdated business rate system which is not fit for purpose.

It’s going to happen and sadly there will be no way of stopping this decline, as long as companies like Amazon continue to trade, which they will do, considering the steady growth rate they are achieving year on year.

We all know how we got here. The relaxation of planning laws in the 1980s accelerated the emergence of out-of-town retail parks, the arrival of Amazon in 1998, and the credit crunch of 2008.

Therefore, the question is what will happen to all the empty properties? There are businesses which will survive this carnage.

These businesses will create the look of our new High Street, which will include restaurants, coffee shops, bars, fast food outlets, some form of banks, travel agents and estate agents. These will form an integral part of our new High Street.

The High Street will also shrink in size, with the remaining properties either being demolished or rebuilt, to provide much needed in-town accommodation, and it is these new residents who will support the remaining High Street businesses.

So, what will Newport High Street look like within 10 years? Firstly, the High Street will stretch from Holyrood Street up to Prezzo, either side will be surrendered to accommodation. It’s a strong possibility that the two squares (St Thomas’ and St James’) will survive.

To save the High Street, many retailers need to ensure they are thinking innovatively about how to draw customers in with clearer in-store stock checks, more staff and extended hours during busy periods. The

reason why so many retailers are struggling with their stores is because consumer shopping habits are changing, and the High Street needs to change with it, creating a more community-led atmosphere with more accessibility and variety for everyone.

What people seem to forget is that well known institutions, such as banks and estate agents, are also in the firing line. Since 1989, 9,000 banks have closed on the High Street and this figure is decreasing daily across the country. There are 17,972 estate agents on UK High Streets. In 2030 there may be none.

The impact of the arrival of Rightmove and Zoopla means there will be little need for expensive town centre premises.

Another shop that surprisingly could disappear is the High Street fashion retailer.

In 2013 alone, there was a net loss of 264 fashion stores from our High Street. The online fashion industry could reach £36.2bn by 2030, 63 per cent of the market, compared with today’s 21 per cent.

Between 2020 and 2030, half of the UK’s existing shop premises will have disappeared.

In 1950, there were 600,000 stores in the UK; in 2012, there were 290,000; and just 220,000 will survive by 2020. With home deliveries increasing exponentially, the decade from 2020 to 2030 will see a further 100,000 stores go, as e-commerce grows exponentially, leaving just 120,000 shops on our High Streets.

The real truth is the High Street is dead.

We need to stop trying to revive its bloated corpse and start thinking about how to replace the jobs and the community spaces it provides.

High Streets will become smaller and will be centred around providing unique experiences which cannot be ordered online.

Shops will become smaller, thus becoming more affordable, and the larger premises that litter the High Street will be divided up into smaller more affordable units, or even

demolished to make way for purpose-built smaller units. By 2030, most High Streets will probably be covered over and will be trading up to 9pm to cater for people who return from work and wish to go out.

Landlords will have to come back down to earth or be prepared to take a hit by sitting on property which is falling into disrepair with no rents coming in.

Mark Rhodes, from Hose Rhodes and Dickson, said: “The shop closures, in most cases, are not brought about by greedy landlords; in fact landlords are being accommodating and are currently reducing rents by up to 50 per cent in order to keep the premises occupied. The killer for small to medium businesses and the landlords are business rates. In prime locations, there is no Small Business Rate Relief available, and this cripples small businesses; it prices them out of the High Street market and forces them onto side street locations whilst the High Street premises stay empty, in some cases for many years.

“I think outlets, such as Boots and WH Smith, will survive the High Street for years to come. However, in a way, this problem was caused by the big retailers back in the 80s and 90s by paying way over the odds to grab the prime High Street locations; by doing this, they created an unaffordable and outdated business rating system, based on over inflated rental prices.

“The bubble could really burst in the future, as many of the large retail spaces which are now laying empty are owned by large pension funds. With no rents coming in, this could cause a problem.

“I would say that the current business rating system is unsustainable for many businesses on the Island. We have many premises for let at the moment; however, they are not renting because of the extortionate business rates. Let’s see what happens. Our High Street is changing daily.”

New research by KIS Finance has revealed that consumers are worried the high street is going to be lost completely due to the current store closures in the news.

From surveying 1,000 consumers in the UK, Brits Christmas shopping habits have also been uncovered, including: •

Only 14% of Brits do their Christmas shopping in-store

•

64% of Brits prefer online shopping during the Christmas period as it is available at all times

•

If local high streets had free parking and easy accessibility, consumers would be more likely to shop in-store

•

61% of Brits are worried the high street will disappear due to recent store closures in the news

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Only 1 in 10 get Christmas gifts during Black Friday and a mere 5% shop during Cyber Monday

•

It is clear that our high street is changing, but from asking consumers about their Christmas shopping habits, KIS Finance have discovered the top reasons why people tend to stay away from going to the high street:

•

Too many people in-store around Christmas time (50%)

•

Less choice in-store than is available online (37%)

•

The shops are too far from my home (20%)

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The shops shut at the time I finish work (14%)

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It’s too confusing to find what I need in store (13%)

•

64% of Brits prefer online shopping during the Christmas period because it is available at all times and over half think it is easier to find gifts online as well as fast delivery being a bonus for many (40%).

•

61% of Brits are worried that the high street might disappear due to recent store closures in the news and consumers admitted that if there was free parking options and it was easier to access, they might come in-store more.

Other things that high street stores can change for shoppers to come to the high street more often include: •

More staff to ensure that the experience is quicker (41%)

•

Clearer stock check in store (34%)

•

24-hour service so that you can shop at any time (27%)

•

Self-checkout service to avoid queues (26%)

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David Bowie exhibition now open at Dimbola Museum

Dimbola Museum and Galleries’ summer show opens today (Friday) and runs through to August 18, showcasing a celebration of the pioneering artist and musical innovator David Bowie.

The exhibition features iconic portraits from some of the world’s greatest photographers as well as painting, vinyl art and sculpture. Iconic Bowie also highlights the incredible role the Isle of Wight played in the life of the artist, who died in 2016, aged 69.

As well as playing at the Isle of Wight Festival in 2004, Bowie had other Island connections. His first musical

performance, at the age of just 11, was in August, 1958 at the Bromley Scouts annual summer camp at Corf Camp, Shalfleet. He also appeared three times at the Winter Gardens, Ventnor in 1965, with his band Davy Jones and The Lower Third.

The exhibition is being held at Dimbola Museum & Galleries, Freshwater, the former home of pioneering Victorian photographer Julia Margaret Cameron which is considered to be the birthplace of fine art photography.

Iconic Bowie reveals stunning and intimate portraits by some of the best

photographers; Terry O’Neill, Kevin Cummins, Markus Klinko, Justin de Villenuve, Milton H. Greene and Gerald Fearnley, all of whom had important roles throughout the visual life of this singular artist capturing Bowie’s phenomenal journey.

Iconic Bowie photographs are from the extensive Iconic Images archive.

The exhibition’s sponsors include Wightlink, Solo Agency, and The Seaview Hotel. All exhibition images are limited editions and available to purchase.

2,500 litres of paint Survey shows Islanders for Yarmouth bridge generally feel safe The major Island Roads project to repaint the entire length of Yarmouth Bridge, which is set to begin this month, is projected to use 2,500 litres of paint. This will be the first time the 90-metre long structure will have been taken back to the metal and completely repainted since it was built nearly 35 years ago. The work will involve applying primer, undercoat and top coat to an estimated 2,100 square metres of steelwork forming the bridge structure.

The project is the largest single scheme being undertaken as part of Island Roads’ structures improvement programme in 2019, involving the improvement and upgrading of dozens of bridges and retaining walls. The work is anticipated to take

approximately 23 weeks to complete. The bridge will remain open to road traffic throughout, except for a short period towards the end of the project in which the end sections of the 32-metre swing bridge element will be painted.

The work to the swing bridge section presents a challenge as the scaffolding will have to be suspended from the bridge itself, as the riverbed cannot be used for support. Island Roads state they will be using some of the latest paint products available and hope this will protect the bridge against the elements for many years to come.

The bridge painting forms part of the Island’s Highway Improvement Programme, financed in the main through a £477 million grant from the Department for Transport.

A Community Safety Partnership (CSP) survey on the Isle of Wight has shown a slight rise in the number of people feeling safe in their community, compared to last year’s results. Survey respondents stating they felt safe in their local area was 86 per cent, up just over half-aper cent on the 2018 survey.

Of the 14 per cent who said they felt unsafe in their local area, the top three concerns were anti-social behaviour (54 per cent), drugs and alcohol (41 per cent) and speeding cars (53 per cent), the top three concerns as found in last year’s survey as well.

Remaining the same as last year, 82 per cent of survey respondents have not been a victim of crime over the past 12 months. Most people across the Island (81 per cent) said they felt safe in their area after dark.

Amanda Gregory, chair of the IW Community Safety Partnership, said: “These preliminary survey results are positive, in that residents see the Island, on the whole as a safe place to live.”

There will be a presentation on the survey findings and an opportunity to ask questions at the next public CSP meeting on July 3, at 5pm, in the Riverside Centre, Newport.

Questions may also be submitted in advance to: community.safety@iow. gov.uk.

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Island yacht race nears 1000 Entries for this year’s Round the Island Race are already nearing 1,000, with still three weeks to go before the epic event takes place.

Organised by the Island Sailing Club, the Round the Island Race takes place on Saturday, June 29, with the first yachts under starter’s orders at 7.30am.

The boats cross the start line at Cowes in 11 separate groups, starting every 10 minutes from 7.30am until 9.10am and 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, a distance of 50.1 nautical miles.

The original idea for the Round the Island Race came from Island Sailing Club member Major Cyril Windeler. In 1930 he suggested

a handicap race around the Isle of Wight which could cater for smaller boats - those in the category five to 25 tons. He may, at that time, have been enjoying a quiet joke at the expense of the Royal Yacht Squadron, who had stated that their members must own a yacht of minimum 30 tons!

The first race took place in 1931 with 25 entries, and this year, with entries coming in virtually every day, the total is expected to eventually close to 1,400.

Charity fundraising has always been a fun and exciting part of the race. Many charitable causes benefit, including the official Race charity, the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust raised £267k from their recent involvement, a sum that has enabled an additional 472 young people to join the Trust for a four day trip and 119 young people in recovery from cancer to be able to sail in the race. In total, the amount raised for good causes since 2010 has reached £500,000.

IW Council will not run buses

By Megan Baynes - Local Democracy Reporter

THE Isle of Wight Council has no plans to seek greater control of bus services on the Island, despite the urging of the bus minister.

Nusrat Ghani MP has written to local authorities reminding them they have freedom to take control of the bus services.

Watchdog Transport Focus has said bus tickets should be cheaper.

Despite being the biggest users of buses, 16 to 18 year olds are the least satisfied with the service, a survey found.

An Isle of Wight Council spokesperson said: “The council is fully aware of its delegated powers under the Bus Services Act 2017 and is already doing most of what it allows.

“One of the most significant delegations is the power to franchise bus routes, but this is only available to regional transport authorities and mayoral combined authorities.

“Currently, the council has no plans to seek greater control of bus services on the Island.

“In respect of the claim Southern Vectis is overcharging, this is not a matter on which the council can comment but would be subject for investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority.

“Further to this, the council does not have any powers to influence commercial bus fares.”

Still time to sign up for Mountbatten Fun Run Mountbatten’s popular fundraising fun run, held in the beautiful estate of Osborne House, has been revamped. The run, which has raised more than £36,000 since it was launched two years ago, will return on June 30, with a new 10k route, alongside the regular 5k and 3k distances.

There is still time to sign up for one of the runs, as registration does not close until June 26.

Spectators can also enter the grounds free for the first time to cheer on their friends and family. Jax Jones, major events fundraiser, said: “We’re really excited about the return of our Osborne Run. “We want to offer something for every running enthusiast, so we’ve added the 10k to pique the interest of the more serious runner. We hope this will raise even more funds to support Islanders and their families.”

Runners will start and finish in front of the home so loved by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The routes will take in areas of the grounds including the beach, Swiss Cottage and parts of the Osborne estate which are off the beaten track.

Runners taking on the 5k and 10k will also be treated to glimpses of the nearby Norris Castle. Nigel Hartley, Mountbatten chief executive, said: “This run has become an important fundraiser and we’re really thankful to English Heritage for allowing us

the use of its stunning grounds.

“Although the numbers of people we care for across our Island have risen dramatically over the last year, we know that 50 percent of Islanders who are eligible for Mountbatten’s support are dying without it.

“We want to help more families who are struggling to cope with the demands of caring for their loved ones, so we hope as many people as possible take part this year to help us do that.”

A fundraising pack, which includes an Osborne Run vest, will be sent to every runner and everyone who crosses the finish line will receive a special Osborne Run medal, in recognition of their support for Mountbatten.

Picture by Paul Wyeth

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Dunkirk Little Ships arrive in Cowes A mini-flotilla of Dunkirk Little Ships arrived in Cowes on Monday afternoon, to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day. The 11 small boats then moored at the Royal Yacht Squadron.

Earlier on the same day, Royal Navy gunboats and historic craft sailed past the Island accompanying the Mont St Michel ferry, which was carrying D-Day Veterans to France.

The Dunkirk Little Ships were used to evacuate British troops from France after the capitulation of French forces in 1940. Had it not been for the actions of thousands of small boat owners coming to the aid of the British army on the coast of France and returning them across the Channel to England, Britain itself would probably not have had the manpower to resist a possible Nazi invasion.

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Heritage Train Day at Havenstreet Big prayer picnic Around 5,000 Christians of all denominations will gather to pray in the grounds of the historic Portchester Castle this Sunday (June 9).

Worshippers from across south-east Hampshire and the Isle of Wight will meet for The Big Prayer Picnic, between 1pm and 4pm, to mark Pentecost Sunday.

This will be the climax of 10 days of prayer by churches of all denominations across the region, as part of the global prayer initiative, Thy Kingdom Come. The annual initiative, which was launched a few years ago by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, encourages Christians across the world to organise prayer events each day between Ascension Day and Pentecost. It now includes 114 countries.

Worshippers will meet in the grounds of the iconic Portchester Castle, because it has been the site of Christian prayer for 1,000 years. Church families will spread out on the grass and share their food, with the chance for children to enjoy family-friendly activities. Among the attractions will be a rodeo bull challenge, the chance to try jousting, a miniwipeout challenge, crazy golf and face-painting. Christian charity Spirit in Sport will also run sports activities in a separate zone.

Worshippers from the Isle of Wight have been offered free coaches to take them over the Solent and to Portchester Castle. And a car park that can accommodate 1,000 cars will be opened next to the castle.

The Isle of Wight Steam Railway will be hosting an Island Heritage Train Day at Havenstreet on Sunday.

The popular event will provide visitors with the opportunity to head back into the past to discover how the Island railways provided daily transport. It included not only taking people to work or school, or to the shops, but also taking livestock and farm produce to market and shops.

Goods were also distributed around the Island, often having been imported via one of the Island’s ports. Coal was the Island’s largest import.

Island Heritage Train Days endeavour to operate at least one locomotive with Island pedigree and run heritage goods train or recall the days of the scenic Ventnor West branch by running their pull/push set 484.

Visitors may also be transported back to the 1950s and 1960s and see an early British Railways’ era ballast train operating along the line, hauled by BR Class 03 diesel D2059.

There is also the opportunity for visitors to explore our Train Story Discovery Centre and learn the story of Victorian and Edwardian railway vehicles, and their lasting impact on all our lives.

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News in brief Car leaves road Emergency crews were called to Beaper Shute near Ryde on Tuesday morning following reports of a car coming off the road. The ambulance crew were not required as the driver had left the scene. The driver later recovered their vehicle with assistance, and did not sustain any injuries.

Volunteers needed The Isle of Wight’s Plant Positive project is seeking volunteers to help tackle the spread of Himalayan Balsam, an invasive species plaguing Island rivers. Anyone interested can call Carol Flux on (01983) 201563 or email carol.flux@ naturalenterprise.co.uk.

Platform vandalised A rigid inflatable ride and charter business has had one of its work platforms vandalised. Rebel Marine said that the platform had been damaged, cut free and left to drift down the River Medina. The platform was later found up the river near Island Harbour.

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Community spirit shines through as Cowes residents enjoy Big Lunch Residents of Cowes celebrated their community spirit with a giant picnic on the lawns of Northwood House on Sunday afternoon.

The Cowes Big Lunch was a celebration taking place for the sixth consecutive year.

The event was organised and sponsored by Cowes Town Council, the Island Sailing Club, Northwood House Charitable Trust and the Royal Yacht Squadron.

The Big Lunch started with a marching band parade into Northwood Park. Then at midday the picnics and celebrations began with a full programme of live music throughout the afternoon, led by the Bob Howarth Big Band.

Other performers included the Girls from Company B, who entertained the crowds with their 1940s style of swing, along with local duo, Jody and Sam.

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News in brief East Cowes powercut Many areas around Ryde and Bembridge were hit by a power cut on Tuesday afternoon, which affected residents in Binstead, Ryde, Seaview, Bembridge and the surrounding area. A high voltage network fault was blamed for the temporary loss of power.

Bembridge lifeboat callout Bembridge lifeboat evacuated a sick crew member from the Clipper Ventures yacht, CV22, late on Sunday night. The crew member was then taken by ambulance from Bembridge to St Mary’s Hospital, Newport, for a check up.

Road closure

Carnival Club grant Pan Community Carnival Club have been presented with a cheque for £500 from the Asda Foundation. The money is to go towards building a carnival float for the children in the local community club to enter the carnivals

across the Island.

Pictured with the club members are Clare Jones, Asda Community champion, and Kenny Farrell, store manager.

Taxi fares set to increase on the Island by 20p a mile!

By Megan Baynes Local Democracy Reporter Taxi fares on the Isle of Wight will increase by 20p per mile — the first price hike in six years.

In January, Isle of Wight councillors voted to increase the cost per mile for taxi fares by 10p per mile. The initial cost of flagging down a taxi was also set to rise by 50p.

However, taxi drivers objected to the plans and made representations to the council. Around 15 per cent of the taxi drivers on the Island responded to the consultation.

Now, the cost per mile will be increased to £2 per mile, while the cost of flagging down the taxi will stay the same, at £3.

This will only apply to journeys between 8am and 10pm. Late night journeys, or ones on public holidays, will remain the same.

The cost of travelling from Newport to Ryde will rise by approximately £1.50, members were told at a meeting of the licensing

An emergency road closure was put in place between Shanklin Old Village and Ventnor. for gas repair works on Tuesday. Traffic between Shanklin and Ventnor was diverted via Whiteley Bank and Wroxall.

Red Funnel cancellations Red Funnel has cancelled some of its Saturday sailings. The 8:15pm from Southampton will not operate and the 9:45pm from East Cowes were both cancelled with the ferry firm blaming ‘operational reasons’.

Carisbrooke fire Firefighters tackled a house fire on Kestrel Way, Carisbrooke, on Tuesday evening. A brick outhouse behind the property caught fire and a number of firefighters were needed to prevent the fire spreading to the main part of the house.

Ryde road closure

committee on Wednesday.

At the previous meeting, there was a lengthy debate about removing the charge for credit cards. However, the council confirmed this was illegal and could not be done anyway.

Cllr John Kilpatrick said: “A 20p rise. That’s quite a substantial hike. What’s the theory behind it?”

Principal licensing officer, Kevin Winchcombe, said it was based on the increased costs of running a car.

Newport Street, in Ryde, was closed on Tuesday between its junctions with High Street and Station Street, due to emergency carriageway repair work being carried out. A diversion was put in place, affecting High Street, Green Street, and Station Street.

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Newport Quay bridge is back in business

A celebration of Sea Songs and Shanties lights up Yarmouth Yarmouth celebrated its close connection with the sea with a weekend festival of live music on the Green, entitled ‘A Celebration of Sea Songs and Shanties’.

One of the organisers of the celebration, Chris Waddington, described the event as fabulous, adding that they had been terribly fortunate with the weather.

In all, 24 groups took part, mainly from the Island, as well as Hughie Jones, formerly part of the Spinners, and Tom Lewis.

Mr Waddington said: “The highlight of the event was when Tom Lewis sang a song he had written himself, One big Ocean, which he performed with the children from Yarmouth and Shalfleet primary schools.

Hughie Jones also brought the house down with his version of Ellan Vennin.”

The event concluded as in the Last Night of the Proms, with Henry Wood’s Fantasia, ending appropriately with a stirring rendition of the patriotic classic, Rule Britannia.

Two years after it had been classed as ‘unusable’, Newport Quay bridge has reopened.

The bridge was closed in 2017, when it was found to be suffering from severe corrosion due to the effects of the brackish tidal flows on the steel elements of the structure.

Essential repairs to the structure began on May 13. Island Roads say that work has now been completed. The bridge’s deck and supporting beams have been replaced as part

of the work, and new safety barriers have also been installed to protect the adjacent footbridges and its users.

The completion of essential repairs has come just in time for this year’s Isle of Wight Festival, which sees thousands of people pass through the area.

The reopening of the bridge also comes as great news for vehicle users of the Riverside Centre, who, for the last two years, have had to make a diversion via Seaclose Park.

Ward boundaries finally published

By Megan Baker - Local Democracy Reporter THE final recommendations for the Isle of Wight Council’s ward boundaries have been published.

The Local Government Boundary Commission has recommended the Island should have 39 councillors — one less than the current number.

In the west of the Island, the commission has changed its original recommendations so the shopping area around Avenue Road would be part of the Freshwater division, rather than Totland as previously proposed.

Colwell will now be part of the Totland division, rather than Freshwater as previously suggested.

In Ryde, the boundary between Ryde North East and Ryde South East divisions will run along West Hill Road and Park Road.

In the south of the Island, the commission originally proposed a Ventnor and Wroxall ward to cover both communities and be represented by two councillors.

However, following local objections, the plans have been changed to two separate wards, each represented by one councillor.

A number of ward names have been changed.

Among the changes, the former Whippingham and Osborne Ward has been moved and named just ‘Fairlee’ following a suggestion from the Isle of Wight Conservative Association.

Ryde South West has been renamed Haylands and Swanmore, and Ryde Central has been renamed Ryde Monktonmead.

In the west, Totland has been renamed Totland and Colwell. Freshwater North has been renamed Freshwater North and Yarmouth.

Chair of the Commission, Professor Colin Mellors, said: “We are extremely grateful to people across Isle of Wight who took part in the review. The Commission has looked at all the evidence that was put forward during the consultation.

“We believe these recommendations deliver electoral fairness for voters as well as reflecting community ties throughout the Isle of Wight.”

The final proposals will now go before Parliament to be implemented. A draft order will be put forward in the next few months.

The arrangements would come into force at the 2021 council elections.

Byway reopens following murder A popular Lake byway has reopened following the conclusion of on scene forensic investigations by police probing the murder of 73-year-old Gerry White. Byway SS18 and the surrounding footpaths had been closed to members of the public for a number of days,

since the discovery of the well liked former councillor’s body in amongst woodland at Lake Community Gardens. The byway is a frequently used route for dog walkers from the Bay area.

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Savoyards present cheque for prostate cancer research

Stunning flower arrangements and music at St James’ Church St James’ Church in Yarmouth held a flower festival over the weekend to coincide with the Yarmouth Sea Songs and Shanties event being held in the town.

The stunning flower arrangements were created by members of the Yarmouth congregation and well as by the West Wight Floral Society.

Janet Harding coordinated the flower arrangements.

The flowers were arranged to commemorate various themes. These included the seasons, Christian Festivals, such as Christmas, Easter and the Harvest Festival, and historic events, such as the D-Day landings.

Music for the Flower Festival was arranged by John Walton and Bryan Rhodes-Smith played the piano. Quite a few visitors were reported to have visited St James’ Church over the weekend, having been attracted to Yarmouth by the live music being played on the green.

The Island Savoyards’ Theatre Production Team presented a cheque for £1,270 at the recent IW Prostate Cancer Support Group meeting at the Newclose County Cricket Pavilion.

The Island Savoyards’ production of My Fair Lady at Shanklin Theatre, held over five days, was supported by programme sellers for the Prostate Cancer Support Group, and the proceeds from their sales was donated to the group.

John Stephens, who arranged the programme sale in conjunction with Sharon Merrick, Secretary of the Support Group, said how pleased he was making this donation, especially after the successfully organised PSA blood test in Cowes in May, where 240 men were tested.

A number of men were found to need medical support from these results.

The next test will be run in Ryde in October.

Armed police in Sandown Armed Police were deployed to Sandown yesterday afternoon (Monday) following reports that a man had a gun.

Hampshire Constabulary deployed the specialist officers to Avenue Road, Sandown at 15:46 following a report that a member of the public had spoken to a man who claimed he had a gun.

The 46-year-old homeless man was spoken to by officers and released with no further action. No weapons were found.

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Open University partners NHS to boost nursing on Island

Island tech company shines in UK excellence awards Island hi-tech company, Innovative Physics, has been named as a finalist in the national Made in the UK Awards, celebrating UK manufacturing excellence.

The Awards event takes place at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry on Thursday, June 20, and will bring together some of the UK’s most innovative and successful manufacturers.

Innovative Physics, who are finalists in the Digital Engineering/Technology Award category, were successful winners in the South Eastern regional awards in November 2018, and now have the chance to compete for the UK’s top award.

The Shanklin based company works predominantly in the nuclear, homeland security and medical sectors, providing solutions to complex problems using sensor

technology, artificial intelligence and pattern recognition.

It received the South Eastern region accolade for the development of its unique (HSL) Hot Spot Locator, which utilises the latest cutting-edge AI technology to detect, identify and grade radioactive material.

The development of the HSL was born out of their experience working first-hand at the site of one of the largest environmental catastrophes, the accident at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant caused by the 2011 Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami.

The company has gone on to develop bespoke versions of the hi-spec equipment for global industries in Japan, China and Canada and is currently developing similar technology for a UK waste company.

The Isle of Wight NHS Trust and the Open University are collaborating to deliver a three-year apprenticeship programme with investment of over £2m from the Trust’s Apprenticeship Levy, to increase the number of registered nurses and nursing associates on the Island.

With 120 Island nursing vacancies, the programme will widen access and boost the skills shortage by providing crucial training and employment.

The OU will be the sole provider in the delivery of the apprenticeship-standard qualification and will help the IOW NHS Trust to develop their workforce and keep skills local. The OU trains more health and social care staff than any other education provider and works in partnership with 183 healthcare employers.

Alice Webster, for the IOW NHS Trust, said: “We are really delighted to be working in partnership with the Open University to develop ways to enable us to think about how we develop our workforce and particularly the nursing profession. There has been a

reduction in newly qualified nurses employed over the last three years and significant reduction in Adult/Mental Health Students in training, who are based on the Isle of Wight.

The Trust has been dealing with a significant nursing workforce challenge, with currently 120 full-time equivalent registered nurse vacancies.

“After holding many career fairs and answering enquiries from existing staff, we knew that our nursing workforce solution was on the Island, but barriers such as cost and a lack of bursary made attending university prohibitive. We have developed a five-year Nursing Workforce Strategy, that incorporates the recruitment to both Registered Nurse and the Nursing Associate Apprenticeships with the OU, for the Island population and beyond.”

For further information on applying for the next group of nursing associates and registered nursing apprenticeships visit: https://www.iow.nhs.uk/Working-With-Us/ learning-zone/apprenticeships-2.htm

Newport Quay venue to host Armed Forces Day

Newport Quay will host Armed Forces Day 2019 for Island residents to show their patriotic support for our service personnel, past and present, throughout the country and our thanks for keeping us safe The day will feature a parade of service personnel, veterans, standard bearers and cadets, led by Her Majesty’s Royal Marine Band, Collingwood, followed by local bands.

The parade will start at 11.15am on Drill Hall Road and march along the High Street to the Quay, where the salute will be taken by the Lord-Lieutenant, Mrs Susie Sheldon.

An all day programme is planned, including displays by the HM Royal Marine Band, Collingwood, Isle of Wight Pipes and Drums, Medina Marching Band, Vectis Corps of Drums Marching Band and Wight Diamonds Marching Band.

There will also be a demonstration by the Military Preparation College, Isle of Wight. Several sea craft will be moored on the Quay and military vehicles will be on display. Further entertainment will include performances of live music with the Bunker Girls and magician Andy Vance. Entrance is free. Armed Forces Day will be held on Saturday, June 22, between 11am and 5pm.

Cllr. Ian Ward, Armed Forces Champion, said: “Armed Forces Day is for the national recognition of the contribution our current serving personnel and veterans make and have made to our nation. The Island event is a civic occasion sponsored by the IW Council and numerous Town and Parish Councils, but superbly organised and run on their behalf by the Royal British Legion.”

Police and local coastguard end ‘jump’ drama on Culver Down Concerns for the welfare of a man sitting on the cliff edge led to Hampshire police and HM Coastguard rushing to Culver Down on Sunday morning. Fortunately, the police managed to talk down the man concerned, who returned to the correct side of the fence safe and well.

This was the latest in a series of potential suicides around the coast of the Isle of Wight over recent days.

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Don’t take Big response for West chances Wight school places warning as child swept out to sea A paddleboarding child was rescued by a swimmer after being swept out to sea at Seagrove Bay near Seaview.

The emergency led to Bembridge RNLI being launched after a member of the public raised the alarm.

It was soon established that the child had safely returned to the shore after being rescued by a swimmer. It’s believed the youngster was taken out to sea by the wind and was out of his depth when he started shouting for help.

Coastguard have reminded those heading to the seaside to be aware of offshore winds and tides which can quickly carry a paddleboard, dinghy or other inflatable out to sea. Bathers need be aware of their limitations and keep a watchful eye over children as conditions may change in a matter of seconds.

Anyone spotting someone in difficulty at sea should dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

With only a few days left to go on the West Wight school places consultation, the IW Council has already received 420 responses.

Local residents have until June 11 to have their say on an alternative preferred option to manage falling pupil numbers in the area. Under this option, All Saints’ CE Primary School in Freshwater would close with pupils moved to Yarmouth Primary School, which would expand to 30 pupils per year group. At a later date, the school would be relocated to the All Saints’ site, which would receive substantial investment.

Councillor Paul Brading, Cabinet member for education, said: “I am very pleased to see we have received in excess of 420 responses so far on the consultation. I would continue to encourage everybody with an interest in the consultation to respond before it closes on midnight on June 11.”

A second public meeting is being held on Thursday, June 6, between 6pm and 8pm, at All Saints’ CE Primary School.

During the consultation, the council welcomes all comments, and any additional viable proposals, via the following survey: www.surveymonkey.com/r/ WestWightSchoolPlacesSupplementaryConsultation The consultation is underway as there is an oversupply of school places in the West Wight area, a trend which is expected to continue in the coming years.

Shanklin beach listed in top 25 UK resorts Shanklin has been named in the list of the UK’s best seaside towns for families in a new study.

Researchers used a variety of factors, including number of beaches, average temperature and the cost of an ice cream to score Britain’s best coastal resorts, with Shanklin finishing in 21st place.

The list was topped by Bournemouth, with Brighton, Torquay, Weymouth and Blackpool making up the top five. Lisa O’Keeffe, Senior Brand and Content Manager at dayoutwiththekids.co.uk, said: “The Isle of Wight is a fantastic destination for family visitors, so we’re delighted to award Shanklin with silver status this year.”

Enterprise Car Club expands

Ventnor stands to remember D-Day The vital role Ventnor played in the successful D-Day landings 75 years ago was commemorated in a poignant ceremony in the town.

On June 5, 1944, Trinity House vessels gathered off Ventnor to await their minesweeper escorts, before heading off to lay their marker buoys across the English Channel overnight, in preparation for the D-Day landings.

Meanwhile, the Radar and listening stations in Ventnor and neighbouring villages provided a constant watch for Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe movements. It was this vital work from South Wight that gave the liberating forces the best chance of success on the D-Day beaches On Wednesday evening, as the sun set, Ventnor remembered the valour and sacrifice of the troops as they set off to an uncertain fate in France, 75 years ago.

The liner, MV Boudicca, chartered by the Royal British Legion, earlier steamed

out of Portsmouth Harbour, bound for the Normandy Beaches, carrying 300 D-Day Veterans. She stood off the coast at Ventnor, accompanied by a Royal Navy escort warship, for 20 minutes at dusk.

The offshore presence of the Royal Navy warship, together with the veterans at sea, provided the town the opportunity to mount a service of thanksgiving along the foreshore.

Hundreds gathered to listen to wartime favourites played from loudspeakers at the rotunda, and watch the veterans round the south coast of the Isle of Wight.

The arrival of the liner and its Royal Navy Escort was marked by maroons of acknowledgement from the Groyne, and the sounding of the ships’ horns at arrival and departure. Church bells rang out across the town, and prayers of thanksgiving were spoken at the Esplanade Rotunda Bandstand.

Finally, as the sun set, the last post was sounded.

Newchurch Male Voice Choir sing in Seaview Enterprise, part of the world’s largest vehicle rental group, is expanding its Enterprise Car Club operation on the Isle of Wight by adding two new vehicles to a new location based at Hovertravel’s terminal in Ryde.

Paul Smith, Enterprise Rent-A-Car General Manager for South Central England, said: “The Isle of Wight is a location where the benefits of Enterprise Car Club really come into their own, allowing people to cross the Solent and have a car waiting the other side, while avoiding the costs of taking a vehicle to or from the Island.

“Due to this, the service has proved really popular with Islanders and visitors alike since we launched in West Cowes and Newport in 2017, and, as a result, we are expanding to cover more of the Island’s transport hubs.

The increased presence of Enterprise Car Club vehicles at the island’s sea terminals also means that fewer visitors need to bring their cars over, reducing vehicle congestion on the Island.”

Neil Chapman, Managing Director of Hovertravel, said: “We fully support Enterprise Car Club’s decision to locate vehicles at the Hovertravel terminal in Ryde.

Car clubs are an excellent solution for the ‘last mile’ of a journey, when you’ve come off the hovercraft and you’re trying to get to a business meeting or a friend’s house.

It means you can jump in a car when you need to, pay only for what you use, and rest assured that you’re driving away in a lowemission vehicle that is perfect for the job.”

It has taken 52 years for the Newchurch Male Voice Choir to perform in the Seaview area, but the wait was worthwhile, when a full house of local residents and holiday makers attended the choir’s concert in the village.

The choir sang a selection of popular songs, including Some Enchanted Evening, Unchained Melody, Wherever You Are, Homeward Bound, New York New York, a West Side Story medley and, as an encore, Morte Christie. Pianist Cate Clark, who accompanies the Choir, performed two solo spots and warned us to be careful if we went into the woods tonight because the Teddy Bears were having a picnic. Richard Knowles performed a beautiful rendition of The Holy City song.

The concert was hosted by the Freemason’s Spithead Lodge and held at the Masonic Hall.

The concert ended with a retiring collection and a raffle which has raised £302, that will be donated to the Worshipful Masters

Charity Fund.

Bob Cooper, Secretary of the Spithead Lodge and member of the Choir, said: “What a lovely evening enjoyed by a large audience.

“I was approached by a lady who was visiting from Weston-Super-Mare, who said that her brother, who had recently suffered a stroke and was rather ‘down’ with the world, had seen the poster for the concert and wanted to attend. He, out of nowhere, was humming along to the music and smiling, and when we said we would get the car to get back to the hotel, he refused and said he would walk.

This is a revolution and he has got a little sparkle back in himself.

“This shows the truth in the fact that music can mobilise positive thoughts in the minds of people with such problems. It makes me even more dedicated to the choir and to singing, and I would encourage others to join a choir.”

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Local groups benefit from WightAID charitable trust Island charitable trust The WightAID Foundation is continuing to help local charities and groups, with 27 organisations sharing more than £40,000 since the beginning of the year.

In May alone, WightAID, whose chairman is this year’s Isle of Wight High Sheriff Geoff Underwood, granted £10,233 to six local community groups.

Suicide Prevention and Intervention IOW seek to save lives across our Island.

Their team specialise in prevention, intervention, education and training to minimise the risk of individuals taking their own lives. They work within a multi-agency team to ensure different specialist work together in times of crisis, offering also a 48-hour follow up to those who have had contact with the front line team. The team was granted £3,151 to purchase vital equipment required when attending a search and rescue, such as a thermal imaging camera, torches, a radio system and an IPAD to maintain communications.

Brading Community Partnership provide a community hub which is open five days a week, catering for all ages and abilities. They run different social and support groups as well as providing a successful youth club. Their grant for £500 will go towards a projector and screen which is required as part of running the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.

Break the Cycle provide a Mind the Gap course on the Island for victims of violent and abusive relationships which provide post relationship esteem and confidence building. They were granted £3,082 to cover the costs of the next 12 module course which is free for participants.

Jigsaw Family Support are a contact centre who provide temporary support for families following difficult separations. They were granted £2,500 towards their upcoming managing separation workshops which entitle early intervention for parents and their families to reduce conflict, and ensure effective communication is in place to reduce the impact on the children.

Wight Diamonds Marching Band were

found in 2000, and the community band have been granted £500 towards van hire to allow them to attend the Kingston Borough Bands in May, 2020.

This is a non-competitive tattoo where a number of bands demonstrate their marching and playing skills to each other and to an audience open to members of the public. This event allows the band members to enjoy a new experience, gain new skills and build friendships with others who have similar interests to their own.

WightAID Trustees also made the decision to grant the band their ferry travel which is required for the event.

Friends of St Thomas’ Association (FOSTA) have been granted £500 towards a weather station and software.

This will be linked to the school’s computers and website, which will enhance the children’s experiences and skills towards the geography and science curriculum.

WightAID have now granted £268,681 through 117 grants since their launch in September 2016.

For more information about how you can support WightAID, or how to apply for a grant, visit website www.wightaid. org or contact one of the team on (01983) 555915.

Wightlink begins summer overnight FastCat sailings Wightlink’s overnight FastCat service on summer weekends began with more than 30 customers travelling on the first crossing after midnight from Portsmouth Harbour to Ryde Pier Head.

The summer service of four round-trip sailings on Friday and Saturday night is a four-month trial to assess whether there would be enough demand from people who want to cross the Solent overnight to justify a year-round service.

The Robinson and Annis families from Sandown were among the first to board the 12.15pm FastCat. They were returning to the Island from a holiday in Menorca, but their flight to Gatwick had been delayed, and they missed an earlier train that they were intending to catch.

Cherice Robinson said: “I’m really pleased you’ve started to run foot passenger sailings at weekends as we are all tired and want to get home.”

Wightlink Chief Executive, Keith Greenfield, said: “This was an excellent start to the service. We now want to spread the word that people can enjoy a Friday or Saturday night out on the other side of the Solent this summer without having to worry about catching the last FastCat home. As our Portsmouth car ferry already runs through the night, there is now an overnight crossing every hour at weekends with Wightlink.”

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News in brief Social media rumours unfounded A man was taken to hospital late on Sunday night after police and paramedics were called to the Man in the Moon pub in Newport.

The cause of his hospitalisation was medical and not related to any public order incident.

Social media posts reporting customers being asked to leave the pub by the police were apparently untrue.

Cowes water history talk in Newport

South Wight youngsters celebrated at IW Pearl Young people were in the spotlight at the South Wight Area Youth (SWAY) celebration at Isle of Wight Pearl after graduating from their Young Leaders course. Supporters of the charity enjoyed a night of recognising achievement by highlighting the young people’s commitment and community spirit.

The 10 young people were awarded certificates and hoodies in front of approximately 60 supporters, volunteers and the youth workers

team, led by Project Leader, Andy Dorning.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Fund (HIWCF) part funded the evening, at which the young graduates received a certificate and a Young Leaders hoodie, to applause from SWAY trustees and supporters. The evening included a two course meal, followed by ceilidh featuring the band Slainte Va. Further achievements this year included 12 families being able to

either receive support directly or being linked to other agencies, 50 young people enjoying a camping weekend, 80 young people accessing local youth work and activities, 39 booked on for holiday activities and 17 for residential weeks both on and off island.

Chairman, Peter Johnson, said: “It is great that the young people get acknowledged and valued for their achievements by our supporters as well as us, and everyone enjoys

themselves in a fun evening.”

SWAY took this opportunity to tell everyone that they are hoping to reopen the Café at Chale before the summer holidays. This venture has two aims: to offer opportunities for work experience together with an income stream for the charity.

Anyone wanting to be involved or would like to know more about the work of SWAY should contact www. southwightyouth.org

Fred Caws will be giving a talk entitled: “Cowes Water – Dirty and Clean” on Monday, July 1, at the Riverside Centre, in Newport.

The talk will start at 7.30pm, and lasts about 45 minutes. Admission will be £1 for members of the Family History Society and £2 for nonmembers.

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News

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7th June 2019

Earn money by leasing the caravan on your driveway Electro Love Tent full of fun and music at IW Festival The popular Electro Love Tent will be in a new location at the Isle of Wight Festival this year, and promises to be more entertaining and zany than ever.

Team Electro Love pride themselves on delivering the art of partying at the Festival, taking revellers on a trip down memory lane where they can party the weekend away in the Electro Love 80s and 90s tent.

There will be DJ battles from the Giant Lighthouse, Rock and Pop Tribute Acts, and amazing bands to suit all tastes, from 1pm lunchtime until 2am the following morning, throughout the Festival, which takes place from June 13 to 16.

Team Electro Love member Damian Walshe said: “This year we are closer to the campsite, which is brilliant for us because we are a party place where the campers want to come and party, all day and most of the night. This is our fifth year at the Festival. We started by dressing up in crazy 80s and 90s outfits, and now we have local bands who all dress up, and add to the party atmosphere. We are not a serious tent, we just want everyone to come along and have fun.”

The DeLorean ‘Back to the Future’ car will also be back, along with the James Bond Lotus Espirit car that turned into a submarine in the 1977 classic 007 film, The Spy Who Loved Me. Among the numerous acts on Electro Love stage during the IW Festival will be the IW Radio Breakfast team of Paul, Jamie, Georgie and Carl doing their entertaining #DADDANCE routine on Saturday afternoon, and before that Jamie, aka Jay, will be doing a DJ set on Friday night from 10pm for an hour.

Among others on stage will be Blond Bombshell, DJ Crabbie, Fusion and Forever Queen, plus scores more, with the Electro Love Closing Party featuring Electric Dollz!

As an added bonus for Electro Love fans, the Island company will also be be taking their fun and music to Cowes Week this year, appearing all 10 days and nights at the world-renowned annual regatta.

Isle of Wight residents can reap the rewards of joining the caravan share economy, as the festival and tourist season kicks off.

There’s a new way for local caravan, campervan and motorhome owners to boost their income by £2,000 to £6,000 this summer. Camplify, the UK’s caravan and motorhome sharing community (similar to Airbnb but for caravans), is bringing a new lease of life to underused leisure accommodation by connecting owners with holidaymakers.

With the Isle of Wight Festival set to start the festival season, there’s still time for owners to tap into the attendees need for accommodation and earn up to £450 across the four days,

by hiring their campers, motorhomes, static and touring caravans.

As the caravan celebrates its 100th anniversary, a new generation of nomads are revitalising the industry.

Childhood nostalgia, staycations and the bohemian Van Life movement are some of the trends resulting in Brits enjoying 9.8 million caravan holidays each year.

With 1.1 million leisure accommodation vehicles in the UK, and most only used for just two to four weeks of the year, Camplify is freeing up owners’ driveways and providing more opportunities for holidaymakers to experience the joys of caravanning. Amidst industry predictions that 2019 will be the stand

out year for caravan and motorhome holidays, Justin Hales from Camplify explains why now is the time for Isle of Wight owners to embrace the caravan sharing economy.

Justin said: “We’re constantly seeking new ways to inspire adventures and make outdoor holidays more accessible.

In just one year, we’re thrilled to have been able to send over 1,000 people on British caravanning holidays that they previously wouldn’t have had access to.”

“The festival and camping season delivers a great opportunity for owners to begin making money from their underused caravans. There’s never been a better time to share the caravan love.”

Spina Bifida conference The Isle of Wight Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus is marking its 50th anniversary with a conference at Cowes Yacht Haven on June 25. Medical professionals, carers and individuals with both conditions will hear from national speakers about diagnosis and treatment, and hear about latest developments, including fetal surgery, and fortification of flour with folic acid.

Places are still available, and it is free to attend with full continuing professional development. To book before June 10, email iwasbah@gmail.com with your name and any dietary requirements.

Chairman of IW ASBAH, Anne Axford, said: "The conference marks a milestone in the charity, which supports Islanders living with both conditions. There are over 150 people diagnosed on the Island, and we want to mark our 50th year with this conference to raise awareness, disseminate knowledge, and plan for the future."

Anti-5G demonstration held in Newport Around 25 people gathered in St James’ Square on Saturday to hand out leaflets and collect signatures for the Stop 5G Isle of Wight Petition, which already has over 700 signatures.

Protestors claim 5G is experimental and has not been proven safe by industry or any other authority. They oppose Smart Island Live, which,

in their opinion, will expose people to pulsed radiation, which has been shown to be harmful to the brain, heart and other essential organs.

The next anti-5G demonstration in Newport will be at 1pm on Saturday, June 15 at St James Square in connection with Electro-Sensitivity Day.

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Many Islanders have never switched energy supplier Energy comparison website, Simply Switch, is claiming that 12 per cent of Island residents have never switched energy suppliers.

Energy customers seem to be sticking to their suppliers despite losing money in the process. This is because most fixed rate energy deals will last for between 12 and 18 months. After this period, customers are automatically

switched onto a standard variable tariff (SVT). These are invariably the most expensive tariffs available, so switching before this happens might save cash.

However, the survey also found that 12% of residents in the Isle of Wight had never switched suppliers before.

Mike Rowe, of Simply Switch, said: “It’s unfortunate that such a large portion of

energy users hadn’t switched their supplier in the last 18 months, given the savings that could be made, and given that a large portion are still with suppliers they wouldn’t recommend. A large number of these customers will now be on expensive standard variable tariffs, which should generally be avoided by anyone who wants to save money.”

One man and his dog rescued in Freshwater An elderly man was injured in Freshwater on Saturday while trying to rescue Candy, his pet Corgi. The dog fell off the sea wall and into the water while out on a walk with his owner.

The dog’s master rushed into the water to try to rescue his pet, but the power of the waves threw him against the sea wall, resulting in him being submerged and

sustaining an injury.

Fortunately, local resident Peter Kelly, who was walking his own dog at the time, leapt into the sea to drag the elderly man out of the water. The casualty was taken to St Mary’s Hospital and Candy the Corgi returned home to dry off. Rescuer, Peter Kelly, was thanked by the injured man for his prompt action.

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New beermats to celebrate Isle of Wight’s fine brewing heritage Four Island pubs have introduced new beer mat designs that are a nostalgic nod to the old Burt’s Brewery, which brewed its last pint of beer over 25 years ago. Burt’s is still well remembered by many on the Isle of Wight, and its distinctive beer mats were once a common sight in pubs across the Island.

The new designs feature the Spyglass Inn, the Bargeman’s Rest, the Steamer Inn and the Dairyman’s Daughter, which are locally owned by the Gibbs family.

Neil Gibbs said: “When we first opened the doors to The Spyglass Inn back in 1988, we were proud to support other local businesses and served up Burt’s Brewery beers to many happy customers. I am pleased that the new beer mat design draws upon this heritage to create something instantly recognisable”.

Many fans of local Isle of Wight ales might recognise the distinctive look of the new beer mats, which feature the shape of the Isle of Wight and uses a retro colour scheme.

Andrew Gibbs said: “We are very proud of the Island and its history and wanted a design that would connect with this heritage. Some of the initial designs used more contemporary colours, but we all agreed that the original just looked right, so we’ve stuck with it."

Solent, a local marketing agency, was commissioned to create a design that could capture this connection between the pubs and Burt’s Brewery.

Marie Woodward, Client Account Manager, said: “It’s a real challenge to bring together these different styles, but it’s been one that our team has really enjoyed. Anyone who remembers Burt’s should be pleased with the result and we’ve had some great feedback.”

Burt’s Brewery was an Island institution, and one of 14 breweries that were in existence at the start of the 20th century.

All four beermat designs can be seen in the Spyglass Inn, the Bargeman’s Rest, the Steamer Inn and the Dairyman’s Daughter.

Walk, roll or stroll to help stop multiple sclerosis A national charity is inviting people in the South East to start their own DIY fundraiser and raise life-changing funds for multiple sclerosis (MS) research.

Following the success of the annual ‘MS Walk’, the MS Society has launched the new ‘My MS Walk’, an accessible and inclusive option that allows anyone, anywhere to fundraise with a walk, roll or stroll in their local community.

MS affects more than 100,000 people in the UK, with a further one in four likely to know someone affected. It is often painful and exhausting and can cause problems with how we walk, move, see, think and feel.

Stuart Nixon is an MS Society Ambassador, and has lived with progressive MS since the age of 14. He

is a My MS Walk Champion, having organised his own walk in 2013 that inspired the original MS Walk: Stuart said: “For the MS Society’s 60th Anniversary in 2013, I decided to try something special. ‘Stu Steps Up',’ as it became known, was a 60km walk around London. It was a walk with a difference, because I can’t.

“With a specially designed walking frame and support from my wife Marie and my friends, we walked from Buckingham Palace, all around London and back to the Palace again. We ‘walked’ for over nine days and raised £75,000 in the process. If I can do it, you can!”

Walks can be whatever distance you like, can take place wherever you want, and the MS Society will provide all the

materials and support you need to make it a success.

Nick Moberly, Chief Executive at the MS Society, said: “We’re incredibly excited to launch ‘My MS Walk’, and can’t wait to celebrate communities coming together across the UK to raise vital funds for MS research.

“More than 100,000 people in the UK live with MS and scientists believe we are closer than ever to having treatments for everyone. We believe we can stop MS and, by organising your own walk, you’ll play an important part in getting us there.”

To get handy tips and resources on how to organise a ‘My MS Walk’, or for more information go to: www.mssociety.org. uk/my-ms-walk

Briddlesford Lodge Stop failing SEND Open Farm Sunday children, says local teaching union chief Members of the public are invited to look behind the scenes at Briddlesford Lodge Farm on Open Farm Sunday.

Briddlesford is a working dairy farm with a milking herd of 140 prize winning pedigree Guernsey cows. There are a further 120 young stock, made up of heifers and calves, some bred for milk and some for veal.

A guided tour will show visitors the milking herd, calves and young stock, the barns, machinery, the Heritage Centre, and let them watch the milking. Weather permitting, there will be tractor rides around the fields to see the crops growing and the pastures for grazing.

All will be offered a free drink of milk after the farm tour, with a chance to visit the Farm Shop and Bluebells café.

Paul Griffin, partner at Briddlesford Lodge Farm, said: “Here at Briddlesford, we farm to the highest welfare standard, and we welcome the opportunity to join in with this national event, now in its 13th year. We want the public to know how we care for our animals, and how milk is produced.”

The farm open day will be held at 3pm on June 9. Visitors must book, by e.mailing judi@briddlesfordlodgefarm. co.uk for a free place. Places are limited.

Students, teachers, support staff and trade unions gathered in St Thomas’ Square, Newport, to raise concerns over a ‘local scandal’ that 100s of Island children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) were being failed.

Peter Shreeve, local joint secretary of the National Education Union, said: “Robert Halfon MP, chair of the Education Select Committee recently said of the SEND system: 'It’s a big mess'.

“No-one thinks the reformed SEND system is working, and there is a clear

disparity between what the Government wanted to happen and recent parental experience.

“There is a lack of accountability, a postcode lottery of provision, the cost of legal appeals is rising and there is a lack of training and poor post-19 support.

“Since 2015, 9 out of 10 local authorities have lost out on vital funding for children who need the most support.

“On the Island the total cash shortfall in High Needs funding since 2015 is £5,663,267! Or a loss of nearly 28%.

“If SEND success is a journey,

it is one with no end in sight and what’s even worse is we are driving in the dark with one headlight and that’s none too bright. Let’s shine a light

on this local scandal and let’s give special educational needs and disabilities the support it needs!"

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LOCAL BUSINESS FEATURE

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LOCAL BUSINESS FEATURE

Keep our money local The New Economics Foundation has done work on the effect of keeping money in the local economy. Money re-spent here is as useful as attracting new money to the Island, and is perhaps easier to achieve.

Companies that focus on selling products and services to other companies are known as business-tobusiness (B2B).

Such companies don't only exist in major conurbations. Many thriving B2B businesses are located here, serving the needs of other Island companies.

One example of a fairly new Island B2B company is All Things Printed Ltd. Their testimonials, (found on the preceding page) show their commitment to offering high levels of service.

Another more long-standing business is Betapak Ltd., which was founded in 2007, and began by selling a large range of packaging items to its Island business customers. Betapak realised its customers were having to waste time dealing with multiple suppliers and wanted to buy all of their business supplies in one place.

Betapak expansion included buying

other local businesses, Medina Office Supplies,Total Hygiene Supplies and Island Packaging. This offered time and cost savings to customers, now able to buy virtually any consumable need for their business from just one source. See their special offers on this page.

If you are worried about the confidentiality of your records, then Wight Confidential Shredding offer a professional service for the destruction of confidential documents. They can also destroy computer hard drives.

Wight Confidential Shredding have competitive prices and if any potential customers doubt whether the company can provide a more economic service than mainland rivals, then they are welcome to call and check.

The services of Wight Confidential Shredding are completely secure and they have a regular collection service.

Its shredding unit is fully monitored

by CCTV and documents are provided to certify that all material has been removed and destroyed.

Another important consideration these days must be safety. Reach 4 Me is an Island-based property and landscape

maintenance company. They specialise in accessing properties at height and can either do maintenance work for you or provide the equipment and operators for you to do it in-house.

Business is not solely about generating money. A good businessman also looks after his reputation and the image of the company. This is where purchasing water from Wight Crystal may help as you will be supporting The Way Forward Programme. This provides welfare and development opportunities for people with learning and physical disabilities.

Buying from Wight Crystal products can only enhance the reputation of your company, and even more importantly you are supporting a business that makes a huge difference to the lives of people who need a little extra help.

Island businesses know only too well the difficulties caused when retail customers shop elsewhere. The empty properties shown on pages eight and nine of this paper are a stark demonstration of that. Local businesses also need to support each other and all the locally owned businesses on thes pages are a great start.

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Holmesy!

The David Holmes Column

7th 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.

Is a bridge over the Medina a real prospect or just pie in the sky?

Have you heard the exciting news? At last, they could be building a bridge or tunnel.

Regrettably, the proposal, undoubtedly influenced by the floating bridge fiasco, is to connect East Cowes with the west side of the Medina, at Stag Lane.

The Solent LEP say it’s a vital bit of infrastructure, relieving Coppins Bridge of traffic. They also say that the scheme is a lower priority than a Solent tunnel, yet they’re keen to see if the Medina is do-able, while remaining resolutely uninterested in a Solent tunnel.

How queer, if a Solent crossing is the greater economic priority, why not fund that study too?

Carl Feeney, the man who’s put the work in on the Solent freedom tunnel so far, points out on his Facebook page, that the ferry companies have a lot of influence. He illustrates the links between the ferry people and those in positions of power with impressive diagrams.

I have looked, and frankly unless it’s coincidental, he may be onto something?

Don’t laugh, but a week ago I was in the Pacific North West. During my short trip, I had to catch two ferries, I even had to hurry for both!

The first, operates from Bainbridge Island, and crosses the Pacific straights into Seattle city centre. On-board the 35-minute sailing, I sat observing the grim-faced commuters, desperate to yell ‘Hey, this is my life too’, with differences.

For a start, their boat is operated for the public good by the local Department of Transport, and they hadn’t charged me a penny to board it, not one cent.

To be fair, the return journey was US $8.50, equivalent to £6.73 return, while car and driver crossings work out at just £7.60 each. For retirees too, Bainbridge Island

“Years

is the place to live, with five ferry rides costing a remarkable £3.30, for a round trip remember!

Something must have gone terribly wrong with our IOW ferries, yet, for the most part, the sleepy old island seems content to just shut-up and accept it and, for the life of me, I don’t understand why.

What is wrong with everyone? Why do we put-up with sky high fares and infrequent services?

When Wightlink recently announced they would run a few extra summer Fastcat sailings, people online were cock-a-hoop!

I’ve rarely seen such grovelling gratitude.

And for what? A few crumbs, a couple of lousy weekend sailings? Big deal.

Have we collectively developed Stockholm syndrome, falling in love with our ferry captors?

Remember when that OFSTED boss let slip at a dinner party that he thought years of inbreeding had led to a lack of intelligence here?

Undoubtedly rude, but maybe if you look beyond the insult, he was on to something.

The low cost of ferry travel wasn’t the most remarkable thing I discovered; the biggest shock was reliability. My second ferry, the MV Coho, built in Seattle in 1959, operates from Port Angeles US, to Vancouver Island, British Columbia. She carries up to 115 cars and 1,000 passengers on her 90-minute crossing, in open, not sheltered, waters. In 50 years of service, she’s carried over 22 million people and 6 million vehicles, and still has another 20 years life ahead.

And, do you know what, she’s never missed a sailing. No ‘crew shortages’, ‘fog’, ‘strong winds’ or ‘operational reasons’, nothing has ever stopped her sailing. She’s as reliable today as she was on her maiden voyage.

of inbreeding had led to a lack of intelligence ”

Dear Editor, We returned from our tour of Salerno and Monte Cassino last week which we would not have applied to go on had it not been for the notification in your paper dated March 29.

We enjoyed the company of the other Veterans and our 'Chaperones' (Mike,

Alan, Rick and our very own doctor, Adam).

Together with the generosity of the Royal British Legion and Arena Travel they made the tour so interesting and hassle free, and although there were many sad moments there was never a dull one.

Fred & Myra Hall - Noke Common

We need to get back control To the editor, I’m writing to say, having read the article written by Antony Tiller where he mentioned that, in his opinion, the reason for many people of the Island voting for parties against the European was because of low, educational attainment, is totally wrong.

This is clearly written by someone who has a blinkered and limited knowledge and appreciation of how democracy works.

My wife and I both have degrees, and we are long term Conservative Party voters until recently, but no-longer. We both voted for the Brexit Party and to leave the EU. I, like 67 per cent of the Islanders, voted to leave the European Union in the referendum that was held on June 23, 2016. Our reason was we wanted the UK to regain control of its own affairs, legislature and borders and not be manipulated by Johnny Foreigner from

their ivory tower at EU HQ in Brussels.

My wife and I both believe in the principal of having a strong Europe, but comprised of a loose federation of member states able to retain their regional identity and customs and able to make their own rules and legislation. When I voted for Britain’s continued membership of the EU in 1975, I did not vote for Britain to become part of a Federal United States of Europe controlled and managed by unelected bureaucrats in Brussels.

Time to leave! The author of his article clearly has a very narrow, biased and limited knowledge of human nature. The reason why my wife and I both voted to leave the EU has nothing to do with educational attainment, but a passion to see our great country get back control of its own affairs.

Ellison J Withe - St. Helens

A very big thank you, to everyone To the Editor, I would like to thank every person in Portsmouth and on the Isle of Wight who joined the conversation for Dementia Action Week this year (May 20-26) The week united workplaces, schools and communities to take action and improve the lives of people living with dementia. We all have a role to play in making Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight a dementia-friendly place to live, and that’s what Dementia Action Week

was all about.

Local highlights included The Pompey Takes Action Event and a special pop up information event on the Isle of Wight.

Starting a conversation is just the beginning.

Help us beat dementia by taking part in Cupcake Day on June 13. Whether you bake it or fake it, you can sign up at cupcakeday. alzheimers.org.uk Nick O’Donohue Alzheimer’s Society

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

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Island Soapbox

Keep Newtown for the Birds Councillors disagree over new build flats

By Megan Baynes - Local Democracy Reporter

To the Editor Keep Newtown for the Birds is naturally delighted that Yarmouth-Cowes has been declared a Marine Conservation Zone.

MCZs make sure that places like Newtown, as the IOW's sole National Nature Reserve, are managed to allow nature to recover from damage.

The National Trust, which has administered the internationally important wildlife sanctuary since 1996, didn't back the proposal for this stretch of the coast to be included in the last tranche of MCZs. This, despite the Hampshire and IOW Wildlife Trust saying it was 'desperately in need of proper protections to protect special habitats and species that call them home '.

In 2018, volunteers clashed with the NT over its plans to 'improve the welcome ' at Newtown, which they said was already

endangered by escalating numbers of waterborne leisure craft.

These are up, from around 40 a day at the height of the season in the early 1970s, to up to 200 at present. Increasingly, Newtown now also has to contend with canoes, kayaks and paddleboards.

The fragility of Newtown is simply not being considered by the NT. It is estimated that between 58 and 75 percent of existing saltmarsh in the Solent district will be lost by 2100.

The task ahead is to ensure that the management and conservation measures live up to the promise the MCZ offers and really play a part in restoring our marine life and livelihoods.

James Allaway, Newport Keep Newtown for the Birds

So many similarities Dear Editor, Listening to the intricacies of the West Wight primary schools’ debate, I was suddenly struck by the similarity with the 2011 Island reorganisation in Cowes.

• Consider Ofsteds prior to Cowes Enterprise College.

• Cowes High (2010) - curriculum outstanding.

• Solent Middle (2009) outstanding.

• Somerton Middle (2010) ‘the effectiveness of care, guidance and support’ outstanding.

• Osborne Middle (2009) outstanding leadership at all levels.

After amalgamation in 2012, Cowes was suddenly inadequate.

Why? The College had staff from one outstanding school and three with outstanding features.

The same staff supporting the same students.

Five long years of repeated toxic Ofsted inspections. Constant pressure on staff and students, until it was deemed ‘good’ in 2017.

Those who cannot remember the past

are condemned to repeat it. Is West Wight similar?

We recognise ‘designated rural’ primary schools are essential to their local community. When rural schools close, the effect is disproportionate.

Naturally, parents want a good local school.

But Government’s real terms cuts to per pupil funding mean that many rural schools are struggling to survive.

Since 2015, the school cuts website calculate the West Wight primary cluster lost out on a total of £583,363: the difference between actual funding and the amount needed to protect per pupil funding in real terms.

We acknowledge primary pupil numbers are falling, but smaller schools do exist.

It is Government responsibility to ensure every community has a school at its heart.

The resources that these schools need haven’t been adequately funded, and this situation is merely one consequence.

Peter Shreeve Joint Isle of Wight Branch Secretary.

National Education Union

PLANS to build selfcontained flats for people with disabilities and learning difficulties has been approved by the Isle of Wight councillors — despite strong concerns from residents.

The plans were approved at last week’s meeting of the planning committee.

The proposals will see 22 Grange Road, Shanklin, converted from a house of multiple occupancy into six self-contained flats.

However, concerns have been raised about who would live there and the level of parking available.

Residents Lisa and Dean Addison said the development could ‘wipe thousands off the value of our property.’

In an objection letter, they said: “People with learning difficulties are highly vulnerable members of our society. If there is to be no live-in staff support, these residents are at high risk of self-neglect and being exploited by less salubrious members of our community.

Lisa, former social-worker, added: “I am just worried about them being exploited, and I worry I could end up getting involved.”

Local councillor, Chris Quirk, spoke out against the plans on the grounds there was not sufficient parking.

There will be just two parking spaces available.

Speaking at the planning meeting, he said: “People assume autistic people don’t drive, but that is not the case.”

He did not express any concerns about people with learning difficulties living in the flats.

He said: “The owner of the

premises doesn’t seem that committed because he has still got it up for sale.

“The application went in from what appears to be a company that was not listed on the Company’s House register. The address they have given is a virtual address of a business centre in Bournemouth.

“It sounds a very dodgy situation.

There doesn’t seem to be commitment from the planning information. I think it’s imperative we get really strong conditions on this to ensure it is used for supported living.”

Cabinet member for adult social care Cllr Clare Mosdell said: “I sat and read all the objections to this and it was a big example of Chinese whispers.

“I could see there had been rumours this was going to be an HMO. Some of the comments online were quite appalling, and I am glad that the clarification has come through that this really is for the benefit of people with learning disabilities and autism.

“I get the bit about parking spaces, but this was an eight bedroom house. If that eight bedroom house is anything like my house with multiple people driving a car, then you could have that situation anyway.

“I think the parking isn’t as big an issue as it’s being made out to be.”

Cllr Mosdell said there was a ‘desperate need’ for this type of accommodation.

A system will be put in place to allocate the units for those who need them, in consultation with adult social care.

PUBLIC NOTICE

30 Entertainment

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7th June 2019

THE OBSERVER GUIDE MEDINA THEATRE

Hope to Seaview- Retina UK Retina UK’s annual sponsored walk for research into inherited blindness will take place on Sunday. The Isle of Wight group of Retina UK are using this event to raise awareness and bring about the day when people who have lost or are losing their sight, through inherited progressive blindness, will be able to see our beautiful Island views once again.

All money raised funds the research that is finding the defective genes that cause these eye conditions. So far, around 200 defective genes have been identified, and it is believed there are another 50 still to find.

Last year, organisers of the Hope to Seaview walk raised £15,000 for research into inherited progressive blindness, when 75 people took part in the sponsored walk.

The walk will again

Rhythm of the Dance This dance and music extravaganza contains a wealth of Irish talent, an exciting 2-hour trip through hundreds of years of Irish dance and music, 22 awardwinning World & Irish dance champions with 25 dazzling costume changes.

Experience flailing fiddles, flutes, and inspiring dances along with live vocalists, all complimented by a top live Irish trad band of multi-instrumentalist musicians and a sensational sound and light show as seen on TV from China to California, from Siberia to Sydney.

Worldwide, toes are tapping and hands are clapping to the feet of Rhythm of the Dance!

Saturday, June 22, 2.30pm and 7.30pm Sunday, June 23, 7.30pm -----------------------------------------------

start at The Salix at Hope Beach, Shanklin, and finish at The Old Fort, Seaview, approximately 12 miles along the coastal path of the eastern Isle of Wight.

The day will start with walkers meeting at the Salix from 8.30am. There, they will be entertained by the Steppin’ Out boogie bus while they are having breakfast.

The walk will set off at 10.30, through the balloon arch, after the town crier has announced the start.

People can pay their registration fee of £10 on the day at the Salix, from 8.30 to 10am.

Anyone wishing to take part should go to www.RetinaUK.org. uk/HopetoSeaview to register. If anyone wishes to sponsor the team or an individual, they should go to www.justgiving.com/ HopetoSeaview2019.

Bonchurch Flower Festival

Mark Watson: The Infinite Show Cluster-bombed with yoghurt on ‘Taskmaster’, half-killed on ‘Bear Grylls’ Celebrity Island’, Watson returns to what he’s best at being indoors.

Inspired by the mostly alarming state of the world his children are growing up in, and a genuine, urgent desire to do something about it, this show is about empathy. 99 percent of the world’s population is made up of other people: why can’t we understand them? As scrawny and impassioned as ever, one of the UK’s most beloved and thinnest acts offers some suggestions, with his usual notoriously high joke-and-rant-perminute rate.

Friday, June 28, 8pm

Held in Bonchurch Parish Church from Friday June 14 to Sunday June 16. The title is from Beatrix to Harry and each flower arrangement will depict a scene from a child’s book.

It will be open on Friday from 10am until 4pm with morning coffee/tea, lunch and afternoon tea being served. In the evening will be a Home Grown concert.

The concert will feature St Boniface’s very own musicians, performing together and as soloists, and on instruments and in repertoire you don’t normally associate them with.

Their musicians are a talented mix of professionals and keen amateurs, who have

performed across the Island, the country, Europe and beyond. They will entertain you with a diverse programme ranging through sacred and secular classical repertoire through to jazz.

They have lots of treats planned, come and enjoy!

It will start at 7pm with a welcome drink and a chance to see the flowers with the concert starting at 7.30pm. There will be refreshments in the interval and the tickets will be £7.50.

On Saturday The Flower Festival will be open from 10am until 5pm with morning coffee/tea, lunch and afternoon tea.

On Sunday The Flower Festival will be

open from 1 until 5pm with light lunch and a cream tea being served.

In the evening there will be an Evensong with our new Archdeacon Reverend Canon Peter Leonard at 6.30pm.

25% of the proceeds from the Flower Festival will go to Dementia UK Isle of Wight Admiral Nurses appeal. The remainder will go towards restoring two of their fabulous stained glass windows which sadly are in a parlous state of repair.

If you feel inspired to do an arrangement or would like to have a loved one remembered on the commemorative tree please contact Sally Fitzgerald on 07773 747027 or salfitzb@gmail.com.

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Entertainment 31

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THEATRE AND EVENTS

EVENTS ACROSS THE ISLAND

SHANKLIN THEATRE

VR Room Organised by Vr-ooms. Virtual Reality places the user inside an experience instead of via a single screen that’s placed in front of them. Users are immersed and are able to interact with the 3D world.

Provided with a wide range of games and experiences to make sure their customers find something to suit their

tastes and make sure the VR event is for everyone regardless of interests, age or technical abilities.

Saturday, June 8 6 until 9pm Bar 74 74 Union Street Ryde, PO33 2LN

Fundraising for MDNA Joli will be holding its annual fizzy cream tea. The charities they will be supporting this year are Teenage Cancer Trust and the Motor Neurone Disease Association, two amazing charities which provide specialist care and support for those suffering with these very difficult diseases.

There will be cakes galore and

homemade scones. Also 10% off any purchases made at Joli.

Saturday, June 8 11 am until 5 pm, Joli Cowes 2 Bath Rd, Cowes, PO31 7RH

Argentine tango The Argentine tango classes are taught by teachers, with a passion for the dance which shines through in their teaching.

If you have ever thought about tango as being the dance for you or you are already dancing tango, it makes no difference as you will be in the capable hands of some of the most inspiring teachers in the south, who have years of

Every summer, we have been selling out Shanklin Theatre with our fast-paced show packed full of songs and routines from the greatest musicals and toe tapping tunes from stadium filling performers.

So, what can you expect from their 10th Anniversary show, Beyond the West End, for 2019? A Vegas style opening, a glitzy 70’s disco, a romantic cruise, songs from Whitney Houston, Tina Turner, Anything Goes, Carousel, Ray Charles, The Righteous Brothers and many, many more. And let’s not forget the record breaking Greatest Showman.

Thursday, June 13, 9.15pm

experience. Join the Tango Touch team to try something new or improve a skill on their open day.

Saturday, June 8, 8 until 11:30pm Northwood W.I. Hall, 364 Newport Rd, Cowes PO31 8PL

Our Magical Island A fabulous week long exhibition, featuring three well known and very talented Island artists Anne Axford, Freya Conway and Loren Thorn who have used the inspiration of our beautiful and magical island to catch their imagination and create unique and beautiful arts and crafts.

Anne is particularly well known for her quirky watercolour animals with a bit of

Beyond The West End

gold leaf added for fun, Freya paints either in bold acrylics or else very detailed pen and ink and Loren creates stunning dry felted pictures which have a painterly effect.

June 13 until June 18 Quarr Abbey, Quarr Road, Ryde, PO33 4ER

---------------------------------------------

The Songs of Rod Stewart featuring Cregan & Co Since 1975 when Rod Stewart started his own band. one of the most influential guitarists in this line-up was Jim Cregan.

Now, more than 40 years on, Jim, together with four outstanding musicians, performs the songs of Rod Stewart with all the hits through various decades.

Saturday, June 22, 7.30pm ---------------------------------------------

Shorwell Midsummer Fair at Northcourt This traditional village fair is held in the grounds of Northcourt, Shorwell, a picturesque 16th century manor house and will be held for the 59th consecutive year. It is totally uncommercialised and the many attractions and stalls are run by local people and organisations.

With entertaiments and refreshmentsincluding plant stalls, bottle tombola, china & glass, white elephant, books, a tea tent, toys, local produce, pole & bolster, face painting, mystery parcels, hoopla bbq, Pimms tent, grand draw, bouncy castle, stocks, alpacas, sweets, coconuts, crockery smash, skittles, ice cream- there’ll be something for the whole family.

Additionally there is a tea tent and arena events including a falconry display, a dog demonstration and a band/folk group. The money raised goes to support local charities, community groups and organisations. Provides family entertainment and a memorable afternoon for all. Held on June 22 with free parking adjacent and £2 admission price, children under 16 go free.

Marti Pellow Marti Pellow is one of Britain’s iconic music stars. Having achieved the highest accolades with one of the most successful bands in UK pop history, he is now achieving that rare position of a highly successful career as both a solo artist and as a leading musical theatre star.

The BRIT and Ivor Novello awardwinning singer-songwriter first came to the attention of the British public as the lead singer of Wet Wet Wet. As both a solo artist and with Wet Wet Wet, Marti has had consistent chart-topping multiplatinum albums; with over 25 chart hits and three of the UK’s biggest number-one single.

Monday, June 24, 7.30pm

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32 Entertainment

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7th June 2019

FATHERS DAY WEEKEND

Southern Vectis offers free travel for Fathers

Steam Railway Workshop Open Day Come to the Isle of Wight Steam Railway as they throw open the workshop doors and come in for guided tours on which you can witness their current restoration projects and meet the staff and apprentices who are being trained to do the work from a bygone era.

Learn how steam trains keep going

and how the staff know how to repair them.

Sunday, June 16, The Railway Station, Havenstreet, Ryde, PO33 4DS

Unlimited Karting Fun Treat your dad to a day of karting. With the best value ever, priced to please and timed to excite! 45 minutes or more, of guaranteed track time in 10 or 15 minute sessions.

So who doesn’t want to be a racing driver?! Well everyone can have a try here at this friendly, clean, comfortably catered Club in Ryde. All equipment Southern Vectis is once again marking Father’s Day by offering the Island’s youngsters the chance to take their dads on the bus for free.

The local bus operator will provide complimentary travel for fathers on Sunday June 16 - as long as they are accompanied by a child buying a 24 hour Rover ticket.

“Choosing a gift for Father’s Day can prove to be a bit of a challenge for many - so we thought we’d step in with a suggestion,” said Nikki Honer, Southern Vectis head of communications.

“We’re sure fathers across the Isle of Wight would like nothing better than to spend their special day with their offspring - so what better way to do that than to take a day trip on us?

“There are plenty of great places to visit here - and this is an excellent opportunity to leave the car at home, relax and take an adventure together. A chance for kids to return the favour and take on the role of ‘dad’s taxi’ - even if it’s just for one day.” Every child buying a 24 hour Rover ticket for a Southern Vectis journey during Fathers’ Day will be able to take dad for free.

provided, including wet weather gear for rainy day fun.

Sunday, June 16, 2.30 pm until 6 pm Wight Karting Brading Road, Ryde, PO33 1QS

Discover Wood Carving Spend the day learning to carve! Not only will you discover a new talent but also discover an amazing way to relax and have some me time - great for those wanting to become more mindful!

You will spend the day with an expert tutor Chris Dobson. Chris has over 35 Years teaching experience and is a

professional woodcarver. You will go home with a decorative wall carving.

A snack lunch will be provided together with tea and coffee throughout the day Saturday, June 15, 10am until 3.30 pm, Green Light Isle of Wight 117a Medina Yard Thetis Road, Cowes, PO31 7DJ

Rad Dad’s Skate: Pre-Father’s day Come along for a special session for dads and kids to celebrate Fathers Day. An hours session with all equipment provided, suitable for all abilities. The skate club is run by veteran professional skateboarder John Cattle and his team.

John has been skateboarding since an early age, and officially started the skateboard company, Wight Trash in

early 2004. All ages are welcome, from 5 years old to adults - from complete beginners, to old pros.

Saturday, June 15, John Cattle’s Skate Club St Marks Church Hall, Wootton PO33 4RA

FIVE THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT FATHER’S DAY 1) Father’s Day was invented by American Mrs. Sonora Smart Dodd who wanted to honour her father, a veteran who had, as a single parent, raised his six children. The first Father’s Day was celebrated on June 19, 1910.

2) According to greetings card makers Hallmark, Father’s Day is the fifth-largest card-sending holiday.

Dads can enjoy a free meal at the Pearl Cafe Dads eat free on Father’s Day, Sunday June 16. Treat him with stunning views and amazing food in the Pearl Cafe at Isle of Wight Pearl. All dads can eat free when accompanied by a full priced order. Booking essential. Please call 01983 741604.

A tie, the most popular gift for Father’s Day 3) Surprisingly, the trusty slipper gift isn’t the most SCREENINGS :MAY 24- MAY 31 popular Father’s Day present, it’s actually a tie.

Aladdin:Young Aladdin embarks on a magical Avengers:Endgame:The grave course of events adventure after finding a lamp that releases a 4)set Theinworld record having the wiped most number of the motion by for Thanos that out half wisecracking genie. children recorded 69 by theranks first compels wife universeofficially and fractured theisAvengers of Feodor Vassilyev (1707-1782), peasant from -------------------------------------------------------------the remaining Avengers to takeaone final stand.

Moscow. His first wife gave birth to 16 pairs of twins, -------------------------------------------------------------seven sets of triplets and four sets of quadruplets.

Booksmart :Onhave thebeen evehectic! of their high school Dinner times must graduation, two academic superstars and best friends -------------------------------------------------------------they should have less and playedthe more.

5)realize Among seahorses, it’s worked the male who carries Rocketman: An epic musical fantasy about Determined to fallthe short of their peers,deposits the girls try babies.

While not mating, female seahorse the uncensored human story of Sir Elton John’s to cram four yearspouch, of fun into night.

1,500 eggs in the male’s whoone then carries breakthrough years. them until they’re fully developed.

Mrs Senora Smart Dodd, the founder of Father’s day For more information visit: leoleisurecommodore.co.uk

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Puzzles

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Wordsearch Sponsored by All Things Printed Ltd The Innovation Centre, St Cross Business Park, Monks Brook, Newport, PO30 5WB. Tel: 01983 550458. www.allthingsprinted.org.uk

Find the following words associated with All Things Printed horizontally, vertically, diagonally, backwards and forwards ARTWORK BROCHURES BUSINESS CARDS CLOTHING DESIGN DISTRIBUTION EXHIBITION

Crossword

7th June 2019

1

2

4

5 6

7

8

9

10 11

12

13

14

FULFILMENT LEAFLETS MAILING MUGS NOTEPADS PROMOTIONAL SIGNAGE

3

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15

16

17

18 19

20

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Sudoku

How to play Place a digit from 1-9 in each empty cell so that each row, each column and each 3x3 block contains all the digits from 1-9 only once.

Across

Down

1. Temperature scale (10)

1. Banquet (5)

7. Holiday (8)

2. Weightier (7)

8. Cain’s brother (4)

3. One of the Great Lakes (4)

9. Small branch (4)

4. Result of excessive drinking (8)

10. Border plant (7)

5. Fatuous (5)

12. Puppets on strings (11)

6. Dangers (6)

14. Complain (7)

11. Paper size (8)

16. Pile (4)

12. Space at edge of page (6)

19. Half of a quart (4)

13. Aged between 12 and twenty (7)

20. Crested parrot (8)

15. Paris underground (5)

21. Understand (10)

17. Haughty (5) 18. Hurt (4)

For the answers to the crossword, see page 2.

Spot the differences

Sponsored by Long Lane Carpets and Flooring Long Lane, Newport, PO30 2NW. Tel: 01983 716717. www.longlanecarpetsandflooring.co.uk

Can you find all eight differences between the two pictures of Long Lane Carpets and Flooring below?

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Services

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SERVICES

To advertise here call 01983 214261 This island’s leading compost supplier

ISLE OF WIGHT COMPOST

Home James!

Restaurant Returns Airport Transfers Ship to Door Courier and Parcel deliveries 01983 303044

To advertise please call 214264

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CGM Landscaping Quality Islandwide Service Patios - Fencing - Decking - Driveways -

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01983 718213 cgmlandscapingiow@gmail.com

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7th June 2019

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

WE NOW SELL AGGREGATES ORDER ONLINE WIGHTCOMPOST.CO.UK CALL US 01983 200912

7th June 2019

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Sport

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Sport Observer

By Peter White

Latest results from Newport Golf Club Nine Hole Stableford: 1, John Pevreall (21) 19 points.

Nine Hole Stableford: 1, Mark Deacon (12) 20 points.

Thursday Stableford: 1, Oliver Wilson (4) 37 points; 2, George Ringer (8) 36; 3, George Bernard (10) 35; 4, Mark Deacon (12) 35.

Sunday Medal: 1, Richard Evans (3) 62 net; 2, Billy Makepiece (22) 67; 3, Andy Wheeler (5) 68.

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Hose hits maiden century for Warwicks Adam Hose was celebrating this week after scoring his maiden century in First Class cricket. The Isle of Wight batsman reached the magical three figures while playing for his club, Warwickshire, in their four day game against Nottinghamshire at Edgbaston.

Hose, a former one-day specialist batsman, has forced his way into the Warwickshire County Championship team after recovering from a fractured thumb he suffered at the start of the summer.

Now he is hoping his carefully constructed 111 off 202 deliveries will help cement his a permanent place in the starting line-up.

Hose’s father, Jeff, said:”What a great day for Adam. I am so chuffed that he has got his first

Championship century. Having broken into the side earlier in the season, there was a setback when he fractured his thumb in a training session, which put him out of all Warwickshire’s matches in the Royal London One Day Cup. “Since getting back into the Championship side he has made a few starts, but then got out at the wrong time. But scoring his first century against the likes of Notts bowlers Stuart Broad and Luke Fletcher, both of whom played on the Island recently for Notts against Hampshre, make’s Adam’s knock that much more special.

“Birmingham Bears’ T20 campaign starts in early July, so that is another great competition to look forward to.”

Picture by Tony Marsh of Cricpics

Latest results from Osborne Golf Club

Midweek Stableford: Division 1: 1, Paul Woolford 38ocb; 2, Adrian Newbold 38; 3, Matthew Purser 36.

Division 2: 1, Nick Hunter 38; 2, David Ramsbottom 36; 3, Peter Wright 35.

Division 3: 1, Nicholas Jackson 42; 2, Keiran Foster 41; 3, Tom Proudfoot 39.

Saturday Stableford: Division 1: 1, Derek Wright 40; 2, Matthew Williams 38ocb; 3, Andy Partridge 38.

Division 2: 1, Kenneth Daniel 40; 2, Mark Stephens 36ocb; 3, Stephen Legg 36.

Division 3: 1, Benjamin Dyer 40; 2, Michael Rowlands 34ocb; 3, Roy Johnson 34.

Sunday Stableford: Division 1: 1, Leigh Pragnell 38ocb; 2, Andy Butler 38; 3, Paul Woolford 37.

Division 2: 1, Kevin Suitor 40; 2, John Elliott 39; 3, John Siviter 36.

Division 3: 1, Sid Owen 38; 2, Michael Rowlands 34ocb; 3, Martin Marshall 34.

Latest results from Shanklin and Sandown Golf Club Ladies Rosebowl am-am: 1, Jo Wright, Penny Last, Hazel Smith and Linda Piche; 2, Joyce Petrie, Viv Williams, Jackie Stephen and Jan Easlea.

Open Stableford: 1, Steve Barnes 41 points; 2, Alan Fisher 37; 3, Graham Burgess 36.

Seniors’ Championship, Gross: 1, Peter Brooke 81; 2, Bob Wynn 82. Net: 1, Bill Smith 69; 2, Steve Brewer 70.

Pros Day: 1, Brian Dyer 42; 2, Andy Freeman 41; 3 Ashley Lawrence 40; 4, Malcolm Moorman 40; 5, James McClelland 40; 6, Paul Cavacuiti 39.

Photos by Joe Pepler

Andrew edges to victory at RVYC

Royal Victoria Yacht Club’s Scows continued with their successful spring sailing series, as 10 boats took part in the latest race, with an ever-changing lead. Andrew Porteous was first across the line followed closely by John Waterman and Ian Savill in third place. First outing of the year for Chris Gear in his new boat with a fourth place.

In the first of the Club’s 2019 evening series, Harry White took first place in a Laser ahead of Neil Griffiths and Steve Sheridan in their RS400s. In the slow handicap, The Charlottes – Osborne and Andrews – in a Feva won ahead of Alice Pope in an Oppie. Four Squibs raced, with Rhapsody and Steve Warren Smith first,

ahead of Kestrel, Icarus and Buccaneer.

There was a great turnout for theTST race. In the Squib fleet, Buccaneer (Sam Prime and Emma Baker), took first place ahead of Rhapsody and Liz Whizz. In the fast fleet. the Lasers of Harry Blowers and Charlie White were first and second ahead of Neil Griffiths and Mark Turner in the RS400.

In the slow fleet, Alex Porteous raced her father’s Scow and took first place, ahead of the Charlottes in a Feva and Sam Osborne and Louis Lawrence also in a Feva. There were several casualties in both the fast and slow fleet, resulting from a short squall which sprang up mid-race.

Only three boats finished in both these classes.

Ryde Senior Four reach semi-finals

A much-depleted Ryde Rowing Club team, heavily affected by the exam schedules, competed at Christchurch Rowing Club Regatta. The two-boat racing format meant that crews had

to fight their way through several rounds of competition. The only Ryde crew, the Senior Four comprising Nick Christopher, returning after several years’ absence, with Matt Allsopp, Ollie

Bottrell and Mike Ewing and coxed

by Bryony Reeve raced well, but were defeated in the semi-final by just half a length by a crew from Southampton Coalporters Rowing Club.

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Sport

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7th June 2019

Charlie runner-up in South Coast Championships Bembridge Sailing Club hosted the RS Elite South Coast Championships, and although the competitors could have done with a few more knots of breeze, 11 RS Elites had two excellent days of racing off Bembridge.

The first race saw some close racing and a shortening of the course as the breeze looked as if it might drop even further. The question was whether it was going to be Riff Raff or Vagrant crossing the line first. In the event it was Vagrant who took it by a few seconds.

After an excellent start to the second race for most, Russell Peters in Riff Raff led Vagrant with local BSC member Charlie Egerton-

Warburton in Soak Therapy close behind.

But unfortunately Riff Raff got caught up on the line of the gate mark they were rounding which left Vagrant with a relatively easy win ahead of Soak Therapy.

The start to the final race of the day saw Riff Raff establish a substantial lead ahead of Soak Therapy, and although the latter managed to reduce it by the finish, there was little doubt who was going to win.

The first race of the second day was very close with the front runners risking all to get the best position on the line. Although not initially in the running, Soak Therapy got

the second beat right and took over the lead which they held for the rest of the race. Paul Fisk in Legs Eleven was second having also made up a lot of ground on the second beat.

In the second race,The Doctor was the early leader ahead of Vagrant and Eclipse, but as the race developed Legs Eleven took the lead and Riff Raff managed to move up into second place to finish ahead of The Doctor.

Apart from Soak Therapy, who was nearly forced over the line at the start, the start of the sixth and final race of the Championships was a little more circumspect.

Ossie Stewart in More T Vicar was first to

reach the windward mark ahead of Riff Raff and Soak Therapy and despite best efforts by the rest of the fleet to unseat them, they were able to maintain their positions to the finish.

This meant that Russell Peters in Riff Raff was the Championship winner with 10 points; local Bembridge Sailing Club member Charlie Egerton-Warburton in Soak Therapy was runner-up with 13 points. Ossie Stewart in More T Vicar was third with 14 points on count back, from Paul Fisk in Legs Eleven.

Ventnor face crunch clash Warriors fall to Kings in after another big defeat National Trophy thriller Ventnor Cricket Club face a crucial clash at Steephill tomorrow (Saturday) as they attempt to bring their miserable start to the season to an end.

Ventnor, who were hoping to make a real push for the Southern Premier League, Division One title this summer, have lost their first five matches, and sit at the bottom of the table.

Tomorrow they entertain New Milton, the club just above them in the table, and with a maximum of 22 points up for grabs, a victory could lift them above their opponents, and give them a huge confidence boost.

Their cause has not been helped by the unavailability of a number of their key players for various reasons. Chris Russell has recently had to relinquish the captaincy, and miss games, due to work and family commitments, but is hoping to be back in action this weekend.

Ventnor’s latest defeat came away to Sarisbury Athletic where they batted first, but failed to get to grips with the home side’s bowling attack. Ben Woodhouse, who has taken over the captaincy, top scored with 24, and Martin Blackman added 20. But with wickets falling at regular intervals, the Island outfit were all out for just 122 in 31 overs.

The total was much too small to defend and Sarisbury cruised to victory for the loss of only three wickets, inside 17 overs. Hugh Calloway took all three wickets for fall, to give Ventnor their solitary point from the match.

Hugh Calloway

There was disappointment for the Isle of Wight Wightlink Warriors speedway team, as they lost their National Trophy clash, ridden over two legs, to Kent Kings.

Although the Warriors took a narrow advantage from the meeting at Smallbrook into the second leg, the task proved too much for them and they went down 96 points to 83 on aggregate.

In the opening leg the Warriors won an exciting meeting 48-42 against the Kings.

Warriors No1 rider Georgie Wood did not appear for the pre-match introductions. He was being whisked to Smallbrook from Ryde Hover Terminal having missed the car ferry to the Island. He made it to the track just in time to hop on one of Chad Wirtzfeld’s bikes and remarkably blasted away to win heat one in a time just 0.1 of a second slower than his best time on his own equipment.

After that meeting Warriors co-promoter Barry Bishop said: “What a great win against a very good Kent team who always do well here. I really thought we were in trouble when I heard about Georgie. He had been to Swindon during the day to sort out a motor problem with his tuner but getting that done took longer than expected meaning that he missed the carry ferry so had to leave his van in Portsmouth with his bikes on board.

“It was all last minute.com, but I’ve got to praise the whole of the Warriors squad especially Chad Wirtzfeld and his Dad Dave for getting a bike ready for Georgie. The

other riders and mechanics all mucked in to get things sorted and to see Georgie go and win heat one like nothing had happened was quite remarkable.”

Alas, the return leg was not so fortuitous.

The Kings soon made up the six-point deficit, and went on to complete the victory, despite some spirited riding from Warriors captain Ben Morley, who weighed in with 11 points.

But it was almost a lone battle against a Kings team that turned in a very professional performance.

7th June 2019

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Ravens Oak host Spider Ride event Ravens Oak Equestrian in Carters Road, Ryde hosted a Spider Ride event, which saw horse riders riding in from all parts of the Island meeting up at Ravens Oak for refreshments, cake, chocolate and a rosette for their efforts.

Once at Ravens Oak, riders could chat, catch up and do some ‘clear round jumping’ over a mixture of BSJA and rustic jumps within the

outdoor school.

Many new riders took part, all keen to get their horses out, exercised and fit. A variety of riders of all ages from five years upwards were there to enjoy the day, and Ravens Oak looks forward to seeing old and new faces at their next spider ride event at the beginning of July.

Sport

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7th June 2019

Jan shines in Holland on debut for Team GB

Pictures by Natalie Sylvester

Jan Fletcher Wight Tri was well represented with five members competing for Team GB in the European Age Group Standard Distance Triathlon Championship, in Weert, Netherlands.

First timers Jan Fletcher and Dean Haward along with Liz Dunlop, Stuart Dyer and Glyn Jenkins, who have all raced several times for the GB age group team, are all members of the IW Talented Athlete Scheme, supported by the IW Council and Wightlink.

The European Championships were run over two days with all the females and 55-plus age group men racing on the Saturday and the younger men on the Sunday. This was one of the largest fields at these Championships, being well supported by the host nation and nearby countries.

The race started with a 1,500m swim in the Blue Lake on the outskirts of Weert, continuing onto a very fast flat 40km, 2.5 lap cycle route taking the competitors into the centre of Weert to the second transition. The fourlap run was around the town centre, and temperatures of

26 degrees on the Saturday and 29 degrees on the Sunday took their toll on the runners preventing fast run times.

Jan Fletcher had a fantastic debut performance with a super 29:44 swim and a huge personal best bike split of 1:03:44 for seventh top in her age group. She followed this with a solid run of 49:05 to finish in 18th position from 38 in the 4044 age group, finishing in an overall PB time of 2:28:34 for this distance. The strong performance indicates that Jan is in great early season form with all the consistent winter training paying dividends. This is good news for the IW triathlon team as she is soon to take on the triathlon at the Island Games in Gibraltar in July.

Liz Dunlop, at her ninth European Championships, was very happy to finish 10th in the 60-64 age group in 2:46:34 with splits of 31:05, 1:11:48 and 56:32, showing that experience pays off, as she still managed to pull off a decent performance even after a poor build-up to this race.

Glyn Jenkins in the 65-69

category and third time in Team GB colours, had a solid race to finish 26th in 2:59:29 (34:08/1:16:00/1:01:12).

This is another excellent performance from Glyn after health issues, weeks before the competition limited his training routine.

Sunday’s hotter temperatures were even more treacherous to the triathletes. Dean Haward, also wearing his first GB age group trisuit, started well with a swim of 29:03, followed by a 1:00:53 bike split and 46:31 run to complete his debut race for Team GB in 2:22:03 to take 29th place from 42 in the 40-44 age category; again another excellent first time performance.

Stuart Dyer, taking part in his fourth European Championships, and in his last year in the 50-54 age category, had another solid performance to finish 34th out of 67 competitors in a very competitive field. Splits of 27:55, 1:01:00 and 45:30 saw him complete the course in a very good 2:19:45.

Liz Dunlop

Butler quits County for three-year deal at Posh Isle of Wight footballer Danny Butler will be playing League One football next season after all, even though his club for the past three years, Newport County missed out on promotion from League Two in the Play-off final at Wembley.

Butler’s contract at County was

due to run out at the end of this month, and rather than discuss new terms with the Welsh club, he has opted to sign for League One outfit Peterborough United on a three-year deal, and will officially join the club on July 1.

Peterborough, known as Posh, finished seventh in League One

last season, missing out on a play-off place by just one point, so no doubt Butler, an attacking wing-back, will be hoping to play his part in taking his new club one better when the new campaign gets underway.

7th June 2019

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Sidecar speedway sees lots of thrills ’n’ spills

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Picture by Marc Webslade

The first sidecar speedway meeting to be held on the Isle of Wight for over 10 years took place at the Smallbrook Stadium in Ryde in front of the large crowd. The first round of the 2019 Sidecar Speedway Championship was won by the reigning champion Paul Whitelam, partnered by Richard Webb.

A thrilling final looked to be going the way of Mick Cave and his passenger Bradley Steer but Cave clipped the inner track kerb, lost control and that allowed Whitelam and the other two chairs past. Second place went to Mark Cossar and Sam Heath while Will Penfold and Ricky Pay were third.

The four-round Championship now moves on to Somerset, and will take place at the end of the month.

Ryde find Gosport in impressive mood For the second week in a row Ryde Cricket Club first XI faced another of the top sides in Hants County Division One, and came out second best. Gosport Borough were the opposition, and batting first at Harding Shute, they amassed and impressive 310-6 from their 50 overs, with J. Harris, batting at No4, inflicting most of the damage. Harris hit an unbeaten 137, and he was well supported by S. Creal, who chipped in with 73.

The pick of the Ryde bowlers were Ashley Goldsmith (2-41) and Frank Gumley (2-58), and the same two players were also the top performers for Ryde with the bat, both scoring 38. But the Island side were bowled out for just 157. Ryde will hope to get back to winning ways tomorrow (Sat) when they travel to Old Basing, who sit second to bottom in the table.

It was better news for Ryde Second XI, who kept up their

perfect start to the season with a fourth win out of four, this time away to Fair Oak III in Hants Division Four. Fair Oak batted first, posting a total of 187-8, with Ben Wadmore taking 3-22 for Ryde and 13-yearold Will Mew 2-19 on his league debut. In return Ryde knocked the runs off for the loss of five wickets, with the in-form Stuart Gurney undefeated on 71 and Simon Berendt with 67 being the top scorers.

Dean warms up for Island Games Wight Tri member Dean Pike took on the New Forest Triathlon in preparation for representing the IW Triathlon Team at the Island Games in Gibraltar in July.

Dean had a great race to take fifth place overall and second in the 30+ age category, even having the energy to win a sprint finish.

The Event consisted of a 1,100m swim, 33km cycle and 9km run, which Dean completed in a fast overall time of 2:05:53.

Meanwhile, Steve Dines travelled to Swansea to take on his first open water triathlon event in many years, in the Swansea Sprint Triathlon. The swim took place in the Prince of Wales Docks, with the three-lap cycle route heading along the coastal roads, and the run in and around the city to finish at Castle Square. A good all-round performance to finish, completed in 1:28:29, saw Steve come 45th from 106 competitors in the 60+ category. Starting with an excellent 750m swim of 16:25, followed by 37:47 for the 20km cycle and 27:18 for the 5km run

Picture: Steve Dines

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This weeks highlights...

Rowing Ryde reach semi-finals

By Peter White

Jimi Eldrige with his father Nigel

Ryde Harriers father and son duo Nigel and Jimi Eldridge took on the Junior and Senior Pairs Welsh 1,000m Peaks Short Challenge Race, and became record breakers.

The navigational challenge, now in its 49th year saw the short course start at Ogwen Cottage, and go via the summit of Glyder Fawr, Pen-y-Pass Youth Hostel, the summit of Garnedd Ugain and finished on the summit of Yr Wyddfa – Snowdon! Nigel and Jimi managed to knock an astounding 45 minutes off the existing record on a course that requires previous navigational and fell running experience. Only six second separated them with Nigel clocking 02:43:50, and Jimi 02:43:44; Meanwhile, a record number of Harriers entered the Needles Half Marathon as part of the West Wight Sports Centre’s Festival of Running. A total of 22 members took part in the hilly, off-road course which took in the stunning scenery of Headon Warren, The Needles and Tennyson Down. Over 700 runners entered the various events across the weekend including a Junior Fun Run, 5k and 10k races.

Harriers’ Half Marathon times: Adam Tuck 1.31.19; Trevor McAlister. 1.37.40; Graham Gardner. 1.41.50; Richard Melville 1.45.59; Ken Beak. 1.53.13; Cliff CM Morley. 1.54.04; James Barclay. 1.58.23; Sarah Peake 1.59.47; Mike Dignan 2.07.49; Tracey Dillon 2.13.51; Sally Roberts 2.14.09; Nat Jane Rose 2.14.13; Nick Herbert 2.14.28; Steve Lee 2.18.12; Scott Stilwell 2.22.59; Bob Somers 2.32.23; Linda Spencer 2.34.12; Carolyn Ward. 2.35.05; Jo Stevenson. 2.36.00; Sasha Levrier 2.36.00; Simon Levrier 2.39.51; Sarah Probert/Keith Ruth. 3.00.50.

On the mainland, three Harriers runners entered the Worthing 10k, a fast, flat coastal route with great PB potential and one of the largest, friendliest running events in the South. The event raised over £50,000 for local charities. Results: Amanda Keogh 0:58:12; Michelle Martin 1:07:12; Sue Clerkin 01:19:47.

7th June 2019

Racing

Sidecar speedway’s thrills ‘n’ spills

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Family affair as Jimi and Nigel are record breakers!

Ryde Harriers runners who competed in Needles halfmarathon

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New green opening celebrated with two convincing victories Bembridge Bowls Club has celebrated the opening of the new green, and the two teams who played on the opening day did the club proud.

The Men’s C team had a convincing win over Newport B. Walter Heinrich skipped James Cox, Anthony Hill and Paul Godliman to a win 15 - 12.75.

David Simpson steered his team of Peter McKenna, Terry Curtis and Brian Burgess to a 19 - 18 win and Steve Eynon, with his team of Ian Vallender, Colin Greer and Paul Martin won 21 - 17, for an overall 10-0 points victory.

On adjacent rinks, the Men’s B team were also in dominating form against local rivals Warners B, winning eight points to two.

Geoff Clement skipped Mike Davidson, Peter Swinfield and Peter Hudson to a 31 - 13 win; Keith Watford with Derek Selway, Alan Bugby and Vince Whelan finished 24-15 up, and Peter Pickworth with Gordon Holmes, Clive Wade and Bernie Allen were edged out 15-18.

The Ladies C team continued their fine form with another victory away at Sandown C. They dominated the game from start to finish. Freda Lambourne’s rink won 28 - 13 and Loraine Whelan’s rink won 24 - 10m, for a 6-0 points success.

Bembridge BC’s Ladies C team played three matches in five days and came away with a full six points in each. At Cowes Medina, Pat Bugby and Lorraine Wheeler were the successful skips and against Sandown B and Ryde Marina B, Freda Lambourne and Lorraine Wheeler successfully

skipped.

The Ladies B team had a more difficult day at Sandown A. Barbara Terry skipped Pam Browning, Judy Eynon and Carole Whittington to a convincing 26 - 11 win, but Phyl Liddiard with Sylvia Wade, Sandra Scovell and Jules Roberson went down 9 - 36. Result Sandown 4 points Bembridge 2.

The Men’s E team drew 4-4 with Sandown D. Ian Vallender, Peter Pickworth, Steve Eynon and Dave Simpson edged their game 22 - 18 while Nick Clement, Derek Selway, Kev Livonia’s and Doug Beckett won 20 - 14. Robin Stringfellow, Terry Curtis, Paul Martin and James Cox went down 9 - 27.

The Men’s A team began with a heavy defeat at Shanklin B, going down 10-0, but against Ventnor A, they at least returned with three points in a closely contested match. However, to cap off a disappointing week the A team lost 34 - 47 to Sandown A in the 2 Fours National Competition.

The Men’s C team had a close battle against local rivals Warners B, which Warners took by seven points to three.

Bembridge bowlers are steadily making their way through County competitions. Norman Cooper reached the second round of the County Four Wood Singles with a 21 - 13 win over J. Norris from Shanklin. In the Men’s Senior Fours, Chris Emms and Robin Stringfellow skipped their teams to victories in the first round against Fours from Sandown and Shanklin respectively and will now meet in the quarter-finals.

First phase for new home of Newport FC revealed

Newport former ground- St Georges Park, which they had to leave at the end of the season

Plans for an all-weather sports pitch at what will be the new home of Newport Football Club have been submitted.

The plans have been lodged by Newport FC owners South Coast Leisure as part of their vision to create a state-of-the-art new facility off The Racecourse.

As well as ensuring the club is able to train and fulfil its fixtures whatever the weather, the new pitch will also help the aim of creating a new home for Newport that is also a well-used hub for community sporting and fitness activity.

Already the plans have been backed by Newport FC Supporters Trust and future users including the IW College, who would use the new facility as a training and coaching hub. South Coast Leisure is keen that the new pitch and facilities will encourage woman’s and youth football as well as participation in sport by those with physical, mental and learning challenges as well as older people.

Peter Westhorpe, secretary of Newport FC Supporters Trust, said: “There are very sound footballing reasons for upgrading to an allweather pitch as it will always be available for

training and match day use.

“But if Newport Football Club is to become truly sustainable and to reach its full potential then it needs to form closer links to the community.

This all-weather facility will enable the club to become a centre of community sporting and fitness use as a synthetic pitch is better able to cope with more usage and will be unaffected by periods of adverse weather.”

Paul Buckland, head of sport and fitness at the IW College said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for the college football academy and staff to help support a community hub for football players of all ages and genders in terms of player development and coaching. It will give our learners a firm foundation to develop coaching and employability skills. We look forward to developing a partnership with Newport FC that will allow this to happen.”

The plan for the new pitch has been submitted as a variation to the planning permission already granted for the site and nearby residents have been notified of the proposals in line with SCL’s commitment to keeping the local community informed.