Isle of Wight Observer Issue 48

Observer

19th July 2019

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Chaos looming!

“I’m exasperated about the way this has been done” Cllr. Andrew Garratt

Friday 19th July 2019 Issue No.48

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Cowes lifeboat launched

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A distress signal led to the launching of Cowes RNLI lifeboat on Thursday afternoon, to search for a boat believed to be close to Cowes Harbour. It was eventually discovered the emergency involved a crew member with a broken arm aboard a yacht which by then was in the Royal Yacht Squadron Haven.

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

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Cream tea to support local families in need Home-Start Isle of Wight held its third annual cream tea at Briddlesford Lodge Farm, to raise vital funds to support local families facing difficulties. The event raised over £600 through donations for the cream teas and a raffle.

Judi Griffin, Home-Start’s patron, and the owner of Briddlesford Lodge Farm, organised the event at Bluebells Cafe. Guests included High Sheriff, Geoff Underwood, Chair of the IW Council, George Cameron, and Cowes Mayor, Lora Peacey-Wilcox.

Money raised will go towards Home-Start’s vital work, offering friendship and practical

and emotional support to parents and carers with at least one child under school age, who are struggling with a variety of issues including mental health, postnatal illness, challenging behaviour, isolation, multiple birth, domestic abuse or disability.

Alison Griffiths, Home-Start senior coordinator, said: “We are so grateful to Judi for being such a great champion of our work and to the team at Bluebells for making it a really special afternoon. It was fantastic to see so many supporters who gave so generously.

Times are challenging, and events like this give us a real boost.”

Opposition Councillor: Island’s suicide prevention strategy ‘not fit for purpose’

By David Anderson, Local Democracy Reporter

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19th July 2019

The Island’s suicide prevention strategy is ‘not fit for purpose’, according to an opposition councillor.

The Isle of Wight Council’s strategy outlines who is most at risk of suicide and identifies four key priorities to prevent it.

Men aged between 40 and 60, people who are socially isolated and people who have experienced break ups or job losses have been highlighted

as high risk groups.

But the council has been criticised for its lack of communication with people directly facing suicide.

Cllr Michael Lilley, speaking at a scrutiny committee meeting on Monday, said he had spoken to the Isle of Wight Youth Trust and the Men in Sheds project, which supports older men. He said neither group had been approached by the council’s

public health team.

Cllr Lilley said: “A lot of what you say is not fit for purpose and a load of rubbish.

“Staff aren’t talking to the people and the families who are actually facing suicide on this Island.”

The Isle of Wight is in line with national statistics for suicide, but the council said every suicide was a tragedy they would like to prevent.

Reported crash was ‘medical episode’ A Southern Vectis announcement of an incident involving a car and a pedestrian outside the Eight Bells pub in Carisbrooke High Street on Thursday afternoon has been denied by the Police.

Hampshire Constabulary stated they were not called to a crash, but rather a ‘medical episode’.

Jewellers for sale A luxury Isle of Wight jewellers, which has been a fixture in Cowes for over 150 years, has gone up for sale. The prestigious jewel makers, Benzie of Cowes, has put its High Street store on the market for £2,560,000.

Passengers stranded Roadworks on Upton Road, Ryde caused the cancellation of the number 37 bus on Thursday, July 18.

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Major works begin soon

By Peter White Councillor Andrew Garratt has urged IW Council Cabinet members and officers to act without further delay, and make up for lost time over consultation with Island residents over the planned major road works at Newport’s St Mary’s roundabout.

Councillors were briefed on the proposed plans at a meeting last night. The works on the site - also known as the B&Q roundabout - are expected to start on September 30, but the date has yet to be finalised however commuters are bracing themselves for 15 months of chaos.

But last night the Council insisted a communication strategy was in place, and will be launched as soon as the works programme is finalised.

Cllr.

Garratt, Member for Parkhurst Ward, where the work will take place, predicts 15 months of terrible disruption in that area.

The first phase will be to widen Forest Road before work is carried out near to St Mary’s Hospital, and then the roundabout next to B&Q will get its major overhaul.

Eventually two major sets of traffic

lights will be installed, one set on Forest Road near the junction, and the other where the main roundabout currently stands, with the roundabout completely removed.

The Council confirmed last night in a statement: “The project is the largest of a package of schemes to improve traffic flows through Newport which have been financed largely by a Government grant of over £9 million, supplemented with developer contributions. The works will involve replacing the roundabout with two linked traffic light-controlled junctions. There will also be enhanced features to improve bus journey reliability and accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists.

“Once the scheme has been formally commissioned with Island Roads, full details including the start date will be confirmed by the Council.”

But Cllr. Garratt claims the Cabinet have wasted five valuable months of ‘customer relationship’ when they should have been reassuring residents, and even visitors to the Island, over any concerns they have over problems that will inevitably

crop up.

He said: “I am exasperated about the way this has been done. I asked the Cabinet five months ago to talk to residents and businesses about the disruption, but it didn’t happen. Some journeys will only be delayed, but if, for example, you are going to hospital, you are going for a reason, and want to know how to get there easily, and by what route, with the minimum of stress. The Newport traffic situation is dire, and this will make it even worse.

But surely Coppins Bridge should have been done first - virtually all the problems come from there.

“Now I want Cabinet members who made these decisions about St Mary’s Roundabout, as well as Council officers, not just to go the extra mile, but go 10 extra miles, and talk to people before anything is dug up. This work is now only a matter of weeks away.

“The Council should be able to go through any worries and concerns people might have, so Islanders can be absolutely reassured that, as and when they have to make a journey in that area in the next 15 months, they know how they can plan it.

They need to know who they can

talk to, or email, and how quickly they can expect a response if they have concerns. I don’t want to be looking backwards and pointing a finger of blame; I just want the Council to make up for lost time.”

Cllr Garratt continued: “This is the Island’s biggest road scheme since the dual carriageway was built in the 1970s. I doubt there is a single person on the Isle of Wight who does not go through this junction at some time every year, so it is absolutely paramount the Council get their communications right.

“The scheme is going to cost around £9million, and it will take only a small sum of money, compared with the big scheme, to do a proper modern-day standard of communication.

“The Council need to set up a dedicated number for people to ring if they have concerns; a dedicated website, and illuminated sign boards well out of Newport to give everyone notice about what is going on, rather than be stuck in a traffic jam. There should also be information on ferries, so visitors can read and understand what to expect, and the best way to avoid disruptions.”

Councillor Ian Ward said last night: “It is important to be clear from the outset that a scheme of this nature, although bringing long-term benefits, is of such a scope and scale that some disruption to travel is inevitable.

“I think this project demonstrates the ability of the council to attract new government money to support schemes that will benefit the whole Island. I am particularly pleased the work will also bring about enhanced features not just for cars but for pedestrians and cyclists also.”

The Council statement added: “A comprehensive communication strategy has been prepared giving further details on the scheme and the likely impact of the works; it will be launched as soon as the works programme is finalised and covers each stage of the construction process.

“Separate discussions have already been held with St Mary’s Hospital and the emergency services to ensure all blue light responders are not unduly compromised by the works, as well as the Isle of Wight College and B&Q.”

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19th July 2019

Man charged following horrific crash

Coastal cycle challenge to aid tumour cure A charity is rounding up riders to tackle a coastal cycle challenge to help fund research into brain tumours. Members of the public are invited to take part in a Randonnée around the Isle of Wight on Sunday. Those completing the 68-mile seaside sportive are helping to raise funds and awareness for the charity Brain Tumour Research, which funds a research centre at the University of Portsmouth.

Riders will set off from Fishbourne before heading around the Island, receiving refreshments at Bembridge and Yarmouth, and finishing 68 miles later back at the start.

Cyclists feeling particularly ambitious can also attempt a 136-mile Ultra route. Organiser Simon Tier, a project manager from Fareham, has lost several friends to brain tumours, and is a champion fundraiser for the charity.

Simon, aged 51, who has helped to raise more than £50,000 for Brain Tumour Research, said: “I set up the Brain Tumour Research Randonnée two years ago, and I’m proud of how much the fundraiser has grown.

I’m hoping that 50 riders will take part in this year’s event. I’ve been fundraising for Brain Tumour Research for several years and I’m passionate about helping to raise vital funds and awareness for this dreadful disease,

which kills more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer.”

Also taking on the challenge is Allison Budge, a GP from Southampton. Allison, aged 52, said: “Through my work, I have witnessed several patients affected by brain tumours and this opened my eyes to how dreadful this disease can be. I wish that there were more treatment options available. I’ve also lost friends and family members to brain tumours and I am keen to join Simon and the team in raising awareness.

“Simon and I both cycle for the same club and I’m thankful to him for organising this fantastic event.”

Michael Thelwall, head of community fundraising for Brain Tumour Research, said: “We are delighted that Simon is once again leading the Brain Tumour Research Randonnée around the Isle of Wight. It is such a unique challenge and a wonderful day for all involved. Less than 20 per cent of those diagnosed with a brain tumour survive beyond five years compared with an average of 50 per cent across all cancers. We cannot allow this devastating situation to continue.”

To donate to Brain Tumour Research go to https://www.braintumourresearch.org/ donation/donate-now

Hand in your weapons Hampshire Constabulary are appealing to the public to hand over any unwanted guns during a two week surrender of firearms and ammunition, starting tomorrow (Sat) until Sunday, August 4. During the campaign period, those handing over firearms will not face prosecution for illegal possession at the point of surrender, and can remain anonymous if they so choose.

This summer’s campaign has a particular focus on firearms, stun gun type devices and pepper sprays. Police want to highlight the danger of these items and remind people they are illegal in this country, and could lead to a prison sentence for anyone caught in possession.

Guns and ammunition can be surrendered

at Newport Police Station, from 9.30am to 6pm on Sunday. Anyone who is unable to visit the station is advised to call 101 to arrange a collection from a home address.

The one that didn’t get away!

Isle of Wight police have stopped and seized another untaxed and uninsured car. The tax had expired in September last year, and the MoT earlier this month.

The driver only had a provisional licence and the car had no L-plates.

@IOWPolice tweeted that the driver had been out fishing. The driver didn’t catch any fish, but did end up with a large fine. @IOWightPolice tweeted: Driver stopped on the way back from a spot of fishing.

Insurance? - No. TAX? -

No. MOT? - No. Full licence?

- No. Provisional L Plates? No. Catch any fish? - No. Vehicle seized? - Yes. Points on licence? - Yes. Large fine?

- Yes. Recovery costs? - Yes. Worth it? - NO#IOW 20714

A man has been charged with numerous offences, following last month’s serious collision on Briddlesford Road, which left a 28-year-old mum, Becky Wall, in a coma.

Benjamin Entwistle, 31, of Westlake Avenue, Lake, was charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving, driving whilst disqualified, driving without insurance and failing to stop and report an accident, at an appearance at the Isle of Wight Magistrates Court on Monday.

Becky sustained lifethreatening injuries when her Vauxhall Astra was hit by a silver BMW on Briddlesford Road. The driver of the BMW fled the scene.

Mr. Entwistle did not enter a formal plea when he appeared before the Isle of Wight Magistrates Court via video link. The case was adjourned, and he will now appear before Isle of Wight Crown Court on August 12. Mr. Entwhistle was remanded in custody.

Don’t lose your right to vote The IW Council is currently carrying out an annual check of the electoral register. A form is being sent to every household on the Island, to check that the people registered to vote at that address are correct.

Every household is required to respond, even if someone in the property has only recently registered to vote.

The updated information will ensure that everyone who is eligible to vote and has registered will be able to vote in any forthcoming elections or referendums.

Householders should respond to the enquiry form

by August 19. Residents also have the option of completing the form online, via www. householdresponse.com/ iow. The Full Register can be used by credit reference agencies to help verify identities. A person not registered at the address they give on a loan application, may be refused credit, or find it more difficult to obtain.

Residents who have not received an enquiry form by early August should contact the Electoral Services Office at the Isle of Wight Council via electoral.services@iow. gov.uk or telephone on (01983) 823380.

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Work to restore Northwood House Rotunda is nearing completion Work is nearly complete on the comprehensive restoration of 1838 Northwood House Rotunda.

Significant work is being undertaken on the iconic entrance dome, part funded by a grant from the Coastal Revival Fund.

As part of the project, the Northwood House Team has also found time to repair and replace small interior details the majority of the visitors may never notice.

Throughout the House, over some 200 years of history, many of the fine mouldings in wood and plaster have been damaged or lost. The Project Team, working with Dan Sandles, has pioneered scanning surviving examples and then printing exact copies on a 3D printer. The original parts would be far too expensive to make today and many of the skills no longer exist.

The parts that have been 3-D printed include small strips of wall edging, part of a picture frame moulding and some corner rosettes that have been severely damaged over the years.

Plaster mouldings of the Ward family crest, a craggy necked wolf, have been replaced

by Ross Walmsley, using more traditional plaster cast and moulding techniques. Ross also designed and installed the custom rotunda roof light.

In addition, over 75 parts of the laurel

decorations, which have been severely damaged, have also been restored. Where possible, the originals were repaired. Once the 3-D print replacements have been completed, they have either been goldleafed or gold-leaf painted, to become indistinguishable from the originals.

The restoration team have also broken new ground in replacing part of the rare ceiling glass, that dates from 1838.

Work on the project is near to completion, ready for the ceremony to celebrate restoration of the Rotunda on Monday, August 12, during Cowes Week. Those in attendance will include the Mayor of Cowes, Lora Peacey-Wilcox; the Lord-Lieutenant.

Mrs Susie Sheldon JP, and the Directors of Northwood House Charitable Trust Co Ltd.

Ride the bus to Tapnell Farm this summer This summer, visitors can again catch a bus to Tapnell Farm, thanks to a seasonal service being run by Southern Vectis for the summer holidays. Route number 27 will operate every day throughout the six-week school break, starting tomorrow (Sat). The service fits with Tapnell Farm’s ethos of encouraging visitors to ‘Go Green’.

Following feedback on last year’s pilot service, Southern Vectis has added more

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times to the timetable this season. The bus provider now offers daily morning, afternoon and early evening buses to get visitors to and from Tapnell Farm, which means visitors can now enjoy time at the all-weather Farm Park. The route will run between Newport and Yarmouth Bus Stations via Tapnell Farm.

A special shuttle bus service will also be connecting visitors from Yarmouth to the Park during the day.

18,000

copies printed weekly

Calling budding sailors for a life on the ocean waves UKSA, the youth maritime charity based in Cowes, is launching a new, fullyfunded foundation course for young people aged 16, who have just finished their GCSEs and want a career at sea.

The Maritime Foundation course will provide learners with skills and qualifications that demonstrate their competency to work as a seafarer. The two-year course is suitable for those with little to no experience of the maritime sector as it will provide all essential skills, qualifications and knowledge for entry level positions, thanks to the 60/40 split of practical and theory training.

UKSA’s Education Manager Will Satterly said: “UKSA is determined to provide as many opportunities to young people across the Isle of Wight and further afield.

This new course is designed to open as many doors as possible for those willing to work hard, listen and learn from experienced tutors who are passionate about helping them set long term goals and giving them the tools to achieve them.”

For further information contact UKSA on (01983 203038) or the Student Services team at the Isle of Wight College (01983 526631).

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Consultation launch for Island concessionary travel scheme

News in brief The Steam Railway fire Prompt action by Isle of Wight Steam Railway staff prevented a lineside fire from spreading after a train had to stop on the tracks when the crew spotted the fire developing. The train crew worked with beaters and buckets of water to contain and extinguish the small fire.

Tractor leaks fluid on road

The Isle of Wight Council has launched a consultation on potential changes to its current concessionary travel scheme.

The proposed changes do not affect free travel arrangements for older and disabled residents who wish to travel on Island buses between 9.30am and 11pm but do affect other travel times.

Under the changes proposed, free travel for a travelling companion of a disabled person would also be retained for bus journeys between 9.30am and 11pm. If agreed through

the consultation process, the Council could also include free travel for care leavers.

The Island’s concessionary travel scheme cost the Council £4.72 million in 2017/18, for both mandatory and additional discretionary elements.

The new proposals amend the current scheme, which was introduced in 2008, and would align the Island to many other parts of the country and enable the Council to make savings in the process.

Traffic delays built up in Carisbrooke last Saturday afternoon when a tractor leaked hydraulic fluid over the road and broke down outside a pub. Queues extended to the Wellington Road roundabout after the vehicle came to a halt outside the Eight Bells.

Engineers cleared the spill, before getting the tractor on its way.

Newport kitchen fire extinguished

Council seeks residents’ help to rewrite website

Firefighters went to a maisonette on Linden Road, Newport following reports of a small fire in the kitchen. On arrival, it was discovered the fire had already been extinguished.

The IW Council is requesting residents to engage with them to ensure that their website does exactly what is required. www.iwight.com had more than eight million average page views last year. The Council believe the website to be the best way to get in contact, request services and manage council interactions, and would like tasks on the website to be simple and easy

Nettlestone bonfire blaze

to manage.

Over the next few weeks, the IW Council will be seeking the thoughts of Islanders on the current site layout, as well as gathering feedback on its usability.

Councillor Stuart Hutchinson, Cabinet member for resources, said: “As our focus on providing enhanced digital services continues, we want to know how users of the website feel about it now

and what they want to see in the future.”

“Behind the scenes we’ve already upgraded staff hardware and are also ensuring our software is cutting edge, and many of our services have been securely migrated to ‘the cloud’.”

The survey on council website useability can be found at:: https://www. surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ iwightsatisfaction

Firefighters from Ryde attended an out-ofcontrol bonfire at Park Lane in the village of Nettlestone late on Wednesday night. It took fire crews well over an hour to extinguish the blaze.

Maiden flight for Shed Fest Isle of Wight Shed Fest rocked the grounds of Sandown Airport. The event was the brainchild of Lois Prior, Age UK Isle of Wight’s Men in Sheds Co-ordinator and was designed to be a celebration of the Men in Sheds movement.

It offered a sunny afternoon of live, local music, stalls, free training, games and refreshments.

It also gave festivalgoers a chance to learn more about Men in Sheds, and meet some of the Shedders.

The event was opened by the Island’s High Sheriff, Geoff Underwood, and nearly 500 revellers were treated to live music from the Newport and free training sessions and information.

David Walcock, from West Wight Shed, said: “We’ve had a wonderful time today, with lots of enquiries about becoming a member. What’s great about the Shed is that it doesn’t matter what your level of fitness is, or what your skills are, we all learn from each other, and we all do as much as we are able. We’ve got our new Shed now, so we’d love to see some new members join us.”

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Obituary: Marie Young dies at 101 Marie Young, who reached the grand age of 101, has passed away peacefully at Brynhill Grove care home in Ventnor.

Marie lived on the Island for 22 years, having moved to Ventnor to live with her eldest son, Michael, daughter-in-law, Nava, and granddaughter Anita, then aged five.

The centenarian had worked as a telephonist in her younger years, and her big love was amateur dramatics.

Marie helped make toast for the guests at St Andrews Hotel, owned by the family, and was famously and fondly known as the ‘toast lady’ by guests. They missed her if she did not come into the dining room at breakfast to chat to them. Sadly, she had to give this up aged 95 as she was struggling going up and down the stairs safely from the basement to the dining room.

Marie worshipped at the local Baptist Church and looked forward to going there every Sunday. In the last few years, there was a group of people who would pick her up every Sunday and drop her off after the service.

Marie loved reading and a selection of books were delivered every six weeks.

Notwithstanding her advanced age, she did not take any medication regularly. She ascribed her longevity to her faith in God and healthy eating. Marie loved her food and had a very good appetite. Her short-term memory remained good until the end of her life.

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News in brief Air ambulance alert The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance touched down in fields behind Landguard Holiday Park near Shanklin on Sunday morning to assist the Isle of Wight Ambulance Service with a patient. However, their services were not required, and the individual in question was instead taken to St Mary’s Hospital by land ambulance.

Granddaughter Anita said of Marie: "My grandma was a truly amazing lady, full of faith and love. She lived though two world wars, was loved by all and without a doubt made each and everyone that she met,smile and laugh without even trying until her last days of her life."

She leaves behind two sons, four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

She is greatly missed by friends and family. A service to celebrate Marie's life will be held at 4pm on August 2 in Ventnor Baptist Church in Pier Street.

Culver cliff airlift An elderly man was airlifted from Culver cliff after injuring himself on a path between Culver Down and Whitecliff Bay during the early hours of Sunday morning. A helicopter from Lee-on-Solent evacuated the patient directly to St Mary’s Hospital in Newport.

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Portraits by Island people go on show at museum

Solent LEP sets out plan for careers education support

A selection of black and white portraits taken by residents of Southern Housing Group supported accommodation schemes on the Isle of Wight is to go on show at

The Solent Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has invited educators and employers to learn more about the success and achievements of its Solent East Careers Hub, and announced its vision for the new Solent West and Isle of Wight Careers Hub, launching this September.

In May, it was announced that the Solent LEP had successfully applied to establish a second Careers Hub for the area, which would enable it to provide career education support to every secondary school, sixth form and college in the Solent region.

Through its existing Hub, the Solent LEP supports 34 secondary schools and colleges with careers education support and is working to partner each with a volunteer Enterprise Adviser, recruited from a local business and working closely with educators, to prepare young people for the world of work.

The second Careers Hub aims to provide this support to the secondary schools and colleges in the west of the area, covering the Isle of Wight. Solent LEP will be providing extra resource to ensure that the educational institutions develop effective careers programmes, whilst building sustainable links with local businesses.

the National Trust’s Fox Talbot Museum, in Lacock, Wiltshire, the former home of photographic pioneer William Henry Fox Talbot.

The stunning portraits

were created by older people, at workshops run

by Independent Arts at Southern Housing Group supported accommodation schemes. The images form an exhibition called Art and Identity which was inspired by discussing themes of capturing a person’s likeness and sense of self within a photographic portrait.

The remarkable portraits created by Julia Margaret Cameron, the trailblazing Victorian photographer based at Freshwater, were used as inspiration and the workshop sessions were led by photographic artist Julian Winslow.

Julian said: “I felt emotionally overwhelmed with the artwork produced.

The images are extremely powerful conveying joy, vulnerability, pathos and humour.

Many of the participants had never used a digital camera but given the opportunity and guidance the results were simply astonishing. It has been a privilege to work on this project.”

Roger Watson, curator at the

National Trust’s Fox Talbot Museum in Lacock, was so impressed with the quality of the portraits that he invited Independent Arts to curate a selection to go on display in the Little Art and Identity Gallery until August 11.

Established in 1987, Independent Arts, in Quay Street, Newport, is a registered charity dedicated to improving the quality of life for people living on the Isle of Wight, particularly older people, those with special needs, and the disadvantaged, by providing access to exciting and stimulating creative activities.

Independent Arts also leads the way in social prescribing by connecting people to social activities which have proven to significantly improve health and wellbeing by meeting wider emotional, physical and social needs.

On average around 500 to 600 people go to workshops, classes, activities and groups facilitated by Independent Arts every week.

Pictured: One of the portraits that will be on show.

Brading collision Motorists faced delays on New Road near the Yarbridge Crossroads in Brading on Friday last week as a result of a three-car collision between a Renault Traffic

van, a Nissan Micra and a VW Golf. The Micra sustained significant damage and was recovered from the scene.

No-one was injured.

Entertainment - p24-25 WHATS ON ?

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Island MP praises Team Isle of Wight on medals haul

Do you need cash?

We need people in: PO39, PO40, PO41 Island MP, Robert Seely, has congratulated the Isle of Wight competitors who took part in the Island Games in Gibraltar last week. The team brought home 34 medals, eclipsing the successes in Gotland two years ago.

Overall, 11 gold medals, eight silver and 15 bronze were secured, eight more than 2017.

The MP said: “I would like to offer my congratulations to the IW team for a truly fantastic achievement in Gibraltar.

Thank you to everyone who represented the Island, you really did us proud.

“Thank you also to everyone who supported them, without your help they would not be able to compete. These successes don’t come easily, they are the result of great individual dedication

and also in many cases the support of friends and family, team mates, coaches and sponsors.”

Mr. Seely said the entire team deserved praise but highlighted several individual achievements.

He said: “Congratulations to Dominic Cowen and Andrew Whittall who set a new Games record in shooting and Matt Reed, Perron Phipps and Richard Clifton who also brought home gold medals in shooting.

“Also, very well done to 13-year-old Amelie Haworth, the Island’s youngest competitor, who won bronze in the ladies’ squash at her first Island Games.

“Sisters Emily and Hannah Niven did brilliantly, bringing home gold medals in judo and also sisters Imogen and

Shelly Moss who won gold in the ladies standard pistol team event.

“Congratulations to Dan Eckersley who retained his 3,000m steeplechase title that he won in Gotland two years ago.

“A fantastic achievement from Charlie Metcalfe, who won gold in the women’s half-marathon, the first Island athlete to do so. Her gold helped the ladies half-marathon team to a silver medal.

“Finally, congratulations to Abi Lacey, who swam a new personal-best winning silver in the 100m individual medley. Abi also swam the quickest time of any Isle of Wight woman ever in the 400m individual medley and won a silver medal which is something to be very proud of.”

Dolphins, you’ve been framed!

F r e s h w a t e r Independent Lifeboat crew member, Daniel Bircham, caught a pod of dolphins on camera in Freshwater Bay earlier this week, apparently heading to Blackgang Chine.

Man falsely accused of rape at Ventnor It has been reported that the Isle of Wight man accused of raping a woman in broad daylight in Ventnor will face no further action, as Police investigations have revealed the allegation to have been false.

On June 18, a section of St Catherine’s Church

graveyard was cordoned off following an allegation of rape. A 35-year-old Sandown man was subsequently arrested in connection with the incident and bailed to return to Newport Police Station on July 16. However, Hampshire Constabulary reportedly confirmed on

Sunday that no further action would be taken against the man concerned.

The woman who made the false allegation has reportedly expressed remorse for her actions.

The man and woman concerned are believed to be known to one another.

Seely resigns his PPS role MP Bob Seely has resigned from his role as a Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) for the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) after refusing to back the Government’s controversial High Speed Rail (HS2) project in a Commons vote.

The Isle of Wight MP claimed he could not support HS2, the planned high-speed rail link between London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds, known as HS2, when there was a greater need for transport infrastructure investment in other areas of the United Kingdom, such as the Isle of Wight.

Robert Seely said: “I knew that abstaining from the vote would mean I could not continue as a PPS, but, on the issue of HS2, I did not feel that I could, in good faith, vote to support it while having consistently spoken out about the spiralling costs of the project, whilst in the UK regions and in constituencies such as the Isle of Wight, we have suffered from historic under-investment on infrastructure.”

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19th July 2019

Wildlife Trust responds to Michael Gove speech

The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust has responded to a speech by the Secretary of State for the Environment, Michael Gove, in which he reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to tackling the climate crisis and the catastrophic loss of biodiversity.

Debbie Tann, Chief Executive of Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, said: “While Michael Gove has pointed to the scale of global biodiversity loss, it’s vital that we recognise that this is also happening on our doorsteps. Hampshire and the Island may look green and pleasant, but we are witnessing nature retreat, essential resources diminish and species disappear.

“We are pleased that decision makers are waking up to the urgency of this issue and we have seen several local councils declare climate emergencies in recent months. This rhetoric must now be matched by concerted and clear action.

Locally, we look forward to working with our politicians and partners to ensure that nature’s recovery is at the heart of plans to tackle the climate crisis and create a healthier, more prosperous future for people across our counties."

NHS Trust get revenge but charities are real winners Competition was fierce between the Isle of Wight NHS Trust, and the local Constabulary when they locked horns in a charity football match at Westwood Park, Cowes.

The Trust might have ended up with bragging rights after a 5-0 victory, but the real winners were the two charities that benefitted from the match.

Almost £1,000 was raised with the

money to be split between the Joe Ellis Trust and the SANDS charity. It was sweet revenge for the NHS Trust, who were beaten 2-1 by Hampshire Police in the inaugural match a year ago.

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IW Festival founder backs calls for permanent centre for iconic events

Ray Faulk, co-promoter of festivals The Island group promoting 50th anniversary celebrations of the Island’s iconic 1968-70 rock festivals is now calling for the creation of a permanent visitor centre to honour the legacy of those events.

The All Wight Now legacy group of festival devotees staged a celebratory gig last September to mark the anniversary of the 1968 inaugural festival and is staging the Million Dollar Bash Festival on Saturday, August 31, 50 years to the day since Bob Dylan headlined an all-star 1969 IW bill at Woodside Bay, Wootton.

But, although those events shine a light for a day on the original festivals that have gone down in rock history, there is no permanent site to mark the cultural impact of those historic gatherings.

This is in sharp contrast to the centre created on the 1969 Woodstock Festival site in New York State, honouring the legacy of the one-off Woodstock event. The Bethel Woods Center for the Arts is described as an amphitheatre, performing arts center and museum.

The $150 million facility was first planned 25 years after Woodstock, eventually opening in 2006, and has since become a vibrant cultural hub and visitor attraction.

Something similar on the Island is well overdue, according to the man largely responsible for creating the legendary first three IW festivals.

Ray Foulk, co-promoter of the 1968, '69 and '70 Island festivals, said: “We had three festivals that left a major imprint on the wider festival movement and on cultural life in Britain. There was only one Woodstock, and frankly it was a bit of a mess.

“We had three events, including the

1969 festival when we attracted Bob Dylan, who at the time lived not far from the Bethel Woods site, in New York, but chose the Island over Woodstock, and the 1970 festival, which attracted even more fans than Woodstock. A permanent visitor centre would be a fantastic goal for the Island, and it has my support.”

The new chair of the legacy group, Jonathan Bacon, said: “It is somehow ridiculous that the Island has no permanent centre to do what we set out in our mission statement as a group: to educate, inspire and entertain the widest possible audience and preserve the musical and cultural legacy of the historic 1968, 1969 and 1970 Isle of Wight festivals.

“We have had preliminary discussions about what might be possible, and we

now want to engage with all interested parties to make this long-term goal a reality.”

Another member, Peter Harrigan, was PR director for the 1969 and ’70 festivals.

As director of Medina Publishing, he has helped produce three books on the IW Festivals and he also has international contacts and experience in delivering major visitor centres.

Mr Harrigan said: “Those original festivals may have been controversial back in the day, but they are now regarded as cultural jewels. They are jewels worth celebrating and showcasing. A visitor centre and performing arts centre will add a new dimension to the Island, provide a valuable and much needed world-class cultural space and add to the Island’s tourism and cultural infrastructure.”

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Traffic chaos hits Shanklin There were extensive delays for traffic heading into Shanklin this week, due mainly to the closure of Victoria Avenue. But vehicles were further hampered on an alternative route into the town by temporary traffic lights.

The closure of Victoria Avenue, caused by bridge repairs over Scotchells Brook, meant all traffic heading into Shanklin from the direction of Godshill and Newport, had to use an alternative route via Apse Heath.

But long queues formed in

that area, and right through into Lake and Shanklin.

Then to make matters even worse, the road from the Merrie Gardens roundabout into Shanklin town centre had temporary traffic lights during the day for the installation of Wightfibre WIFI cables.

However, the disruptions ended early. Work was due to finish last night, but was completed by midafternoon, and Victoria Avenue was reopened.

Restaurant critics revealed on Ventnor Fringe stage

Plenty to choose at IW Car Show Despite a number of top counterattractions, including the Cricket World Cup final, the Wimbledon Men’s Singles Final and the British Grand Prix, there was a steady flow of interest at this

year’s Isle of Wight Car Show.

The event took place over two days last weekend at the Isle of Wight Steam Railway site at Havenstreet, with virtually all the Island dealers showing

off their latest models.

There were plenty of cars to choose from, with several dealers offering special discounts on some of their vehicles to celebrate the show.

Restaurant reviewers Matt and Cat have been writing undercover about the Island’s food scene since 2005. In an unusual departure for the cryptic couple, they will appear live on stage later this year to perform a oneoff show at Ventnor Fringe, talking about food on the Isle of Wight, and their lives as the Island’s best-loved, and sometimes controversial, reviewers.

The show called ‘Are

You Guys Really Fat?’ will commemorate one of the most popular questions asked of Matt and Cat. Cat said: “Being anonymous started out as a bit of fun and amazingly after all this time we’ve managed to stay mostly under the radar. However, we’ve got loads to discuss outside the constraints of our reviews and we know that it’s stuff people want to hear.”

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Chalk pit warning after accident The Community Safety Partnership (CSP) are urging teenagers to stay safe after a serious accident at Shide Chalk Pit, when a young man was airlifted to Southampton General Hospital following a fall equivalent to four storeys.

Cllr Tig Outlaw, Cabinet member for Community Safety and Public Protection, said: “Our Island has lots of beautiful spots and children and young people visiting areas like this after school during the warm weather is nothing new but I would urge them to be aware of the potential fall hazards areas like this contain.

“I understand that places such as this are extremely attractive to youngsters to hang about in, especially in the warm summer evenings at the end of term, but the reality is these locations are extremely difficult for the emergency services to access, due to the terrain, should an accident happen. The CSP would also like to thank the emergency and police services for their swift response.”

Superintendent Sarah Jackson, Isle of Wight District Police Commander, said: “Luckily, the youngster who fell is recovering well, but it could so easily have been far more serious.”

Seagull eats Ant and then hit Deck!

A flock of seagulls were flying round the Isle of Wight as if they had been raiding the local pubs rather than pinching chips and sandwiches off holidaymakers.

The reason for their unusual ‘drunken’ behaviour was that they had not been on the booze - but eating a swarm of flying ants, which arrived in Newport, without being invited!

Flying Ant Day is a 24-hour period in which millions of flying ants come out at the same time all over the Island. On one day each year, male and female ants sprout wings and head out of their nests, with the queens looking for male ants from other colonies to mate with.

But the hungry, unaware seagulls were quick to find the tasty morsels, only to discover they felt like they had had ‘one over the eight’ because when ingested, some ants produce formic acid which affects the behaviour of the gulls and makes them appear intoxicated.

Some drivers even had to take evasive action down the Newport dual carriageway when gulls flew around as if they were recovered from a stag - or even hen party. Unfortunately, there were some gull casualties with one Facebook post even suggesting a driver was deliberately aiming at the hapless gulls.

Cabinet support for new public health partnership with Hampshire The Island’s public health service has moved a step closer to a new long-term strategic partnership with Hampshire County Council.

The Isle of Wight’s Cabinet has approved the proposal which will also go before Hampshire County Councillors on Monday.

The new partnership, already supported

by Public Health England, will build on a successful interim arrangement between the Island’s council and Hampshire which has been in place since January, 2018. The IW Council will retain responsibility for public health policy and strategy to best meet the needs of the Island’s community.

Public Health Services focus on improving the health of the population through a range of statutory and other programmes of work, including empowering the population to make healthy choices, protecting them from health harms and working with partners for the best health outcomes.

The Cabinet agreed that the full details

of the new partnership, including public health targets and resources needed, would be delegated to the council’s chief executive and Cabinet member responsible for Public Health.

Councillor Clare Mosdell, Cabinet member responsible for Public Health, said: “If approved by Hampshire County Council, this new partnership will help us build, for the long-term, on the interim public health arrangements we already have in place with Hampshire, alongside what has proven to be a very successful arrangement for children’s services. It will allow us to fully share knowledge, expertise and resources for the benefit of Island residents in terms of the future provision, development and promotion of public health services.”

If the proposal is agreed by Hampshire later this month, the new partnership would start on August 1.

Domestic abuse report Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police and Crime Commissioner, Michael Lane, has welcomed the launch of a report looking into domestic abuse in rural areas.

The report claimed that rural victims of domestic violence were half as likely to report their abuse to others, and experienced abuse for 25% longer.

It further claimed that rural isolation was often used as a weapon by abusers. The report cites evidence that abusers move victims to rural settings to further isolate them.

Police and Crime Commissioner Michael Lane said: “I wholeheartedly welcome this

important report, which shines a vital light on the specific issues faced by victims of domestic abuse in rural areas.

“Last year, in partnership with the four top tier authorities, I provided £618,000 to services that support victims of domestic abuse and am committed to ensuring that these services can be accessed by those who need them irrespective of where they live.

“All Hampshire Constabulary officers and staff have received Domestic Abuse Matters first responder training, and there are also 450 Domestic Violence champions who are committed to promoting best practice.”

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Fuschia steals the show at the Rhythmtree Festival

Ryde residents witness massive mainland blaze A massive fire in the Gosport area last weekend was clearly visible to Ryde residents.

The fire blazed throughout the night on heathland at Browndown ranges in Gosport, from 9.30pm on Friday to just before 5am the following morning, destroying two hectares of heath and gorse. Seven hose reels were required to extinguish the blaze,

which required the support of fire crews from Gosport, Fareham, Havant, Eastleigh, Porchester, Lyndhurst, Wickham and Cosham.

The fire is believed to have been started deliberately, and the names of those responsible have been forwarded to the Police by the Gosport fire crew.

Dancers from the Roisin Mullins Dance Academy in Brading drew the crowds at the Rhythmtree Festival, with the performance of two-year-old Fuchsia Baxter getting the crowd on their feet.

Roisin Mullins said: "When we started our set the Carnevale arena was quiet, but by the end it was packed full of people jumping up

and down to the beat, cheering and waving.

"People were literally running in from across the field to see these kids perform, and join the jig. Little Fuchsia had people staring in amazement. The atmosphere was electrifying. Irish Dancing just moves people like nothing else, they have to join in!"

Health team may be merged The Island's public health team looks set to be merged with Hampshire. A new, long-term partnership has been approved by the Isle of Wight Council cabinet to deliver public health services, including healthy eating, anti-smoking, vaccinations and exercise programmes. If approved, it will come into effect on August 1.

Cllr Clare Mosdell, the Cabinet member responsible

for Public Health, said it was quite likely some Hampshire and Isle of Wight staff would be responsible for both counties. However, it has not been made clear whether there will be redundancies.

Concerns were raised by opposition Councillors at Monday's Health Scrutiny Committee meeting that many questions about the partnership had not been answered.

Cllr Michael Lilley said the

report did not provide due diligence, criticising the lack of a risk and value for money analysis or consideration of other options.

Cllr Karl Love stressed local expertise should not be lost in the partnership. He said: "This is an incredibly important issue. It’s a big bit of our council budget. I am extremely concerned.

We already have a shrinking department in public health."

MP fights for WASPI women

Dramatic rescue An injured kayaker was hauled up a sheer cliff face on a stretcher by Coastguards after getting into difficulty in Watcombe Bay, just west of Freshwater. Watcombe Bay, one of the smallest bays in England, can only be accessed from the shore at low tide.

Freshwater Independent

Lifeboat were first on scene to assist the kayaker, who injured his leg. Due to the inaccessible nature of the bay, Coastguard teams from Ventnor and the Needles decided the best possible course of action was to lift the injured kayaker up the cliff face using ropes.

The actions of the

Coastguard teams were successful, and the kayaker was transferred to his partner’s car to be taken to St Mary’s Hospital in Newport for treatment. The assistance of an ambulance that had been called to the scene was not required.

Island MP, Robert Seely, has spoken in Parliament about the hardship faced by thousands of Island women who are affected by the change in legislation to equalise the state pension ages for men and women.

The new rules say the women, so-called WASPIs, who were mainly born in the 1950s, cannot claim a state pension until 66, when they had been told over many years they would be eligible at 60. Approximately 10,000 Island women are affected by the changes.

Speaking during oral questions to the Minister for Women and Equalities, the MP said: “Equalising the pension age has been very painful for many of my constituents.

What has the Minister’s department done to mitigate against this and what more can be done in future to avoid hardship for that age group?”

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Will Quince, said:

“My honourable friend is a strong advocate for his constituents on the Isle of Wight.

“This Government has already introduced transitional arrangements costing £1.1 billion. This concession reduced the proposed increase in state pension age for over 450,000 men and women and means that no woman will see her pension age change by more than 18 months relative to the original 1995 act timetable.

“For those experiencing hardship the welfare system continues to provide a safety net with a range of benefits tailored to individual circumstances.”

After the question, the MP said: “I will be pressing Ministers to find better ways to ensure that WASPI women get fairer treatment, and I will continue to stay in touch with the WASPI campaigners on the Island.”

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Move to find homeless people good housing as quickly as possible

Sustainable travel options encouraged

Local democracy reporter - David Anderson A new scheme to tackle rough sleeping on the Isle of Wight will aim to get homeless people into suitable housing as quickly as possible.

The Housing First project was announced at an Isle of Wight Council cabinet meeting.

The model is used widely in the US and uses property as a starting point, rather than an end goal, so homeless people with complex needs can begin to rebuild their lives.

Cllr Clare Mosdell, cabinet member for adult social care, said: “The basic underlying principle of Housing First is that people are better able to move forward with their lives if they are first housed.

Jamie Brenchley, the Council’s housing needs and homelessness service manager, has worked on the project. He said: “The scheme is guided by the belief that people need basic necessities like food and a safe place to live in order to address other issues

in their lives.

“This is an exciting local development and provides the Isle of Wight with a vital tool that is evidenced nationally to support homeless individuals with complex needs rebuild their lives.”

Two Saints, a leading national Housing First expert, has been commissioned by the Isle of Wight Council to deliver a pilot scheme on the Island.

They will be working in partnership with other registered housing associations and stakeholders.

The project will initially work with a small number of individuals, with a plan to deliver all homelessness services based on an accommodation first principle going forward.

All referrals to the service will go through the Council’s housing team.

Several exciting activities have been planned this summer as part of a project to encourage the public to choose sustainable travel options.

The first activity, taking place between Monday and Friday next week, is the Connect2Work’s Workplace Walking Challenge, which will see employees compete to complete the most walking miles to and from their place of work with the chance to win high street vouchers.

The next activity is a free ‘Dr Bike’ Maintenance Session’, taking place on Tuesday, at the County Hall car park, Newport, between 9am and 3pm, where you can take your bike along to get it checked over by Island Bikeworks. The final July activity is the ‘ Workplace Bikeathon’, a fiveday challenge taking place from July 29 to August 2.

The Council’s active travel officer, Kayleigh Richter, said: “If you’re new to cycling or it’s been a while, the ‘Workplace Bikeathon’ is a great opportunity to get going again, building your confidence as part of a team and raising much needed funds for Island charities at the same time. The ‘Dr Bike’ maintenance session is also a good opportunity to make sure your bike is up to scratch before you start!

“If you’re quite a competitive workplace, why not try the Workplace Walking Challenge? You can compete as a department or as your own preferred team, it’s entirely up to you. The added benefit is that being more active in your commute is known to make for a more refreshed, productive employee.”

For more information on these activities, please visit the Connect2Work website at: www.connect2work.info/

Carisbrooke Brownies and Guides reliving the past Guides and Brownies from the 1st Carisbrooke Units wrote letters earlier this year inviting past members to help them celebrate 100 years of the units. As part of the celebrations some girls undertook a project looking at the history of their units.

One of the first things they discovered was that the units had the title of ‘Princess Beatrice’s Own’ which was bestowed on them by HRH Princess Beatrice who at the time (1920s) was Governor of the Island with an official residence of Carisbrooke Castle. After contacting Girlguiding Headquarters Linda Stone, the present leader of 1st Carisbrooke Guides, managed to get the title reinstated so the units are now once again 1st Carisbrooke (Princess Beatrice’s Own) Guides and Brownies.

Several past members replied to the letters and recently some Guides and Brownies have been out and about undertaking interviews with some of the past members. These recordings form part of an oral history project in conjunction with Carisbrooke Castle Museum, which was founded by Princess Beatrice, and form part of a special Girlguiding exhibition which has been staged at the museum and will remain throughout the Summer.

One past member Margaret Montrose who was a Brownie at Carisbrooke in the 1940s was interviewed by Brownie Isabelle Tryner aged 10. Isabelle found out that Margaret had been a Brownie

Driftwood causes an emergency response at Carisbrooke but had transferred to a Newport unit for Guides.

In addition to discovering their unit history Brownies, Guides, past members and leaders attended a picnic at Carisbrooke Castle, by kind permission of English Heritage and whilst there everyone was able to view the new exhibition dedicated to Girlguiding in Carisbrooke and displayed by kind permission of Carisbrooke Castle

Museum and enabled by a grant from The Skinners Company (Lady Neville Fund.)

Joining the picnic were the Island’s High Sheriff Geoff Underwood, Cllr John Hobart, Gioia Minghella-Giddens (President Girlguiding IW), Island Commissioners Shirley Saunders and Lesley Clifford together with past and present members.

Coastguard rescue teams from Ventnor and The Needles were called into action following reports of what appeared to be an abandoned paddle board or upturned kayak drifting off the Island’s south-west coast.

Coastguard Officers located an object in the water approximately 300 to 400 yards offshore, drifting towards Whale Chine. Freshwater Independent Lifeboat was then requested to investigate further and found the object to be a 15 foot-long piece of driftwood.

The lifeboat crew towed the rescued driftwood to Grange Chine, where the Coastguard ensured the driftwood was above the high water mark to reduce the risk of it returning to the water, thus preventing further calls to the Coastguard and eliminating any possible danger to shipping.

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Wildlife Trusts benefit from Co-op donation

Ventnor Fringe 10th anniversary Ventnor Fringe is 10 years old, and next week the Isle of Wight’s southernmost town will be transformed, with pop up venues and bars on every corner, hosting nearly 150 performances of over 90 different shows, alongside many more free events and activities.

This year, the new dates have encouraged a massive range of comedy, mostly previewing work ahead of the Edinburgh Fringe the following week. Top acts to look out for include Glenn Moore, Ahir Shah, Eleanor Tiernan and Bilal Zafar.

The new Magpie Big Top will host theatre performances The Hound of The Baskervilles,

The Hit Farce, Impromptu Shakespeare, and Bon Ami, a female led comedy two-hander.

The Book Bus outside St. Catherine’s Church, a 1930s Parisian bus, transformed into a bookshop, is also hosting free children’s storytelling every morning and will be having regular poets and buskers performing on board.

Ventnor Exchange on Church Street, open everyday from 9am until late, will be providing advice and information on everything going on at the event. The Fringe Review, a daily newspaper, will be listing the day’s free events and ‘secret shows’. For further information and tickets, visit vfringe.co.uk

Island MP stands up for veterans

Three local wildlife trusts have said a big thank you to Southern Co-op, after a generous donation to help protect local sea life. A total of £18,500 was given to the Wildlife Trusts after Southern Co-op nominated them to receive it as part of an award scheme run by the national Co-op Group.

Southern Co-op, which runs food and funeral stores across the south of England, nominated the wildlife trusts as a charity to receive a donation from the Pioneer Awards which recognises organisations which support co-operatives in pioneering a different way of doing business.

As part of the awards, each organisation is

News in brief Nettlestone bonfire blaze Firefighters from Ryde attended an out-ofcontrol bonfire at Park Lane in the village of Nettlestone late on Wednesday night. It took fire crews over an hour to extinguish the blaze.

Bomb disposal team call out

Island MP, Bob Seely, has backed changes to the law which would give British servicemen more protection against so-called legacy prosecutions. He said its grossly different treatment between former IRA terrorists and former servicemen, who faced repeat investigations into past actions, was ‘morally squalid’.

According to the MP, this precedent was also causing concern for serving and recently retired solders, who feared they could face future prosecution over politically motivated allegations in future.

Mr. Seely said: “Many Islanders are veterans or have services links and, having spoken to many of them, they are appalled at politically motivated attempts to prosecuted veterans, especially when those allegations have been examined and found to be baseless. We need to make sure that our servicemen and women obey the highest standards, but also that they are protected now and in future against malicious lawsuits. There is a clear

difference between people who were lawfully armed, trying to preserve the peace and the good order of society, and those who went out unlawfully to try to disrupt that.”

Cllr. Ian Ward BEM, County President of the IW Royal British Legion, Armed Forces Champion for the IW Council and a retired army officer, said: “In the veteran community, there are deep feelings of anger, betrayal, unfairness and rejection by their own governments, who sent them to serve their nation by protecting communities in Northern Ireland from politically motivated, ruthless terrorists who often had little regard for their fellow citizens and took the lives of innocent men, women and children.

“Veterans feel doubly betrayed as many of those terrorists have been granted immunity from prosecution, while ex-servicemen face prosecution into their 70s and 80s.

This is a shameful situation, which needs to be addressed urgently by the current Government.”

The Royal Navy’s Bomb Disposal Team were mobilised to East Cowes Esplanade early on Thursday morning, following the discovery of what was thought to be a.2ft-long artillery shell.

Initial examinations quickly identified the object as being a concrete bollard, not a shell.

Suspects freed A 30-year-old man and a 36-year-old man, both from London, who had been arrested on suspicion of theft after allegations of suspicious activity in Binstead earlier this month have been released without further action.

The two men were taken into police custody after officers stopped a red Mercedes Sprinter van.

able to nominate a local charity to receive a donation.

The funding will be split between Hampshire & Isle of Wight, Sussex and Dorset Wildlife Trusts and used to support their work along our coastline and beneath the seas.

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Trust said: “Southern Co-op’s generosity will support us in celebrating our amazing marine wildlife through our Secrets of the Solent project.

We are raising awareness about this special environment through art, seafood, citizen science, and volunteering, and tackling the pressures it faces such as plastic pollution.”

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Rock Legend Plant a hit at Rhythmtree Festival Rhythmtree Festival returned for the ninth consecutive year to its scenic tree lined site near Shalfleet.

The undoubted highlight of the festival was the appearance on Saturday night of the legendary former Led Zeppelin frontman, Robert Plant, with his band, Saving Grace.

With its unrivalled reputation for being a relaxed, fun-filled and family-friendly musical weekend, Rhythmtree gave everyone, from the very young to the young at heart, the opportunity to enjoy the best in international, national and local music in the safe, scenic surroundings of Three Gates Farm.

This year, there were far more opportunities

for the children to have fun while the adults partied, with new performance spaces and even more kids’ entertainment, including the Pirate Ship stage, craft tents, puppet making workshops, dressing-up tents, and a Colouring Inn. A number of delightful stages in the shady glades of Jill’s Woods provided food for both body and soul, with healing yoga under the trees and spoken word performances for young and old. Alternatively, it was possible to take in a show at the popular Didg Cafe with its comfy sofas.

All in all, Rhythmtree 2019 had everything you might want from a festival without any of the things you don’t.

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Magical Fairy Fun Day raises over £3,000 for Kissy Puppy A Magical Fairy Fun Day at Old Thatch Tea Rooms at Shanklin Old Village raised over £3,000 for Kissy Puppy, the charity that cares for terminally ill children on the Isle of Wight.

Entertainment was provided at the event by the Hairy Fairies, Brian and Ebby, who call themselves Gladys and Vera at weekends. Owner of the Old Thatch Tea Rooms, Patricia Wyebrow, hopes to match the £7,000 she raised for the charity last year by the end of the season.

Present at the event was Aaron Rolf, father of Sophie, who sadly passed away from a brain tumour in 2013. Aaron said: “It was only when Sophie became ill that we realised there was no respite care for young children on the Isle of Wight.

Kissy Puppy have now helped finance special rooms for children so they and their families no longer have to travel to Southampton.”

Present at the event was the Mayor of Shanklin, Steve Knight, who said: “Kissy Puppy is such a worthwhile charity that provides help to Island children in their time of need. We can only guess what it would be like to lose a young child at a tender age.

“Pat (the owner of Old Thatch) has been fabulous. She picked up the charity last year and ran with it. We can’t thank her and her team enough.”

Shanklin Rotary Club presented a cheque of £1,000 to Kissy Puppy at the Magical Fairy Fun Day. President of Shanklin Rotary Club, Bill Boustead, said: “Kissy Puppy is one of our favourite charities on the Island, which we’ve supported for a couple of years and intend to carry on supporting.”

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THE OBSERVER GUIDE MEDINA THEATRE

Isle of Wight Youth Concert Band Join us to celebrate the Isle of Wight Youth Concerts bands 50th Anniversary summer concert.

This special concert includes guest conductors, past members and soloists.

SUNDAY JULY 28 @ 2:30pm

TV legends Dick and Dom to present The Great Wonderfest

A NEW family festival appears in 2019 on the Isle of Wight - TV legends, Dick & Dom Present The Great Wonderfest that takes place between August 1 and August 4.

The UK’s brand new summer festival extravaganza ‘The Great Wonderfest’ announces a fantastic music and family entertainment line-up; including live headline shows from boy band superstars Busted and The Vamps plus performances from TV favourites Peppa Pig & George’s Summer Festival, Flawless, Rastamouse and a Robots Live Arena featuring stars of BBC Robot Wars, among many, many others.

The Great Wonderfest, an exciting new family entertainment festival hosted

by TV legends Dick & Dom, has teamed up with Scouts IOW to launch ‘Scoutfest’, which

invites Beavers, Cubs and Scouts from all over the UK to join them for the ultimate summer family camp!

‘Scoutfest’ will have a dedicated campsite at The Great Wonderfest, based at Duxmore Farm, Isle of Wight, offering a brilliant environment for camping, rambling and outdoor activities. Scouts go free and have the chance to opt for a 7-day or 4-day camp, where Scout groups from all over the country will be able to experience #SkillsForLife in a fantastic setting.

The Scouts motto is “Do more.

Share more. Be more.” and what better way to experience this than by sharing an amazing outdoor experience with your family, as well as fellow Scouts from all over the country.

‘Scoutfest’ coordinator Malcolm Cox (MaC) says, “There’s always lots happening on the

Isle of Wight and our Scouts take every opportunity to get involved with carnivals, processions, fetes and festivals across the Island. We’re especially pleased that Dick and

Dom and the team at The Great Wonderfest have asked us to run Scoutfest within their festival.

Together, we hope to set a new standard for bringing family fun to the Scouting experience!”

Lindisfarne

Legendary 70s folk-rock pioneers LINDISFARNE return to form with a classic five-piece line up of long-time members fronted by original founder-member Rod Clements on vocals, mandolin, fiddle and slide guitar.

FRIDAY AUGUST 2 @ 7:30pm

We Love Little Mix

If you love Little Mix, you are going to just L.O.V.E this show! Featuring four fantastic singers and dancers who really capture the look, the sound, and all the dance moves of one of the UK’s best loved girl-bands.

FRIDAY AUGUST 30 @ 6:00pm

BOOKINGS & INFO 01983 823884

www.medinatheatre.co.uk

Advertise your event, call us

Duxmore Farm, Downend, NEWPORT, Isle Of Wight, PO30 2NZ

Isle of Wight Carnivals 25/07/19 NEWPORT MAIN 25/07/19 SANDOWN CHILDRENS 27/07/19 SANDOWN MAIN 03/08/19 FRESHWATER MAIN 06/08/19 SHANKLIN CHILDRENS 07/08/19 SHANKLIN MAIN 08/08/19 COWES MAIN 10/08/19 SHANKLIN ILLUMINATED 14/08/19 VENTNOR CHILDREN’S 14/08/19 VENTNOR MAIN 17/08/19 VENTNOR ILLUMINATED 22/08/19 NEWPORT ILLUMINATED 24/08/19 COWES ILLUMINATED 26/08/19 ST HELENS 28/08/19 RYDE CHILDREN’S 28/08/19 SANDOWN ILLUMINATED 29/08/19 RYDE MAIN 31/08/19 RYDE ILLUMINATED All carnivals are free to attend - but remember get there early to secure yourself a good vantage point and somewhere to park your car.

The Isle of Wight Observer would love to cover your event!

We also have great advertising packages prior to your event taking place.

Call Emma or Carole on 214264

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Entertainment 25

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THEATRE AND EVENTS

EVENTS ACROSS THE ISLAND

SHANKLIN THEATRE

IW Pride 2019 The main IW Pride event will take place in Ryde, Isle of Wight on Saturday July 20, 2019. The Parade will take place in the morning from 11am to 12pm.

The main site will be open from late morning. We are currently exploring with local businesses to see if events can be held by them on Friday afternoon/ evening and also the possibility of having

a second event on the Sunday in light of the absence of the Ryde Slide this year.

Saturday July 20 Ryde Isle of Wight

Carpenters Gold

www.iwpride.org

The iconic voice of Karen Carpenter is a magically soothing one, and few vocalists can attempt to emulate her accurately.

But International West End vocalist Vikki Holland-Bowyer has the warm dulcet tones which sound uncannily similar to the superstar.

She undertakes the character of Karen superbly, paying meticulous attention to her mannerisms, ‘brother – sister’ relationship with ‘Richard’, and the playful interaction with her band and audience.

Entertainment at Fisherman’s Cottage Shanklin’s original dining pub on the beach, Fisherman’s Cottage, boasts the most enviable beachfront location at the far end of Shanklin Esplanade. It is famed for its home cooked lunches and dinners as well its warm welcome. It’s now offering live music. Local entertainer, Charles Gold, will be making a number of summer performances in July and August.

July 27, August 17 and August 31 Fisherman’s Cottage Shanklin Esplanade

FRIDAY JULY 26 @ 7:30pm

Garlic Festival This fantastic festival is an absolute must for any foodie. Situated in the glorious, rolling hills at the heart of the Island, the Isle of Wight Garlic Festival is one of the world’s largest celebrations of the piquant bulb. But it’s not just about garlic. There’s also live music, great entertainment, arts and craft stalls, a fun fair, talented

animals, cookery demonstrations from the best Island chefs, and a great big beer tent to help you wash down all of the mouthwatering food on offer.

August 17-18 Fighting Cocks Crossroads, Bathingbourne Lane, Sandown

Europe’s Official Long-Standing Premier 1980’s Multi-Tribute Concert Show!

Chart-topping artistes from the 80’s are authentically recreated to look and sound as they did back in the day with a full live band, awesome dancers, combined with huge video projection complete the production together with over 150 costumes!

Kim Wilde, Duran Duran, Boy George, Wham, Erasure, Madonna, and Cyndi Lauper are just some of the stars you will witness in this high energy, fast paced, party style show!

Fancy dress is highly encouraged and ladies, dancing around your handbags is a must!

Ventnor Artists Collective July 23 - 28 Ventnor Central Hall Victoria Street PO38 1ET 11.00am-7.00pm

Newport SCREENING FOR NEWPORT

Stuber - When a mild-mannered Uber driver named Stu picks up a passenger who turns out to be a cop hot on the trail of a brutal killer, he’s thrust into a harrowing ordeal where he desperately tries to hold onto his wits, his life and his five-star rating.

Ralph Breaks The Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 - Join Ralph and Vanellope in their newest buddy-comedy adventure, and explore the worldwide web in a whole new way...

MidSommar - A young American couple on the brink of falling apart. But after a family tragedy keeps them together, they go on a trip to a once-in-a-lifetime midsummer festival in a remote Swedish village. What begins as a carefree summer holiday in a land of eternal sunlight takes a sinister turn...

SATURDAY JULY 27 @ 7:30pm

RYDE SCREENING FOR RYDE The Lion King - Disney’s ‘The Lion King’, journeys to the African savannah where a future king is born. Simba idolizes his father, King Mufasa, and takes to heart his own royal destiny.

But not everyone in the kingdom celebrates the new cub’s arrival.

Scar, Mufasa’s brother, and former heir to the throne, has plans of his own. The battle for Pride Rock is rife with betrayal, tragedy and drama, ultimately resulting in Simba’s exile. With help from a curious pair of newfound friends, Simba will have to figure out how to grow up and take back what is rightfully his.

01983 214264

This will be a sumptuous feast for the senses comprising of ceramics, painting, textiles, occasional live music, artists to converse with and art for sale.

Guest artists Mary King (harpist) and Teresa Grimaldi will delight with their interactive performances. Free entry.

80’s MANIA

Showaddywaddy

‘The Greatest Rock & Roll Band In The World’ is a bold statement but Showaddywaddy has lived up to that title for the last 4 decades!

Formed in the 1970s in Leicester from several local bands, they have sold more than 20 million records and have toured all corners of the World extensively.

Their live show is dynamic and uplifting featuring all of their biggest hits, many of which reached number one in the pop charts of Europe.

SUNDAY AUGUST 4 @ 7:30pm

BOOKINGS & INFO 01983 868000

www.shanklintheatre.com

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26

Puzzles

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19th July 2019

19th July 2019

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Isle Jump ceases trading at Spithead Business Centre

Isle Jump, the Isle of Wight’s indoor trampoline park, has closed its doors for good, following an initial temporary shutdown.

Parents with parties booked at the Lake-based attraction were told last month that parties at the attraction would no longer be going ahead. However, the owner of Isle Jump, Liam Kerr, previously claimed that the closure was temporary, to facilitate refurbishment works.

Now, a mere four weeks after the refurbishment claims, it has been confirmed that Isle Jump has permanently closed and the business has ceased trading.

Lesley Garrett at Wight Proms

New bridge proposed in Newport Harbour plans A new foot and cycle bridge across the Medina is one of the features of the Newport Harbour Masterplan.

After two years of consultation, the Isle of Wight Council has put forward the latest plans to redevelop the harbour and quay area in the heart of the town.

Options under consideration include restaurants, housing, commercial space, new car parking, higher education resources, a rebuild of the existing Riverside Centre, a new hotel and a cultural venue.

The project is intended to increase connectivity to the existing town centre, attract visitors, and ensure the future of the harbour by providing for maintenance and investment in harbour facilities.

The new proposals are mostly on the eastern side of the estuary, keeping the Medina available for boats, and leaving

more commercial functions on the west, including the existing marine and boating activity. The plan aims to keep and reuse buildings where possible, to help conserve and enhance the historic and marine heritage of Newport Quay.

Plans have been drawn up in the light of suggestions from harbour users, residents and businesses, and as a result the new proposals include a smaller residential area as a gateway to the green space, the chance to create places where people can live and work, and a potential new focus on creative industries.

The proposed lifting bridge is for pedestrians and cyclists, linking Seaclose Park with destinations such as the Isle of Wight College and St Mary’s Hospital, as well as the many shops and businesses at Dodnor. This would be in addition to any possible future vehicle

bridge, which is not included in the plan.

The proposals could be adopted as planning policy, which will then be the framework for development over the next 20 to 25 years, with the first projects on the ground in the next two or three years.

Cabinet member for Regeneration and Business Development, Councillor Wayne Whittle, said: “Our historic county town drives the economy of the Island, and the Newport Harbour masterplan gives us a chance to see some serious investment in the future of the town. I’m confident these plans will be the blueprint for some exciting and innovative improvements to the whole of Newport and I’m looking forward to seeing the new businesses and visitors arriving.”

Community radio across the miles!

Vectis Radio, the Island’s community radio station, overcame a big technical challenge to enable Island people to take part in a conference workshop in Sheffield.

Age UK Isle of Wight was hosting a session in the Northern city about its work with Southern Vectis to make bus travel more accessible for older people, and wanted local people involved in the service to be able to join in.

They approached Vectis Radio, who got straight to work setting up a link to the conference workshop room in Sheffield direct to a system in the courtyard outside the VR studio at the Riverside Centre. The whole debate was also broadcast live on Vectis Radio.

The connection was set up and managed for Vectis Radio

by Director, Kelvin Currie, and station manager, Ian Mac. Ian said: “It was a unique challenge for us, and a first for Vectis Radio. We were absolutely delighted to be able to help one of the most important community organisations on the Island.

“We have worked closely with Age UK Isle of Wight for some time, regularly featuring news and information that will be of help and interest to our older listeners, so we didn’t have to think twice before accepting this challenge!”

The workshop in Sheffield was hosted by Megan Jones, of Age UK Isle of Wight.

Famous soprano singer Lesley Garrett will be starring at this year’s Wight Proms at Northwood House.

The multi-talented Ms Garrett, an opera singer, musician, broadcaster and media personality, will be appearing at The Last Night of the Proms on September 1.

The Wight Proms begin on August 29, and will include cinema, comedy, musicals and classical music, and the rousing celebration of British music will reach a fitting climax on September 1, when Ms Garrett leads the singing of such famous numbers as ‘Jerusalem’ and ‘Pomp and Circumstance’, amid the traditional flag-waving.

It is not the first time Ms Garrett has been to the Isle of Wight. When she was here a few years ago, she emphasised how much she loved the Island, and said then she would love to come back one day.

Freshwater Bridge upgrade to start soon Work is to begin shortly on an Island Roads project to renew School Green Road Bridge in Freshwater.

The old bridge deck will be removed and replaced during the scheme, which is due to begin on July 22 and will last approximately seven weeks.

The project has been timed to largely coincide with the school holiday period given the close proximity to the bridge of All Saints CE Primary School.

The deck will be replaced in phases, allowing one lane of the carriageway to be kept open during the works, although the road will be controlled by temporary traffic lights, and temporary pedestrian crossings will be in place during the project.

Island Roads structures manager, Ian Hodson, said: “By undertaking the work in two phases, lane by lane, we are able to keep the road open and reduce local disruption.”

The scheme is part of the Island’s Highway Improvement Programme.

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News

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19th July 2019

Cabinet supports protection of marine manufacturing at Columbine

Pride icon Miss Jason to entertain Hovertravel crowd at Southsea

Award winning drag persona Miss Jason will be strutting her stuff and entertaining the crowds at Hovertravel’s Southsea terminal tomorrow (Sat).

Miss Jason will be hosting customers for hovercraft flights to Ryde from Southsea, starting from 10am to 1pm. This year’s Isle of Pride begins at noon with an exuberantly colourful parade starting from Queens Road in Ryde, flowing down West Street, before making its way through the town down Union Street to the seafront and along Ryde Esplanade.

The parade will finish around the Superbowl,

Moves to protect marine manufacturing at East Cowes’ historic Columbine site have received key support from the Isle of Wight Council’s Cabinet.

Councillors gave the green light to ongoing negotiations to purchase the site, known for its iconic Union Flag frontage, from Homes England, as well as three other nearby sites for potential regeneration. In order for the sites to be acquired without unnecessary delays, subject to an offer being agreed with Homes England, delegated powers to approve the purchase were given to Cabinet members and directors.

The sites are collectively known as Venture Quays, and as well as Columbine, include the Victoria Barracks building, the Albany warehouse, and a Maresfield Road site, currently used for car parking.

By acquiring the sites the Council will be able to maintain marine and associated industries

at Columbine, securing employment opportunities for East Cowes and the Island, and potentially redevelop the Victoria Barracks site for leisure and public realm use, and the Albany and Maresfield Road sites for housing.

The purchase of the sites will be funded by regeneration funds, approved by the Council in its budget for 2019/20, but is subject to being able to agree a purchase price with Homes England.

Cllr. Wayne Whittle, Cabinet member for regeneration and business development, said: “I hope businesses and the community will recognise we want to acquire these sites for the long-term benefit of East Cowes and the Isle of Wight, and that they will be encouraged to invest in the area on the back of the certainty we can offer.

“It will also give us an opportunity to work with the local community and complete the regeneration of the area for the good of all.”

next to Hovertravel, where there will be a community village and market.

Loretta Lale, Head of Commercial at Hovertravel, said: “Hovertravel is a strong supporter of the vibrant LGBTQ community on the Isle of Wight and beyond. For the last three years, our staff have used this event to demonstrate the diversity which exists in our business and raise awareness of the prejudice and violence still faced by this community around the world. We are also helping to bring people to Ryde for this wonderfully inclusive event and thank Miss Jason for getting the fun started across the Solent in Southsea.”

Savoyards cheque to Isle of Wight Prostate Cancer Support Group The long established musical theatre company, the Savoyards, have generously offered the proceeds of the programmes, sold at their recent successful production of My Fair Lady to the Isle

Over 100 entries for Wight in Bloom Wight in Bloom, the Island gardening competition, attracted over 100 entries in 11 categories, ranging from Best Small Front Garden to Best Care Giving Complex Garden.

Now, keen gardeners across the Isle of Wight are waiting for the shortlisted gardens to be announced, with an awards ceremony to be held at the Green House, Liz Earle’s headquarters in Ryde on July 23, with Alan Titchmarsh.

The winners will be rewarded with free bus travel from Southern Vectis and botanical beauty products from Liz Earle, who are both leaders in sustainability, which is now embedded in the judging criteria.

Wight In Bloom advisor, Mike Fitt OBE, Chairman of the Royal Parks Guild, emphasised the importance of sustainability. He said: “It’s all about ‘in bloom’, so it suggests flowers, beautiful gardens, but we shouldn’t forget it’s also about sustainability, looking at recycling, looking at wildlife enhancement, putting up a bird box, or creating a wildflower meadow.

It isn’t just about the best ‘blooming’ garden, it’s many things.”

The final challenge for judges is to decide the overall winner, who will be awarded the Peggy Jarman Trophy, in honour of the former Honorary President of Wight in Bloom, who passed away in 2016.

Mobile phone blackout

Performance car damaged

Customers of O2, GiffGaff, Tesco Mobile and Vodafone experienced signal issues on the Isle of Wight on Wednesday, particularly in the Newport area, when essential maintenance resulted in a loss of signal for those using mobile devices on the O2 and Vodafone networks. This is not the first time this has happened and if you have tried to get some compensation, good luck!

Police were called to Rolls Hill near Cowes late last Thursday after it had been reported that a grey Ford Focus ST had crashed into a hedge at the side of the road, causing the vehicle to sustain heavy front-end damage. The impact of the smash resulted in the vehicle’s airbags being activated. The occupants of the vehicle were uninjured, and no arrests were made.

of Wight Prostate Cancer Support Group.

The photo shows members of the cast presenting a cheque of £1,276. Featured in the photograph are: David Kast (Higgins), Paul Stevens

(Pickering), Andrew Jenner (Director), John Stephens (Front of House) giving a cheque of £1,276 to; bottom left, Sharon Merrick and John Steege ( Member of IOWPCS Group).

Combined fire authority plans being deferred by goverment Plans to create a combined fire authority (CFA) for the Isle of Wight and Hampshire have been deferred by Government.

The new authority, which will be responsible for fire and rescue services on the Island and in Hampshire, including Portsmouth and Southampton, was due to go live in April, 2020. However, unforeseen pressure on both Home Office policy and legal resource over the first half of 2019 has seen the expected incorporation date pushed back to April, 2021.

Chief Fire Officer, Neil Odin. said: “We remain totally focused on delivering this important initiative and will now need to review the programme plan we have recently constructed together. The additional 12 months that this will run for will provide an opportunity for us to more closely align our services in advance of the CFA going live than was otherwise going to be possible. The project plans will now be changed to meet the needs of our new timeline.”

Members of the Hampshire and Isle of

Wight Combined Fire Authority programme team met with Government officials recently to discuss changes to the timeline previously given by them. They confirmed the original ‘go live’ date of April 2020 was no longer possible.

Building on the successful partnership already established between Hampshire and Isle of Wight fire and rescue services, the Island Council’s Cabinet backed the plans in January. The move will provide access to more resources across both counties and further improve what is already an excellent service.

Councillor Tig Outlaw, Cabinet member for Public Protection, said: “Although this delay

by Government is disappointing, we will use the extra time wisely to ensure everything is in place to go live in April 2021. The decision to move towards a combined fire authority will bring us even closer together, making us more resilient, alongside the other operational benefits it will bring.”

19th July 2019

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Call to become Marine Champion

Red Jet 7 marks one-year of service with 84,000 miles Red Funnel’s Hi-Speed passenger catamaran, Red Jet 7, has marked one year of service in the Solent, during which she has travelled over 84,000 nautical miles, completed 3,615 round trips and nearly half a million passenger journeys.

Red Jet 7 joined the Red Funnel fleet on July 17, last year, and like her sister, Red Jet 6, was built on the Isle of Wight by Wight Shipyard Co. Red Funnel CEO, Fran Collins, said: “The launch of Red Jet 7 was another proud day in Red Funnel’s history.

We take great pride in our commitment to supporting British shipbuilding and are particularly proud of the fact that she was built on the Island, for the Island, utilising the skills of more than 85 Island-based expert craftsmen.”

West Wight school places cabinet report The Isle of Wight Council’s Cabinet has approved the next stage in the West Wight schools consultation process to address surplus places in the area. Cabinet members agreed to a formal period of consultation on the closure of All Saints’ Primary School, Freshwater, on April 3, 2020, and future expansion of Yarmouth CE Primary School.

Under the recommendation, Yarmouth primary would relocate to the All Saints’ site once proposed building works are completed there.

Following tonight’s decision, the required public notice will be published in local media on Friday, July 19, and people can make their views known through the statutory process.

The council has extended the formal period of consultation from four to nine weeks, closing on Friday, September 20, to take account of the school summer holidays. All the responses to the statutory notice will be considered fully by the Cabinet, and it will make a final decision on Thursday, October 10.

The local authority has to address the oversupply of school places in the area, with five schools currently catering for around

90 children per year group, a number which is expected to fall over the coming years.

Having fewer schools will also help ensure the remaining schools are more financially resilient. The council said it made sense to propose the closure of a school that was operating with a significant surplus capacity (62 per cent) and not currently offering a good standard of education, as adjudged by Ofsted.

Councillor Paul Brading, Cabinet member for Children’s Services, said: “In terms of sensible planning for the location of the current schools, it makes sense to use the buildings closest to where the children live. Given only seven children attending Yarmouth actually live in the town and 69 live in Freshwater and Totland, it makes logical sense to propose the move to relocate Yarmouth CE Primary onto the All Saints’ site.

It also makes the most sense strategically in terms of future proofing buildings as the All Saints’ site is due to receive a multi-millionpound investment from the Department for Education to substantially improve/replace the existing buildings.”

Hi tech fix for Shanklin structure Hi-tech fix for Scotchells Brook culvert A hi-tech solution to seal and strengthen the culvert underneath Victoria Avenue and Shanklin Road, through which Scotchells Brook passes, has been completed.

Island Roads used an inflatable resin ‘balloon’ liner, which was pulled through the structure, sealed at both ends and then inflated to fit the aperture. Ultraviolet lighting was then used to cure the resin.

Because the brook is several yards below road level, a special temporary ramp was constructed to get the necessary equipment and materials on and off site.

The inflated resin liner technique had previously been used by Island Roads to

perform a similar function at several smaller bridge structures, including Holbrooke’s Bridge in Bouldnor, home to the awardwinning ‘eelevator’ which assists migrating eels.

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust is calling on Island residents to help defend our underwater world.

The Trust is celebrating the people and wildlife that share our coasts through a fouryear project called 'Secrets of the Solent'. As part of this project, they are seeking local people to act as specialised volunteers called Marine Champions and Marine Ambassadors.

There are currently around 80 people volunteering with the Trust in this way.

Volunteers do not need expert knowledge and will receive training and support.

Emily Stroud, Community Engagement Officer, said: “At this crucial time for our

marine environment, we need more people than ever standing up for its wildlife.

The Isle of Wight is a wonderful place for nature, and is home to so many people who are passionate about making a difference.

We hope to welcome some of them to our growing volunteer community and would love to hear from them.”

Anyone interested in becoming a Marine Champion or Ambassador can find more information at www.hiwwt.org.uk/Secrets oftheSolent/MarineChampions or contact the project team on secretsofthesolent@ hiwwt.org.uk.

Tropicalia Island arrives on the Isle of Wight for one evening only After a sold out opening at Vault Festival and about to be presented at Arcola Theatre as part of CASA, London’s Festival of Latin American Arts, Tropicalia Island arrives at the Isle of Wight for one evening only, at The Magpie venue, part of Ventnor Fringe 2019. The play, which will be performed on Thursday, July 25 at 9.15pm, is a dark comedy theatre piece about immigration, refugees and tropical corruption.

It is the first show produced by Tropical Company, based in London and founded by the Brazilians Fernanda Mandagará and Ramiro Silveira. It brings to the stage a surreal one woman show, that challenges accents and defies reality. Inflatable coconut trees, exotic drinks, pineapple hats and carnival costumes make an idyllic world where an Immigration Officer dances and performs explaining the rules of entering her country.

The actress, Fernanda Mandagará, was recently commissioned by the Arts Council England in the programme, Developing Your

Creative Practice. She was also in the show A 24-Decade History of Popular Music, by Taylor Mac, at the Barbican and in national tour with Where We Began, by SBC Theatre.

The director, Ramiro Silveira is a world known theatre practitioner and leads the BA World Performance program at East15 Drama School.

Vulnerable Islanders not to be left behind by Council's digital strategy Vulnerable people must not be left behind

by Isle of Wight Council's digital strategy, councillors have been told. The Council's digital transformation strategy encourages a 'digital by default' approach, with most services available online.

Cllr. Stewart Hutchison, Deputy Leader of the IW Council, said that although IT is expensive, it can improve the way in which the Council serves and save costs in the long term.

But Cllr. Paul Fuller expressed concern it could allow vulnerable people without internet access to slip through the net. He said 10 per cent of the population are in digital poverty, meaning they use the internet once every three months or don't have internet connection.

Cllr Fuller said: “These are long-term

sick, economically inactive people and they are most likely to be residents that are not internet users. This is a large proportion of the risk group we are trying to interact with.”

Cllr Fuller claimed that less than 50 per cent of internet users are confident to submit information online, according to the Office for National Statistics. He acknowledged the difficulty and believed that most people were capable of using the online services, but the issue was ensuring they have adequate internet access.

Cllr Hutchison said: “If you can hear well and see well and are reasonably competent, you can probably use the internet providing you've got it. First, we need to roll out the capacity. We are doing well here on the Island with that.”

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Letters

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Holmesy!

The David Holmes Column

19th July 2019

Island Soapbox

Britain at Medicine for Members meet the forefront not right medicine for me !

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.

Well there we are then. Last Sunday we won the cricket world cup and the British Grand Prix. Who knows, if that Scot tennis player didn’t have a bad back, we could have won the tennis too. You may prefer watching old episodes of Inspector Frost on Sunday afternoons, but these Great British sporting triumphs really matter, they matter a great deal because they help restore confidence and national pride, and frankly while we sit around waiting for Boris to become Prime Minister, we need a boost, something to keep our spirits up. Boris will save the country, I’m certain of it. He’ll sort the climate and Brexit too, because he knows how great we are.

We Brits don’t like show-offs, but that shouldn’t stop us reflecting quietly on some of our finest moments from the past. We didn’t just give the planet virtually all sports; rugby, cricket, football, golf, basketball, hockey and rounders, oh no, we came up with railways and steam locomotives.

Engineering and transport is Britain’s thing, we did the double decker Routemaster bus, and gave the world the original superefficient mini car.

Sir James Hamilton p i o n e e r e d Concorde, and noone else even came close to making supersonic travel work reliably. Aged just 22, Sir Frank Whittle invented the jet engine of course, while Southampton’s RJ Mitchell came up with the Luftwaffe beating Spitfire. Despite having a terminal illness, RJ carried on designing the prototype because he knew how important it would be. Tragically Reg didn’t live long enough to see its success, nor did he collect a Knighthood, although he certainly deserved one. In Britain they’re not awarded posthumously, but they might have made an exception for Reg Mitchell?

Sir Alexander Fleming invented antibiotics; his penicillin saved countless millions of

lives. Less healthily, in 1847 Joseph Fry mixed cocoa powder and sugar to make a paste which he moulded, thus producing the first chocolate bars. Fry’s factory opened in Bristol in 1866. Joseph Aspdin was a Leeds bricklayer, he mixed clay and limestone and bizarrely burnt it, thus inventing a much stronger construction material, called Portland Cement. William Addiss took a small piece of bone from his dinner plate, made some holes in it and attached bristles, thus inventing the toothbrush. His muchneeded detritus removal gadget became a worldwide sensation, possibly making snogging pleasurable for the first time too?

In 1755 William Cullen came up with the refrigerator, although it wasn’t perfected for another hundred years. Worldwide, an astonishing 100 million fridges are still sold annually. Graham Bell gave the world the telephone, which was in time followed by John Logie Baird’s television. Up until then, people had to rely on the wireless to hear about great British achievements.

Freshwater’s Robert Hook used his microscope thingy to discover cells, the very building blocks of life itself. Tim Berners Lee is the genius who created the worldwide web.

There are now over 1.2 billion websites!

Next time you upload a photograph, think about this; the photographic process was invented by William Henry Fox Talbot, using silver iodide on paper.

Sir Joseph Wilson Swan was the bloke who gave the world lightbulbs, most illuminating. I’m running out of space, hurry up Boris, we need you! Tin cans? Peter Durand. Stainless Steel? Harry Brearley, and next time you run out of cash, don’t forget to thank John Shepherd-Baron for ATM’s.

Lawnmowers were ours too, and vital to my life, the kettle. Have I got space to mention The Beatles Ed?

“Wonder who invented our lifes essentials?”

Dear Editor, Last week, I attended the IW NHS Trust’s quarterly Medicine for Members meeting.

I would love to say I was reassured by the presentations, but frankly I wasn’t.

Medical Director, Alistair Flowerdew’s, update on the Acute Service Redesign was brief and in respect of an ‘update’ light on informative content.

Nursing Director, Alice Webster, chose to offer a ‘Quiz’ when it came to her party piece on ‘Changes in Community Services’.

A bizarre and patronising presentation.

During Wimbledon week, John McEnroe’s memorable rant, ‘You can not be serious!’ seems an apt assessment.

Trying to regain some semblance of rationality during the closing Question and Answer session, I referenced CEO Maggie Oldham’s quest to ‘creating a model that is fit for the future’ in the IW Health and Care Plan. I asked, given the IW Council’s proposal for 10,000 new homes, which, when extrapolated by the National average

of 2.4 people per household, could result in the Island population increasing by 24,000 inhabitants or, put another way, 17 per cent, how was the Trust preparing for such an eventuality, and the proportional increase in demand for hospital services?

The answer? It wasn’t. The meeting was told support and funding would come from the CCG as population numbers grow. Call me old fashioned, but I would have thought it would be prudent and wise to gear up before significantly increased demand becomes a reality, not go cap in hand begging for funding after the event.

I am unsure what has happened to the £20bn boost Theresa May promised the NHS well over a year ago; perhaps the money is still stuffed down her knickers. One thing is for sure, a very urgent and serious injection of taxpayers cash is desperately needed to meet what will obvious be an increased demand for primary hospital services here on the Island.

Hans Bromwich, - Cowes

Protesters have plenty of beaches to themselves Dear Editor, In response to the complaint from ‘JD’ (Issue 47 over dogs on Ryde beaches). May I point out the beaches mentioned are the only parts of a vast expanse of beach in the Ryde and Seaview area where dogs are allowed in summer.

Going west, dogs are banned from Appley Tower to beyond Ryde Pier; east they are banned, beyond Puckpool, from Springvale and Seaview Duver all the way to Seagrove Bay, which is a small beach. Priory Bay is privately owned (nothing to do with the Council) and is known to be dog friendly. Both Seagrove and Priory Bays are comparatively inaccessible by road.

So, if JD wishes to avoid dogs he or she has plenty of choice.

Yes, of course dog faeces are unpleasant, though most owners pick them up and

dispose of them in the dog bins. There is a lot of other litter on beaches in all areas, including discarded remains of picnics, plastic and broken glass bottles, even soiled nappies. Dog owners have as much right as anyone else to enjoy the beaches; the Island is known to be dog friendly and many people bring their dogs on holiday: are they expected not to have access to beaches at all or leave their dogs in cars, due to a few people objecting to them?

Far from the Council ‘deciding’ to allow dogs on parts of the beach, until about 20 years ago they were allowed on all beaches, until the Council decided to ban them during the summer months on most of the beaches under their jurisdiction, leaving only a few small areas available to people with dogs, usually the less popular and accessible parts.

Margaret Goyne - Wootton

Big words used explaining the climate Dear Sir, What a very learned sounding letter from Mr Bristow (IW Observer 12.7.19). All those names and big words he uses. To me, all of that is a bit sad because it misses the real issue about climate.

We human animals, together with all other living creatures, share this planet and its environment. As a result of our environment, there is a supply of relatively clean and oxygenated air and, dare I say it, every living creature is about four minutes away from extinction if that air supply fails.

So, what do we clever and, only sometimes, responsible humans do? We consume and burn fossil fuels and trees in ever increasing quantities, which degrade (a polite word for poison) our air as fast as we can from both directions.

These air-borne chemicals and 2.5 micron

particulates enter the bodies of all living creatures, whether they have any choice or not. And they cause not just premature deaths, defects in unborn children and massive respiratory suffering worldwide.

I am old enough to remember cycling in London in smog which as readers will know still continues in major world cities today.

That is the real issue that Mr Bristow should concentrate on, the ever increasing chase for speed, another word for socalled connectivity and the consequent fuel consumption. Please Mr B and all other readers, let's try to bury the other mantra of 'get rich quick' which sums it all up quite well.

If we can make a real attempt to achieve that, I am sure the climate will take care of itself!

Christopher Dodd - Newport

19th July 2019

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Inquest on ‘Taz’s’ death An inquest heard how a well-known homeless man, who had lived in the Newport area and was liked by many in the town, died after drinking alcohol and taking heroin.

Terence ‘Taz’ Ballard, 42, died on September 14 of last year, while staying at a friend’s house. Taz often used to sit in Scarrots Lane, where Islanders placed flowers in his memory. A great many also donated to a fundraising campaign to pay for his funeral.

According to those who knew him well, Taz was an extremely knowledgeable and wellread man, who spent much of his time in Newport library. He was rarely seen without a book in his hand. Many locals in Newport would stop to speak with him on Scarrots Lane about a wide range of topics.

An inquest heard he had died as a result

of central nervous system depression.The post mortem found he was twice the drink drive limit and had fallen unconscious after taking a fatal dose of heroin. According to his friends, who had been watching television at the time of his death, Taz had been found slumped in the kitchen after going there to make a cup of tea.

Despite an ambulance being called, Taz could not be saved.

The coroner, Caroline Sumeray, concluded that Mr Ballard’s death was drug and alcohol related, declaring herself satisfied the heroin found in his system, combined with alcohol, resulted in his collapse and subsequent death. She further noted that Mr. Ballard had a history of addiction.

Sex offender escapes jail but given suspended sentence A child sex offender, dubbed ‘every mother’s nightmare’, who has already served a prison term, found himself back in court last Friday.

Shanklin man, Philip Swift, was jailed for more than three years in 2015 for child sex offences. He had posed as a teenage boy online to groom and initiate sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl.

Swift was sentenced at the

Isle of Wight Crown Court for breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, put in place when he was convicted to stop him from hurting others.

Police visited Swift’s home for a routine search of his computer, only to find it in repair mode and all of the files inaccessible. This had the effect of wiping out any potential history on that computer, inhibiting the

police from doing their work.

Swift was a former computer engineer who made a living mining cryptocurrencies.

The judge in Swift’s case was not impressed with the argument that Swift had accidentally wiped the computer files Swift was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for two years, and fined £300.

BUSINESS FEATURE

Eurocell opens first Isle of Wight branch Eurocell Building Plastics, the leading provider of high quality, reliable and valuefor-money PVC-U building products, has opened its first branch on the Isle of Wight, bringing new jobs and Eurocell’s entire product range to the area.

Strategically located in Newport at the centre of the Island, the new store means that customers no longer need to travel to the mainland to get their Eurocell fix.

Situated on the Newport Business Park, the 408 square metre branch provides tradespeople and DIYers with a one-stopshop for more than 10,000 PVC-U building products and window frames.

The new branch will enable installers to showcase products to both potential and existing customers across the Isle of Wight, as well as giving DIYers access to all the products they need for their home renovations.

Joe Borrer, Eurocell Branch Manager on the Isle of Wight, said: “Eurocell hasn’t previously had a presence on the Island and so locating in the area seemed like the perfect step. The branch has been created for both trade customers and homeowners to see the breadth of products we have available. From energy efficient windows to bifold doors, skirting boards to composite fencing, Eurocell has got you covered. With the store’s staff experts in assisting homeowners, the Isle of Wight branch will be a source of inspiration

for anyone undergoing home improvements.

We look forward to welcoming customers to our new branch and showing them what Eurocell has to offer.”

Eurocell offers customers the opportunity to buy in-store and take away, or buy online for collection or direct delivery to site. The new branch also delivers fascias, soffits, guttering and many more PVC-U solutions to the Isle of Wight. Opening times for the store are 7:30am - 5:00pm Monday to Friday and 8:00am - 12:00pm on Saturdays.

The full address is: Unit 6, Barry Way, Newport Business Park, Newport, Isle of Wight, PO30 5GY

East Cowes Primary celebrates third ‘good’ Ofsted Rating Remarkable improvements in reading and writing, an increased pace of school development, a talented school team, some exciting learning - these were all findings by Ofsted, when its inspector visited Queensgate Foundation Primary School, on Beatrice Avenue in East Cowes, on June 25.

The school has retained its ‘good’ rating, for the third time in a row. The report is due to be published shortly on Ofsted’s website. Ofsted told Queensgate Foundation Primary leaders that: “Caring relationships with the adults in the school support pupils throughout the day. Pupils [say] their teachers expect them to work hard. Their workbooks show that they are currently striving to achieve high standards.

“You have made effective changes in the school’s provision for writing, by ensuring that pupils learn to edit their work by correcting grammar and spelling, vocabulary and content. This approach has made a significant difference to raising the standard of pupils’ writing.

“The overwhelming majority of parents and carers are confident that their children are safe. They say that it is easy to talk to staff about any concerns. “[Pupils] were interested in the subject content, listened carefully to the teaching input and concentrated on their learning activities. We observed Year 6 pupils carrying out some impressive multi-step problem-

solving in mathematics, linking it to a reallife situation.”

The school was praised for taking effective steps to improve writing and Ofsted said enthusiastically-delivered new reading and writing teaching strategies had delivered some ‘remarkable improvements’.

Queensgate Foundation Primary gives pupils the chance to get ‘out and about’, with a wide range of trips and activities. It also offers forest school activities, in a woodland area on its school field known as The Patch.

Ofsted called that inspiring.

School leaders at Queensgate are delighted with the report, but stress they are not complacent. They are looking forward to creating challenging activities for pupils and improving results across the school when the new academic year starts in September.

Queensgate Foundation Primary Headteacher, Sam Sillito, said: “I’m delighted that Ofsted has found us to be a ‘good’ school for a third inspection in a row.

“As a school, we have plenty to celebrate!

We have a robust team, driven to inspire and support Queensgate Foundation Primary pupils to achieve their best. We are already working on Ofsted’s ‘next steps’. And we are really looking forward to moving into our brand new building early in 2020.

“A huge thank you to all our parents, carers, pupils and teaching staff for your support. We can’t wait for the new term!”

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Hours required are Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

This is a full time position and includes a standard pension and holiday scheme. An opportunity of an additional bonus scheme for the successful applicant will be available.

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The job requires you to be fit as you will be posting the IW Observer through letterboxes within your area. Having your own car and a clean driving licence would be an advantage, however not essential. Good rates of pay. You will be required to work every Friday morning.

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Observer

By Peter White

Kennett’s Cheetahs are on way to visit Smallbrook Former World No2 Gordon Kennett (pictured in his riding days) will manage the Oxford Cheetahs in their special one-off speedway clash against the Isle Of Wight on Thursday, August 1. The National League challenge match will take place at the Smallbrook Stadium in Ryde.

Barry Bishop is the co-promoter of the Wightlink Warriors, but he lives in Oxfordshire and has been a lifelong fan of Oxford Cheetahs. He said: “For one night and the one night only, I will be extremely proud

to see both teams take to the track in this challenge match of the highest order.”

Golf Results Latest results from Osborne Golf Club Club Championship: Club Champion, John Sharp; Runner up Barry Geary. Scratch Champion, Chris Hayward.

Stableford: Division 1: 1, Shane Cates 38; 2, Clive Beard 37; 3, Dave Street 36.

Division 2: 1, John Elliot 35; 2, Sean Thrippleton 34; 3, Richard Holmes 32.

Division 3: 1, Brian Grace 41; 2, Richard Highmore 39; 3, Jeremy Page 38.

Latest results from Newport Golf Club Nine-hole Stableford: 1, Chris Hedgecox (27) 20 points.

Thursday Medal: 1, Rex Ringer (11) 69net.

Milne Cup Medal: 1, Maxwell Powell (18) 65net; 2, Simon Jupe (23) 66; 3, Ben Ringer (8) 67; 4, Pete Squibb (15) 68.

Sunday Stableford: 1, Paul Gunnell (20) 40,points; 2, Darren Lawn (20) 38; 3, Benj Jervis (11) 36.

Ryde Golf Club Ladies’ Section results Ladies’ Four Nations Bowmaker: 1, Tricia Penn, Julia Bailey, Julia Fauvel, Sara Weech 106 points; 2, Marian Johnston, Lynne Backshall, Sue Harrison, Rosie Walshe 102; 3, Jan Walker, Trish Pitts, Carol Pointer, Marion Thorpe 99.

Bembridge Ladies dominate at IW County Bowls Finals Bembridge Bowling Club Ladies were in magnificent form at the Isle of Wight County Championships, winning no fewer than five of the six titles that were on offer, with two of the finals all-Bembridge affairs.

Anne Bernard led the amazing achievement by being involved in all five successes, including three on the same day. Two Bembridge teams met in the Senior Fours final with Anne Bernard, Barbara Terry, Jane Swinfield and Judy Eynon triumphing 26-12 over Gay Allen, Val Newton, Ruth Emms and Daphne Lacey. Anne then made it two out of two when she beat Margaret Haynes

of Newport B.C. 21-1 in the Four Woods County Final at Shanklin.

Four titles were up for grabs at Finals Day at Plessey Bowling Club, with all but one being contested by a lady bowler from Bembridge. In the Ladies Fours, Anne Bernard, Barbara Terry, Loraine Whelan and Judy Eynon beat Sue Svendson, Carole Whittington, Judy Silvester and Jane Swinfield by 20 shots to 11.

In the Ladies Pairs final the pairing from Newport beat a ladies pair from Shanklin.

Next up was the Ladies County Two Woods Singles. This game matched up Anne Bernard and Annie Morris

from Ventnor. Anne sailed into a commanding lead that Annie was unable to match, and went on to win 18-3.

The last match on this Finals day was the Ladies County Triples.

Val Newton, Barbara Terry and Anne Bernard were up against the formidable trio of Denise Butchers, Debbie Crews and Beth Hanson from Plessey.

The game started well for the Bembridge trio, and by the ninth end they were leading 12 -5. Although Plessey rallied, Bembridge ran out 18-13 winners.

Photos by Alan Cox

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Team Isle of Wight end Island Games in style Isle of Wight athletes have returned home in high spirits, after a magnificent overall showing at the Island Games in Gibraltar.

The record-breaking squad ended the Games with a magnificent haul of 34 medals, eight more than they achieved at Gotland two years ago.

Team Isle of Wight finished seventh overall in the medals table, competing against more than 20 other islands from all around the world.

On the penultimate day, Isle of Wight picked up two silver and three bronze medals. Perron Phipps won silver in air pistol shooting, while

Abi Lacey swam a new PB to take silver in the 100m individual medley.

Also in the pool, Megan King won bronze in the 50m backstroke, and the ladies’ team won bronze in the 4 x 100m medley relay.

The other medal of the day came in athletics, as Bridget Fryer won bronze in discus.

The final day of competition, last Friday, saw another big medal haul with the Isle of Wight securing two golds, three silver and four bronze. One of the highlights was Charlie Metcalfe becoming the first Island woman to win the half-marathon. In so doing, she also helped the ladies’ team, which included

Laura Brackley and Rosie Sexton, win a silver.

The sharp shooting continued as Richard Clifton won gold in the IPSC standard pistol, and a bronze with Ian Grimes in the team event. Also in rifle shooting, Dom Cowen won silver in the 50m prone, with Andy Whittall taking the bronze.

There were also three table tennis medals for Team Isle of Wight. Dan Burns and George Downing took bronze in the men’s doubles; Downing won bronze in the men’s singles and then added a silver in the mixed doubles with Temeesha Hobbs.

Photos: Top: Many of the Isle of Wight athletes relaxing after competition ended.

Bottom left: Half marathon winner Charlie Metcalfe (centre) with Laura Brackley and Rosie Sexton, after the trio won the half marathon team silver medal.

Bottom middle: Table tennis players Danny Burns, Temeesha Hobbs and George Downing with their medals.

Bottom right: Closing ceremony flag carriers, sisters Emily and Hannah Niven.

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Charity show is well supported on the day The sun shone for the Ventnor Rotary Club charity horse and dog show on Sunday. There were excellent entries with over 75 horses put forward, with the mainland judges being very complimentary of the friendly fun atmosphere and level of quality the Island holds.

Photos by: Keith Pollard

There was an impressive course build in the working hunter including a large bullfinch that didn’t put off hardly any riders. A large variety of classes included veteran horses and riders, sport horses, leading rein, mountain and moorland, coloured and hunter classes.

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Melinda snatches win Yarmouth Sailing Club had 12 Scows and one Feva racing out on the water in their latest event. Melinda Measor got a nose in front, closely chased by Roger Poerscout-Edgerton and Niall Wallace. Melinda continued strongly to the finish first. but Roger continued in close pursuit with David Hedley and John Smith progressively closing. Final result was Melinda, then Roger followed home by David.

The following day 11 Scows and one Feva raced. The fleet converged significantly on the mud bank into Mill creek with consequences and casualties. John Smith was the first stuck on the mud.

A tight fleet continued to E mark where Martin Palmer was just round first. At C mark Martin still led, but Bruce Mayo found wind where no one else could, and came from the back to be second. Others struggled with holes and breezes, so it ended Martin first, Bruce second and Graeme Bowen third.

Westhorpe’s defiant knock proves in vain

Photo: Above:Trophy winners from the Club Championship: (l to r): Peter Hammond Cup, Steve Collins. Club Championship, Conner Knight. Melville Hall Cup, Ben Nicholls. Roger Matthews Salver, Lee Hodgson. Hill Quaich, Leslie Webb and Club Captain, Neil Hallett (front).

Knight is new S&S Club champion champion after gripping play-off Conner Knight is the Shanklin and Sandown Golf Club Men’s Champion, after just pipping Ben Nicholls in a fourhole play-off following a gripping two days of competition.

Over 80 players took part in the Championship, with the format of 18 holes on Saturday and 18 holes on Sunday with trophies for best 18 holes (handicap), Saturday and Sunday, plus best 36 hole totals, scratch, handicap and scratch over 55s.

After the first round, players teed off in reverse score order, with the best scoring players starting last. There were 14 players within seven shots of the overnight leader, George Foreman, who shot 69 in the first round.

But the two players in the penultimate grouping, Conner Knight and Ben Nicholls, finished on a total of 142 for the two rounds, six shots ahead of the next player. Then came the dramatic four-hole play-off to determine the winner of the Championship. The holes played were the first, second 17th and 18th, with Conner emerging the winner.

The Peter Hammond Cup, and 18hole handicap event was also played for on the Saturday and was won by Steve Collins with a net 64, and on Sunday the Melville Hall Cup, also a 18-hole handicap, was won by Ben Nicholls with a net 65.

The Roger Matthews Salver, a 36-hole handicap, was won by Lee Hodgson with a net score of 129 and the Hill Quaich, a 36-hole scratch for over 55s, was won

by Leslie Webb with a scratch score of 148.

A defiant 61 by Neil Westhorpe was not enough to secure a first win of the season for Ventnor when they visited Old Tauntonians and Romsey in the Southern Premier Cricket league, Division One. Ventnor elected to bat first, but were soon in trouble at 25-3, before Westhorpe set in for a patient knock, that lasted 114 deliveries and included seven boundaries.

Rob Snell added 25 and Ben Woodhouse 19, but wickets continued to fall at regular

intervals, and Ventnor were dismissed for a disappointing 148 in 47.5 overs, with Chris Wood taking 6-17 for the hosts.

OTs and Romsey suffered an early setback, but quickly recovered, and knocked off the required runs for the loss of only one more wicket in 29.1 overs. Snell and Rob Calloway took a wicket apiece, but it proved another frustrating day for Ventnor, who reman winless in 11 outings, and are staring relegation in the face.

Bembridge B hold on to move to top of table Bembridge Bowling Club Men’s B and C teams battled against each other for the points this week, with the B team taking the honours by 8-2.

John Tolley, Colin Greer, James Cox and Paul Martin were up against it in their game against the settled four of Geoff Clement, Peter Swinfield, Mike Davidson and Peter Hudson and lost 8-34. Walter Heinrich, Fred Marsh, Anthony Hill and Paul Godliman fought hard against Peter Pickworth, John Graham, Gordon Holmes and Alan Bugby before going down 16-25. Steve Eynon salvaged some pride for the C team with Peter McKenna, Alan Cox and Ian Vallender against Keith Watford, Bernie Allen, Doug Beckett and Vince Whelan, winning 23-17.

The Men’s B team cemented their position at the top of the table with a convincing win over their nearest rivals Plessey D. Geoff Clement, Peter Swinfield, Mike Davidson and Peter Hudson won 28-7. Vince Whelan, Derek Selway, Doug Beckett and Keith Watford won 26-16, and Peter Pickworth, John Graham, Gordon Holmes and Alan Bugby romped home 36-9 for a 10 points to nil victory.

Newport in charge of clash with Yachtsmen

Club Champion Conner Knight.

Full results: Peter Hammond Trophy: 1, Steve Collins 64; 2, Neil Hallett 65; 3, Lee Hodgson 65.

Club Championship: Melville Hall Cup: 1, Ben Nicholls 65; 2, Lee Hodgson 66; 3, Shawn Ford 67.

Club Championship Trophy: 1, Conner Knight 142; 2, Ben Nicholls 142; 3, Leslie Webb 148; 4, George Foreman 148.

Roger Matthews Salver: 1, Lee Hodgson 129; 2, Ben Nicholls 132; 3, Graham Burgess 136; 4, Leslie Webb 136.

Hill Quaich (over 55s): 1, Leslie Webb 148; 2, Steve Collins 152.

Cowes Sports 1 Newport 5 Newport, fielding a young side featuring a number of teenagers, easily beat local Wessex Premier rivals, Cowes Sports, 5-1 in a pre-season friendly at Westwood Park. It was a good work-out for both clubs, with the first half fairly even.

Port opened the scoring early on through Jacob Reynolds from a corner, his first goal for the club. However, the Yachtsmen soon got back in the game, equalising five minutes later.

The second began in spectacular fashion. Straight from the kick off, the ball was passed to Mark Taylor, who launched a long shot at the Cowes goal, to score with less than five seconds on of the second half on the clock..

The freak goal appeared to demoralise the Yachtsmen, who then let Port take over, with further goals coming from Jordan Browne, Connor Kelly and a second from Taylor completing the scoring.

19th July 2019

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The sunshine bites at Dyer in Transylvania!

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Smart double for Ryde cricketers Ryde Cricket Club made it two wins on the bounce in Hants Division One, with victory over Old Tauntonians & Romsey Seconds at Harding Shute.

The visitors won the toss and chose to bat, but were soon in trouble as Matt Webb and Ben Gregory struck early, leaving them on 14-2. They managed to rebuild, and ended up posting 246-8 from their 50 overs, thanks in the main to a patient century from Nico Newman. Gregory was the pick of the Ryde bowlers with 3-28.

In reply Ryde always looked on top of the run chase, and determined knocks from Kerry Rice (78) and Ellis Ridett (65) saw the pair put on a 151 partnership for the second wicket, and set up the win. Cameron Mitchell (39 not out) and Brendon Speechley (35 not out) saw Ryde home with seven wickets and 33 balls to spare.

In Hants Division Four Ryde Seconds made it 10 wins out of 10 with a routine win away to bottom side, Sarisbury Thirds.

Sarisbury were put into bat, and it didn't take long for the Ryde bowlers to start working their way through the card, taking wickets at regular intervals as Sarisbury were bowled out in the final over for just 160.

Swing bowler, Mark 'Eagle' Tuckwell did most of the damage, taking 5-36. In reply, Stuart Gurney got Ryde off to a good start with a quick 30, before Benj Shannon (74 not out) and Day (39 not out) saw the Island side to their target with 14 overs in hand.

Ryde host league leaders Portsmouth & Southsea Seconds this weekend in what could end up being a title decider.

Newport secure fine Primary School win Wightlink and IW Council sponsored triathlete Stuart Dyer travelled to scorching Transylvania to compete for Team GB in the European Middle Distance Triathlon Championships The 2km swim was in a freshwater reservoir, and exiting in 36 minutes, Stuart was in sixth place.

The 80km bike ride was going well for the first 30km until a mechanical issue with his electronic gears meant he could not select and change gear properly. Even so, his bike split was two hours, 28 minutes.

In sweltering heat, the run required Stuart to dig in and work his way back through the field. He completed the 20kms in one hour, 44 minutes to finish in total time of four hours 56 minutes, a personal best that placed him 15th in the 50-54 Age Group.

Stuart’s focus will now return to Olympic distance racing as he prepares

to represent Team GB for the third time this year at the World Age Group Championships in Lausanne Switzerland in September.

Meanwhile, the Chichester Sprint Triathlon was the ‘away day’ for Wight Tri. A pool based swim of 400m, then onto the bike for 33k followed by a flat 5k run.

First home was Steve Dines in 1.43.10 and he was also first Vet 6064. Christine Jackson was first female and first Vet 50-54 in 1.47.23. Mandy Womack, in 1.51.28, took third place in the same category. Angela Tapster, in only her second mainland Triathlon finished first in the 45-49 Age Category in 1.55.26.

Glynn Jenkins was the only member of Wight Tri who took on the Chichester Standard Distance Triathlon but unfortunately had to retire due to taking

Dye ton assures Newport victory Leaders Newport met Freshwater in the Leslie’s Motors IW Cricket League, and asked the West Wight side to bat first. The consistent Tom Turney (72) top scored as Basti Weidmenn (430) and Ash Brett (2-32) restricted them to 179-9. A superb innings of 112 not out from Tom Dye took Newport to a seven wicket win.

The two Northwood teams played out a draw, Northwood I posting 246-6 with Dave Chapman (106) starring to set a formidable target for their second team to chase down. An unbroken stand between Martin Richards (52 not out) and Liam Roberts (84 not out) helped the Northwood II side to 173-1 and a winning draw.

St Helens came away from Cowes with an 88-run win thanks to Lee Brown (49) Rob Holdcroft (59). Marc Allen hit 51 to set a tough target of 241-8, Scott Rice (3-53) the pick of the Cowes bowlers. Jamie Rice top scored with 51 in reply but the Cowes side were dismissed for 154, Marc Allen (4-50) and Lee Brown (2-21) doing the damage.

In the final game Bembridge batted first against Shanklin/ Godshill and with Dorian Cobb (85 not out) they posted 152-7, veteran Andy White (2-22) and Tom Greenslade (3-26) bowling well to restrict the scoring. Jack Powell led the way for Shanklin hitting an unbeaten 70 and handing his side a seven-wicket win.

a wrong turning on the bike course.

Wight Tri member, Nick Kenney took part in ‘the Islander’, a middle distance triathlon on Mersea Island, near Colchester. It was a small but well organised event in a fantastic and beautiful location. The swim was 1.9km, which was actually nearer 2.4k, and Nick completed it in 38 minutes.

That allowed him to come out in the middle of the pack.

The 90k bike course was mainly flat and fast and he made up several places finishing in 2 hours 44 mins. But he left the best for last with the 21k run, which was an off road multi terrain route which circumnavigated the island amid stunning countryside. Again he made up several places and finished in an overall time of 5:15, but due to technical problems was unable to find his finish position.

Shanklin FC to host Football Fun Day Shanklin Football Club are hosting the Island's First McDonald's Football Fun Day, from 10am tomorrow (Sat), alongside the annual six-a-side football tournament, at the County Ground, Shanklin.

The Festival includes an inflatable pitch, dribble lane activity, speed of shot inflatable, a power-save inflatable, a celebration knee slider, and an activity book station, with qualified coaches on site, and a special launch with the Mayor of Shanklin and the Leader of the IW Council.

Football Club Chairman Richard Priest said: “We are delighted that McDonald's have chosen Shanklin Football Club for their first Island Funday, and we also have 24 teams taking part in the Annual six-a-side tournament, so thanks to all the volunteers involved in making this happen.”

Players past and present have also been invited to the unveiling of a 'Wall of Honour' detailing longest serving players, achievements, and pictures of teams over the years. The club was founded in 1888, and its history includes playing 1988 FA Cup Winners Wimbledon, at the County Ground.

Richard added: “We hope the weekend attracts more players to the sport, in addition to those taking part in the tournament, and thanks to McDonalds.”

The final Primary School cricket competition took place at Newclose CC, and turned out to be an ‘incrediball’ competition as four schools reached the final stages.

In the first semi-final between Bembridge and The Bay, Bembridge made a slow start against some accurate bowling, but eventually reached 251-3. In reply, The Bay kept up with the rate, although losing wickets. The game went to the final over but a crucial wicket cost The Bay as they ended two runs short on 249-4.

The other semi-final was equally close. Gurnard batted first and scored 219-5. Newport found scoring equally tough but did just enough to finish on 221-4 to win by two runs.

In the third place game, The Bay scored 237-4. Gurnard also finished on 237-1, but won by losing fewer wickets. In the final Newport batted first and hit the highest score of the day, 255-0. Bembridge struggled against some accurate bowling reaching a respectable 225-3, leaving Newport to pick up a first win in the competition by 30 runs.

Young star Harrison in superb form on mainland

Young Island cyclist Harrison Hendy has enjoyed huge success in two town centre races on the mainland. The first was at Farnham, raced over a technical circuit around the town.

Harrison took the lead on the first lap and rode away to victory.

The second race was up Guildford’s cobbled High Street and back roads, again on a technical course with sharp turns into narrow streets.

In this event the under-10s raced along side the under-12s, making it a more tactical race. Harrison stayed in the front group until the last lap when the under-12 winner attacked.

Harrison went with him, moving 10 seconds ahead of his rivals to win the under-10s, and was second overall, just two seconds behind the Under-12 winner.

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Brighstone pupils' efforts bring their just rewards Brighstone Primary School were celebrating this half term with the arrival of their free Premier League kit bag. As part of the Primary Stars scheme, Brighstone were awarded new equipment, including Premier League footballs, hoops, beanbags, bibs, and much more from the Football Foundation.

The scheme is part of the Premier

League Primary Stars education programme which uses the appeal of Premier League and professional football clubs to inspire children at primary schools across England and Wales to learn, be active and develop important life skills.

Sports coach Ash Goldsmith said, “The scheme is going to have a massive impact on the school; the

children have been really excited about getting the new kit and can’t wait to start using it in lessons, clubs and matches.”

The kit scheme is the icing on the cake for the school after an unprecedented year of sport at Brighstone. With just ten children in the whole of Year 6, the school have achieved remarkable results

this year in a number of sports.

The school finished sixth in the Island Netball finals, fourth in handball, third in hockey, reached two football finals and won medals in four events at the inaugural Physical Education and Child Health (PEACH) Games.

However, the most impressive achievement came from the

basketball team. After winning the West Wight cluster tournament by an aggregate score of 98-8, they finished runners-up at the Isle of Wight finals, meaning they were able to represent the Isle of Wight at the Hampshire Games in Aldershot.

Battling Warriors just pipped in thrilling Four Team final The Wightlink Warriors missed out on gold by inches when the first major speedway event for clubs in the National League took place at Stoke, with all eight teams competing for the Four Team Championship.

The Warriors excelled, finishing second behind the hosts in the first semi-final. Stoke scored 18 points, with Warriors only four points adrift, thanks to scores from Ben Morley 6, Danno Verge 4, Georgie Wood 3, and Chad Wirtzfeld 1. They finished ahead of both highlyfancied Cradley and Leicester.

The second semi-final saw Mildenhall take top spot with 16 points, followed by Kent 14,

Plymouth 8 and Belle Vue Colts 8.

For the final Warriors team manager Kev Shepherd took the chance to juggle his resources so that the Island side would have Georgie Wood in the first heat of the final and Ben Morley in the second. That also gave the Warriors a strong final heat with Wood on track and offered young Chad Wirtzfeld the chance of points against the depleted Kent side.

At the halfway stage it appeared to be working with Warriors on 8, followed by Mildenhall 7, and Stoke 6. It continued neck and neck, until a dramatic last heat, when Wood headed to the dirt on bend three, cut

back to create a long final straight and powered towards the finish line.

Georgie and the Warrior contingent clearly thought he had won while the home camp also believed that their man had held on.

The title was then in the hands of referee Ronnie Allan to make the final call and after what seemed like an age the decision went to Stoke rider Connor Coles by inches, leaving Warriors with the silver medal position.

Final result: Stoke 15, Wightlink Warriors 14 (Ben Morley 6, Chad Wirtzfeld 2, Danno Verge 1, Georgie Wood 5), Mildenhall 13, Kent 6.

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19th July 2019

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Football tournament proves huge hit at Appley Beach

Claret (Downside u8s) blue and white strips (Vectis) with trophy

White with trophy behind board (Brading Devils) yellow (Alton Town) U12s

Joel and Rose take Westridge honours Joel Tarry is the Westridge Golf Club champion, winning the 36-hole Medal event with a two-round score of 146, just one shot ahead of Joe Wright, with

Harrison Knights in third place on 148.

The Handicap Champion is Rose Budd, who had a net score of 123, just beating Max Shallice-Palmer by one shot.

William Lakin finished third on 129.

Joel and Rose are pictured with Club Captain David T. C. May.

Ryde RC name two new boats

More than 320 youngsters converged on Appley Beach for a beach football tournament. The U-11s Championships saw newly formed Solent Rangers crowned winners, beating Gurnard in the final while Downside were victorious in the U-8s in a well fought battle with Vectis.

The youngest age group saw competitors take part in the U-7s Championships many of which was their first taste of beach soccer. Bembridge took the title after beating Vectis 2-1 in the final.

The U-12s welcomed three teams from the mainland, and saw semi-finalists Sandown Eagles, Brading Devils and two sides from visiting Alton Town battle it out for spots in the final. Alton were joined by Brading Devils in a thrilling final which saw the Island team crowned winners with a 9-4 victory.

The next event sees children in the U-9s and U-10s age groups competing tomorrow (Sat).

NICE work by Worrall in speedway challenge Belle Vue speedway international Steve Worrall showed his Premiership class as he raced to victory in the inaugural NICE Challenge staged at the Smallbrook Stadium, Ryde. He shaded former Islander Paul Starke in a splendid climax to a meeting full of competitive action and talking points.

The ambitious Warriors management caused great surprise by actively co-operating with the NICE organisation, long time sponsors of speedway in Poland.

To that end NICE provided a standard engine to all riders, together with a rear tyre and lubricants to level the playing field mechanically as much as possible. Despite the unfortunate enforced withdrawal of both exciting Scunthorpe riders, Danny Ayres and Ben Barker, a series of late night phone calls secured what turned out to be more than adequate replacements in the shape of Danish racer Jacob Bukhave and Australian Dakota Ballantyne.

Polish racer Tomasz Orwat showed plenty of determination and it was easy to see why he won the equivalent event in his home country last year.

In the end the form book delivered with Worrall making fast starts, riding wide lines and commanding his races, however as expected Starke was always up there in the thick of the action.

The Warrior contingent gained more valuable experience, although Danno Verge will want to move on quickly as he struck up an instant affinity with the Smallbrook shale and air fence on more than one occasion.

Grand Final: 1,Steve Worrall; 2, Paul Starke; 3, Jason Edwards; 4, Tomasz Orwat.

With a free week in the Hants & Dorset ARA Rowing fixtures, Ryde Rowing Club took the opportunity to formally name their new Coastal Four and a new Coastal Single Scull. The four christened ‘Julie’

by Julie Bottrell, a major contributor

towards the cost of the boat, has a number of new design features and is believed to be the lightest Coastal Four ever produced. The boat was Island built

by AB Composites of Cowes.

The Club also named a new Coastal

Single Scull, ‘Carole Linda’ after the club’s long-serving secretary, Carole Hewision, who retired from the role this year. The naming ceremony was presided over by club captain Graham Reeve and rowing captain Joel Smith.

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Sport News

Observer

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This weeks highlights...

By Peter White

The Games IW athletes return home...

34

19th July 2019

Equestrian Charity show well supported...

35

Eloise creates history!

An East Cowes teenager has created history by becoming the first Island female to become a qualified football referee.

Eloise Powell-Rowland will not be 16 until next month, but so impressed officials at the Hampshire FA when passing her initial exams, that they want to use her as the role model on their website to encourage more girls and women to take up refereeing.

Now Eloise and her family have also been told that the Londonbased Football Association would like to follow suit, meaning she will shortly be the face to recruit more female referees on their main national website.

But amazingly, taking up refereeing at such an early age is only one part of Eloise’s long-term footballing plan.

Her big ambition is to become a professional player, and having recently left Cowes Enterprise College, she has earned a place on the football programme at Itchen College in Southampton.

She has already been assured she will get a place in the first team at Itchen, and later this year she will be one of the players from the College who will be taken to the FA training HQ at St George’s Park, near Burton-onTrent, where she will have trials for the England under-18 women’s team.

Eloise’s mother, Victoria, said: “She has been into football since she was four years old, and we are very proud of what she has already

Eloise holds her certificate, along with Andy Moseley, head of Hants FA refereeing course

Eloise (blue shirt) in action

achieved. Although her main aim is to be a player, she wanted to make sure she will always have a career in football, and that is why she started her refereeing exams, and hopefully work her way to the top in that, as well as taking coaching exams.”

Victoria, herself chairwoman of East Cowes Vics, added: “Eloise is our senior player at Vics, and our club is affiliated to Reading Ladies, who have some England players in their team, so hopefully that could be another avenue.

“When she was little I used to let Eloise watch Chelsea with me, and her dad Neil always used to take her up to the park to play, and that’s how it all started. She has had a football on the end of her foot ever since we can remember.

Football is her only interest, she lives and breathes it.”

While at Itchen, Eloise will also have the opportunity to try for a place at a Soccer School in the US to further her career. The sport is massive over there, with the US having recently won the Women’s World Cup in France.

Victoria added: “Women’s football is becoming huge in this country now, and people are taking note. There is mass talent here on the Island with a lot of girls even younger than Eloise who are really promising. So hopefully very soon people will be taking note of women’s football here much more as well.”