IW Gazette 54

gazettethe isle of wight

REPORTING ISLAND NEWS

THE GAZETTE: READ US ONLINE AT WWW.IWGAZETTE.CO.UK

Friday February 26, 2010 Issue 54

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Pleasetake one

NEWS

NEWS

Page 7

Page 5

Riverside in Trouble

FINANCIAL problems hit Newport’s Riverside Centre

New Acts Announced

MORE of this year’s IW Festival and Bestival line-up and the Bestival theme announced

AND WE QUOTE...

SEE PAGE 3

BREAKING NEWS: PUGH-GATE, IT GETS WORSEREAD THE FULL AND EXCLUSIVE STORY IN NEXT WEEK’S GAZETTE

Contact the Gazette for News and Advertising: 01983 402599 www.iwgazette.co.uk The Gazette, Friday, February 26, 20102

NEWS

A 22-YEAR-OLD man was the victim of an unprovoked assault at Newport Bus Station.

The man was sitting on a bench in the covered seating area near the ‘Next’ store when it is alleged he was assaulted by two men shortly after 9.20pm on Saturday, February 13, 2010.

The victim received injuries to his face including swelling around the left eye and a cut to his left eyebrow. Police are appealing for witnesses, and have issued descriptions of two suspects.

One was described as: white; aged between 18 and 22; 5 ft 6 to 5 ft 7 ins tall; wearing a bright blue hooded top.

The other was described as: white; aged between 20 and 22; 6 ft tall; skinny build; light hair; wearing a white top with black stripes down the sleeves and a zip down the chest.

Anyone with information or who was in the Newport Bus Station area between 9pm and 9.30pm on Saturday, February 13 is asked to contact Newport Police Station by phoning 101. Mini-Com users can call 01962 875000. Information can be given anonymously by calling the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111. From outside Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, call 0845 045 45 45.

STATION ASSAULT

DAYTIME taxi fares across the Island are set to increase by around eight per cent.

Cabbies called for an increase in charges, prompting the IW Council to launch a public consultation, and many members of the public agreed with the changes in a questionnaire.

A new set of proposed tariffs has been drawn up, after comments from customers and taxi companies, and will also include a new tariff for larger vehicles carrying more than four people after midnight.

FARES TO RISE

EAST Cowes-based GKN Aerospace were celebrating this week after winning a contract that could be worth up to 100million US dollars, and secure its future for years to come.

The company has been picked by Bombardier Aerospace, Belfast to design and manufacture the winglet for the new Bombardier CSeries aircraft – which is aimed at the 100 to 149 seat market.

This contract covers the period to 2025 with first winglet deliveries taking place in early 2011 to support aircraft entry into service in 2013.

The state-of-the-art composite winglet will be a vital element in the advanced aircraft achieving specific goals for reduced fuel burn and lower emissions with a greater range and better performance than any

current aircraft in its class.Winglets are transforming

the performance of aircraft, reducing wing drag to bring block fuel savings for aircraft operators of at least six per cent, with consequent critical reductions in aircraft emissions and improvements in payload and range.

Phil Swash, CEO of A e r o s t r u c t u r e s - E u r o p e , GKN Aerospace, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded this significant work package on what we believe will be an exceptionally successful future aircraft.

“Bombardier is a long-established customer of GKN Aerospace on the Island and this latest contract sees us developing our partnership with a work package that will continue until the end of the first quarter of this century – and will build on our experience in the hugely promising area of winglet

design and manufacture.”Michael Ryan,

vice-president and general manager of Bombardier Aerospace, Belfast, said: “Bombardier in Belfast is responsible for the design and manufacture of the advanced composites wings for the CSeries aircraft family.

“We are delighted that GKN Aerospace is joining us in this programme which is of significant benefit to the UK supply chain. We look forward to their contribution to the development of the game- changing CSeries aircraft, which will offer unmatched operating economics and a significantly reduced environmental footprint.”

The Cowes team at GKN Aerospace is already supplying winglets to Aviation Partners Boeing for the Boeing 767-300ER and 737-300/500 aircraft in contracts awarded in 2007.

GKN FLYING HIGH

THERE was more good news for Island-based GKN Aerospace this week with the announcement of a new £14.8 million facility that will progress next generation aero-engine fan blade production.

The new GKN Aerospace state of the art, facility to be sited at East Cowes, will be at the heart of the next developments in the Environmental Light-weight Fan (ELF) research programme. It aims to prove advanced, high-rate production processes for a new all-composite engine fan blade that will improve aircraft engine performance and reduce emissions.

The ELF programme is being undertaken by GKN Aerospace and Rolls-Royce and is aimed at bringing new engine fan blade technologies to market readiness to meet approaching opportunities in the global

aerospace sector. Rich Oldfield, Technical

Director at GKN Aerospace said: “This new facility on the Island is a key part of our commitment to creating a global centre of

excellence for aero-engine components and structures within GKN Aerospace.

“It will ensure we, our partner and suppliers, can sustain the level of development progress required to have composite engine fan blade technology ready to meet major international business opportunities - including upgrades to existing aircraft and engines as well as entirely new

airframe programmes.“If Rolls-Royce, GKN Aerospace

and the UK aerospace sector are to maintain and grow market share as these opportunities arrive, we must all move forward

swiftly.” This stage of ELF will be

completed by 2012. GKN Aerospace and Rolls-Royce are being supported in this development by the South of England Economic Development Agency (SEEDA). In a matched funding exercise, SEEDA is investing £7.4 million to support the partner companies and the technology base in the South of England.

Rob Douglas, Chairman of SEEDA said: “SEEDA has worked with GKN, Rolls- Royce and the IW Council over the past 12 months to bring this groundbreaking R&D centre here.

“The Island is a centre of excellence for composite technologies, high value manufacturing and green technologies with a highly skilled workforce. We are continuing to work on attracting new businesses and growing existing ones on the Island to boost job opportunities and promote growth.”

Composite materials offer the benefits of low weight and high strength and are corrosion free and fatigue resistant. Their use reduces aircraft fuel consumption and emissions whilst also cutting costly and time-consuming maintenance activity.

MORE GOOD NEWS FOR GKN

“This new facility on the Island is a key part of our commitment to creating a global centre of excellence”

A SEARCH for a man who went missing in Essex last week has been extended to the Island.

Steven Gover, 52, of Tilkey Road, Coggeshall, has not been seen since February 19, and was reported missing by his wife. It has been revealed that Mr. Gover caught a train from Waterloo to Fratton station, in Portsmouth where he has family and friends in the area, but none of them have heard from him.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police are continuing to search for Mr. Gover, amid possibilities that he could have caught a ferry to the Island.

Mr. Gover is 5ft 11in tall, of proportionate build and has short grey hair. Anyone with information should contact Pc Greenaway at Witham police station on 03003 334 444.

ESSEX MAN SOUGHT

A YACHTSMAN from the mainland was found safe and well at home after his absence sparked a full scale rescue operation by Solent Coastguard.

East Cowes Marina raised the alarm on Tuesday teatime after it was discovered the yachtsman had not left the marina with his yacht that morning, as scheduled, to return to his home at Southampton. It was feared he had fallen into the water.

The search involved the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, a Cowes Harbour Commission launch and the Lee on Solent-based Coastguard helicopter. But soon after the emergency search got underway it was called off when it was discovered the man was safe and well at home.

FALSE ALARM AT SEA

YARMOUTH Bridge will be closed for three days next week for its annual maintenance.

The bridge will be closed on March 2, 3 and 4 while landing pads are replaced, and there are warnings of traffic disruption in the area although signposted diversions will be in place.

There will be restricted bridge opening times during the work, and the bridge is due to re-open fully on March 5.

BRIDGE CLOSED

Contact the Gazette for News and Advertising: 01983 402599 www.iwgazette.co.ukThe Gazette, Friday, February 26, 2010 3

NEWS

THE CONSERVATIVE-LED IW Council came under fire inside and outside County Hall as they pushed through their controversial budget plans this week.

Hundreds of protesters gathered outside to voice their disapproval at massive cuts before the plans were rubber-stamped. All 19 Conservative members voted in favour while the Labour, Liberal and Independent councillors formed the 14 members who voted against.

Many opposition members were disgruntled at the swingeing cuts, calling the ruling party ‘uncaring’ at Wednesday night’s heated, full council meeting.

The budget means a massive £2.7million will be slashed from the Supporting People Scheme which helps the vulnerable and those with learning disabilities on the Island.

That will result in many disabled and their families wondering what the future holds for them, although a decision on the future of Westminster House and the Riverside Centre in Newport was delayed for further discussion and consultation.

However, there was a crumb of comfort with the passing of a Conservative amendment that will put an extra £750,000 into adult services and the Supporting People budget. That should partly ease the worst effects of the cost-cutting.

The extra revenue will be found from the scrapping of Island Residents’ Parking Permit, although parking charges, which were initially earmarked for a 10 per cent increase were frozen.

A review of all car parking to encourage sustainable transport, but also to meet the needs of residents, particu-larly commuters, will be undertaken and considered by the council later in the year. As expected, Council Tax is also on the increase for Island householders. From May residents will have to pay an extra 2.5 per cent, which works out at around £25 a year more for a Band A property and more than £31 a year for a Band D property.

IW Council leader Cllr David Pugh said: “The budget is about making sure the available money is directed very much into the heart of services that residents want.

“For example we all know that, for historic reasons, the

highways on the Island are in need of massive investment and that is why we are going to make sure the Highways PFI project is fully resourced.

“Similarly we know that we have to raise the standard of education attainment on the Island and therefore we are allocating resources in order for our radical re-organisation to be done properly and to optimum effect.

“These, coupled with projects including the Pan development will not only help us reach our corporate aims – aims that mirror what residents have told us our priorities should be – but they will also make a significant contribution to the wider aims of stimulating the local economy.

“Yes there are difficult decisions that will be made during the budget but this is to ensure we can make the necessary investment in the services of most value to residents and those

contained within our agreed corporate plan.

“We are also committed to looking after the more vulnerable people in our community. We have also listened carefully to various groups in the weeks since the original budget proposals were published. This budget demo- nstrates that while there is the need for difficult decisions, we have taken on board the representations we have received. The additional funding for supporting older and

vulnerable residents responds to these particular concerns.

“I am confident this is a budget that puts huge investment into the areas where residents have told us they want to see such investment and also looks after those most in need of our support. And it does this while keeping a council tax rise down to 2.5 per cent.”

Cllr Peter Bingham, cabinet member for residents and resources said: “As everyone knows, these are challenging

times that require difficult decisions that affect all of us. The council itself is changing the way it conducts its business through a project that aims to deliver improved services more efficiently.

“By targeting savings at back office processes by working differently and by working with the right numbers of staff and buildings, we will deliver £1.78m of net savings next year and after three years £10m on an ongoing basis.”

‘NON-CARING COUNCIL’BY JASON KAY

Stuart Love, Director of Solitaire, Economyand the Environment


NEWS

AT THE prison chapel in Albany prison the Right Rev- erend Ian Brackley, Bishop of Dorking, Commissary for the Diocese of Portsmouth, swore in the Reverend Rosie Deedes as Anglican Chaplain for HM Isle of Wight prison, Albany site.

Amongst those who attended the ceremony on Monday February 22

were the Archdeacon of the IW, Caroline Baston, Lord Lieutenant Major General Martin White, High Sheriff Gay Edwards and Governor of HM Isle of Wight Prison Barry Greenberry.

The Rev. Rosie Deedes has moved to the Island from her previous post at Downview Prison in Sutton, Surrey, where the Right Rev Ian Brackley previously swore her in eight years ago.

Also present at the swearing in ceremony was Chaplain General to the prison service, the Venerable William Noblett. “Downview’s loss is Albany’s gain,” he said.

A special song was written and sung by the prisoners of Albany during the service. One prisoner said: “We welcome the Reverend into the prison and hope that she will work her magic within the prison community.”

Rosie has been a prison chaplain for 11 years, previously at Downview women’s prison and before that at Holloway prison in London. She and her husband and three children are making their home in Ventnor and the family are already getting involved with the local community.

Rosie is happy to support

the musical talents of the prisoners as well as offering pastoral care and support to the prisoners and staff.

“I’m looking forward to working here at HMP IW,” said Rosie. “It’s a time of change and challenge for staff and the community and I hope that with the chaplaincy team I can play a positive contribution to this.

“I would like to actively encourage the local community to support the prison and the chaplaincy through volunteering. We need to break down people’s fears about prisons,” she added.

Left to right: High Sheriff Gay Edwards, Reverend Rosie Deedes, IW Prisons Governor Barry Greenberry and Lord Lieutenant Major General Martin White

IW Archdeacon Caroline Baston, Reverend Rosie Deedes and the Right Reverend Ian Brackley

AT A TIME when Islanders are still reeling from the massive cutbacks announced this week, the IW Council are to splash out wages of more than £125,000 a year to fill one vacancy at County Hall.

The Council have advertised for a Strategic Director, the No 1 post in Social Services. And whoever is fortunate enough to be offered the job can look forward to a salary of up to £125,982 per annum!

It’s not bad work if you can get it, so The Gazette asked IW Council to explain how they can justify such high wages during these difficult economic times.

IW Council Chief Executive Steve Beynon said “The council is constantly seeking to attract the very best people to help deliver high quality services to residents.

“In order to attract the correct individual, we need

to pay the salary level that high-calibre candidates are worth. The salary offered of up to £125,982 for the Strategic Director of Community Services is in line with that paid by other authorities. This is also a statutory post that the council has a legal duty to fill.

“It is particularly important we attract the very best person given the need to continue improving the service at a time when there are major national changes to the way social services are delivered and when demand for those services is increasing.

“It is also in addition to recent changes to the council’s senior management team to create savings of over £500,000. As with other senior posts in the council, it is expected that staff of this level do not charge expenses for on-Island travel.”

So now you all know why the Council are prepared to rob Peter to pay Paul so to speak. No wonder their advertisement carries the opening phrase: “The Isle of Wight Council is a great place to work.”

JOBSWORTH A LOT

IW Council Chief Executive Steve Beynon

LOSS FOR DOWNVIEW IS GAIN FOR

ALBANY


NEWS

Hospice Fundraising: Telephone - 528989

Hospice NewsFrock Exchange at Isle of Wight Pearl

ISLE of Wight Pearl and the Earl Mountbatten Hospice shop in Lugley Street are collecting quality items of clothing for the forthcoming “Frock Exchange” being held at Isle of Wight Pearl on April 16 at 7pm.

The idea is really simple. Donate a great quality dress, top, skirt, handbag or pair or shoes and £1 per item. In return you will be issued with a voucher. Simply come along to Isle of Wight Pearl on April 16th from 7pm and exchange your vouchers for someone else’s quality donation.

All money raised from this event will be coming to the Hospice. If you can, please support this new fundraising event for the hospice.

Two weeks of art at Newport Minster

THE FIRST two weeks of March will see a wonderful exhibition of art by patients and volunteers of the Hospice on display at Newport Minster. There will be art for sale throughout the two weeks. For more on this event call Kate Mansbridge on 535346.

Fun music quiz Friday March 5

THE REGULAR monthly music quiz is being held on Friday March 5 at The Sands in Sandown. It will be £10 to enter a team of four players and there will be prizes on the night as well as a raffle. There is no need to book, just turn up and play. All money raised will come to the hospice.

Walk the Wight – please register

TIME is galloping, with under three months to go until Walk the Wight 2010. Please could we urge all those that intend to walk to register. The hospice will not be accepting any on the day registrations. You can register online at www.iwhospice.org/wtw. If you do not have access to the internet the hospice can send you a registration form if you call 528989. You need to register

for both the full walk (full and half distances) as well as for the flat walk.

Schools Walk the Wight is proving as popular as ever and the Hospice fundraising team would like to thank the schools that have got their information to the hospice already.

Tandem parachute opportunity on

Saturday June 19THE HOSPICE has a few places left for the next sponsored tandem parachuting day at Salisbury airfield. If you have ever wanted to leap out of an aeroplane now is your chance! We ask for a minimum sponsorship of £365 in total, and this includes the cost of the jump, but the deposit to secure your place is just £100. Transport to the airfield can be arranged for you to make the day as easy as possible.

To get more details and an application pack call 528989.

Raffle prizes needed by fundraising teamIF YOU are harbouring any unwanted gifts from Christmas or unopened bottles of wines or spirits the fundraising team would be delighted to receive them as raffle prizes. Through-out the year raffles raise thousands of pounds for the Hospice at numerous events, but the fundraising team is always looking for prizes to keep the raffles well stocked.

If you could donate a suitable gift for our raffles call the fundraising team on 528989 or simply bring them into the Hospice Fundraising Office based in the Hospice itself.

Donations for all shops urgently

neededIF YOU are able to donate any items of good quality clothes to the Hospice shops, they would be most appreciative. The Hospice is also looking for supplies of good quality books. Ideally, please could you take your donations to our Hospice Warehouse on Dodnor Indus- trial Estate. The phone number for the Warehouse is 244230.

THE RIVERSIDE Centre is anxiously waiting to see if it can remain in existence following a huge cut in funding by the IW Council, coupled with the threat of a massive rent increase.

The Centre, based at The Quay, Newport, is anticipating a £110,000 drop in income following the IW Council budget cuts. They also fear their rental charge will be £100,000 a year from April, a figure which manager Richard Priest claims would make the Centre unviable.

The Centre caters for more than 4,000 disabled and non-disabled people every week, covering work experience, and a range of activities including art and craft, IT, woodwork and gardening.

Now, following coverage of funding changes that impact on the Centre, and other providers of service to vulnerable people, a stakeholder meeting has been called for 10.30am on Saturday March 13, at the Centre.

A statement from chairman Shirley Smart said: “It may not be clear in the coverage that, alongside the proposed funding reduction, there is a proposal to increase the ‘rent’ charged by the Isle of Wight Council to around £100,000 which, even allowing for a small reduction, would mean that the Centre would become unviable and unable to provide or maintain the services that it currently provides.

“As you may appreciate, given that the Island community fundraised to build the Centre, the Riverside Centre Charity has sought to clarify why it has paid in the order of £1 million in rent in addition to the building cost at each of the Centre’s phased developments.

“During this time the Centre has also provided services such as a Transport Service (cost in excess of £200,000) and the emergency call out Centre (as required during the recent period of snow), without any reimbursement to date: clearly, these services, together with all other

services, will no longer be provided given the proposed budget reduction and increased charges.

“The Centre has sought clarification on these matters, and hopes to be able to provide stakeholders with greater clarification at the meeting.”

A statement from the Centre read: “The Trustees and Manager of the Riverside Centre consider it inappropriate to respond to the

serious allegations made by Mr Burbage through the media, and have written to the IWC Chief Executive, Leader of the IW Council, and the Riverside Centre ward member accordingly.

“Without commenting on the allegations, the Riverside would wish to make clear that officers of the Council carried out a thorough review of the Centre during the winter and two officers of the Council met with the Manager in February.

“The meeting lasted around an hour and during the meeting it was explained that given the condition of the building, the square footage and amenities, a comparable rental charge would be in excess of

£100,000.“The Manager clarified that, given

the proposed reduction in funding and other matters, this would make the Riverside Centre unviable and that he would be advising his Trustees accordingly, as well as writing to the Chief Executive of the Council to explain the situation.

“The Manager contacted all Trustees, and subsequently wrote to the Chief Executive of the IW Council on February 16 2010 a comprehensive letter containing the following paragraph:

“In particular, the ‘rent’ issue is of concern, especially the provisional estimate of over £100,000 per annum, which would make the Centre unviable and certainly not able to offer affordable personalised services in competition with other providers without this overhead.’

“The Chief Executive acknowledged receipt of the letter on February 17, and stating that there would be a response in due course. The Manager of the Riverside Centre, upon request from the IW Council, also forwarded a copy of the letter in advance of the Full Council meeting on February 24, in order to inform the decision making process.”

Dave Burbage, Isle of Wight Director of resources said: “It has to be remembered that the council is responsible for public money and it is in the interest of all council tax payers that it gets a fair and reasonable rent for its properties. Part of this involves rent reviews which are conducted in accordance with the terms of the existing leases and in a sensible and professional manner.

“In respect of the Riverside Centre, we have had a preliminary meeting with the centre regarding the clarification of a number of terms within the lease as part of a standard rent review process. No specific figures have been discussed, let alone formalised, and to suggest otherwise is incorrect and misleading.”

RENT RISK FOR THE RIVERSIDE

“There is a proposal to increase the ‘rent’ charged by the Isle of Wight Council to around £100,000 which would mean that the Centre would become unviable.”

BY JASON KAY


NEWS

‘INDIES’ GO ORANGE

WATCH out, Go Orange is about!

Please don’t be afraid if your whole day today (Friday) appears to be shrouded in orange.

It’s all part of the Go Orange Day celebrations, to raise funds and awareness for those magnificent men in their orange boats known as the independent lifeboat crews.

The three ‘Indies’ on the Island are based at Ryde, Sandown/Shanklin and Freshwater and they are out on the waters around the Island in all weathers performing amazing feats of bravery.

Throughout the year they complete scores of rescues, saving many lives with their skill and expertise. But many readers may not know that all crew members are volunteers, and all stations receive no financial support from Government or the IW Council.

They rely totally on charity events and fund raising to keep them afloat. So today’s Go Orange Day provides the chance for all Islanders to say a special ‘thank you’ to all those men and women from the independent lifeboats at Ryde, Sandown and Shanklin and Freshwater for their sterling work.

There are a host of Go Orange events planned, and shops, offices and schools will be parading Go Orange ribbons. The Gazette has also joined in the Go Orange fun, and we would ask all readers to support this worthy cause.

HERE are some of the hotels, shops and pubs who have pledged their support for today’s Go Orange Day:

Pets’ Paradise, Shanklin: Dressing up and selling ribbons.

Shanklin Co-op: Dressing up + ribbons, collection buckets on check-out tills.

Sandown Social Club: Ribbon sales, dressing up + raffle. Opening cash bottle from bar in the evening.

Trouville Hotel, Sandown: Line dancing weekend + ribbon sales.

King Harry’s Bar, Shanklin Old Village: James Bond - themed Casino Night. Tickets just £6 for £50 of

fun chips, Bucks Fizz reception and canapes. Bottle raffle etc. Start 7.30pm.

Party Shop, Shanklin: Ribbons, Go Orange shop front and dressing up.

Somerfield Shanklin: Dressing up + ribbons, collection buckets on check-out tills.

Somerfield Ventnor: Dressing up + ribbons, collection buckets on check-out tills.


NEWS

SEVERAL events have been organised to help raise funds for cerebral palsy sufferer Gracie May Fuller, who needs an operation so she can learn to walk.

Gracie May, from Shanklin, is due to go to the United States on July 26 for surgery, which is going to cost around £40,000.

To help raise the cash a quiz night is being held at the British Legion club in Shanklin, on March 9 at 8pm. It’s £5 per person, or £20 per team and the quiz is on general knowledge, sport, music and entertainment. There is a prize for the winning team and for best team name.

There is also an 80s revival night at Holliers Hotel, Shanklin Old Village on the March 27, with entry just £3.

Gracie May’s Magic Island party is at Magic Island on the March 28 from 11am to 1pm. The cost is £4.95 per child to include face painting, treasure hunt, cold buffet lunch full use of play area and fancy dress competition.

HELPING GRACIE

FESTIVAL FELLAS

FANTASY AT BESTIVAL

HOT on the heels of the ladies announced for Friday night in the Big Top at the IW Festival comes a six pack of lads bands to even up the bill.

The Editors, The Courteeners and The Coronas will play the main stage on Sunday while the newly reformed Reef will be in the Big Top. Noah and the Whale and American favourite Devendra Banhart will be drawing a crowd to the Big Top on Saturday.

With third album ‘In This Light And On This Evening’ debuting at No. 1 in the UK and delivering top ten placing throughout Europe, Editors are indisputably one of the biggest acts in the UK.

Manchester four-piece, The Courteeners, ended 2009 by playing their biggest gig of their career to date as 10,000 fans flocked to see them - a number will increase as they perform at the Festival’s Main Stage on Sunday 13 June.

A new decade heralds the

return of the unstoppable force of nature that is Reef as the West Country’s favourite sons reform for a nationwide tour. A firm festival favourite, the band will rock the Big Top on Sunday.

Formed in 2006, Noah and the Whale quickly gained a foothold on the London music scene being variously described as anti-folk, nu-folk and folk-pop.

Texas born Devendra Banhart exploded onto the international music scene in 2002 quickly winning a coterie of devoted plans as well as an unusually hefty amount of critical kudos right from the outset.

The Coronas have slowly but surely been embraced by their ever growing contingent of fans as one of the best Irish bands to emerge in the past five years and this was proved to be the case at this years 10th Anniversary Meteor Music Awards as the band were up against stiff competition and won ‘Best Album’. The Courteeners

The Editors Noah and the Whale

GET thinking about your favourite fantasy film or just your favourite fantasy because the Bestival have announced their fancy dress theme for this year and it is ‘Fantasy’ in any way you want to wear it.

And just to back it up they’ve also added a fantastic band to the

Bestival bill as legends Roxy Music will be playing the main stage on Saturday night.

More acts confirmed are Mumford & Sons, Chic (featuring Nile Rogers), Tricky and The Temper Trap.

Bestival said: “Having kept it a closely guarded

secret we can now unveil the incredible and much anticipated fancy dress theme for our Year Of The Fantastic - so we call upon you to descend from your starships, rise out of the seabed, fall from the stars, unleash the magick and release your imagination into our 2010 world of FANTASY...”

Rob da Bank said: “We are incredible pleased to announce that real life legends Roxy Music will be playing a hit-packed set on the Main Stage on Saturday night. One of the most influential acts of all time, the punks, new romantics, electro-poppers and more that have followed in their wake all owe a huge

sonic and sartorial debt to this truly timeless act. Driven by the refined and effortless cool of Bryan Ferry, one of pop music’s most revered frontmen, Roxy Music’s catalogue of boundary-crushing songs, that include Virginia Plain, Street Life and Love Is The Drug are sure to blow the Bestival faithful away.”

Commenting on their appearance Bryan Ferry said: “The Isle of Wight has a strong festival tradition so it’s great to be coming to Bestival with the original Roxy Music - it seems a great idea to have fantasy as this year’s theme. I’m also really looking forward to seeing Nile Rodgers and Chic again”.Roxy Music


FEATURE

CATERING EXCELS AT EXPOCATERING and hospitality exhibitors who came from across the Island to showcase their products and services hailed the third IslandExpo as a great success.

A particular favourite this year was the expo kitchen where celebrity chef, Anton Edelmann, was demonstrating his art on

Tuesday February 23. Also appearing in the kitchen on Wednesday was Aneke Spacie, who has worked at Harrods and the Ivy.

Top chefs from across the Island brought their expertise to the kitchen too including Jose Graziosi from the George and Tyler Torrence from the West Bay Club in Yarmouth,

Roger Sejent from the Taverners in Godshill, Charlie Bartlett from the Garlic Farm and Adam Fendyke from Goodman’s Bistro in Ventnor.

Goodman’s also brought their fabulous selection of European artisan cheeses and charcuterie and delicatessen products, which they import direct from Europe. They

visit cheesemakers in France and have sourced the best AOC cheeses along with a mouthwatering selection of cured meats, olives, grilled artichokes, courgettes, peppers and more.

Also distributors for the Real Olive Company, Goodmans has olives from Greece, Morocco, Spain, Italy, France – pitted, whole, green, black, jumbo, colossal, mixed, mariated, kalamata, picholine and aragon.

It was a first outing to the Expo for King Textiles, suppliers of chef and catering wear, health and beauty uniforms, safety workwear and footwear. Established on the Island for ten years, the company supplies all catering uniforms to the IW College and top hotels and

restaurants such as the Royal and Lakeside.

“It was very positive indeed and we’ve got some orders out of it already,” said Tracey Freeman.

King Textiles sponsored a pancake challenge in the Expo kitchen where Island chefs competed to make a pancake in the shortest time and to toss it the highest. Winner of the prize of a set of chef’s whites was Adam Fendyke of Goodman’s Bistro.

Yates’s Brewery were also at the Expo for the first time and were very pleased with the event. They had good feedback from their two real ales, Yates Undercliff Experience and Yates Holy Joe – named after a real character who used to live in

Ventnor.It was the first outing on

the Island for Schwaben Braumeister Pilsner, which Yates will be importing direct from Germany. Their wines and ales were used on the Expo kitchen and went down very well.

Hamilton’s Fine Foods took a wide range of their meats, sausages, pasties and pies. They also had their fine steak, pork and chicken pies, quiches and fruit pies and samples were on offer to try.

Island Cash Registers has different types of tills including one on a wide screen television, linked to a mouse. The company are celebrating 30 years in the business but are still bang up to date with developments in till technology.


FEATURE

HYPOTECH LTD, Isle of Wight, launched its new ‘green’ industrial cleaning solutions at the IslandExpo at Cowes Yacht Haven this week.

The SteriBev and SteriEx sterilizing solutions that have been invented by Island company HypoTech work by mirroring the human defence mechanisms. Although very powerful, the cleaning solutions do not contain any toxins and are set to revolutionise health and welfare in the UK and

across the world.Andrew Turner, MP for

the Island, said: “There is a great history of innovative products being developed on the Island and it is exciting that HypoTech are launching these ground-breaking goods that help meet the world’s green agenda.

“I wish HypoTech every success with raising the profile of the Island with SteriBev and SteriEx and their other exciting developments.”

SteriBev is for use by the

beverage and brewery trade and SteriEx is aimed at the catering industry. The breakthrough enables the catering and hospitality sector to meet the highest hygiene standards and at no cost to the environment.

Dan Spacie, Chief Executive Officer, HypoTech said: “We are launching SteriBev and SteriEx from the Island to show that innovation from the Isle of Wight can lead the world and that we are serious about the green agenda. HypoTech wants

to be part of the Island’s eco-policy, encouraging healthy workplaces and tourist venues by producing environmentally-friendly cleansing solutions without compromising on quality.”

The solutions contain no harmful irritants or chemicals, and yet are strong enough to totally wipe out life-threatening germs such as MRSA, C.Diff and Salmonella. Importantly, with such a powerful deterrent there are no waste disposal issues as the product

can be simply poured away and is not hazardous to handle.

Both products are cost-effective and easy to use. SteriBev will clean through brewery pipes and bar pumps, which do not have to be rinsed and helps ensure the quality of served drinks. SteriEx can be applied at all stages of food production – from the field all the way up to the plate without harm to people or the planet. The solutions can also be used as a diluted solution, pray or

wipe.Local companies such

as Brading Haven Yacht Club have been trailing the solutions with favourable results.

Following the launch, HypoTech will start rolling out the innovative products to other parts of the UK and Europe and is establishing a key presence in China. HypoTech is also looking at producing formulas for other areas, particularly the health and defence industries.


FEATURE

ADDING COLOUR TO THE CARNIVALHAVE you ever wondered where all of those fantastic Caribbean style carnival costumes in our carnivals came from? When you’re moving to the beat of the samba bands do you ever think “I don’t remember this kind of band in the carnivals

when I was younger?” Carnivals have always been

a big part of our culture here on the Island but in the past ten years or so there’s been a new breeze filling our streets with colour, light, sound and movement.

And it’s the Carnival

Learning Centre that is the hub of all of this activity. Although groups have now been set up around the Island to make costumes, lanterns, learn samba drumming, and loads more, it is from the Carnival Centre that all the skills have radiated.


FEATURE

is on show in the centre.The downstairs bar area now

houses a beautiful IT suite which is used for many different courses. An NCFE Entry Level 3 Certificate in ICT begins on March 10. The suite can also be hired for presentations and private uses.

To the rear of the building is a large storage room and a ‘wet room’ for carnival work that involves water such as paper mache and clay work. Apparently this was a wet room in its previous life too as it used to be the cage room – girls were encouraged to enter and then had foam poured on them.

Open the large doors from this room and outside in his own outdoor lean-to resides a most magnificent enormous paper mache bull. Made with a grant of £26k from the UK’s Centre for Carnival Arts in Luton, the technique to make him was learned by Island carnival students from artist Umberti Cinquini who came over from Viareggio, Italy’s carnival capital.

The bull has starred in a couple of carnivals in Luton and Bridgewater, and will make his Island debut this year with 40 dancers including one upon his back.

The centre are now gearing up for the opening ceremony of the Island Games in 2011 and working towards the Olympic games in 2012. The opening ceremony for the Island Games will be at Ryde Seafront on June 25, 2011 and will have the theme of the history of the Isle of Wight. The Romans and the dinosaurs are likely to be joined by the Chale Giant and the Snark Stang (an old Island word for a dragon fly).

The next carnival on the calendar will be a brand new procession in the West Wight to celebrate May Day, which is being organised with the West Wight Landscape Partnership. This Saturday a carnival club begins in West Wight Youth Centre to learn how to make carnival costumes.

Most of the schools in the West Wight will have after school carnival clubs organised by the Carnival Centre with a master class to make larger costumes being laid on in the week April 19 to 23.

A day of activities at Fort Victoria is planned for May 1 with a parade into Yarmouth to follow, the carnival will be ‘more earthy’, with Morris dancing the theme of the changing of the seasons and springtime.

The Carnival Centre is fast making the Island one of the top carnival centres in the country and it seems likely that an NVQ to become a carnival development worker might be available soon. Not only are we Festival Island we’re fast becoming Carnival Island.

PREVIOUSLY in Ryde Union Street, in the building that is now Olivos, the carnival team moved to their current location in the ‘Walzing Waters’ building behind Tescos in Ryde in April 2008.

The space had previously been a nightclub called ‘Livingstones’ and had been left in a disgusting mess. Washing up still sat in the sinks and ashtrays full of cigarette ends decorated the bars. A total refurbishment cost £500k and was paid for by the Arts Council of England and the Learning Skills Council.

Now it is resplendent in red brick and stone with lime green feature walls, and cerise pink upholstered chairs. Brightly coloured rip stop fabric banners and flags hang from the central bar/podium – a leftover from the building’s former incarnation.

In the main hall at the moment

Raw Samba meet weekly along with the African drummers (pres- umably on different nights), there are courses in mask making, traditional wire bending and Morris dancing lessons – for more details see the advert on the left.

A six week taster session of steel pan playing is coming up shortly and the centre are waiting to hear if they have funding for our own Island steel pan band.

A course to make King and Queen carnival costumes will take place later in he summer and you can also take a NCFE Level 3 in Advanced Carnival Arts. Jo Treagus completed this qualification and her beautiful black and white ‘Queen’ costume

CARNIVAL CENTRALBY JOMACAULAY


FEATURE

HEROES WELCOME AT PALACETRADITIONAL Indian dancers and live classical Indian music were on the menu for the Grand Opening of the Bombay Palace in Ryde on Monday evening.

Rising from the ashes of the burnt out thatched restaurant that stood on the Ryde Boating Lake site, The Bombay Palace was built by LV Construction with electrical work by SB Electrical.

Invited guests were treated to a sumptuous evening of food and wine in the brand new restaurant. Guests included the Mayor and Mayoress of Ryde, David and Sandra Woodford and Deputy Mayor Brian Harris and his wife Sandy.

The opening had planned for January 6, but had been postponed due to the extreme weather conditions.

Drinks and buffet were free, courtesy of their sponsors LV Construction, but guests were asked to make a donation to Help For Heroes and £500 was raised for the charity. LV then donated a further £250 and Bombay Palace another £250 to bring the total to £1,000.


FEATURE


NEWS

gazettethe isle of wight

REPORTING ISLAND NEWS

HOW TO CONTACT THE IW GAZETTE

YOUR NEWS

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Road, Isle of Wight, PO36 9PH Tel: (01983) 402599Fax: (01983) 404189

Email: [email protected]

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Write to: Jason Kay, Unit B18, Spithead Business Centre,

Newport Road, IW, PO36 9PH.Tel: (01983) 402599.


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Write to: Jo Macaulay, Unit B18, Spithead Business Centre, Newport Road, IW, PO36 9PH.

Tel: (01983) 402599. Email: [email protected]

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TWO of the best known faces in Folk, Folk/Rock and Acoustic music, Ashley Hutchings & Ken Nicol will be at Quay Arts at 8pm on Sunday February 28, as part of a national tour launching their new joint album ‘Copper, Russet and Gold’. The tour promises to be one fans across the country won’t want to miss.

The careers of British folk rock legends, Steeleye Span, have often been compared to a bus ride with members getting on and off along the way. If that is the case, then Ashley Hutchings and Ken Nicol have ridden at both ends of the journey.

It was Ashley that helped form the band forty years ago, bringing together the duos of Maddy Prior & Tim Hart and Gay & Terry Woods to record the seminal ‘Hark! The Village Wait’ album - a release that would come

to define a musical genre. Comparatively, Ken is very much part of the band’s future. Ken joined the band in 2002 and is now playing in the band’s longest ever line-up.

The pairs’ association goes beyond this one band however, with an affiliation lasting nearly 20 years; first in the Ashley Hutch- ings Dance Band and then when Ken joined the Albion Band. Despite this long partnership, there has never been a duo album until now.

Copper, Russet and Gold sees the light of day in 2010, comprising all original compositions that delve into the pairings’ rich musical history. The expected folk feel is certainly there, but also mixed with splashes of jazz, blues and rock. Lyrically too the record is a varied experience with tales of Old England, the misery of supporting a doomed football team, Sir Francis Drake, GIs in World War II Britain and the beauty of Paris.

It may have taken them a while to produce, but Nicol and Hutchings have made a record that glows with warmth, genuine character and charm. We can only hope it doesn’t take them so long to produce their next joint album. Tickets for the night are available from the box office on 01983 822490 and the CD is available from Park Records – www.parkrecords.com – and of course the audience can purchase it on the night.

STEELEYE SONGS

LOCAL landlady Kim Filby of The Broadway Inn, Totland, joined a Slimming World group at Cowes in May 2009 and dropped from a size 20 to size 12 by Christmas.

She says: “Like a lot of slimmers I had tried to lose weight so many times before by following different diets. I always found them so restricting - especially in my line of business as landlady being surrounded by food every day.

“When I opened a tea room alongside the pub, I started baking cakes, scones and quiches. Cook- ing great pub grub without tasting for flavour was in itself a challenge; so when I opened the tea room I thought I was destined to struggle with my weight for the rest of my life - but joining Slimming World was a revelation.

“Not only have I learned I can eat anything I fancy (and I mean anything) in moderation, but my weight loss has meant, perhaps even more importantly, that I have cut the medication for my asthma by half after over 40 years of being a sufferer!

“I have more energy and people say I look so much younger than

before. Slimming world isn’t just about changing what you eat it’s all about getting the support to choose a healthier lifestyle. I have never felt like I was on a diet – in fact quite the opposite.

“The eating plan encourages people to go back to basics and make the most of their shopping basket; making filling and satisfying meals from lean meat and poultry - meals which are suitable for the whole family so there is never a need to cook a separate meal for yourself.”

Kim is so enthusiastic about her weight loss she decided she would like to share her success with everyone.

“I am so impressed with Slimm- ing World. I just can’t wait to share with others the insight and understanding that helped me. I know this plan works and I look forward to helping my members by giving them the support they need to reach their goals.”

Kim’s Slimming World Group opened on Wednesday February 24 at the Memorial Hall, Fresh- water at 6pm. For further information contact her on 755333.

SLIM CHANCE

Before and after joining Slimming World

‘A TRAVESTY TO LOSE ROAD’THE LARGE chine/landslip appearing in the cliff between Brook and Hanover car parks on the Military Road is getting larger and the Isle of Wight Council has now installed temporary traffic lights on this section.

Concern about the chine was first expressed by prospective Lib Dem parliamentary candidate Jill Wareham in August 2009, and it has since been moving steadily toward the highway with the road now less than two metres from the cliff edge.

In the interest of public safety, IW Council has installed traffic lights to reduce part of the Military Road to a single-lane away from the cliff edge. Safety barriers are also being installed.

The council said that they have been carrying out daily safety inspections on the road for several weeks, and will continue to inspect the cliff daily, but Jill Wareham is calling for urgent action.

Peter Hayward, Isle of Wight Council Head of Highways and Transport said: “We are working on a

number of options for the long-term future of the road and these will be considered by the council’s cabinet in March.”

Jill has been monitoring the cliff falls at the narrowest point between the cliff edge and the road for the past five weeks. In this time, the cliff has fallen at least five metres. At that rate, she said, the road will have to be closed completely in a month’s time.

“If the Isle of Wight Council waits until March 30 to discuss the road it is likely to be closed completely. There appears to be a complete lack of urgency.

“The loss of this part of the road would have a devastating effect on the residents of Brook, the leisure users of Compton Bay and will have a major impact on the businesses in Freshwater Bay.”

Nick Hessey, publican at the Three Bishops in Brighstone, spoke on Thursday (February 25) about the road:

“It will be a travesty and a big loss to the Island and will effect trade over this side of the Island if the road

closes. And it will be effect Island tourism – it’s a major Island tourist attraction. They should have started doing something about it before.”

The collapsed cliff near Brook


FEATURE

MEET MY PARTNER

AND ALL OF HIS FRIENDS AND SEE WHAT THEY HAD

TO SAY...


FEATURE

WE MET THE PARTNERSAND THIS IS WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY

Q. Is there a priority of crimes and how does it work?

Isle of Wight Police Commander, Superintendent Norman Mellors

A. Violent crime on the Island has been falling over the past four years so I’m able to move resources from investigating violent crimes because it’s going down. In terms of importance, that’s normally set by surveys. People don’t want their houses burgled so we try to do as much as we can. On theIsle of Wight, you get a Rolls Royce service because I’ve got detectives here that will attend and attempt to detect as many burglaries as they can. In terms of overall priorities and budgets, we have a fortnightly meeting where we re-assess the crime situation overall. I have a balance of officers who are dealing with community and neighbourhood projects and they work in partnership dealing with anti-social behaviour. The next step for me is to try to prevent, especially young people or people with alcohol or drugs problems from getting into the criminal justice system, and solve the actual causes of the

problems rather than the symptoms.

Left to right: Stuart May, Assistant Chief Fire Officer of Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service, Supt. Norman Mellors Isle of Wight Police Commander, Ian Langley, Head of Wessex Youth Offending Team, Nikki Shave, Operations Manager of Hampshire and IW Probation Trust and Steve Beynon Chief Executive of Isle of Wight Council

Q. How do you communicate with deaf people in the community?

Isle of Wight Police Commander Superintendent Norman Mellors

A. The deaf community will know we use the mini-com system in the Force Control Room extensively. We also have a group of officers that call themselves P.L.O.D, that’s Police Liaison Officers for the Deaf. We use their specialist skills in signing to try to make the appropriate adjustments so we’re communicating strongly.

Barry Greenberry, HMP Isle of Wight Governor

A. A prison is a community within a high wall and we have to face exactly the same issues as the wider community outside with a few more restrictions. I can only imagine for certain individuals coming into prison who are deaf that the experience is that much more frightening and we need to address that very carefully. We do have staff who have been trained specifically in signing in order to assist individuals through their custody. We employ dedicated diversity managers

who I will be putting in contact with relevant people so we can try to do as much as we can.

Q. How much do you think tourism and the big festivals have an

impact on crime? Isle of Wight Police Commander Superintendent Norman Mellors

A. We’ve done research and our crime rates are seasonal. We have planning processes for the Isle of Wight Festival and Bestival. If you have tens of thousands of people come to the Island, all to live in a field for four days in tents, then their safety is a major responsibility for us all. We get a lot of co-operation from the promoters and a huge amount of work is done by the partnership to prevent crime. We have lots of proactive operations with our drugs dogs. The purpose is to stop drugs getting onto our Island and our young people being targeted by drugs dealers. Sometimes we get them at the ferry terminals in Portsmouth and Southampton, such is the level of our response. We’re doing a good job but we’re not complacent. Ultimately because of the partnership we’ve got here, we’re on top of those

situations.


FEATURE

Isle of Wight police commander, Superintendent Norman

Mellors said:

“I would like to thank all those involved in the successful ‘Partners Against Crime’ event. The police are always keen to present our work with the public and partner agencies in a professional, interactive and entertaining way.

“This event reinforced the importance of combined community efforts to deal

with the causes and symptoms of crime, so the Isle of Wight remains a safe place”

The IW Safer Roads Partnership had a stand outside Medina High

School and were giving road safety information to visitors from their mobile unit.

Authors of the hard hitting ‘Head On’ programme that is delivered to students in Island High School and which has been featured in The Gazette, Road Safety Officer, John Barry, was very pleased with the event.

“I feel the day as a whole was a major success. Our exhibition unit is an excellent way for us to engage the public and deliver our safety messages,” he said.

“The Road Safety Team works alone and in partnership with other organisations including the Fire Service, Police, Health Authority and volunteers, we deliver a range of initiatives aimed at reducing casualties from road traffic collisions. We provide a range of services that include; education and training for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians, these include: Driver Training, Driver Ratification courses, Pedestrian Training, Road Crossing Patrols and publicity and awareness campaigns.”

“It’s nice to see all of the different partners come together, we at road safety work hard and closely with the different partners to try and reduce casualties. The loss of lives through RTC’s is all too prevalent in today’s

society”

Isle of Wight Council Head of Community Safety Zoryna O’Donnell

said “Partners Against Crime was a very successful event.

“Several hundred people visited and we received a large amount of positive feedback. Many commented on how they enjoyed the day with its numerous family activities, community safety exhibitions and demonstrations such as the police dogs and Taser gun, L.I.F.E. project and an anti-bullying play by Red Tie. Some people also said they didn’t realise how much work goes on between the partner agencies on the Island.

“The council and its partners are very pleased with how the day went and we’ll soon start looking ahead

to putting on another event next year.”

Q. What can we do about so-called legal

highs? Ian Langley, Wessex Youth Offending Team

A. Some ‘legal high’ drugs are now illegal. Young people will always experiment. Education with young people in the classroom by people they trust I think is the place to start. There is also a job to be done in educating parents.

Steve Beynon, Isle of Wight Council Chief Executive

A. We have used both video and drama productions to get some of the messages across to young people. If you get the message across from their peer group, that has worked.


A. Legal does not mean safe. Some of the things young people

are experimenting with contain bleach used in the alloy wheels of cars. We need to use every avenue we can to give young people the information to make informed choices. One of the tactics I’ve discussed with the Governor of HMP isle of Wight is a reformed drugs prisoner who is in a position to give schools presentations so they can understand what can happen to your life if you make ill-informed decisions.

Q. Are we going to see budget cuts affecting the

work to keep young people away from crime? Steve Beynon , Isle of Wight Council Chief Executive

A. Services that support preventative activity will not be cut. In fact, we are looking to find ways to reinvest and extend our investment in those areas across the partnership but also within the way we’re going to change how the youth service works within the local authority. When we announced that we were going to change the way the Fire Service and Youth Service worked, people objected. We are going to be able to offer with more full-time firefighters, more LIFE courses.

We’re increasing the spend on the Fire Service but it will

benefit the youth of the Island. By changing the way the Youth Service works and taking away provision from buildings where young people hardly ever turn up, and we have to pay youth workers to be there, we can redirect our resources because it’s not about the Council doing it directly, it’s about the Council supporting the community and volunteers in the community to work with these young people, and that’s how we overcome the issue of budget cuts.

Stuart May , Assistant Chief Fire Officer, Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service

A. The data shows that fire calls are going down. There are a number of reasons for that. There is a drive nationally to broaden the remit of what the Fire and Rescue

Service does. We run a number of LIFE courses. They are basic courses where we bring young people in for a week. The courses can be tailored to their behaviour issues. For example, if we have a group of young people who have been experimenting with drugs, we can bring the Drugs and Alcohol Awareness team in.


A. There’s so much partnership working that’s positive here. We feel there are opportunities for some of our local businesses. If we can get business sponsorship for projects, instead of 100 young people going through a life changing event to prevent them from getting into trouble, maybe that’ll be 120 or 150.


FEATUREPARTNERS AGAINST CRIME

SMART WATER“There’s someone here who has committed a burglary and we’ll be checking them with a UV lamp to scan for the presence of Smart Water,” was the introduction to a demonstration at Partners Against Crime.

A man in a dark top, seemingly clean, was then picked out from the audience, scanned with an ultra violet light and his black top was found to be covered in the luminous green substance.

Phials of Smart Water were available free from the Smart

Water stand after the display, which was inundated with requests.

“A thief is far less likely to take property from a marked Smart Water area,” said Kieran Madden, Police Partnership Manager, Smart Water Techology Ltd. “We’ve found a marked reduction in burglaries in Smart Water areas.”

“Smart Water is a proven crime deterrent designed to impact upon the activities of prolific offenders whether burglars, car thieves or

fly tippers. Basically Smart Water is a forensic code, each is unique in its own right

“It’s used to mark individual households’ property and can be used tactically with a covert spray system to identify and mark offenders who may be committing burglary.

“Stations in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are equipped with scanning facilities to check the presence of Smart Water on persons who are coming into custody,” he added.



One of the most popular stands at the show was FAKE, Firearms and Knife Education, which had the actual guns used by the armed response unit on the Island along with a display of replica guns.

The unit has recently changed from using MP5s to ??? and both were on display – without any ammunition,

of course. The stand also had a non-lethal baton gun that fires a heavy-duty plastic baton around 10cm at a suspect and a tazer, which fires an electrical charge to disable a felon.

Visitors were asked to identify the real gun amongst a collection of around a dozen small handguns mounted on a

board. The message here was that if the public cannot tell a real gun from a fake one then neither will the police.

FAKE is taken into schools (Yrs 5, 6, 8 and 9) to educate youngsters about the dangers of carrying knives and fake guns. The programme has been running since 1997.

FAKE FIREARMS

A prison cell was recreated for the Partners Against Crime event with a small bed, sink, chest of drawers and toilet.

Prison Officers were on hand to tell it how it is. Often prisoners

are in these small cells for up to 23 hours a day.

Work and study are two reasons a prisoner might be able to leave his cell during the day but otherwise they are likely to

have only one and a half hours ‘association’ time when they can have a shower, make a phone call, watch television or play pool.

Saturday and Sunday daytimes they are more likely to have

association time but only if they behave.

Visitors to the stand could imagine how hard it would be to be locked into such a small space for such a long period of time.

HMP ISLE OF WIGHT



FIREFIGHTERS


JOB SEARCHPARTNERS AGAINST CRIME

P A R A M E D I C SJenifer Smith, Director of Public Health and Chief Medical Officer for the Island and Steve Beynon, Chief Executive of the Isle of Wight Council posed in an ambulance outside the Partners Against Crime

event.The health service is, of course,

an integral part of the fight against crime with many incidents becoming violent and casualties needing treatment in hospital.

The ambulance was parked outside the main entrance to Medina High School and visitors were encouraged to enter and familiarise themselves with the equipment on board.

For many people, being in the back

of an ambulance is an unlikely event and one that might never occur in their lifetime. But it’s always useful to know what might happen to you if you were to need the services of an emergency medical team and an

ambulance.Demystifying the processes of

dealing with crime, its effects and aftermath were covered by many of the participants in Partners Against Crime.

Director of Public Health Jenifer Smith and Chief Medical Officer for the Island Steve Beynon take part in a medical demonstration at Medina High Scool



FORENSIC FRIDAYA dummy in blue all in one overall was face down on the floor with police tape around the ‘body’. Blood was pooled under and to the side of the chest and visitors to the stall were invited to find five

clues to help catch the ‘murderer’.

This was a particularly popular stall for children who could also have their fingerprints taken or have badge sporting a thumbprint with their name. PCSO

Tracy Hinde was busy taking fingerprints and giving out advice.

Youngsters could also try on various police headgear and ‘spikeys’ were on offer - stoppers that fit into the mouth of a bottle

with just enough room for a straw. Designed to prevent anyone from spiking a bottled drink with drugs, these little brightly coloured stoppers are given out in schools and at police presentations.

Islanders supporting the campaign


JOB SEARCH

PART OF THE DEPARTMENT FOR WORK AND PENSIONS Job title Location Description Wages Duration Jobcentre Plus Reference Number. How to Apply:

Short Order Chef

Wakeful Night Care Assistant

Registered General Nurse ( RGN )

Telesales Role

Solar Thermal Installer

Home Carers

Cleaner

Cleaner

Freshwater

Newport

Newport

Ryde

Sandown

East, South and West Wight Areas

Cowes

Freshwater

Must have City and Guilds 706/1/2 or NVQ equivalent with a food hygiene certificate. Duties will include the day to day running of the kitchen, Will involve food preparation and cooking, supervising staff and ensuring the kitchen area is clean and tidy.

Must have minimum NVQ 2 in Care or equivalent and be experienced. Duties to include personal care of service users, administering medication and accurate record keeping.

RNA or RGN Level 1 required. Have an understanding of the day to day challenges of the care home environment. Duties include attending to the physical and emotional care needs of residents, promoting a holistic, and person centred approach. Successful applicants are required to provide an enhanced disclosure. Disclosure expense will be met by employer.

Previous experience is preferred however full training will be provided. Must be computer literate. Duties will include using the internet, calling existing customers, data entry and any other duties as required.

Practical experience of roofing and building works and knowledge of solar thermal electric systems is essential. NVQ plumbing level 2 or equivalent and good communication skills are required.

Own transport is essential. Must also have a caring nature and be flexible regarding working hours. No experience is required as full training provided to NVQ standard. Duties include delivering personal care and domestic assistants to elderly and disabled people in their own homes, preparing meals for service users, and all other associated tasks.

Cleaner required in retail store. Based in Cowes Co-op, Duties include sweeping, mopping and buffing the retail floor and back areas, emptying bins and cleaning the toilets.

Cleaner required in retail store. Based in Freshwater Co-op, Duties include sweeping, mopping and buffing the retail floor and back areas, emptying bins and cleaning the toilets.

Exceeds National Minimum wage depending on experience. 40+ hrs per week Initially split shifts then continuous shifts in height of season.

£5.80 per hour plus enhancement. 2 nights out of 7

£11.00 to £11.50 per hour40 hours per week

£6 per hour starting wage. 40 hrs per week. Mon-Fri 9am – 5pm.

Wage negotiable depending on experience. Full time hours – flexible to suit business needs.

£7.60 per hour weekdays£ 8.00 per hour weekends20-35 hours over 4/5 days over 7 between 7am and 10pm

£6.00 per hour. 12 hours a week, (2 hours per day, Monday to Saturday 6am to 8am)

£6.00 per hour. 12 hours a week, (2 hours per day, ) Monday to Saturday 6am to 8am

Permanent

Permanent

Permanent

Temporary – possibly permanent

Permanent

Permanent

Permanent

Permanent

NIW/9931- Visit www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk or call 01983 273747 to speak to an adviser quoting the reference number.

NIW/10082- Visit www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk or call 01983 273747 to speak to an adviser quoting the reference number.

NIW/10085- Visit www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk or call 01983 273747 to speak to an adviser quoting the reference number

RFM/6198 - Visit www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk or call 01983 273747 to speak to an adviser quoting the reference number

RFM/6169 - Visit www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk or call 01983 273747 to speak to an adviser quoting the reference number




FIND YOUR WAY BACK TO WORK WITH JOBCENTRE PLUS


PROPERTYBOGEYS


PROPERTY


PROPERTY

SANDY LANE, SHANKLIN - £225,000

A detached bungalow which benefits from living room, dining room, two

bedrooms, gardens & garage. Located on a bus route, midway between

Shanklin & Lake, which have lovely sandy beaches with safe swimming

due to generally calm waters.

• Garage • Conservatory • Garden• Two Bedrooms • Gas Central

Heating • Double Glazing

VENTNOR MANOR EAST WING - £299,950• Grade II Listed • Parking • Three Bedrooms • Two Reception Rooms

• Garden • Flagstone Floor

The East Wing forms part of this imposing Manor House which is grade

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beneath a thatched roof the with parts of the original house dating from 1730 when it was known as

Ventnor Farm.

NEW RD, LAKE - £155,000

A semi-detached house which has undergone a complete make-over with a luxury bathroom and

quality kitchen, two bedrooms, two reception rooms, garden & driveway.

• 80ft Garden • Period Features• Convienient Location • Off Road Parking • Completly Refurbished

• Garden Workshop

ARTHUR STREET, RYDE - £174,950

This Victorian detached three bedroom home comprises of a

living room, dining room, kitchen, bathroom, shower room, conser-vatory, south facing garden & off

road parking.

• Off Road Parking • Conservatory• Chain Free • Three Bedrooms

• South Facing Garden• Long Leasehold 999 yrs

COLLINGWOOD RD, SHANKLIN- £260,000

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FEATUREMOTHER’S DAY

THE TASTY BISHOPSMothering Sunday in a beautiful Island village with thatched cottages, a picturesque church and a traditional English pub. Brighstone’s Three Bishops ticks all the boxes as the ideal location for your Mother’s Day lunch.

Open from midday until 9pm for food, a Sunday roast is always popular here with a choice of four roast meats this Mother’s Day – lamb, beef, pork or turkey. There is a choice of five vegetables to accompany and all are local produce.

Added to this there is a full menu and a specials board so there will be something to

suit every mum. Each table will have a vase of flowers and the two log burning fires are still likely to be lit to give a lovely homely atmosphere.

Four real ales are on tap and there is a good selection of wines along with spirits and soft drinks.

The pudding boards change regularly with lots of sweet treats such as syrup sponge, apple pie, cheesecake, crumble, knickerbocker glory and lumpy bumpy, a sponge and fresh cream concoction with a hard chocolate shell. All are home made or sourced locally.

If you have kids in with you they can get fractious

and to solve that problem there is now a wonderful new wooden play area in the garden. The Adventure Trail has ten different challenges including a wobbly bridge, tyre swing, rope net, stepping stones and balance beams.

There’s a large free car park and covered outdoor smoking patio. On a sunny day you might like to sit in the glazed pergola.

Chris and Helen Hessey and their staff will welcome you to the Three Bishops and hope you have a wonderful visit. Booking is recommended for Mother’s Day, as this is a popular location.

Mother’s Day 14th March


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HIGH-FLYING Cadets from the Isle of Wight joined other Cadet colleagues from all over the UK to celebrate the launch of ‘Cadet150’. Whilst a National Launch was being held at Buckingham Palace, Island Cadets posed in front of the IW Ferry in Yarmouth to symbolically celebrate the launch.

The eight Cadets from the Island were:- Corporal Christian Ktomi (17) from Cowes; Sergeant Tom White (18) from Cowes; Corporal Tom Evans (15) from Sandown; Marine Cadet Adam Ellison; Cadet Lucinda Harris (13); Lance Corporal Jamie Grinyer (17) from Sandown;

Corporal Cass Loe (16) from Ryde; and Flight Sergeant Jess Taylor (19) from Newport.

Cadets representing the Sea Cadets, Army Cadet Force the Air Training Corps, and the Combined Cadet Force, all came together to celebrate the National Launch of 150 years of the Cadet Force Movement at Buckingham Palace at Midday on the 17 February 2010 with the year of celebration being entitled ‘Cadet150’. Twenty six Cadet Ambassadors from all Cadet Forces throughout the UK travelled to London to have an audience with Her Majesty The Queen who is Patron.

Later that evening the

Cadet Ambassadors joined Government Ministers, the Mayor of London, and senior personnel from the Cadet Forces, at a reception at Lancaster House where the Ulysses Trust (an organisation that supports adventurous training expeditions by members of the Reserve Forces and Cadets) hosted a reception to launch the Cadet150 expedition to Lesotho, South Africa.

Sixty specially selected cadets will be embarking on this unique expedition to southern Africa during which they will work with orphans and vulnerable children in Lesotho. WO2 (Warrant Officer) Mandy Price

from Cowes High School CCF (Combined Cadet Force) is going on the Lesotho trip as one of the leaders.

Cadets from Cowes and Ryde CCF will be taking part in a round the Island relay on May 8/9 and a swimming gala is being organised for May 15.

Dozens more cadets will be challenging themselves on treks and expeditions all over the world, including Peru, Nigeria and the Himalayas. Back in the UK there will be competitions showcasing first aid and a wide array of sports, as well as a special residential camp for cadets participating in The Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award.

CADETS COMBINE Left to right, back: Cpl Christian Ktomi (17) from Cowes, Sgt Tom White (18) from Cowes, Cpl Tom Evans (15) from Sandown,

Marine Cadet Adam Ellison, LCpl Jamie Grinyer (17) from Sandown. Left to right, front: Cadet Lucinda Harris (13), Cpl Cass Loe (16) from Ryde and Flight Sgt Jess Taylor (19) from Newport.

AS A RESULT of the incessant rain we’ve been having, the bottom part of Seaview Wildlife Park has flooded into one giant lake. There was no longer a pathway so it made feeding the wildfowl really challenging.

Three of the animal keepers came up with an innovative solution however … why wade out in waders when you can cruise in a canoe?

PADDLING TO FEED THE DUCKS


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NEWPORT MISS OUT AT WIMBORNENewport suffered a 3-1 defeat they will quickly want to forget when they visited Wimborne Town in the Sydenhams Wessex League, Premier Division.

The Island side has Gary Streeter sent off for violent conduct, and were undine by two goals from former player Lee Chudy.

The Port were behind inside four minutes Steve Gilbert headed home, but they were back in the game 15 minutes later Tom McInnesnetted with a near post header.

Despite pressure to take the lead, The Port slipped to defeat as Wimborne grabbed two more

goals in a four-minute spell before the break. Their hopes of a comeback all but ended when they were reduced to 10 men on 65 minutes as Streeter was shown a straight red, and now faces a three-match suspension.

Cowes Sports battled bravely in their home game with

Christchurch, before losing by the odd goal in seven.

Sports found themselves two goals adrift inside 15 minutes but hit back to level before the break through Mark Augustus and Craig Thomas.

Augustus then had a penalty saved, but managed to turn in the

rebound to give Sports the lead, only for Christchurch to hit back with the equaliser before grabbing the winner just before the final whistle.

Brading Town’s home clash with Hayling Utd was postponed, while in Division One East Cowes Vics lost 3-0 at home to Hamble ASSC.

In a match organised to celebrate the birthday of Ventnor Chairman Stuart Babbington and Ventnor stalwart and Gurit employee Ian Payn some superb rugby was played in appalling conditions.In the paddy field that was Watcombe Bottom, Ventnor came unstuck in the mud against a committed Gurit team.

Ventnor kicked off straight to Freeston who charged up field supported by Bucknall and Lyon in the back row. The ball was rucked over and Simler fed Bridges who passed to Pickard for another charge, the lumbering forwards smashed the Ventnor pack off the

ball and Armiger picked up and dived over to score. He strode up confidently to kick the conversion but missed by a country mile.

Ventnor couldn’t cope with the power and pace of the Gurit team. Pickard and Armiger were making ground every time they got the ball and the superior rucking by the front row of Young, Lilly and Payn secured even more ball to be run back at Ventnor.

The home side were over zealous with their attempts to secure the ball and were diving over at every opportunity, on one such occasion they were penalised in front of the posts and Armiger stepped up to

try and make amends for his earlier missed kick. He nonchalantly stroked the ball with his right foot only to see it go low and wide.

A period of pressure in the bottom corner of the pitch should have resulted in a score for Gurit. The lineout was working well with Lilly throwing to Lyon for secure ball at the front. The drive by Wood and Guy in the second row should have led to a further score but the more experienced Ventnor pack led by the ever youthful Marsh snaffled any opportunities to ground the ball.

Ventnor couldn’t get out of their half and with the back three of

Rye, Muir and Ruttledge running any loose ball back to Ventnor the pressure was growing. Half time came and the tide started to turn.

Ventnor looked the more likely to score in the second half where they cranked up the pressure. Martin and Riches were finding the corners with penetrating kicks. Gurit were tackling everything that moved and there were some real beauties from Wood and Bonser.

The Gurit pack were still dominating at the ruck and were beginning to have the upper hand in the scrum with Young on his debut in this position being the key. Ventnor were camped inside the

Gurit 22 for most of the second half with the only respite coming from breaks by Ruttledge, Pickard and Armiger.

The Gurit defence held firm with Simler and Bucknall being particularly aggressive in the tackle. Ridoutt and Bonser were doing there fair share of defensive duties on the wings and the whole team commitment was exceptional as they held out for a well deserved win.

The Gurit team would like to thank Ventnor for their hospitality and special thanks to the referee for the day Mr Malkin who made the match even more enjoyable.

GURIT WIN MUD BATH


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THUNDER TAKE CONTROLIW Thunder ice hockey team scored two emphatic victories in their latest outings, scoring 16 goals without reply.

But despite trouncing Peterborough Under 16s 11-0, they came up against firm resistance from the visitors in the opening stages.

Having made an early breakthrough from Bobby Gardner, the Thunder had the majority of the play, but often sought to over complicate matters in front of goal. When they did manage to break through the

Peterborough rearguard they found the opposition goalie on the top of his game and it was another nine minutes before the home side doubled the lead through Aidan Doughty.

They further extended the lead when Luke Bontoft scored before the end of the period. A quick second from Doughty soon after gave the Thunder opportunity to really cut loose but scoring still proved to be difficult until Doughty took control of the game with two quick

goals. Further goals were added from Dan Bennett, Doughty and Bontoft to make the score 9-0 at the end of the second period.

Joss Osman scored his first goal for the club in the final period before Doughty closed out the scoring. Special mention should go to Hannah Bowkis who, despite limited playing opportunities this season, has yet to concede a goal. Man of the match was Ben Thomas Hart with Connor Price receiving spirit of the game.

Thunder then proved too strong for Streatham undeer16s, hitting five without reply.

They travelled to the capital expecting a stern test from a Streatham side still smarting from a bad tempered defeat on the Island a fortnight earlier.

With a boisterous home crowd behind the home side the Thunder were under the cosh in the early stages and had to rely on their miserly defence to keep Streatham at bay. Sensing that they

could get an early advantage chances were slim in the first period and the Thunder were satisfied to get to the end of the period all square. The Streatham onslaught proved to be short lived as they began to wilt in the second period allowing the Thunder to gain more of a foothold in the game.

The first goal duly arrived from sharp shooter Aidan Doughty after 20 minutes. This jolted Streatham back into life but they could live with the superior play and

fitness of the Thunder. Dan Bennett added a second Thunder goal on 24 minutes with Doughty extending the lead to three nine seconds later.

The Thunder continued to hold Streatham at arm’s length for the remainder of the match. Doughty added two further goals in the last two minutes to give the score a true reflection of their superiority. Man of the Match was Sean Molloy with Aaron Craft awarded spirit of the game.

Wightlink Raiders made their final return to the Cardiff Arena for the 2009-2010 season as they took on the Cardiff ENL Devils.

They were looking to avenge the 7-0 defeat they suffered in the Welsh capital back in November. The game was billed as a feisty and didn’t fail to disappoint!

Despite the host team taking a series of penalties in the opening period the Raiders found it difficult to capitalise. The advantage in numbers was cut short when Coach Jeremy Cornish received a two

minute minor, with the resulting four on four play giving the Devils the opportunity to make the big ice work to their advantage, and Stephen Fisher broke the deadlock with a shot into the top corner of Matt Colclough’s net.

Just 30 seconds later the Devils doubled their lead through Tim Burrows, and then took their advantage to three as Ben Davies managed to convert on a Powerplay.

The Raiders dug deep going through the second period, but

the only goal of the period went in the home team’s favour early in the period. After this setback the Raiders rallied, putting some real pressure on the home outfit. Tempers eventually boiled over as Raiders forward Stewart Tait dropped the gloves with Cardiff Devils captain David James, in what was the prelude to what has been dubbed the ‘fight of the season’ as Island local lad Andrew Robison went toe to toe with Devils D-man Gareth Dixon, the Raiders forward coming out on top.

The third period saw the Raiders go down by another two goals early in the period, before prolific goal scorer Stewart Tait managed to slot the first Raiders goal of the night past the Devils netminder. Tait then quickly followed this up with his second, but the Devils then managed to add two more goals before Toby Cooley took over in between the pipes for the Raiders and Luke Takel replaced Mike Brabon in the home team net.

At the restart Tait showed some real skill as he completed his

hat-trick with a well placed shot on 51.11. The home team then rounded off their scoring Watkins landing their ninth. But Raiders coach Jeremy Cornish had the final word as he took advantage of a favourable rebound to make the the score Raiders 4, Devils 9.

The Raiders are on home ice this Saturday (Feb 27) at the Ryde Arena, with face off at 6.0pm.The Raiders are then on the road to Milton Keynes as they take on the Thunder at the Leisure Plaza with a 6.30 pm face off.

DEVILS CREATE HELL FOR RAIDERS


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SPORT

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Wightlink Raiders defence man Dan Scott had vowed to be back on the ice again for the start of next season after suffering an horrendous ankle injury in a freak accident.

Scott, 22, does not yet know whether he will need further surgery after fracturing and dislocating his right ankle when playing in Raiders’ ice hockey match against Bracknell.

He accepts he could be spending the next six months on crutches,

but is determined to be fit and ready for the start of Raiders’ new campaign in September.

Scott told the Gazette about the fateful moments when he realised he had suffered such a bad injury. He said: “I went into the corner with a Bracknell player chasing the puck, and as he slipped, I went over the top of him.

“But my right skate seemed to catch his leg, so my ankle stopped by my body carried on. The pain was excruciating, and I knew

straight away I had picked up a real bad one.”

Scott has already had the dislocation put back in place, but is now anxiously waiting for the welling around the ankle to go down before specialists decide the best course of action to aid his recovery.

He continued: “If it heals all right, then I will not have to have it pinned. But I shall be having X-rays more or less every week to see how it is settling down. I know

the worst case scenario will be having a pin in the ankle, and that means a long spell on crutches.

“Then I will have to start physiotherapy, so I know I could be off the ice for at least six months, although I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will be a bit less than that.”

Scott played for Raiders for four months last season before being released. But he won his place back with the Island outfit at the start of this campaign, and has been a key

performer.He added: “The season ends in

March, so I am heading back up to my home town of Nottingham to begin my rehab. Hopefully, thing will go according to plan, although in the close season I work as a doorman, and I don’t think I shall be doing that this summer.

“The lads will be back on the ice in August to prepare for the next season, and I am keeping my fingers crossed that I shall be there with them.”

END OF SEASON FOR DAN

David Buckman snatched victory in a closely contested John Cowper Cup at Shanklin and Sandown Golf Cub.

Buckman scored 40 stableford points to finish just one in front of Neil Doble, while third fourth

and fifth places were decided on countback after Derek Maidment, Kin Johnson and Andy Steel all finished on 38.

The Cheverton Cup was also a close-run event with Tony Williams and Julie Miller scoring 38 points, to finish

two ahead of David Ames and Carole Bingham with Mo and Lesley Ismail a further point back in third.

David Ames scored an impressive 46 points to win Division One of the Open Stableford. Aggy Iona was

runner-up on 42, while in Division Two the honours went to Keith Wickham (45) with Kevin Griffiths (41) in second place.

A Junior Stableford competition was won by Max Hill (44) with Conor Richards

(43) in second place. Westridge Golf Club’s

Medal Division One saw Ollie Kearney the clear winner. Ollie, playing off 17, went round in 71 for a net 54.Tony Ward (73-12=61) finished second, ahead of third placed

Alan Seager (73-12=61) on countback.

Division Two was won by Martin Debenham (84-25=59) who beat Nick Geeson (79-20=59) on countback with Mick Sadler (85-24=61) taking third place.

COWPER CUP VICTORY FOR BUCKMAN

Raiders defence man Dan Scott out for the rest of the season

IW Gazette 54

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