Island Magazines April 23 Bembridge & St Helens area

Beforewe hadthe luxuryof electricity peopleused candleclocks totellthe timeand wakeupby.

Acandle clockworks byburninga candleata constantrate andmarking thecandleor holderatregularintervals,such aseveryhalf-inch,toindicate howmuchtimehaspassed.

Themostbasicdesign,which wasusedinAncientRome, involvedplacingacandleina metalholderand insertingmetalnails intothecandleat predetermined intervals.Whenthe waxreachesthe desiredlevelof melting,thenail clattersintothemetal base,wakingthe personup.Thiswas probablythesimplest substituteforroosters, streetcries,and(of course)factory whistlesforthe workers. Thismethodalso allowedthemtohavea‘snoozebutton’orinthosedaysa‘snoozenail’

Withthepriceofelectricityatthemomentitmightbeworthbringingthis inventionbacktomoderndaylife.

WelcometotheAprilissue–and thankyouforpickingupacopyof yourlocalcommunitymagazine.

Inthisissuewehaveourregularnews reportssoreaderscankeepuptodate withlocalnewsforthearea.Our ‘DatesforyourDiary’sectionis packedwitheventshappeningacross theislandinAprilincludingevents happeningovertheEasterWeekend whichthisyearisfromthe7thuntil the10thApril.

Wemustkeepourfingerscrossedthat theweatherisgoodandtherainstays awayasit’stimewehadsomegood sunnydayssowecantopupour vitaminDandenjoyislandlife.

IrememberwhenIwasachild,EasterSundaywasthebestdayasbackthenEaster eggswereonlyevergivenontheSundayandwereonlyavailableintheshopsfora coupleofweeksbeforethebigday,butnowadaysyoucangototheshoponboxing dayandbuythemandbecauseofthisIhavealreadyconsumedfartoomanyof them…andI’msureI’mnottheonlyone!

IfyouareorganisinganycommunityeventsinMay,pleasesendusthedetailssowe canshareinthenextissue.

Wehavesomegreatlocalbusinessescoveringmanydifferenttradesandofferinga varietyofservicesadvertisingwithus.Pleasesupportthembyusingtheirservices andlettingthemknowyousawthemadvertisedhere.

IhopeyouenjoythisissueandhaveagreatAprilandIlookforwardtocatchingup withyouagainsoon.

Age UK Isle of Wight is providing digital support in your area. We provide help for those who are new to accessing digital services, as well as helping people get online who currently do not have any internet.

We can loan you a smart tablet or phone (with data included) and provide one to one tuition to get you started online, safely and confidently.

If you are interested in finding out more about our digital loans scheme, please contact our Digital Support Office on (01983) 301693 or email digital@ageukiw.org.uk

Email:joe.robertson@iow.gov.uk

IampleasedtoreportthatIhavebeen successfulinsecuringagrantfromour HampshireandIsleofWightPoliceand CrimeCommissioner,DonnaJones,to helptackleanti-socialbehaviour.Together withLukeKerrofWightWaveBeach Sportsandlocalpolicewehaveput togetheraprojecttodivertyoungpeopleat riskofbeingdrawnintocriminalityinto sportsinstead.WightWaveprovides organisedsportsatAppleyinRyde throughoutthesummerwhendatashows usthattheretendstobeaspikeinantisocialbehaviour.Thegrantmoneywill allowlocalpolicetoreferyoungpeople whoareknowntobecausingtrouble includingthoseinBembridgeandnorth eastWighttoLukeandhisteam–professionalcoacheswithcivilianand militarybackgrounds–tochannelenergy inamorepositivewayandlearnnewskills. ThroughvariouspartnersWightWavecan provideprofessionalcoachingtrainingand qualificationsandemployment opportunities.

TheLevellingUpandRegenerationBillis currentlygoingthroughParliamentand containsaprovisiontoallowEnglish Councilstochargeapremiumonsecond homesupto100%ofCouncilTax, however,thatbillisstillintheHouseof Lordsandithasnotcomeintoeffectatthe timeofwriting.TheIsleofWightCouncil hasneverthelessgivenanindicationthatit willintroduceapremiumonsecondhomes whenthelawcomesintoeffect,andithas thepowertodoso.Isupportthepossibility ofapremiumifthereisasoundeconomic casefordoingsobutIvotedagainstthe ideaofmakingthisaneffective200% CouncilTaxrateonthosehomesatthis time,alongwiththemajorityof Councillors.Notleastthevotewasmuch tooprematureasanydecisionwouldbe

unenforceableasthelawis notcurrentlyinplace.I wanttoensurethat whateverpremiumis charged,ifandwhenthepowerscomein, thattherevenueisspentintheparishes wherethemoneyisraised.Thatmeans anyadditionalfundsraisedbyan additionaltaxonsecondhomesin BembridgewouldbespentinBembridge benefitingthelocalcommunity.

BythetimeofpublicationIwillhavemet withtheIsleofWightCouncil’stree officertodiscussthecurrenttreeworks applicationinthewoodlandalongLove Lane.Icontinuetohaveconcernsabout alltheclearancethathasbeentaking placeinthewoodlandandwillbe meetingonsitewithMrWillis.

Iwillalsobemeetingwiththedrains officeragaintodiscussaparticularissue atthebottomofHillway.Thisisin additiontothepreviousmeetingsat StationRoadandLaneEndRoad.With thesupportoftheParishCouncilwe hopetomakeprogressonsomeofthe morelocalisedfloodissueswithinthe Village.

Theplanningapplicationontheland betweenHillwayandSteyneRoadwas notontheMarchPlanningCommittee agendasotheearliesttimeitcouldbe consideredisatthePlanningCommittee Meetingon25th April,howeveritmay wellbedelayedfurtherwhileaccessissues areaddressed.Whenitcomesbeforethe PlanningCommitteeIwillbespeakingon behalfofthecommunitytorejectthe planasitstands.

Nevermissoutonreadingacopy ofIslandMagazines.

Ifyoucan’tgetouttopickupa copyfromlocaldistributorsyou cansubscribetoeitherour ‘PRINTED’or‘DIGITAL’edition eachmonth.

For printedsubscriptions there willbeasmallchargefor£1.20 permonthpayable6monthsin advance.Tosubscribeemail islandmagazines@gmail.comwith yournameandaddressandwhich areayouwouldlikeorcalluson 07880587931.

For digitalsubscriptions please emailbembridgemagazine@gmail.com andincludethewords‘subscribe digital’intheemail,thensit back,relaxandwaitforthenext issuetodropintoyourinbox.

WordLadder

Awordladderisasequenceofwords formedbychangingjustonelettereach time.Canyoufindthemissingword? Usethecluesifyougetstuck.

Sudoku

BEEHIVE BOB

FEATHERED

FRENCHBRAID PERM

TWIST

DREADLOCKS CORNROWS AFRO

FISHTAIL

UPDO

BEDHEAD CURLY

STRAIGHT PIGTAILS

PONYTAIL

FOUNTAIN PIXIE BUN BANGS

Hairstyles

Lastmonth'sanswersforWordLadder:-prune,prone,phone,shone,shove,shave,shame,shams,seams,teams,tears,pears

Tel:07528586683

Althoughtheweathercanbemixed,AprilisthefirstrealmonthofSpring.Woodlandscome alivewithbirdsongandthelackofleavesinthecanopyresultincarpetsofwoodanemonesand inancientwoodlandyoushouldbeabletofindthedelicatenarrow-leavedlungwort.Primroses areinabundanceindampwoodlandandalongthehedgerowswhilethefirstwildbluebells shouldappearmid-month.

ThebreedingseasonformanyspeciesofbirdisunderwaywhileearlymigrantsliketheSand Martin,WheatearandChiffchaffwillhavearrivedbythestartofthemonth.Hopefully,bymidmonththefirstCuckoo,SwallowandHouseMartinwillhavebeenseenwithSwiftsandthe summeringwarblersbytheendofthemonth.

Earlyseasoninsectsareonthewing,includingafurry-lookingbeewithalongprobosciswhich couldbemistakenforsomethingfearsomewithasting!Infact,itisnotabee,butaharmless Bee-flyandIneedyourhelppleasetorecordthemfortheNationalBee-flywatchsurvey,now initseighthyear.

TherearetwospeciesofBee-flyseeninApril:Dark-edgedBee-flyandtheDottedBee-fly. Theycanbeidentifiedbytheirdifferentwingpatternascanbeseeninthephotos.Theyusethe longproboscistonectartheearlyseasonflowers,sothechallengeistophotographthemand thenrecordthemonthesurveywebsite.

Therecordingform,andmoreinterestinginformationaboutBee-flies,canbefoundathttp:// soldierflies.brc.ac.uk/bee-fly-watch.Thesurveyalsohelpstopromoteanawarenessofthe speciesandthefactthattheyareharmlessandshouldnotbedestroyed.Iamalwayshappyto helpwithidentification.

IwillalsobeattendingtwoeventsinAprilrunningtheButterflyConservationtable.On Saturday22nd April,IwillbeattheEarthDayeventatBradingRomanVillaandonSunday30th April,IamattheSpringOpenDayattheDonkeySanctuaryatWroxall.Ihopetoseesomeof youtherewhereIwillbetalkingaboutbutterfliesandmothsandhowyoucanhelpthem.

Dark-edgedBee-fly(notedarkedgetowings)

DottedBee-fly(notespotstowingsand nodarkedgetowing)

E:jonathan.bacon@iow.gov.ukorsthelenscouncillor@gmail.com

Iliketotalkaboutmorelocalissuesinthis column,butthismonthachiefconcernfor manyisthenewCouncilTaxbillswillhave beenarrivingthroughletterboxesrecently.

Noonelooksforwardtoreceivinganybill, particularlywhen,liketheseones,theyare biggerthanbefore.

Understandablythecrygoesup complainingabouthavingtopaytoreceive poorerandfewerservicesorsimplyabout receivingnothingforthemoneywepay.

However,Councils,likeallofus,sufferthe effectsofinflation.Thesamesumofmoney thisyearbuysalotlessthanitdidlastyear. AcrossthecountryLocalAuthoritieshave notbeenabletokeepupwithinflationas whattheycanraiseinCouncilTaxis ‘capped’,effectivelyphysicallybarring authoritiesfromprovidingthesamelevels ofservicetheydidbutafewyearsago.The effectofthishasbeenmassivelyexacerbated bythefinancialcrisistheCountrywas thrownintolastsummer.Ofcourse,ifyou orIhavelessmoneywebuyless,ora cheaperbrandorsimplygiveupsomething andthatiswhatlocalauthoritieshave essentiallyhadtodoforthelasttwelve years.Thatmightbeacceptable,indeed manyhavesupportedit,buttherecomesa pointwherethingsareatriskofcollapsing.

UnlikeyouorI,theIsleofWightCouncil has‘statutoryresponsibilities’,thatis,things thatthelawrequirestheCounciltodo(and byextensiontoraiseandspendmoneyon). Theapproachtolocalauthorityfinances overrecentyearshasmeantthatothernonstatutoryfunctionshavesimplybeen dropped,butmorerecentlycutstostatutory responsibilitieshavehadtotakeplace.But thereisonlysofaryoucangountilyou reachapointwherethelevelofservices becomesatriskofnotbeinglegal.Ifa Councilcannotfulfilitsobligations,it becomesbankruptandinsteadofpoor

servicestherearenoservices.Thishas happenedelsewhereinthecountryinthe lastyear.Thesolutionwastoliftthecap onCouncilTaxinthoseplaces.Inone casethelevelwasincreasedby15%.

Noneofthismakesthepainofhigherbills anylessbutithopefullyhelpsto understandwhyCouncilsacrossthe Country,includingtheIsleofWight Council,havefoundthemselveswithlittle ornochoiceintheirbudgetsetting.

Despitehavinghadourbudgetcutinhalf inthelastdecadeessentialstatutory servicesarestillbeingmaintainedonthe Island.Perhapsnottothelevelanyofus wouldlike,buttheyarestillthere.It shouldalsobeborneinmindbythosewho say‘Igetnothingformymoney’that CouncilTaxfundsservicesforsociety generally.Weallpayintosupportthe workoftheCouncilacrosstheboard.The twomainareasofstatutoryresponsibility whichtheIsleofWightCouncilbearsis Children'sCareandAdultSocialCare. YouorImaynotbenefitfromthose servicesdirectly,butwemaydosoone day.CouncilTaxbringsinjustover£90m. Whenyoubearinmindthebudgetfor thesetwoareas.aloneexceeds£82m, beforeyouevenstarttoconsider Highways,theEnvironment,Housingand manyotherareas,youcanperhapsstartto seehowdifficultthingsare.

Ifyouwouldliketodiscussthisorany otherCouncilissuewithmethenpleasedo nothesitatetogetintouch.Icanbe contactedatanytimeandIwillalways respondtomessages.Ihavesetoutmy contactdetailsabove.

Ialsoholdmonthlysurgeriesatthe PaviliononStHelensGreen.Thenextfew dates(allat10aminthemorning)areas follows:April25th andMay23rd .

Someoneyoucanrelyon!

Ifyouarelookingforahandymanor locksmiththenAndyStephenisthemanto getincontactwith.

Hecanassistwithhouseholdrepairsand maintenancejobseitherinthehouseor aroundthegarden.Andyhasover35 years’experienceasalocksmithandcan thereforecoverallrequirements.

Heisreliableandfriendlyandwillturnup whenhepromisestoo.Heunderstandsthe importanceofcustomerserviceand satisfactionandgoestheextramileto ensureyouarehappy andsatisfiedwithhis work.

Formoreinformation giveAndyacallon 07885244878and seehismainadvert.

Fromjoy’shumblecrumblekitchen

The'boilmethod'isasimpleandeasywaytocookandonewhichwehavebeenusing foryears...butbyaddingafewsimpletwistsandingredientsyoucantakeyournext mealfromordinaryintoextraordinary!!Well,moreinterestingandflavoursomebutyou getwhatwemean!

SIMPLE ASIANRICE

600mlchickenorvegstock

285gr.jasminerice

1tbsp(lowsodium)soysauce

75gfrozenpeas•

2xspringonions-thinlysliced

Serves4-6

ULTRACRISPY

POTATOESserves4-6

1.Combinerice&stockinalarge saucepan

2.Coverandbringtotheboilthenreduce heattolow-simmerfor18minutes,

3.Stirthericeandcheckfortendernessand allliquidhasbeenabsorbed,

4.Drizzlewiththesoysauce-toss/stirto coatwell

5.Addthepeasandcoverforaminuteor two-addtheonion,stirandkeepcovered untilreadytoserve.

GRANDMA'SCAULIFLOWER

CHEESEserves4

1xheadofcauliflower•1�ncreamof mushroomsoup•200ggratedcheese (matureifpossible)

1.Removeanygreenleavesandstemleaveenoughofthestemtoallowthe cauliflowertostaytogetherandflat.

2.Placethecauliflowerupsidedown intoalargepotandcoverwithcold water.

3.Bringtotheboilandsimmerfor2025minutes-itshouldbecrisp-tender (tooso�anditmayfallapart).

4.Draincarefullyandplacerightsideup intoabakingdish.

5.Pourthesoupovertheen�reheadof thecauliflower-seasonandtopwith cheese.Bakeat180Cdegreesfor15 -20minutesun�lhotandbubbly.

Thesearestraightforwardto make-boil,squish,drizzleand bake.Oven180Cdegrees. 12-14smallpotatoes6-8 mediumpotatoes-washed BOIL-boiluntilsoftanddrain inacolander(letitstandfor5 minutes)

SQUISH-placepotatoesona lightlyoiledtrayandroughly squishthem-keepingthemin onepiece.(thin=crispier, thicker=fluffierinside)

DRIZZLE-withalittlemelted butterthendrizzlesomeolive oilover-season.

BAKE-bakefor30-40 minutesuntildeepgoldenand crispy-donotflip.

SWEET COOKED CARROTS

Serves4-6

500gcarrots-youcanusebaby carrotsorwashandslicelargeones. 350mlchickenstock

1tbspsugar

knobbutter

1.Bringthestockandsugartothe boilinamediumpot

2.Addthecarrotsandcookuntil crisp-tender(10-12minutes)

3.Drain,addthebutterandseason. Stirandserve.

DATESFORYOURDIARY

SecondTuesdayofeverymonth(except August)2pm–4pm–BembridgeBelles Women’sInstitutemeetatBembridge VillageHall,HighStreet,Bembridge. Entertainment,refreshmentsandgetto meetlocalwomen.Youarewelcometo comealongtothreemeetingsfreeofcharge toseeifyouenjoyit.Pleasecall07856 248340ifyou’dliketoknowmoreorjust comealongtoameeting!

FourthSaturdayofthemonth-TheIsleof WightBusandRailUsersGroup (IWBRUG)holdtheirmeetingsatthe MethodistChurchHall,QuaySt,Newport, at11.15am.Comealongandhelpmakea difference.Formoreinformationcheck ourwebsitehttps://e-voice.org.uk/ iwbusrailusers

Saturday1st April–TheIsleofWight VintageMotorcycleClub5th Annual VintageandClassicMotorcycleShow. From10amto4pmatTheWinter Gardens,Ventnor.£3entry(Cashonly).

Saturday1st April–FriendshipCoffee MorningatBembridgeVillageHallfrom10 amto12pm.Comeandmeetothersfor coffee/teaandgoodcompany.Various stalls.Also150drawmoneygoestohelp thecommunitybus.Thereisacommunity busthatwillpickpeopleupfromtheir homes,andreturn,ifneeded.

Monday3rd April–FriendsofFreshwater LibraryGeneralKnowledgeQuizNightat thelibraryfrom7–9pm.Teamsofupto6 people.£1each.Bookbyemail patsymburge@gmail.com

Monday3rd April–DinosaurFunDayat SandownRailwayStationfrom10am–4pm.Comeandjointhedinosaurfunon thetrainandatSandownStation’sGaslight Café.Followthedinosaurfootprintsinthe JurassicLosAltosParkanddiscover dinosaureggs.Lotstodoandsee. SupportedbyIslandLine.

Saturday8th April–EasterChickHuntat PuckpoolPark.Ages3–10.9:30am start.£4perchild.Bookingessentialat theOldBarracks.Telephone615766

Saturday8th April–AnnualEasterHunt atBradingRomanVillainaidofDaisy ChainsIWfrom11amto4pm.Egg hunt,magicshow,historiesshow,Peter Rabbitmeetandgreet,balloonmodelling andmuchmoreallincludedinthehunt priceof£3.50perchild.Ticketsfrom https://www.tickettailor.com/events/ characterevents

Sunday9th April–EasterBonnetParade andEggThrowingCompetitionat SeaviewYachtClub/Esplanade.Prizes andFunRaffle.2pm.

Saturday15th April–SpringTailsDog Walk.Meet11amatTheCrownInn ShorwellCarParkforapproximately1 hour15-minutewalk.FinishingatThe CrownwhereafreeBuddyBixtreatawaits yourdog.Freeandallwelcome.Alldogs mustbekeptonalead.

Saturday22nd April–VectisPostcard StampandEphemeraFairatMasonic Hall,JohnStreet,Ryde–From10amto 3pm.Freeadmission.BothIslandand Mainlanddealers.Everyonewelcome.

Friday28th April–FlowerFestivalandSt PetersChurch,Seaview.Churchopenall weekendforvisitorstoview.

Sunday30thApril–GardeningGaloreat RookleyVillageHall,HighwoodLane, Rookleyfrom10amto3pm.Freeentry. Freeadjacentparking.Refreshments providedbyRookleyWomen’sInstitute. Forallyourgardeningneeds.All stallholdersfromtheislandandgardening related.

Alleventinformationwascorrectattimeofprintbutcouldbesubjecttochangeatanytime.

StHelensVillageNews

ByParishClerkJackyMatthews

Phone:01983722575|Email:clerk@sthelensiw.org

Bythetimethispublicationcomesto print,thetwosessionsofCPR& Defibrillatortrainingwillhavetakenplace. Itisverypleasingtoknowthattheyhave beenpopular.Ifyoudidn’tmanagetoget ontothesesessionsbutwouldliketo attendafuturedatethenpleasedogetin contact.

Tobookafutureplace,heldatStHelens Pavilion,pleaseemailorcall.

Theofferisopentoanyone.Totakepart youwillneedtobemobile(abletokneel onthefloor).Thetrainingdoesnot precludeanyonewhoisnotthismobilehavingtheknowledgeandbeingableto helpisbetterthannoneatall.

AftermanymonthsanOaktreetohonour QueenElizabethllasourlongestserving monarch,knownastheQueen'sfavourite speciesoftree,hasbeenplantedinthe Village.Awonderfulsunnyspring morninginwhichtoplantthetree.All well,thetreewillgrowandestablishand providemanybenefitsforgenerationsto come.

WithEasterapproaching,soistheholiday season.Asfrom1.4.23thetoiletsatthe Duverwillbefullyoperational.Therewill bejobstogettheareareadyforthe summerandIamsuretheVillage Volunteerswillbepleasedtoassist.The mainrequestistogiveasmallamountof time,althoughsomeskillswouldalsobe veryhelpfulsodogetinvolved.Tofindout whatisplannedpleasegetintouchby eitheremailorphone(detailsabove).If youwishtoaddanythingtothetodolist pleasecalltoaddyoursuggestions.Thank youtoallthosewhocontinuetohelpona regularbasis.

CarnivalSeasonisonthehorizon-along associationwithStHelens-areyou creative,wouldliketobeinvolvedina villagetradition?Afun,socialexperience. Assistancerequiredbuildingthefloat, attendingCarnivalsinlocaltownsbothas drivingthefloatandwalkerswiththe float.

KingsCoronationCelebrationsSaturday6thMay-Monday8thMay

Saturdayevening:bypopularrequestthe BarnDanceisbookedfordancingonthe Green.

Sundaylunchtime:”TheCoronationBig Lunch,atwhichneighboursand communitiesareinvitedtosharefoodand funtogether,willtakeplaceacrossthe countryonthesamedate.”

StHelenstoencouragepeopletobring theirpicnicsforlunchonthegreen.

Monday -takepartinTheBigHelpOut. “whichwillencouragepeopletotry volunteeringforthemselvesandjointhe workbeingundertakentosupporttheir localareas.”

Thethoughtsaretooperateinthehubof thevillage,aroundthegreensarea. CleaningtheoutsideofthePavilion, givingtheShelteraspruceupandvarious otherjobs.Rewardedbyrefreshmentsin thePavilion.Inordertofacilitateanyof theabovehelpwillberequired-please showaninterestandgivewhatever amountoftime,inspirationand encouragementyoucantomakethese eventshappen.

Yourvillage -ifyouseeanythingthatisn’t asitshouldbeorfeelcouldbeimproved, againpleasedocontactmesoitcanbe resolved

Dandelions:themostundervaluedwildflower.

Thecommondandelionisoneoftheeasiestplantstospotandcanbeseengrowingjust aboutanywhereincludingcracksinthepavement.Mostseethemasjustacommonweed butactuallythesebrightyellowflowersareanexcellentsourceofnectarforawidevariety ofpollinatinginsects,including bees(honeybees,bumblebeesandsolitarybees),flies, beetles(includingladybirds)andbutterflies.Becausedandelionscanflowersoearlyinthe year,theyareavitalsourceofnectarforanyearly-emergingpollinatorswhilstother flowersarestilldevelopingsoitisimportantthatweletthemgrow.

Herearejustafewdandelionfacts.

Dandelionsrepresent3differentcelestial bodiesat3differentphasesoftheirlife. Theplant’syellowflowerrepresentsthe sun.Thedispersedseedslooklikethe stars.Finally,thepuffydandelionballhas asimilarappearancetothemoon. Theseeds(thepartsoftheplantthatfly away)cantravelfor5milesafterbeing dispersed!

Everypartoftheflowerparthassomeuse –flower,roots,andleaves.Itcanbeused forfood,medicine,andcolouringdye.

Theleavesoftheplanthavetooth-like featuresattheiredges.Theycanbe2to10 inchesinlength.Theplantsthemselves canbe17inchestall.

Theflowerismadeofmultipleminiature flowers,eachoneadistinctindividual.

Theseareknownasrayflorets.Itopenswhenthesunrisesandclampsupwhenthe sunsets.

Dandelioncanbeanallergenforsomepeople.However,itspollenisnotanallergen. Theyarealsocalledruderalorpioneerplantsastheyareusuallythefirstplantsthat coloniseddisturbedlands.

Variousinsectscarryoutthepollinationoftheplant.Theyellowflowertransformsinto apuffball.Thisballhasseveralfruitswithinitcalledachenes.Theseedsfeatureadisklikeparachuteextensionthatactssimilartoaparachute.That’swhytheycanfloatfor solongandsoeasily.

Onecupofrawchoppeddandeliongreenscontains112%ofthedailyrequiredvitamin A intake.Atthesametime,itonlyhas25calories.

19thCenturyEnglishpharmacistshadmadeteausingroastedrootsoftheflowers.The tearemainspopulartothisday.

Theybelongtothedaisyfamily.

Oneheadofdandelionismadeupofasmanyas300rayflorets.Ifyoulookclosely, theywilllooksimilartotinypetals.

Thecommondandelionisthesubjectofmanymythsandgames,oneofwhichsuggests thatifyoupickit,orevenjusttouchit,youwillwetthebed-anideathatformsmanyof thelocalcommonnames,including'Wet-the-bed'and'Tiddle-beds'.

Holiday homes from one bedroom to six, some with sea views, others in the towns and villages for a great holiday on the island.