Island Magazines January 2022 Bembridge & St Helens Area by Island Magazines

January 2022 Bembridge & St Helens Area

FREE

Your Local Community Magazine

A New Day, Month & Year For the majority of people, January symbolises new beginnings and a fresh start. For others, it’s just another ordinary month!

Check out these facts about January and some notable historical events that happened in this month throughout history. The name for January comes from the Roman god, Janus, who is always depicted with two heads. He uses one head to look back on the year before, and the other head to look forward into the New Year! Couples tend to separate or divorce more so in January than any other month of the year. If you were born in January, your birthstone is a garnet! Some historical names for January include “Wulfmonath,” which came from the Anglo-Saxons because it was the month hungry wolves would come scavenging. King Charlemagne would call it “Wintermanoth” meaning “winter/cold month.” Originally, the Roman calendar had only 10 months, and it excluded January and February. King Numa Pompilius, the second king of Rome, is responsible for adding both January and February to the Roman calendar. He did this so calendars would be equivalent to a lunar year. Even so, it only had 30 days. Julius Caesar added the 31st day to the month and completed it to the full month of January we practice now! Generally, January is the coldest month of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. January has two zodiac signs – Capricorn, which is until January 19, and Aquarius, which is for the rest of the month. The dianthus caryophyllus is the birth flower of January – more commonly known as the carnation! One of the most influential events in the U.S. happened in January – on January 1, 1892, Ellis Island opened, allowing for the immigration of over 20 million people! The first Penal Colony in Australia was established in January 1788 by the British in order to relieve overcrowded English prisons.

As we roll into a new year and welcome 2022 into our lives, it is unsurprisingly mixed with some trepidation as we wonder what is just ahead for us. The last couple of years have been hard and at some point, we have all been touched and affected by the forever changing world that we live in. Something that I have learnt over this time is that we can only live in the ‘present’... there is no point in worrying about the past, it’s gone, and we can’t change it and don’t stress about the future as it hasn’t happened yet. On that note, I would now like to wish you all a Happy New Year and I hope you had a wonderful Christmas. I’m sure many overindulged (like myself) and I put no limit on the amount of turkey or chocolate I could eat over the festive period. The Island comes to a bit of a standstill in January but if you have any events happening in February or March, please send me the details and I can share them on our ‘Dates for your Diary’ pages. Inside this issue you will find the regular news updates from local councillors/parish council, information, editorials, puzzles, and adverts from local businesses. As I am always known for saying “please support local businesses and use their services when you can.” All our advertisers work really hard and the last couple of years have been hard hitting to many of them so I know they will appreciate your support. If you have community news and information that you would like to share or are a business that would like to advertise with us, then please get in touch by any of the means below. Island Magazines prides itself on working with and serving the community and I would like to thank all contributors, advertisers, and readers for your continued support. Have a great January and I look forward to catching up with you again next month.

Debbie 07880 587 931 islandmagazines@gmail.com www.islandmagazines.co.uk facebook.com/islandmagazines twitter.com/islandmagazines Island Magazines Mailbox No 6 Store it Self Storage Ryde Unit 1 Nicholson Road Ryde, Isle of Wight, PO33 1BE All information is correct at time of printing

E A F Residential & Commercial grounds maintenance contracts. Grass and Hedge Cutting. Over 30 years experience and fully insured

Shanklin

07732 586239

erectafenceiw@gmail.com 3

News Report from Jonathan Bacon - IW Councillor for Brading & St Helens. Tel 07973 872150 | Email: jonathan.bacon@iow.gov.uk sthelenscouncillor@gmail.com Cllr Jonathan Bacon The Council Administration is hard at work on the final stages of the budget process. In recent years this has become a vital part of the Council Calendar. Due to increased pressures on our services and thanks to Government inactivity and failures resulting in an ever-decreasing pot of money, it has not been a pleasant process to go through. Nor have the effects of the budget been easy for residents. However, we are working to commence the process of changing the Council’s financial position. The last few years have seen a process of managing decline and trying to do what is necessary with ever reducing funds. This process has been mistakenly described as making savings rather than stating the reality of it being an ongoing process of cuts. However, it is now time for change. Our new approach aims to reinvigorate the Council and develop a financial strategy built on growth, rather than cuts. Failure to this will mean that key services that support our residents, our Island, and our community, will either cease or cease to be adequate for the need and demand that is there. However, we can’t achieve this change in one single step. As the Council Leader has said, to turn any large vehicle you need to put the brakes on first and then, when it is under control, you can change direction. Much of what we want to do is limited this year by what we inherited from the previous administration, which has tied our hands in many areas. 4

As a result, we have still had to identify savings, however we will do this in the least damaging way possible and aim to ensure where we can that they are ‘savings’ rather than cuts. What we can do positively now is to put the brakes on the process of cuts and decline. We can then work on innovative ways of generating money to help fund vital services and thereby offset the financial impact of the ongoing lack of assistance from, and continuing cuts to our funding by the central government. It won’t be easy but initial work suggests we can do this, and the new direction can and will be followed. As both your Isle of Wight Councillor and a Town Councillor I can be contacted at any time, and I will always respond to messages. I have set out my contact details above or you can speak to me at one of my regular surgeries, the next few of which take place as follows: Brading Community Centre, January 25th and February 22nd, all at 10am St Helens Pavilion, January 11th and February 8th, all at 10am

subscribe Never miss out on reading a copy of Island Magazines. If you can’t get out to pick up a copy from local distributors you can subscribe to either our ‘DIGITAL’ or ‘PRINTED’ edition each month. For PRINTED subscriptions there will be a small charge of £1.20 per month payable 6 months in advance. Email islandmagazines@gmail.com with your name, address and which area you would like or call us on 07880587931. For DIGITAL subscriptions please email bembridgemagazine@gmail.com and include the words ‘subscribe digital’ in the email, then sit back, relax and wait for the next issue to drop into your email inbox.

01983 524413 07734956743 info@amphireltd.com www.amphireltd.com • Emptying Cesspits/Septic Tanks • Drain Jetting • Road Gully Cleaning • Toilet Hire • Events Equipment Call us now for free advice from one of our experienced technicians or book your water waste treatment.

THIS SIZE ADVERT COULD BE YOURS FOR JUST £13

For more info email islandmagazines@gmail.com or call 07880 587931

Climate Change... Let’s all do our bit The hard-hitting news that the planet will reach its global warming limit within the next 20 years, causing irreversible environmental damage and more extreme weather events can no longer be ignored.

Research shows that by freeing up farmland to grow more trees, worldwide veganism would reduce greenhouse gases by 13 million tonnes over 20 years, which would amount to a 25% cut in global emissions.

Latest reports call for “rapid and large-scale reductions in greenhouse gas emissions”, Avoid fast fashion urging people to treat climate change as an Our taste for fast, cheap and disposable “immediate threat”. fashion is hurting the environment. You can dramatically cut down your It’s time for us to all be responsible in carbon footprint by scouring charity shops, taking steps to prevent climate change and rather than opting for fast fashion items although it may seem like an impossible that have often been made abroad and and daunting task a few small changes at come with a lot of packaging. home can make a difference. Buying clothes second hand, selling Cut down on meat or repurposing and dairy those you no longer The average want, and limiting carnivore diet how often you buy produces 7.2kg new items will all of carbon dioxide help. a day, almost twice as much Reduce your plastic as a vegan diet. usage Livestock is Just small changes responsible for around such as switching to bamboo toothbrushes 15% of world emissions and, according to and using a reusable water bottle rather researchers at the University of Oxford, than buying new ones can make a big adopting a vegan diet is one of the best ways difference. to reduce your impact on the environment. Manufacturing plastic items adds If the thought of cutting out meat to greenhouse gas emissions, while completely from your diet is looking like plastic waste is also harmful to wildlife, an impossible task, then take a smaller particularly in our seas. bite and try cutting out one meat meal a week. Many families across the nation are Reuse – Don’t just Recycle swapping one of their regular meat meals Although it is often pushed as the best for a plant-based meal. Join in and make thing you can do to help the planet, Monday meatless. recycling has its own environmental implications. continued over the page

Transporting and processing waste for recycling requires a lot of energy, which means higher CO2 emissions. So, before you recycle, look to see if you can reduce and reuse first. Professional, personal & caring service

Reduce food waste Buy fruit and vegetables loose, freeze as much as you can and buy only as much as you need to cut waste. In the UK we throw away 17 per cent of our food uneaten – eliminating this waste alone would save 370kg a year of CO2 and save the average household around £500 a year. Wash clothes at low temperatures Avoid washing anything above 30ºC, and dry things on a line rather than in the tumble drier.

Private Chapel of Rest Pre-paid funeral plans Call Richard or Caroline day or night on 872598 Weaver Brothers Ltd Weavers Yard, Lane End Road, Bembridge, IW, PO35 5UE email: info@weaverbros.co.uk www.weaverbros.co.uk

Telephone: (01983) 872598

Higher temperatures mean more energy is needed to heat the water, and modern TRUSTED CARE IN YOUR OWN HOME washing tabs are able Making a difference every day to do their job at cooler temperatures. Our services include:

Change your lightbulbs Swapping all your energy-guzzling lightbulbs for environmentally friendly LED ones saves 100kg of CO2 a year – an easy change that makes a difference.

• Companionship • Personal care • Dementia care • Medication support

• Respite care • Shopping • Meal preparation • Running errands

Contact Vicky or Katie for more information:

01983 218318

iow@rightathome.co.uk www.rightathome.co.uk/isleofwight

Or pop in for a cuppa and a chat: 7 High Street, Bembridge, Isle of Wight PO35 5SD

Cut use of aerosols Aerosol products used in the home now emit more harmful volatile organic compound air pollution than all the vehicles in the UK, according to York University. Switching to roll-on deodorants is an easy way to cut your carbon footprint. 7

A unique local shop that attracts residents from all areas is determined to make sure the High Street doesn’t disappear. Owner of Cowes Town Central, Steve Tewkesbury has created a unique interactive shopping experience in the Centre of Cowes High Street. Inspired by The Shambles, in York, CTC is an Aladdin’s cave, department store, and fourteen individual shops rolled into one!!! Based in the former NatWest Bank Building, every nook and cranny has been converted into a unique shopfront including the vault and the hole in the wall, yet it remains open planned with plenty of space. A lot of thought has gone into the design and each individual shop has been hand-picked for its unique wares. ‘Socks of Cowes’ has a range to meet every taste and their vast collection of ‘Good Mood Socks’ are a well-known brand for something a bit different and they now come with matching ladies’ briefs, but do not worry if you are more of a traditionalist as they also stock other brands including a range of thermals! The whole experience of shopping here has been made interactive and you can try before you buy hand and body creams and lotions in Aquazen Bath and Body Care. That Umbrella Shop has every colour, pattern, and style you could possibly want and the main focal point throughout the whole of Cowes Town Central is that every budget is catered for. While wandering through the themed streets as shown on the map opposite you will come across surprises and delights within each unique shop and together there are over 7,000 products with plans to expand in the near future. This really is the one and only type of shopping experiences of this kind on the Island and when you get here you will find that it’s probably more of an attraction (without an entrance fee to pay). There is much to see and do, the space is open, and you are encouraged to wander from room to room and be safe in the knowledge that all government guidelines are being followed and is fully compliant including the automatic electronic temperature reader at the front of the store and the UV light virus killer machine that cleans the air. If you can’t get to the shop in person, don’t worry as you can shop from the comfort of your own home and still enjoy the experience of 14 shops under one roof at www.cowestowncentral.co.uk Ensuring our High Street stays alive with ‘fresh inspirational ideas’ is important to Steve who is community orientated and when Cowes did not have a main Post Office he stepped forward and found room in his shop to accommodate a Post Office counter and took on staff to run this vital community asset. Please don’t just take my word for it… see for yourself and take this advert with you for 10% discount.

10% discount with this advert throughout January 2022

BEMBRIDGE PARISH COUNCIL Tel: 01983 874160 E: clerk@bembridgepc.org.uk Dig for Bembridge To Celebrate The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022 Bembridge wanted to be part of The Queen’s Green Canopy, which is a tree planting initiative created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022. Everyone across the UK is being invited to plant trees from October 2021, when the tree planting season begins, through to the end of the Jubilee year in 2022. The Queen’s Green Canopy will create a network of individual trees, avenues, copses and whole woodlands in honour of The Queen’s service and the legacy she has built. This will create a green legacy of its own, with every tree planted bringing benefits for people, wildlife and climate, now and for the future. The Woodland Trust wanted to make sure everybody in the UK had the chance to plant a tree, so they were giving away hundreds of thousands of trees to schools and communities. Bembridge Parish Council secured 345 native trees and hedges which arrived the last week in November and were planted in December. Bembridge Sea Scouts planted 50 trees, and will maintain them, around the scout field in Mitten Road. The Holy Trinity Church Mice were given 35 trees to plant with their children. Thank you to local residents, Windmills Preschool, Men in Sheds, IW Cllr Robertson, PC Councillors and the Parish Lengthsmen who helped plant 260 trees and hedging around Steyne Park on Wednesday 8th December. 10

Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Celebrations In Bembridge we have started to think about The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee due to be held over 2nd -5th June 2022 and how we are going to celebrate the event. The Street Fair will be on Thursday 2nd June, organised by the Cllr Jay Chapman and in the evening, beacons will be lit the length and breadth of the country at 9 p.m. which we hope to organise on Culver Down with the help of the Scouts and the National Trust. There are no events yet for Friday 3rd June, so would be a good day for residents to hold street parties. If you are planning a Street Party that involves road closures don’t forget that this will require an application to Island Roads. Saturday 4th June will be the day when the focus is on the Harbour, the shore and sailing. The Jubilee Jamboree will be in Steyne Park on Sunday 5th June in the afternoon, plans are still at the ideas stage but lots of help from local businesses, groups and residents will be essential. Anyone with a sewing machine and/or green fingers is encouraged to make LOTS of bunting to swathe the Village, and to plant up their front gardens in red, white & blue (or purple and silver – the colours of the Jubilee). The Parish Council will collate all the events and produce a calendar of events, continued over the page

BEMBRIDGE PARISH COUNCIL so please forward any events planned for the bank holiday weekend to clerk@ bembridgepc.org.uk or Cllr Harriett Brabazon, harriet.brabazon@bembridgepc. org.uk so we can advertise. Beach Cleans Thank you to all the volunteers who helped throughout 2021 with beach cleans and litter picks in Bembridge. Beach cleans will start again in February, look out for posters.

CARPENTRY & BUILDING SERVICES

Specialising in cladding & all types of carpentry & building work CALL NOW FOR YOUR FREE QUOTATION

01983 609842 or 07845 397498 aswcarpentry@outlook.com www.iow-carpenter.co.uk Find us on Full Public Liability

Friendship Circle Coffee Mornings Coffee mornings will be held in the Village Hall on Saturday 8th January. All proceeds to the running of the Community Minibus. 150 Club numbers for 2022 can be purchased at the coffee mornings or from the Parish Office. Next Full Council Meeting takes place on Wednesday 19th January, 7pm in the Village Hall

Contact Lui Tel: 520522 Mob: 07795 363 534 www.primotechnical.co.uk primotechnical@gmail.com

The views and opinions expressed by contributors and advertisers are their own and do not reflect the views of the Editor or Island Magazines unless stated otherwise. Island Magazines reserves the right to refuse or alter material where necessary.

www.islandmagazines.co.uk PUZZLE PAGE

www.islandmagazines.co.uk ANAGRAMS

Rearrange the letters to make words related to the winter season

1. DLOC 2. AOENSS 3. IDLAZRZB 4. TRSFO 5. IABRETHEN 6. SGEOLV 7. SARFC 8. FREI 9. MEUPRJ 10. EZEREF 11. ETAHER 12. ICCRAT Wordsearch

Sudoku

ACETONE ASTERISK BAKERY BUILD CAIRN CELLS CLOY DEPOSITORY EXPANSIVELY FESTIVITY FUNERAL GLADIATOR GUSHED ILLS IMITATES ITCH ITINERARY KEPT LADY METRO MONO MYNA NAIAD NARC

PUZZLE PAGE

www.islandmagazines.co.uk

Kriss Kross - Can you work out where each word goes in the grid to complete a crossword style puzzle?

3 LETTERS FAS IFS

4 LETTERS HEMS HERE HYPE ISMS ROUE

5 LETTERS BLINI DOSES EASES EDGES INURE OASES PAVED POSED PRIES PRIVY PUSES SAUDI SISES SPIED SPIES SQUAB

LAST MONTHS ANSWER

News Report from Cllr Joe Robertson - Bembridge joe.robertson@iow.gov.uk Before Christmas I was glad to meet with consultants instructed by the Council to look into flooding in Bembridge. They were knowledgeable and keen to listen, and I took them through some of the worst affected areas. I highlighted evidence of flooding and damage that residents had provided. Flooding requires a whole systems approach and should not be seen in isolation as only a drainage issue. It is important that any new house building must first recognise the impact on infrastructure and decisions should be made accordingly. I have decided to set up a bi-monthly local flood group, in conjunction with the Parish Council, for those directly affected by flooding in and around their homes. I hope to announce a first meeting in February where residents will be able to meet with representatives of the Council and Southern Water. I will also invite Island Roads and the Environment Agency. More widely I have called for the Isle of Wight Council to adopt policies to consider the environmental impact in all decision making. More specifically we need to make sure that work to the highway (including road resurfacing) by Island Roads has greater consideration for surface-water removal. Planned road improvements are a good opportunity to consider installing additional gullies and drainage in a more cost-effective way.

As we look ahead to 2022, the Council is due to bring forward the Island Planning Strategy which has already been consulted on in draft form. That will set out the Island’s approach to house building. I welcome the general ambition to reduce house building targets as previously reported however locally, I am against bringing new greenfield sites into the settlement boundary. The new house building numbers for Bembridge at 193 are much too high, particularly when compared to elsewhere. The Council’s commitment to reducing house building targets generally is dependent on brownfield development and prioritising some large sites in particular. In the draft Strategy the old Camp Hill prison site is described as a “key priority site” for delivering affordable housing, however the Deputy Leader of the Council has reported since then that Camp Hill is not a priority. Whatever the merits of the site – there are complications and costs to securing it from the Government for redevelopment – it is important to explore all avenues and keep it as a priority site in the plan. While Camp Hill remains in the hands of the Government there is always a risk it will be made available for an external use which is of no benefit to the Island. I have written to the Deputy Leader asking him and the Cabinet Member for Planning to meet with me to see how we can put Camp Hill back on the agenda. Relieving pressure on greenfield sites all over the Island, including in Bembridge, depends on it. I hope by the time you are reading this that the meeting will have been arranged.

In mid-December I joined residents to plant trees at Steyne Park. It was great to see children and families joining in to plant over 200 trees in time for the Diamond I would like to take this opportunity to wish Jubilee. everyone in Bembridge a Happy New Year. 14

Decor Perfection

Domestic Decorating Services Female painter & Aﬀordable, reliable & decorator clean Quality workmanship Painting & wallpapering Garden buildings & Half room to whole Furniture house CIS Registered and Fully No job to big or too small! Insured

For a FREE quote call Tanya on 07500 298070 @decorperfection E: tanyapedder2@gmail.com

DIANA’S SHOWCASE

Knitting Wool & Haberdashery Knitting & sewing accessories, including babies knitwear, dolls clothes & much, much more.

NOW OPEN AT 61 Pyle Street, Newport Mon - Sat 9.30am to 5pm

WENDY DEBENHAM Soft Furnishings curtains- pelmets - blinds loose covers - cushions and all types of home furnishings. Made to order measuring service & free quotes call 07870 915 824 or 401411 email: wendydebenham@gmail.com

Come and see us at our showroom in Brading for all your soft furnishing needs. Specialising in teaching English & Spanish to adults. Beginner to intermediate level Spanish, and English at all levels. Fun, friendly and relaxed conversational based classes in Cowes, Ryde and Sandown. Contact Helen for more information helen@wightlanguages.com www.wightlanguages.com Tel: 07507 214876

Grief is overwhelming. Let us help. If you’re struggling after someone close to you has died, there’s lots we can do to support adults and children. We can provide information, advice or simply listen. Find out how we can help you by: Visiting - www.cruse.org.uk Calling us on 01983 523030 Email us at isleofwight@cruse.org.uk

You’re not alone Registered Charity No. 208078 | A Company Limited by Guarantee No. 638709 (London) Unit 0.1, One Victoria Villas, Richmond, TW9 2GW

THIS SIZE ADVERT COULD BE YOURS FOR JUST £16 For more info email islandmagazines@gmail.com or call 07880 587931

Baby steps to big change by Maggie Currie It is usually best to ease into a big change by starting small. By making small changes with baby steps we allow ourselves to grow into a new habit and make it a permanent part of our lives. Making a sudden change may set us up to fail and that will make it difficult to go on, and we will be more likely to revert to our old ways. But don’t despair, even if we have made a sudden change and find ourselves contemplating the choice to start over again, we can decide to take it slowly this time, and move forward. The goals we set for ourselves are indicators of the need for change and are very useful in getting us moving in the right direction. However, it is possible that once we try out what we thought was ideal, we may find that it doesn’t actually suit us, or make us feel the way we had hoped. By taking baby steps we have the chance to look around and consider other options as we learn and grow. We have time to examine the underlying values of the desire for change and find ways to manifest those feelings, whether it looks exactly like our initial goal or not. Taking baby steps forward gives us time to adjust and find secure footing on our new path. Often life doesn’t give us the opportunity to anticipate or prepare for a big change, and we may find ourselves overwhelmed by what is in front of us. By choosing one thing to work on at a time, we focus our attention on something manageable, and eventually we will look up to see that we have accomplished quite a bit. Forcing change is, in essence, a sign that we do not trust the universe’s wisdom. Instead, we can listen to our inner guidance and make changes at a pace that is right for us, ensuring that we do so in alignment with the rhythm of the universe. If this has resonated with you in any way, please get in touch. I want to work with you so you have more freedom, more fun, less stress. I offer coaching and mentoring to you – for you to make the changes you want to in your life. Build your confidence in your abilities. Read my clients’ testimonials here. To help you to have more fun, more freedom and less stress. That is it. There is no catch. I believe in you.

My role is to hold space for you, to encourage, listen & align. You win, I win. I love my clients & adore coaching. Award Winning Transformational Coach

Get in touch today

Email: hello@maggiecurrie.co.uk