Island Magazines January 2022 Freshwater, Totland & Yarmouth area by Island Magazines

January 2022 Freshwater, Totland & Yarmouth Area

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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 DIGITAL subscriptions please email freshwatermagazine@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. 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 07880 587931.

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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 reports 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.

07880 587 931 islandmagazines@gmail.com www.islandmagazines.co.uk

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News Report from Cllr Chris Jarman - Totland & Colwell Tel: 07905 002834/Email ChrisJarmanforTotland@gmail.com The last month In Totland and Colwell has seen increasing anger amongst residents focussed on three key local issues of Health, Sewage and that old chestnut of Planning. With everyone acutely aware of the latest Covid situation and with a repeat of calls for everything possible to be done to protect the health and lives of islanders, intense pressure has been building to enforce what little protective regulation and guidance we have. The focus in the West Wight is the Wightlink ferry from Yarmouth to Lymington. I used that route as a foot passenger and as a car user recently and saw for myself the low level of mask wearing. There is of course no checking of vaccination certificates or Covid passports of LFT results as you would find for flights and so masks are our only line of defence. Comments by others were that the level was less than half. On my last trip it was about 20 wearing masks and 60 not with at that time almost no one drinking or eating. Impossible to believe that 75% of travellers are medically exempt and so I raised that matter with the crew. They apologised and stated that they would not attempt to enforce given the level of customer backlash they received - how sad that our lives have come to such a point when ordinary folk are harassed for doing their job and protecting us all. The police have also stated that they will not enforce, and I am continuing to receive complaints of “what’s the point in having a rule that is not enforced”. I’m not a draconian but I want to be safe and to know that others I care about are similarly protected. 4

Our second major local issue is the continuing spewing of sewage water out at Totland and Colwell. A long complained about issue and nothing to do with blocked pipes, just a simple overload of the Southern Water system, now even without it raining! This is an island wide problem for which there is no quick fix. It’s arisen from decades of under investment while water company shareholders take dividends that should be invested in the infrastructure. The ITV programme recently noted that to correct the issue in England and IOW would cost about £60 Billion - the same as has been paid out in water company dividends since privatisation some 30 years ago. It doesn’t take a mathematician to see what is wrong with this model and hence the failed concept of privatising a core human need of clean water and proper sewage disposal. Last but not least is the uproar about the decision to permit a large housing estate on fields next to Birch Close in Colwell. The last green field between Colwell and Freshwater and a real haven for wildlife including slow worms, bird, bats and badgers, the local population, parish council and Councillors had been assured that the Freshwater Neighbourhood Plan was a key defence against such developments and so all local emphasis was based on that advice. In the end the planning report decided to omit the planning story of the site completely and so historical ‘ditto’ references by the parish Council were not reflected. Likewise,

continued over the page

News Report from Cllr Chris Jarman the planning report failed to provide any references to the protective elements of the Freshwater Neighbourhood Plan and attempts to raise them were hindered as the planning committee had not even been provided with a copy of the plan. Local people are outraged, feel as if they have been deliberately misled and their voices and plan silenced. Sympathy for their reaction is not enough and Westminster ministers have been asked to intervene. Failing that the process of raising funds for a judicial review is already under discussion. Residents must be heard, housing must be prioritised on brownfield land first, and housing where built must meet the needs of local people within the parish including affordability.

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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.

Avoid fast fashion Our taste for fast, cheap and disposable fashion is hurting the environment. You can dramatically cut down your carbon footprint by scouring charity shops, rather It’s time for us to all be responsible in taking than opting for fast fashion items that have steps to prevent climate change and although often been made abroad and come with a lot it may seem like an impossible and daunting of packaging. task a few small changes at home can make Buying clothes second hand, selling or a difference. repurposing those you no longer want, and limiting how often you Cut down on buy new items will all meat and dairy help. The average carnivore diet Reduce your plastic usage produces 7.2kg Just small changes such of carbon as switching to bamboo dioxide a day, toothbrushes and using almost twice a reusable water bottle as much as rather than buying new a vegan diet. ones can make a big Livestock is difference. responsible for around 15% of world emissions and, Manufacturing plastic items adds to according to researchers at the University greenhouse gas emissions, while plastic of Oxford, adopting a vegan diet is one of the best ways to reduce your impact on the waste is also harmful to wildlife, particularly in our seas. environment. Latest reports call for “rapid and large-scale reductions in greenhouse gas emissions”, urging people to treat climate change as an “immediate threat”.

If the thought of cutting out meat completely from your diet is looking like an impossible task, then take a smaller bite and try cutting out one meat meal a week. Many families across the nation are swapping one of their regular meat meals for a plant-based meal. Join in and make Monday meatless. 6

Reuse – Don’t just Recycle Although it is often pushed as the best thing you can do to help the planet, recycling has its own environmental implications. 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. continued over the page

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. Higher temperatures mean more energy is needed to heat the water, and modern washing tabs are able to do their job at cooler temperatures. 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. 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.

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.

Report from George Cameron Freshwater I would like to wish you all a very happy and prosperous 2022, this is the year when things are going to improve all round, at least that is what I have been told. I would like to congratulate our local FYT Bus on celebrating their 10th anniversary on the 10th of December. I remember when they started out and the major effort it took to get it off the ground, and the uphill struggle. But here they are ten years later and still as prosperous as ever. As I mentioned before, this cannot be achieved without our community and their generosity. To all the volunteers over the last ten years, thank you for your help, your time and your friendship. We could not have done this without you. The Birch Close planning application is still hanging over us as I write this, but Freshwater Parish Council have discussed this and agreed to take the case a step further. It was agreed to write to the Minister of State for Housing and let him know that we are aggrieved that our neighbourhood plan was ignored at the planning meeting, the planning committee were not issued with a copy of our neighbourhood plan, so they were expected to make an uninformed decision. I have copied the letter below. I would also like to inform you all that Freshwater Parish Council is having their consultation day at the Memorial Hall on the 26th January, please pop in and take part in the consultation, it is valuable to all of us. Rt Hon Christopher Pincher MP Minister of State for Housing Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities Fry Building, 2 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 4DP 9th December 2021. Dear Minister, We are writing to you following your letter to the Leader of the Isle of Wight Council, Cllr Peacey-Wilcox, dated 26th October 2021, where you highlight the importance of Local Neighbourhood Plans and giving more power to local people over planning decisions that affect them and their environment. We are aware that you cannot comment on any particular planning applications, but we have recently had a major planning application approved, and as a parish council we are aggrieved that our Neighbourhood Plan was ignored by planning officers. The Planning Committee were not aware of this plan as it was not included in their papers for readiness at the meeting. At the meeting a vote was taken to refuse the application, but officers could not come up with a material reason for refusal. Another vote was called for and it was finally approved. During the public consultation process the application was materially altered several times. The rolling maul of changes resulted in local residents being unable to keep up with the onslaught of new versions or to know which version they were commenting on. Knowing that this area has one of the highest proportions of elderly residents with limited or no access to the internet, no consideration was given to equality. The many changes aggravated these challenges, resulting in a travesty and anything but an example of an open democratic process. The website for making comments also frequently evidenced as unavailable. As a parish council we are starting to revise our Neighbourhood Plan in consultation with the community, are there any recommendations you could make so that the plan will be valued by the Local Planning Authority. Yours sincerely Heather Rowell Clerk for Freshwater Parish Council On behalf of Cllr George Cameron, Chairman of the Planning Committee. 8

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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

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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

Totland Parish Council News Welcome to 2022, Happy New Year to you all and we hope you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year with family and/ or friends. 2021 continued to be a strange year for us all with some residents still isolating, please check on your neighbours if you can.

Defibrillator Locations: The Waterfront Bar, Needles Battery, Memorial Hall and Colwell Public toilet block, Totland Parish Office. All are easily accessible 24/7.

Totland Events: We started the Car Boot Sales again last year and they proved to be popular, we will therefore go ahead again this year starting in May and will take place every Saturday.

Recycling: Afton Marsh Recycling Centre – This is open and you can now take household rubbish, however, you MUST book a time online or over the telephone. You cannot just turn up; you will be sent away.

The Christmas Fair on Colwell Common was extremely well supported and we thank all of you who supported this. We shortened the timings and reduced the number of stalls slightly to give more space in the marquee. We also added floor-ing which was very popular and made the marquee feel warm. The outside area with the food, drink and firepit were also well received with the event finishing around the firepit and the Christmas tree light switch on. This year we are hoping to run some more events including a Seawall Parade and Spring Fair on the Recreation Ground, watch this space for more information. Due to further Covid-19 restrictions the Cycle Skill Park meeting has been delayed but we expect to hold this soon. This meeting will be a summary of the consultation with full details and responses received during that time.

CONTACT DETAILS: Parish Clerk – Mrs Helen Gibbs - Telephone 756028 Totland Parish Council, Winchester House, The Broadway, Totland Bay, PO39 0AX. The parish office opening days and times are: Monday – Thursday 9.30am to 12.30pm. Email: clerk@totlandparishcouncil.org. uk or follow the Clerk on Twitter @ TotlandClerk. The parish council also have a Facebook page which is updated regularly. Ward Councillor Chris Jarman – email: chris.jarman@iow.gov.uk Telephone 0790 500 2834 Ward Councillor Surgeries are held in the office on a Thursday between 9am and 10am. Please check in advance to ensure this is going ahead should you wish to talk with Councillor Jarman.

Your Parish Councillors’ are: Chairman The Community Mosaic project had almost Jan Cave, Vince Fennell, John Howe, completed before lockdown last year and Steve Blamire, Helen Wood, Gareth Wyre we hope to restart this again shortly to and Hilary Benns. complete the final panels. 12

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.

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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

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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

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!

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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. 16

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Club Lounge Available for Hire Weddings, Birthdays, Anniversaries, Wakes, Corporate Events, Seminars Etc...

The Isle of Wight Community Club is a long-standing establishment that brings Catering Available people together, not just from the local area To receive more details or to make a but from all corners of the Island. Based booking please call us or see our in Park Road, Cowes (formerly known as website and Facebook page or email the Plessey Club) they have some of the us at info@iowcc.com best facilities on the Island and cater for everyone. They are a family friendly club and can bring people together for social, sports and celebration events. They host regular weekly and monthly events, including bingo night, tea dances, The Evergreen Club for the over 60’s, bridge and crib, cheese and wine evenings, live entertainment, family discos and karaoke nights to name just a few. Everyone is welcome to attend these events. If sports is more your ‘thing’, whether watching, playing or taking part in the social side then the IOWCC is the perfect place for you. They are always looking for more players/teams for a variety of sporting events. Do you have an event such as a wedding, anniversary, birthday or a corporate event coming up? The Club Lounge is the ideal setting to celebrate. The Lounge can be decorated and transformed to turn any event from great to fabulous and for those that want the full experience catering is also available.

The Isle of Wight Community Club has something for everyone, and 2022 is going to be a great year for live entertainment and events. Who doesn’t like a game of bowls or petanque when the sun is shining? With so many activities in one place the only sensible thing to do is to become a member. For more details you can go to their website at www.iowcc.com and see their main advert. 17

News Report from Cllr Peter Spink Freshwater North & Yarmouth Peter.Spink@iow.gov.uk Dear Residents Yet again much of my time since I last wrote to you has been spent on local planning issues. The Task and Finish Committee appointed to look into the Draft Island Planning Strategy (DIPS), of which I am the Chair, has now completed its report. The committee’s recommendations and findings went before the Corporate Scrutiny Committee on the 15th December. There were 19 recommendations, of which the following are perhaps the most significant: i). The minimum number of houses to be built per annum should be further reduced to 300 or less. ii). A case of exceptional circumstances should not be ruled out as an alternative future course of the DIPS. iii). Affordable housing should be affordable to Islanders on low income and should, if possible, be council owned. iv) Developments should not be commenced/occupied until the necessary infrastructure is in place. v). Greater emphasis should be placed on the Council’s Climate Change Strategy, protecting the environment/greenfield and the biosphere. I have also been involved with the Residents Association ‘Sustainable Freshwater’ and in particular the application re Birch Close. The granting of planning permission on yet another greenfield site was a huge disappointment to many local residents and I, together 18

with others, are currently looking into whether there are grounds for challenging that decision. Sustainable Freshwater is not against development in principle but cannot see the purpose of losing our precious countryside to housing, most of which will not be affordable by Islanders on or below the average wage. We are concerned also by the lack of infrastructure to support the level of development that is in the ‘pipeline’. Our sewers, roads, medical care etc are struggling to cope with the existing population, without building even more houses for retirees from the mainland. There is nothing wrong with people retiring here but we should not be building new homes for them. I am in correspondence with Natural England re the Solent Nitrate Neutrality Policy. The DIPS provides that developments that connect to the Sandown Sewage Treatment Plant are deemed to be Solent nitrate neutral as they discharge into the English Channel; however, this appears to overlook storm discharges en route to Sandown e.g. Southern Water has confirmed that Birch Close will storm discharge locally into the Solent. I wish you all a very Happy New Year.

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Your Local Independent Minibus Service

JANUARY 2022

DETAILS OF OUR SCHEDULED SERVICES, MEDICAL TRIPS, SHOPPING TRIPS, CHARITY SHOP OPENING TIMES, ETC., ARE AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE OR VIA OUR OFFICE (SEE DETAILS AT BOTTOM OF PAGE) Protecting YOU and our volunteers - Many people in West Wight are now vaccinated against the virus, but we still don't want the people who use or work for our service to be put off by the fear of catching it, so we are continuing to keep our vehicles and our premises as clean as possible, and providing handgel for passengers, shop customers and volunteers to use. We try to follow the Government’s guidelines with regard to distancing and the wearing of face masks which are currently compulsory, aboard our buses, and in our shop. Please help us to keep you safe! Wight Community Access – FYTbus, Winchester House, The Broadway, Totland Bay. PO39 0AX Tel: 01983 752917 Web: www.fytbus.org.uk Email: info@fytbus.org.uk