Island Magazines March 23 - Newport & Carisbrooke 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 our ‘DIGITAL’ edition each month.

Just email islandmgazines@ gmail.com and include the words ‘subscribe Newport digital’ in the email, then sit back, relax and wait for the next issue to drop into your email inbox.

Welcome and thank you for picking up a copy of your local community magazine.

The March issue signifies that Spring is on the way and the ‘spring equinox’ and official first day of Spring is Monday 20th March.

The Island is already showing us that warmer weather is coming with the unmistakable signs of daffodils and crocus emerging on hedges, gardens and local parks.

The days will start getting longer and the clocks go forward 1 hour at 1am on the 26th March. There is a lot to look forward to as the island will slowly start emerging from it’s winter cocoon and our dates for your diary section on page 9 will keep you updated on local events happening across the Island.

Another important date to remember is of course Mothering Sunday on the 19th March.

Inside this issue you will find your regular news updates and this month on page 8, Joy’s Humble Crumble Kitchen feature has some great air fryer recipes for you to try.

I hope you enjoy this issue and please get in touch by any means below if you have any information you would like to share or would like to advertise your business in the next issue.

Have a great month and I look forward to catching up with you again soon.

As Mad as a March Hare

A BIG thank you TWM Wildlife & Nature Isle of Wight for providing us with this month’s front cover picture.

TWM Wildlife & Nature Isle of Wight is the making of two well know local photographers – Tramp Woods and Warren Mason and if you’re on Facebook or Instagram you will probably have seen some of their wildlife pictures already.

Warren Mason is a very accomplished professional photographer with many years of experience! Having pictures in major magazines and publications.

Tramp Woods is a very keen wildlife photographer, with published content in papers and magazines, and achieving many awards.

They have teamed up and started wildlife photography workshops, for those who struggle with this very difficult genre of photography, from complete novices and upwards. They have been giving up their time to teach others new skills in obtaining better pictures through understanding how to not only set up their equipment but understanding how to use their cameras in a better way, giving people tips and ideas on how to improve their photography.

They’ve had a massive response and held a few workshops in let’s say difficult conditions. The response from those who have attended has been amazing and they have now set up a dedicated Facebook group, not only for them to give out information, but it’s there for anyone to join, and post pictures or leave comments, or just look at the fantastic pictures posted.

TWM Wildlife & Nature Isle of Wight

News Report by Julie Jones-Evans. Tel 521068 or 07886 437688 E: julie.jones-evans@iow.gov.uk

T: @juliejonesevans F: Julie Jones-Evans

Newport and Carisbrooke Community Council has confirmed no increase in the precept, which is collected via our council tax bills. Many town and parish councils across the island have raised their precepts in order to provide more services and projects. I’m pleased to report that Newport Youth Cafe was successful in getting some funding along with the Youth Trust to help young people in Newport.

As I reported last month, NCCC did not support a funding bid for a free community event for the Coronation on May 6th. However, Shaping Newport has taken it up as a project and one of the partners, Newport Business Association, has applied for some funding from the National Lottery to put on an event. We will know in a few weeks if the application was successful, but meanwhile we are preparing for an event in St James’s Square and a market in St Thomas’s Square. We aim to close the square and have music, entertainment and stalls and show the coronation in London live on a big screen. I’ll keep you informed of the progress and fingers crossed the lottery say yes!

The work at 64 High St, the old Edinburgh Wool Mill, which has been bought by NCCC are going well, on schedule and on budget, which is great news. The target for opening is May this year and we are currently working with IW Council to create a co-working space in the building, as a spoke from the main hub at Building 41 in Northwood. Building 41 has just opened as a modern co-working, office and event space, using the last of EU funding to come

to the island. It’s proving very popular and we have every confidence that 64 High Street will be an asset for small business and entrepreneurs, alongside the “shoplets” we have that will be available for pop ups, serving as business incubator units.

We hope to be able to move the plans for a new cultural centre on Newport Harbour forward with a feasibility study, including more advanced architectural drawings and most crucially also producing a funding strategy. The vision is for a new county records office, museum, gallery, new library, theatre, restaurant and bar. It is envisioned that it will be a high building looking right across Newport, on the footprint of the Riverside Centre. The function of the Riverside Centre is very important and will be reprovisioned. The whole project will take a few years and millions of pounds to complete, so it’s important we take steady steps along the way, ensuring its right.

We are still facing very high energy costs and the recent cold weather hasn’t helped the situation. Please remember there are many “warm spaces” in Newport covering every day of the week, where a friendly face and a hot drink are freely available to anyone. The list is updated weekly and can be found here www.islefindit.org. uk/advice/the-west-and-central-warmhubs. The Isle Find It website also has information on financial help.

Jim Baldwin

Tel: 07528 586683

The warm spell in mid-February was a great tonic to us all, with the first signs of spring accompanying it. Crucially, for me, it coincided with the first appearance of my beloved butterflies from hibernation. Four species of butterfly hibernate during the winter as an adult: Brimstone, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell and Comma. Red Admiral also overwinters as an adult but does not enter a dormant state and can be seen on sunny days throughout the winter. Of all the butterflies, it is the Brimstone which is synonymous with early spring. Keen butterfly observers note the date of their first Brimstone sighting and this year on the Island, it coincided with Valentine’s Day.

The male Brimstone matches the colour of sulphur perfectly and emerges from its slumbers dashing off in search of females. However, the paler female emerges later so its early pursuit is in vain. They can survive until the end of May, having the longest adult stage of the UK’s butterflies. Brimstone is among the oldest butterfly names, being established in the 17th century. Because of its colour, there is even the suggestion that the Brimstone was the original butterfly but this has yet to be proven.

Brimstone can be seen anywhere although the early records come predominantly from woodlands. Firestone Copse and Parkhurst Forest are two sites where you are likely to see one. If there is a cold spell in March, Brimstone will return to its wintering quarters and hibernate until the warm weather returns.

With butterflies starting to appear, now is a good time to register with Butterfly Conservation’s Garden Butterfly Survey. If you do not have a garden, you can still take part at an allotment or community space. You can survey your site throughout the year recording the species you see and enter your sightings online. You can find out how to take part at www. gardenbutterflysurvey.org

Recording butterflies is so important. The recent State of the UK’s Butterflies 2022 report has just been published and revealed the alarming news that 80% of butterflies in the UK have declined since the 1970s.

Don’t forget to record the butterflies you see out on your walks. There is an excellent iRecord free app which you can download to your phone. Enjoy your butterflies and let me know what you have seen.

‘Brimstone’

‘Brimstone’ Male chasing a female mid flight

From joy’s humble crumble kitchen

We are still working on ideas to help make the budget go that bit further, last month was slow cooker recipes, this month using an air fryer that enables the air to circulate to help cook the food quickly while retaining crispiness on the outside and juiciness on the inside.

COURGETTE FRITTERS - Children will love these!

2 medium courgettes - grated - hand squeeze the liquid out

60g seasoned flour • 100g cheddar grated • 1 egg

2 cloves garlic - optional

• ½ onion grated - optional.

* Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

* Make 8 patties with the mixture. (place in the freezer for 5-10 minutes) to keep the shape.

* Put courgette patties in the air fryer at 180 °C for 5-10 minutes, leaving space between each then flip the patties over for an additional 5-10 minutes or until brown.

Use as part of a meal, a side dish or on its own with a dipping sauce.

CRUMBED CHICKEN FILLETS - 4 servings - Air fryer 180 °C

640g mini chicken fillets • 1 large egg • 150g dry bread crumbs

2 tbsp veg. oil • seasoning

* Whisk the egg in a small bowl

* In a second bowl mix the breadcrumbs and drizzle oil over - mix to together and season

* dip each fillet into the egg, then dip into crumb mixture until evenly covered.

* lay the chicken in the air fryer basket in an even layer and cook for about 10-12 minutes

STUFFED PEPPERS 4 servings - 180 °C

4 large bell peppers • 500g mince beef • 1 tsp. oil • 1 small diced onion

2 cloves garlic - grated • 1 tin chopped tomato - drained

good squeeze tomato sauce • 1 tbsp - oregano • 200g cooked rice

100g grated cheddar - or parmesan or a mix of both.

* Cut the peppers in half - scoop out seeds

* Stir fry the mince, onion, garlic in a little oil (cook until mince is no longer pink). * Remove from heat - add the chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce, seasoning and oregano - add the cooked rice - mix well together

* Stuff the peppers with the mixture and place the peppers in a single layer in the air fryer basket

* Cook at 360 degrees for 10 minutes. Top the peppers with the cheese and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes (until the cheese has melted)

Swap the beef mince for minced turkey or chicken.

dates for your diary

Sunday 5th March – Preloved Indoor Market at Binstead Community Centre, from 1pm – 2.30pm. Preloved sale for everything you need from pregnancy to 5 yrs. Clothes, equipment, toys, books and more. Free entry for buyers.

Monday 6th March - Isle of Wight Family History Society open meeting. The history of tuberculosis on the Isle of Wight – talk by Dr Paul Bingham at Arreton Community Hall, Main Road, Arreton. Doors open 2pm talk starts 2:15pm. Members of the Isle of Wight FHS £1; non-members £2. Everyone welcome.

Saturday 11th March – Newchurch Drama Group Spring Quiz at All Saints Church Hall, Newport from 7pm – 10pm. £6 per person. Maximum of 4 in a team. This is a fun, friendly quiz with prizes for the winning team. Raffle on the night but bring your own refreshments. Call 07811 690462 to book your table.

Sunday 12th March - Charity Antiques and Collectors Fair (in support of the MNDA) atNorthwood House, Cowes from 10am – 4pm. Visitors can expect to find a great variety of local antique and collectable traders in the function rooms of Northwood House. Refreshments, tea, cakes and sandwiches available all through the day for exhibitors and visitors. Admission is £3 per adult or £5.00 per couple on the gate, with accompanied children free.

Saturday 25th & Sunday 26th March - The Island Car Centre Sandown Sprint will return to Culver Parade. The Sandown Sprint will involve 100 cars competing on a specially constructed circuit, at Sandown’s Culver Parade, with the start in Fort Street and finishing in Yaverland. Spectator numbers

will be limited, so motor racing fans are advised to book early. The cost of admission has been held at £10 per adult, with concessions. Further details on the Sandown Sprint and tickets for the event can be found via the website isleofwightspeedtrials.co.uk

EVENTS AT LORD LOUIS LIBRARY

Reading Group - Thursday 2nd March

5.15pm

Friends of Lord Louis Library Book sale

Saturday 4th, at 9am-4pm Tea

Chat for the Over 60s - Monday 6th and 20th at 10.30am-12pm.

Bereavement Group - Tuesday 7th March, 10-11.30am Please come along for a chat and a cuppa at this friendly group run by Mountbatten IW.

Knit and Natter - Thursday 2nd at 10am12pm & 17th at 2-4pm

Digital Support Sessions with Age UK IW - Thursday 9th and 23rd at 10.30am-12.00pm bring your device for some digital help.

Jane Austen Reading Group - Thursday 23rd, 3pm, please come along if you love Jane Austen.

Second Time Around - Get your ticket from the library help point to see this local folk band, only £5, soft refreshments provided, BYO alcohol. Thursday 23rd March 6.30pm

Children

Rhymetime - Every Friday 10am and 11am - no need to book

Lego Club (age 5+) Tuesday 7th & 21st at 3.30-4.30pm

Duplo Group for toddlers - Every Tuesday at 10.30-11.30am

Home Ed Lego Club (age 5+) - Monday 13th March 10.30-11.30am

News

report from Cllr Andrew Garratt for Parkhurst & Hunnyhill

Email: andrew.garratt@iow.gov.uk - Tel: 01983 524623

Over recent weeks I’ve been making sure I walk past the green area on Hookes Way. It’s been great to see the new play equipment being installed. At the time of writing, the turf needed a little time to take hold before the equipment can be used.

I’ve continued to raise concerns about the accumulation of litter and fly-tipped rubbish along the Hookes Way footpath by the dual carriageway. This has been taken seriously by the council and I hope that this will mean that the worst can be cleared away soon.

Very recently, residents alerted me to recent fly-tipping on forest land near Camp Hill. I’ll be working with residents to make sure this is cleared as soon as possible.

With both areas, we will need to look at ways of deterring any future fly-tipping, which is a criminal offence.

Users of the bus stop on the northern side of Cowes Road will know that this has a very small ‘refuge’. I’ve asked council officers to add this to the list to be considered for upgrade. It makes sense to do this so it’s safer for users, especially with the heavy traffic during most of the day.

On another safety issue, readers may remember I reported that a pedestrian count had been carried out on those crossing near the mini-roundabout near Lidl. A meeting is set to take place with council officers on the outcome of the survey and what might be done to make things safer.

An issue was reported to me about the pedestrian crossing on Forest Road

behaving as though the button had been pressed all the time. This was leading to the lights cycling repeatedly from red to green with some frustrated drivers going through on red. I took this up with Island Roads who discovered a problem with a faulty microswitch which had to be replaced.

It’s been a while since the council wrote to residents of the prison estates following the completion of the streetlight installation. The next step is to resurface those roads on the estates which are now owned by the council. I’m pressing for a date for these works to be confirmed, though it will need to tie in with work by WightFibre to install their cabling so that newly surfaced roads and pavements aren’t dug up almost immediately.

As in previous months’ reports I want to highlight the dedicated section on the Isle of Wight Council website with advice and guidance for residents struggling with the cost of living: www.iow.gov.uk/costofliving

Council tax bills will arrive in March, adding to the pressure on household budgets. For working aged people on low incomes, help is available through the local council tax support scheme. At the time of writing, Isle of Wight Council was about to consider raising the maximum amount of reduction to 70 per cent from 65 per cent. This is something I got council support for last year so I’m hoping next month I will be reporting that it was, indeed, passed.

Information on eligibility and how to apply is online at the (long!) link:

continued over the page

News report from Cllr Andrew Garratt for Parkhurst & Hunnyhill

beta.iow.gov.uk/council-tax-and-benefits/ council-tax/help-with-paying-council-tax/ local-council-tax-support

You can also ring the Council’s revenue and benefits team on 01983 823950.

Finally, as ever, please get in touch with issues that I may be able to help with – however ‘big’ or ‘small’. My contact details are above. You can also follow my work as a councillor through my website at https://andrewgarratt.mycouncillor. org.uk/

Decor Perfection

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.

Word Ladder

A word ladder is a sequence of words formed by changing just one letter each time. Can you find the missing words? Use the clues if you get stuck.

FREE DIGITAL SUPPORT SERVICE FOR ISLAND RESIDENTS AGED 50+

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 on-line who currently do not have any internet access.

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.

Following conversations with residents, I’ve escalated a number of planning enforcement issues around the Whitecroft Park housing estate, so we should start seeing some long overdue progress soon.

Just down the road, Thompson House is to be scheduled for demolition. Obviously, this will likely have some noise/transport impacts on the local area so I’m pushing the council to confirm dates promptly for residents and secure reassurances that demolition will be done as efficiently and sensitively as possible.

Over to the other side of the ward, myself and council staff are pushing for the clearing of a large fly-tipping site in Gunville. The landowner thus far has been unresponsive and so we’re having to pursue alternative means for progress. If you have issues of fly-tipping in your neighbourhood, please do report them on the Isle of Wight Council website.

In slightly related news, dog fouling seemingly appears to be on the rise recently. I’m currently in conversation with IWC environment officers to explore feasible deterrents and best ways to identify offenders. The majority of residents have a lot of pride in their community and sense of place and so it’s very frustrating when a small number behave inconsiderately.

On to some lighter news, Gunville Community Association are currently planning a community fun day for the start of June. The ideas discussed so far sound really great and I’m hoping we get the weather! I’ll drop some more information on this closer to the time, but

it’ll be wonderful to see the community out and coming together for some fun!

As always, if you need to get in touch with myself, please use the contact details at the top of this page.

Award Winning Music Classes for Babies and Young Children

Monkey Music baby and toddler classes offer a safe, supportive and nurturing environment, where parents, carers and children meet in small groups to enjoy interactive musical activities. They have been running nationally for 30 years and the classes here on the Island are run by Katherine Green who recently relocated to the island and brought her classes with her ensuring all children have the opportunity to experience Monkey Music.

All classes are tailored specifically to support families with babies, toddlers and pre-school children aged between 3 months and 4 years of age. The classes are based around 4 stages - time to sing, time to move, time to play and time to sleep, and are designed to keep babies stimulated from start to end through the exploration of music, movement and instruments.

Rock ‘n’ Roll classes (from 3 months) gentle songs and lullabies for you both to share precious moments and songs are linked to rhythmic body movements. Sensory props to stimulate visual experience and friendly percussion instruments for those rock ‘n’ roll moments.

Heigh-Ho classes (from 12 months) they will learn action songs, catchy sounds with up beat tunes to allow them to dance freely and to practise fine motor skills using hand held percussion instruments. These classes help toddlers need for active time and quieter time for calmer activities.

Jiggety-Jig classes (2 & 3 year olds) these older toddlers have fun with their friends and develop a strong musical foundation with some songs for dressing up and telling stories to help build self-confidence. Whilst dancing and partnering with friends help the toddlers to get to know each other. Composing comes naturally to the JiggetyJiggers so with the use of props, images, music, stories and poems help inspire our little monkeys as they create and perform their own special music.

Ding – Dong classes (3 & 4 year olds) children are now ready to learn to read music - this is a huge milestone and paves the way for a bright musical future!

Monkey Music

Isle of Wight and Portsmouth

Sharing precious time together

Age specific interactive music educational classes for babies and toddlers aged 3 months- 4 years with a progressive curricula. Classes to help development and confidence whilst having lots of fun.

For more information and to book your first FREE class please visit:

www.monkeymusic.co.uk/area/isle-wight-portsmouth alternatively call Katherine on 01983 240352 or email iow.portsmouth@monkeymusic.co.uk

For more information, please see their main advert and don’t forget the FIRST CLASS IS FREE.